Iftar menu templates: set menu, iftar box, suhoor and Eid sweets
Updated October 20, 2026
A good iftar menu starts with dates and water or laban, then moves through soup, salad and a main course to a Ramadan dessert, all for one price per person. Copy the four templates below into Word, Google Docs or your online menu: a dine-in set menu, an iftar box for one or for four, a suhoor menu and an Eid sweets list, each with halal and allergen lines. A worked example shows how to price an iftar box in AED.
When is Ramadan 2027, and when is it in 2028?
| Expected date | Note | |
|---|---|---|
| Ramadan 1448 begins | Monday 8 February 2027 | Crescent to be sought on the evening of Sunday 7 February |
| Last ten nights | From about Saturday 27 February 2027 | If Ramadan starts on 8 February |
| Eid al-Fitr 1448 | Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March 2027 | Malaysia and Indonesia list Wednesday 10 and Thursday 11 March as holidays |
| Ramadan 1449 | About 11 days earlier, around late January 2028 | Eid al-Fitr around late February 2028 |
These are projections by UAE astronomers (The National, Gulf News) and the 2027 holiday lists of Indonesia and Malaysia. The moon sighting decides the exact day, and it can fall a day apart from one country to the next. Iftar is at sunset, which changes daily and by city, so print "served from sunset" rather than a clock time.
When to get your iftar menu ready
| When (2027) | What to do |
|---|---|
| Mon 4 January | Pick and test-cook the dishes; cost every item. |
| Mon 11 January | Photos, Arabic names, allergens and calories for each dish. |
| Mon 18 January | Final menu, three weeks out. Print table cards and check your QR menu. |
| Mon 25 January | Add the Ramadan dishes online. Iftar boxes can take pre-orders from now; keep the suhoor dishes marked out of stock until the month starts. |
| Sun 7 February, evening | Once the start is announced, switch on the suhoor dishes and the dine-in iftar set. |
| Mon 15 February | Publish the Eid sweets list so customers can order ahead. |
| Sat 27 February | Refresh for the last ten nights: bigger family boxes, more dessert stock. |
| The day after Eid | Turn off the suhoor window and the iftar set, and go back to normal hours. |
Template 1: iftar set menu (dine-in, price per person)
Iftar at [your restaurant name] AED ____ per person · SAR ____ per person · QAR ____ per person · children under 12: ____ Served from sunset every evening of Ramadan. Booking recommended.
To break the fast: dates · water · laban Soup: ____________ · ____________ Salads and cold mezze: ____________ · ____________ · ____________ Main course (choose one): ____________ · ____________ · ____________ (V) Ramadan desserts: ____________ · ____________ Drinks: ____________ · ____________ · Arabic coffee and tea
All our meat and poultry is halal. Prices include ____% VAT. Allergens are marked on each dish. Tell us about any food allergy before ordering.
Example wording you can copy
Iftar at [your restaurant name] · AED 135 per person (example price) To break the fast: Medjool dates, water, chilled laban Soup: Red lentil soup with lemon · Harees with wheat and lamb (gluten) Salads and cold mezze: Fattoush (gluten) · Hummus with tahini (sesame) · Moutabal (sesame) Main course: Lamb ouzi with spiced rice and nuts (nuts) · Chicken kabsa · Grilled hammour with sayadieh rice (fish) · Vegetable maqluba (V) Ramadan desserts: Kunafa with pistachio (gluten, milk, nuts) · Qatayef with cream or walnuts (gluten, milk, nuts) Drinks: Vimto · Jallab with pine nuts (nuts) · Qamar al-din · Arabic coffee and tea
In London or Kuala Lumpur, keep the courses and price in £ or MYR.
Template 2: iftar box for delivery or pickup
Serves 1
Iftar box for one · AED ____ (includes VAT) 3 dates · water 330 ml · laban 200 ml Soup of the day, 300 ml Fattoush Main: ____________ or ____________ (V) Dessert: ____________ Drink: ____________ Order by ____ the day before. Pickup or delivery before sunset; choose your time at checkout.
Family box, serves 4
Family iftar box (serves 4) · AED ____ (includes VAT) 12 dates · water 4 × 330 ml · laban 4 × 200 ml Soup, 1.2 liters Large fattoush · hummus · ____________ Mains to share: ____________ platter and ____________ 8 sambousek (cheese or meat) Dessert tray: ____________ Jallab or Vimto, 1 liter All meat is halal. Allergens are listed on each item.
List every item and the price on your ordering page, not just a photo, and pack hot and cold food separately.
Template 3: suhoor menu (late night)
Suhoor at [your restaurant name] · served ____ PM to ____ AM, [days] Foul medames with olive oil, cumin and bread Eggs: shakshuka · omelet · boiled Manakish: za'atar · cheese · za'atar and cheese Cheese plate: halloumi, white cheese, olives, cucumber, tomato Labneh with olive oil · yogurt with honey and dates Drinks: laban · karak tea · fresh juice · water Last orders ____ AM.
Set the last order time well before dawn, so food reaches customers with time to eat.
Template 4: Eid sweets order list
Eid sweets at [your business name] · order by ____, collect or delivery ____ Name: ____________ Phone: ____________ Pickup or delivery date: ____________
| Item | Size | Qty | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maamoul (date / walnut / pistachio) | box of ____ | ____ | ____ |
| Stuffed dates | box of ____ | ____ | ____ |
| Baklava assortment | ____ g | ____ | ____ |
| ____________ | ____ | ____ | ____ |
All maamoul contains wheat and butter; walnut and pistachio maamoul also contain nuts. Ask us about allergens before you order.
In Malaysia, list kuih raya jars such as pineapple tarts (tart nenas), kuih bangkit and kuih makmur in MYR; in Indonesia, kue lebaran such as nastar, kastengel and putri salju in Rp. To print it, use the holiday order form with the Eid preset.
Halal marks and allergens on an iftar menu
Write one halal line, such as "All our meat and poultry is halal", then check allergens dish by dish:
| Allergen | Where it hides on an iftar menu |
|---|---|
| Sesame | Tahini in hummus, moutabal and halva; sesame on bread |
| Tree nuts | Pistachio on kunafa, walnuts in qatayef and maamoul, pine nuts on jallab and ouzi |
| Gluten (wheat) | Harees, fattoush bread, sambousek, manakish, kunafa, qatayef, maamoul |
| Milk | Laban, labneh, halloumi, kunafa cheese, cream in qatayef, ghee |
| Egg | Shakshuka, omelets, some pastries |
| Fish and crustaceans | Hammour, prawns, fish stock |
Recipes vary, so check your own. UK venues follow the 14 allergens rules; the free allergen chart maker prints a matrix.
Saudi Arabia (SFDA). Menus must show calories and allergens. Since 1 July 2025 they also need caffeine on drinks (Arabic coffee, tea, karak), a salt icon on items over 5 g of salt, and the exercise time to burn each item's calories; SFDA applies the salt icon to online ordering platforms too. The free SFDA calorie label tool prints Arabic and English labels.
VAT. UAE VAT is 5% (Ministry of Finance), and the Federal Tax Authority says prices shown to consumers must include it. Saudi VAT is 15% (ZATCA), and ZATCA's invoicing guideline allows a statement that the price includes it: SAR 135 on the menu is SAR 117.39 plus SAR 17.61 VAT, so print "Prices include 15% VAT".
Worked example: costing and pricing an iftar box in AED
A Dubai kitchen costs a single iftar box. The costs are examples, not market prices:
| Item | Cost (AED) |
|---|---|
| 3 dates | 1.20 |
| Water 330 ml | 0.50 |
| Laban 200 ml | 1.25 |
| Lentil soup 300 ml | 1.80 |
| Fattoush | 2.20 |
| Chicken machboos (rice and a quarter chicken) | 8.50 |
| Kunafa portion | 2.75 |
| Vimto 250 ml | 1.30 |
| Packaging: box, soup cup, cutlery, bag | 3.50 |
| Total cost | 23.00 |
For food and packaging at 30% of the price before VAT: AED 23.00 ÷ 0.30 = AED 76.67, plus 5% VAT = AED 80.50. A menu price of AED 79 including VAT is AED 75.24 before VAT: cost 30.6%, leaving AED 52.24 for labor, rent and delivery.
The family box costs AED 101.00. At AED 299 including VAT (AED 284.76 before), cost is 35.5%, but each order leaves AED 183.76 and families pay AED 74.75 a head. Test your own numbers in the menu price calculator.
Put your iftar menu online with Menuthere
- Add the dishes by typing them or importing a photo or PDF (check what it reads before saving). Switch on the Halal mark and add allergens and calories. Every plan, including Free.
- Add Arabic names. A secondary Arabic name shows under each dish on every plan; the Arabic/English language button for the whole menu is on Lite.
- Time the suhoor menu with "Show dishes at set times" (Free): pick the weekdays and a window such as 10:00 PM to 3:00 AM, which can run past midnight. It cannot follow sunset or calendar dates, so set one window for the month and turn it off after Eid. See timed dishes.
- Mark prices Tax Inclusive so VAT isn't added twice at checkout (Free).
- Put table QR codes out so diners read the set menu and its allergens on their phones, free. See the free QR code menu.
- Take iftar boxes ahead with pre-order slots before sunset (Lite). The Ramadan pre-orders guide covers slots, suhoor delivery and Eid cut-offs.
- Tell regulars with a push such as "Iftar boxes now open" from your own branded app.
Free is US$0 with no card. Lite is US$17 a month after a 7-day free trial (card needed to start, nothing charged until it ends), and orders are 0% commission. See pricing.
More dates to plan around are in the restaurant marketing calendar.
FAQs
What should be on an iftar menu?
Dates with water or laban to break the fast, a soup such as lentil or harees, a salad such as fattoush, a choice of main courses, a Ramadan dessert such as kunafa or qatayef, and drinks such as Vimto or jallab. Add a halal line and the allergens for each dish.
How much should I charge for an iftar box?
Work back from your cost. In our example, a box that costs AED 23 to make sells for AED 79 including 5% VAT, which keeps food and packaging at about 30% of the price before VAT.
What goes on a suhoor menu?
Filling food that travels well late at night: foul medames, eggs or shakshuka, manakish, cheese, labneh, yogurt and dates, with laban, tea or juice. Stop orders well before dawn.
When is Ramadan 2027?
Ramadan 1448 is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr on Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March. The moon sighting decides the exact day, which can differ by a day between countries.
Can my suhoor menu switch on and off by itself?
Yes, by weekday and time of day. In Menuthere a dish can show only between, say, 10:00 PM and 3:00 AM on the days you pick, but it cannot follow sunset or calendar dates, so turn the window off after Eid.
Do Saudi iftar menus need calorie labels?
Yes. SFDA requires calories and allergens on restaurant menus, and since 1 July 2025 also caffeine on drinks, a salt icon on high-salt items and the exercise time to burn off each item's calories.
Sources (9)
- The National, Ramadan 2027: expected UAE dates and Eid Al Fitr holiday. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/10/06/ramadan-2027-uae-dates-eid-al-fitr-holiday/
- Gulf News, When is Ramadan 2027?. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://gulfnews.com/uae/ramadan/when-is-ramadan-2027-the-expected-date-moon-sighting-and-eid-explained-1.500630523
- Government of Indonesia, Ministry of State Secretariat, SKB 3 Menteri: national holidays 2027. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://setneg.go.id/baca/index/inilah_skb_3_menteri_libur_nasional_dan_cuti_bersama_2027
- Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, Public holidays in Malaysia for 2027 (Prime Minister's Department list). Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://www.fmm.org.my/uploads/files/fmm/20260828_144306_GI15%20-%202027%20Public%20Holiday%20National%20&%20State%20-%2027%20Aug.pdf
- SFDA, Caffeine, salt and physical-activity menu rules. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://www.sfda.gov.sa/en/news/17639
- SFDA, Restaurant duties on calories and allergens. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://www.sfda.gov.sa/en/news/18736
- UAE Ministry of Finance, Value Added Tax (VAT). Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://mof.gov.ae/en/public-finance/tax/value-added-tax-vat/
- Gulf News, Is VAT already included in UAE prices?. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://gulfnews.com/living-in-uae/ask-us/is-vat-already-included-in-uae-prices-or-added-at-checkout-1.500323158
- ZATCA, Guideline for tax invoicing under VAT. Accessed 20 Oct 2026. https://zatca.gov.sa/en/HelpCenter/guidelines/Documents/Guideline-for-Tax-Invoicing-and-Records-under-VAT-Provisions.pdf