The Property Masters designs and fits out restaurants, cafés, lounges and bars across Dubai and the UAE. A restaurant is two buildings in one — a front of house that has to feel right and a back of house kitchen that has to work hard — and the plan that links them decides covers, speed of service and running cost. We design FOH/BOH flow, specify kitchen extraction correctly, and steer the project through Dubai Civil Defence fire approval and food-safety approval, all priced by a fixed quote after a free site visit.
Front of house and back of house flow
The single most important decision in a restaurant fit-out: how FOH and BOH connect.
FOH vs BOH roles
- Front of house entrance, waiting and host area, dining floor, bar and washrooms — sets guest experience and the cover count that drives revenue
- Back of house kitchen, cold and dry stores, wash-up, staff and waste — sets how fast and cheaply you can serve those covers
Service flow principles
- Food: short, clean path from pass to table
- Dirty crockery: returns without crossing the food path
- Staff, deliveries and waste: routes that never cut through the dining experience
Getting this geometry right early prevents a beautiful dining room that can never run efficiently at full service.
Kitchen extraction and ventilation
Commercial kitchens live or die on extraction.
- Correctly sized canopy, ductwork and extract fan — remove heat, smoke, grease-laden vapour and odour
- Make-up air replaces extracted air so the kitchen stays at neutral pressure — stops smells pulling into the dining room
- Grease ducting must be accessible for cleaning; system balanced against the building's HVAC
- Retrofitting ductwork after the ceiling is built is slow and expensive — we coordinate extraction from the start
DCD fire-safety and food-safety approvals — two regimes you cannot skip
- Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) fire approval escape routes, detection and alarm, suppression including the kitchen hood fire-suppression system, emergency lighting, fire rating of materials
- Food-safety approval (relevant municipality or food-control authority) kitchen layout, washable walls and floors, coved skirtings, handwash provision, grease management, separation of clean and dirty processes
We design kitchen and finishes to meet both requirements first time and manage the submissions. See our Dubai fit-out approvals guide.
Atmosphere, lighting and acoustics
- Lighting ambient, accent and table-level layers — flatters food and guests; shifts mood from day to evening
- Acoustics hard surfaces look sharp but exhaust a room at full covers; we balance reflective and absorptive materials to keep conversation comfortable
- Seating layout planned for the cover count and circulation you need, including spacing for service style and accessibility
Joinery, finishes and durability
- Commercial-grade finishes durable, cleanable flooring; moisture-tolerant materials in wet zones; joinery built for daily use at bar, host stand and banquettes
- Custom joinery coordinated in-house — buildable and on programme
- Wet areas, washrooms and kitchen perimeter impervious, washable surfaces with coved junctions — clean down easily and satisfy food-safety expectations
MEP for the whole venue
- Power and data for kitchen and bar; gas where used; water, drainage and grease interception
- Comfort cooling sized for a full, busy room
- Lighting circuits zoned for day-to-evening control
- Bar planned as its own service engine: ice, glasswash, drainage and storage
How we work
End to end: concept, technical drawings, DCD and food-safety approvals, procurement and fit-out — one accountable team. Build detail at fit-out works. Wider commercial offer at commercial interior design. Hotel venue: start at hospitality interior design. Store or showroom: retail interior design. Cost context: interior design cost guide.
Restaurant fit-out is priced per project. We give a fixed quote after a free site visit (prices exclude 5% VAT). Book your free site visit on +971 50 928 5264.
Frequently Asked Questions
What approvals does a restaurant fit-out need in Dubai?
Two regimes are essential: Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) fire approval, covering escape routes, detection, suppression including the kitchen hood system and material fire ratings; and food-safety approval from the relevant municipality or food-control authority, covering kitchen layout, washable finishes, handwash provision and grease management. We design to meet both and manage the submissions for you.
Why is kitchen extraction so important?
Extraction removes heat, smoke, grease vapour and odour from the kitchen, and the make-up air system replaces what is extracted so the kitchen does not go into negative pressure and pull smells into the dining room. The canopy, ductwork and fans must be correctly sized, accessible for cleaning and balanced with the building's HVAC — which is why we coordinate it from the start rather than retrofitting it later.
Can you maximise the number of covers in my space?
Yes. We plan the seating layout for the cover count and service style you need while keeping comfortable circulation, accessible routes and a clean path between kitchen pass and tables. The aim is the most usable covers the unit can support without making the room feel cramped or slowing service.
Do you handle the kitchen design and equipment as well as front of house?
Yes. We design back of house — kitchen, stores, wash-up, staff and waste — alongside the dining room, coordinate the extraction and MEP, and specify finishes and layout to pass food-safety approval. We can work with your chosen kitchen equipment supplier or advise on a fit-for-purpose specification.
How long does a restaurant fit-out take?
Programme depends on the size of the unit, the kitchen and extraction scope and the authority approval cycle. We set out a realistic timeline at quotation stage that includes design, the DCD and food-safety approval periods and the fit-out itself, so you can plan your opening date around it.
How much does a restaurant fit-out cost in Dubai?
It is priced per project because the kitchen, extraction, MEP and the condition of the unit vary so much. We give a fixed, itemised quote after a free site visit and assessment, quoted excluding the 5% VAT applied in the UAE.