Restaurant and café umbrellas in Dubai: a buyer's guide

The outdoor season in the UAE runs from October to April, and for most restaurants and cafés the terrace is where the busiest tables are. The right umbrellas keep guests comfortable from lunch to late evening, stand up to the wind, and carry your brand. This guide covers what we recommend for restaurant and café terraces in Dubai, based on the jobs we have done for hotels, restaurants and cafés across the UAE.

Cantilever umbrellas: the most popular choice

For restaurants, cantilever umbrellas are the most popular choice. The pole sits to the side of the canopy, so the tables underneath are free: no pole in the middle of the table, and you can move furniture without moving the umbrella.

• Glatz Fortano (300x300 or 400x300 cm) is our go-to restaurant cantilever. It is strong, simple to open and close, and works on almost any terrace.
• Glatz Fortano Duo puts two Fortano canopies on one pole, covering 600x300 cm from a single 240 kg base. It is ideal along a row of tables or the front of a terrace.

We installed Fortano umbrellas at Raffles The Palm and the Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi, and cantilever umbrellas at Marriott The Palm.

When the sun comes in low

Morning and late afternoon sun comes in at a low angle, and a flat canopy no longer shades the tables. For west-facing terraces, or anywhere guests sit late in the afternoon, choose an umbrella that tilts:

• Glatz Sombrano S+ rotates 360 degrees and tilts to the side, in sizes from 300x300 to 400x300 cm. See it at the Arboretum restaurant and with a branded red canopy at Filful.
• Glatz Varioflex (300x300 cm) tilts both back and to the side and rotates 360 degrees. The Varioflex Solar LED adds solar-powered lights for the evening. See a Varioflex at a café in Dubai Hills Park.

Centre pole umbrellas: cafés and budget-friendly terraces

Centre pole umbrellas take less space and cost less, which makes them a good fit for cafés, pavements and smaller terraces.

Model	Sizes	Best for
Fortino Riviera	200x200 cm, Ø300 cm	Cafés and small tables
Fortero	300x300, 350x350 cm	Larger restaurant terraces
Fortello	400x400 cm, Ø400 cm	The largest; withstands wind up to 100 km/h
Fortello LED	400x400 cm	Dimmable LED lighting for up to 10 hours, battery powered
Gastrofit	350x350, 400x400 cm	Large terraces on a tighter budget

The Fortino is one of our most installed café umbrellas, at One Coffee, Como Lounge and Blue Marlin. Fortello LED umbrellas lit the terrace of the Canada Pavilion at Expo 2020, and a Fortero with a printed logo shades the Icons terrace.

Giant umbrellas for large terraces

For a large terrace, one giant umbrella can cover several tables with no poles in between. Glatz giant umbrellas are custom ordered from Switzerland, so allow at least 12 weeks:

• Palazzo Noblesse (up to 600x600 cm), opens with a crank or motor and withstands wind up to 95 km/h.
• Palazzo Royal and Palazzo Style, with a motor option and a shut height that leaves the tables undisturbed.
• Castello Pro, with optional LED lighting and floor mounting, and wind stability up to 100 km/h.

If you can't wait 12 weeks, the Llaza Duox is a quicker alternative for a large area. It is a freestanding shade with a central roller that opens out on both sides at once, covering up to 6 x 6 m (36 m²) without fixing to a wall. See a 600x600 cm Duox on a terrace in Dubai. See our giant umbrellas and why giant umbrellas suit restaurants.

Make them yours: logos and flaps

Umbrellas are one of the most visible parts of a terrace. We print your logo on the canopy or on the flap (flounce), using silk-screen printing for a long-lasting finish or digital printing for detailed artwork. See canopy branding, the branded red canopies at Filful and a custom double flap on a Sombrano.

Macramé flaps

Macramé is one of the most popular looks for restaurant umbrellas in Dubai. Handmade macramé flaps with tassels hang around the edge of the canopy and give a terrace a relaxed, boho feel, and they work on cantilever umbrellas such as the Sombrano S+. We made them for the Arboretum restaurant and for a boho restaurant.

Bases: on wheels or fixed

The base keeps the umbrella safe in the wind, and on a restaurant terrace it also decides how easily the staff can move things around.

• Moveable bases on wheels. Cantilever umbrellas can come with a base on wheels, so you can move them between tables, or out of the way for cleaning and events. The steel moveable base with concrete tiles and casters fits the Sombrano, Sunflex and Varioflex; the moveable umbrella base is a 120 kg steel plate on four locking wheels; and the 120 kg granite base has four caster wheels.
• Granite bases from 60 kg to 90 kg for centre pole umbrellas, heavier for larger sizes and windy spots.
• The M4 base can be set up with different weights for both cantilever and centre pole umbrellas.
• A mounting plate fixes the umbrella to a concrete floor. It can't be moved, but it is the most secure option for rooftops and waterfront terraces, and it leaves no base on the floor.

See all umbrella bases and accessories.

Wind and closing at night

Close umbrellas when the wind picks up and at the end of service: most of the wind damage we see is to umbrellas left open. Read what the Shamal is and when to close your shade.

Order before the season

Umbrellas in stock are usually delivered within 2 to 5 working days, and made-to-order sizes and colours take 3 to 5 weeks. Giant Glatz umbrellas take 12 weeks or more. Most restaurants want their terrace ready for October, so the best time to order is in the summer. See delivery and installation.

Every Glatz umbrella comes with a 2-year manufacturer's warranty, and we handle service and spare parts in the UAE. See warranty.

Our restaurant and café umbrella projects

Some of the terraces we have shaded across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Click a photo to see the project.

See more on our projects page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best umbrella for a restaurant terrace in Dubai? Cantilever umbrellas are the most popular, because the pole sits to the side and leaves the tables free. The Glatz Fortano, or the double Fortano Duo, works well for most terraces. Where the sun comes in low, choose a tilting model such as the Sombrano S+ or Varioflex. For cafés and tighter spaces, centre pole umbrellas such as the Fortino, Fortero and Fortello are a good fit.

How long do restaurant umbrellas take to arrive? Umbrellas in stock are usually delivered within 2 to 5 working days, and made-to-order sizes and colours take 3 to 5 weeks. Giant Glatz umbrellas such as the Palazzo and Castello are custom-ordered and take at least 12 weeks, so order them well before the season.

Can you print our restaurant logo on the umbrellas? Yes. We print logos on the canopy or on the flap (flounce), using silk-screen printing for a long-lasting finish or digital printing for detailed artwork.

Plan your terrace with us

Send us a photo or plan of your terrace, the number of tables and which way it faces, and we will suggest the right umbrellas with prices. Visit our showrooms in Al Quoz, Dubai or Mussafah, Abu Dhabi to see the models, or send us an enquiry. See all our commercial umbrellas.