Sofra bld: A Souk of Live Kitchens at Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri

The souk idea is more than decoration

Sofra bld is Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri’s all-day dining room, but its identity is built around a market rather than a conventional hotel buffet. Multiple live-cooking stations are arranged within an interior inspired by the movement and colour of a traditional souk, allowing diners to interact with chefs and move between Arabic, Asian and international dishes. The hotel’s own description uses the phrase ‘Where Arabia meets Asia’, and that is a more useful way to understand the restaurant than simply calling it international. Regional cooking is not an occasional themed corner; it sits at the centre of the room’s personality.

Different nights, different reasons to return

The current 2026 dinner programme gives Sofra unusually clear weekly structure. Monday is Fish Tales, built around sushi, catch of the day and seafood; Tuesday becomes Butchers Block; Wednesday is Arabesque Night; Friday combines seafood and meat for Surf and Turf; and Thursday, Saturday and Sunday are international-buffet evenings. Those themes are supported by the permanent live kitchens rather than imposed on an unrelated room. Recent 2026 diner feedback continues to praise the breadth of the selection, fresh seafood, breakfast quality and attentive service. For a buffet, that consistency matters more than novelty, because replenishment, timing and the freshness of high-turnover dishes determine the meal.

A reliable Qaryat Al Beri anchor

Sofra serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, making it one of the most useful dining addresses inside the Shangri-La complex. Current official hours begin at 6am for breakfast, with weekday lunch from noon and dinner generally from 6pm, while Saturday follows a slightly different schedule. The direct restaurant line is +971 2 509 8555. For Simply Abu Dhabi, the recommendation is to choose a meal with intention. Breakfast showcases the breadth of the everyday operation; one of the themed dinner nights gives the kitchen a sharper focus; and a group with mixed tastes will appreciate being able to move from Middle Eastern dishes to Asian stations without leaving the same room. Sofra succeeds by making abundance feel organised rather than indiscriminate.

Practical details

Location: Level 1 / Ground Floor, Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Khor Al Maqta, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Cuisine: Arabic, Asian and international live-station dining
Telephone: +971 2 509 8555
Service: Breakfast, lunch and dinner with rotating themed evenings
Editorial status: Open