Reason number 1,048 to love Dubai: the city’s almost suspicious ability to host every tradition at once, and somehow make it all feel perfectly natural. First came Chinese New Year, then the holy month of Ramadan, then Mother’s Day, then Eid Al Fitr with its glorious long weekend energy and family feasting. And now, because Dubai never believes in doing things by halves, Easter is back on the agenda.

At this point, some confusion is understandable. Did Easter not just happen on April 5? Yes, for many Christians it did. But Orthodox Easter follows a different calendar, which means the date shifts. It is the same reason Orthodox Christmas falls on January 7, rather than December 24. Easter is a little more complicated, because the date changes every year. In 2025, both celebrations rather conveniently landed together. This year, there is a gap, with Orthodox Easter falling on Sunday April 12.

And of course, Easter isn't only about gathering the family around the table, lovely though that is. It is also about the end of Lent. During the fast, Orthodox Christians traditionally refrain from meat, dairy and eggs, and from fish too, apart from on selected days. The fast-breaking table is therefore a proper event, complete with coloured eggs and kulich, the tall, sweet Easter cake that deserves far more international fame than it currently enjoys. Happily, Dubai’s restaurants and bakeries are more than ready for the occasion. Here is where to buy some of the city’s most special kuliches this year.

From 85 AED

Pechka has prepared a full line-up of kuliches, and frankly, choosing just one feels needlessly character-building. This year’s flavours lean into childhood favourites: raspberry, condensed milk, chocolate, pistachio, and the classic vanilla.

The brioche itself is made with honey and a touch of vanilla, which gives it that soft, fragrant, tear-it-apart-immediately quality. You can also choose whether you want dried fruits in the mix or not, which is useful, because dried fruit remains one of Easter’s more divisive plot points.

From 290 AED

One of Dubai’s most Instagrammable bakeries, and fully aware of it, Pauline Cake has gone for two very photogenic options. The first is a classic kulich with raisins, milk chocolate, dried cranberries and candied fruits, finished with meringue and fresh raspberries.

The second follows a similar route, but adds vanilla cream, because subtlety is clearly not the point at Easter. There is also the option to add a set of chocolate eggs, for anyone who believes moderation is best postponed until at least mid-April.

From 150 AED

Ribambelle is going straight for the family market, and quite cleverly so. Children, and indeed adults pretending to buy for children, will be thoroughly charmed by the decorations. Alongside kuliches, there is also traditional paskha, the sweet cottage cheese dessert that deserves its own moment on the Easter table.

The line-up includes the Little Bird Kulich, a small traditional Easter panettone, the Vanilla Kulich, and the Easter Bunny Kulich, which is every bit as cheerful as it sounds. There is also a children’s party on Sunday, which feels very on brand.

And because Ribambelle doesn't really believe in underdoing a celebration, there is plenty more to add to the order, including a Big Easter Basket for 930 AED, filled with an Easter Bunny Kulich, chocolate eggs, a meringue bouquet, ginger cookies, three cake pops, a macaron set and a cupcake set. In other words, not so much a dessert as a full seasonal production.

From 119 AED

Angel Cakes has gone all in, which is exactly the sort of commitment one wants from a bakery at Easter. There is a broad range of kuliches, starting with the more traditional option: a delicate cottage cheese kulich with dried cranberries, cherries, raisins, lemon zest and crunchy hazelnuts, topped with airy meringue and orange zest.

Then things take a turn into modern dietary diplomacy. There is a chocolate keto kulich for those counting carbs but still hoping to participate fully in dessert. Made with cocoa and protein, orange zest, walnut pieces and pecans, it is decorated with white chocolate with spirulina, freeze-dried blueberries and roasted hazelnuts.

And yes, there is a vegan version too. The vegan kulich is tofu-based, with dried cranberries, dried apricots, dark chocolate chips and pecans, finished with almond cream and almond slices. Easter, but make it inclusive.

350 AED

Coffeemania is offering a panettone-style take on kulich, which feels entirely correct for Dubai: traditional, but with a passport. Its fluffy freshly baked kulich comes with juicy raisins and delicate notes of bourbon vanilla, orange, lemon and honey, all glazed with Valrhona Opalys chocolate.

And because restraint has no place here, there are chocolate eggs on top too. An excellent decision. The pistachio-coconut mousse with bright strawberry filling, crispy pistachio layer and thin biscuit also deserves serious attention, should your Easter table require additional drama.

210 AED

L’ETO may well have won the decoration championship this year. Every Easter, the smell of freshly baked bread is meant to bring back memories of family and celebration, and L’ETO has leaned fully into that mood.

Its kulich is a rich, slow-fermented Italian sweet bread with citrus-honey notes and mixed dried fruits, topped with a sweet glaze and nuts. It looks excellent, sounds excellent, and has the sort of finish that makes people say they will “just have a slice” before immediately taking a second.