Royal Orchid

Mid-price Thai Dubai Marina 9 Reviews

© ITP Images

From Time Out Dubai Eating Out 2008

The Dubai branch of this Thai restaurant overlooks the Marina and, while set amid construction, has a relaxed atmosphere and good food that will have you feeling calm and cool in no time.

There is a choice of three seating areas, either inside the two-level restaurant, outside along the walkway of the main building, which is kept air-conditioned in the summer, or outside the building in the open air. Although the restaurant bills itself as serving the very best of Thai, Chinese and Mongolian, the best options are the Thai choices.

Start off with hot, sweet and crunchy crispy honey chicken or spring rolls. The kra prow, shrimp pad thai, chicken basil noodles, and thai red curry with beef tenderloin, coconut milk and exotic fruit all carry an authentic, aromatic and robust flavour redolent of herbs and reminiscent of Bangkok – but minus the exhaust fumes.

Wash it all down with fresh juices and sodas. Service is friendly and competent.

By Jeremy Lawrence

• Previous reviews
  • 12 September,2011- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 06 April,2010- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 30 March,2009- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 12 March,2007- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
  • 30 April,2006- reviewed by Time Out Dubai
  • 14 November,2005- reviewed by Matthew Lee
  • 01 October,2004- reviewed by Matthew Lee

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Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.

User reviews:

Posted by: Emily on 30 Dec ' 12 at 05:23

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

This restaurant used to be one of the best in Dubai. Sadly no longer!!!!!!!

As regular customers for many years we were shocked at how the food quality and service could all change for the worse.

The food was completely different and shockingly bad.

On top of that all the food was delivered cold, the ingredients were awful and the bill was the only thing that was high. They even decided to charge for the "complimentary" items.

I will never never never go there again.

Posted by: Craig on 05 Sep ' 12 at 18:46

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

Despite the staff outnumbering us by at least 3 to 1, the service was poor having to wait 5 mins to be seated!

Poor choice of menu, food was bland and boring and it's vastly over priced for what it is! Very poor restaurant and won't be going back, no wonder it's empty most times I walk past, guess i should have taken that as a sign!

Posted by: Abdulla Jaffar on 09 May ' 12 at 08:42

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• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Posted by: Sreejith on 13 Aug ' 11 at 06:57

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Yesterday evening I visited Royal Orchid Restaurant in Dubai Marina with my family & friends. We ordered a dish named "Mei Goreng" (fried noodles) together with a few other dishes. After we ate more than half of this dish, we found a dead cockroach in it. Inspecting it closely, we could make out that it was cooked along with the noodles. We were very shocked to find the cockroach in the dish. Moreover, our kids aged 3 & 5 years old already ate the contaminated food. Our evening was spoiled because of the negligence on part of the restaurant.

I called the restaurant manager who took the dish away to the kitchen
even before I could take a picture of the dish with the cockroach
inside. He came back after a few minutes and apologized for serving
contaminated food and offered us some deserts as a compensation which we refused. When asked for the bill, he removed this dish from the
bill and gave 15% discount on the overall bill. We were not looking
for a discount as a compensation for offering us contaminated food.

I am never going to visit this restaurant again and I do not recommend it to anyone.

Posted by: Nur on 05 Aug ' 11 at 21:22

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• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I totally agree with the red curry review on above - 'satisfying comforting food'. staff was not as bad as review, they quite friendly. the best part for me, its only 5 min walk from my place :)
cheers,

Posted by: Remi on 09 Jul ' 11 at 23:38

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

sorry but the food here is gross, not only did the dish itself look disgusting but the chicken dish was nasty cheap chicken pieces covered in some gooey awful tasting sause. i took 2 bites and just coudnt eat anymore... asked for the bill paid it and will never look back at this place. for the price you pay for a full meal ( 100 aed) its far from value

Posted by: Aziz on 28 Oct ' 10 at 09:03

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

I totally agree with Kevin. Food is not authentic. Singaporean Chili Crabs doesn't even taste like the chili crabs at all. they just fried the crabs and put some sweet & sour sauce.It is not something that I would go back again.

Posted by: Richard Pemento on 12 Jan ' 10 at 08:37

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• Best for: Family friendly
• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

I totally disagree with Kevin's comment. I believe Royal Orchid is by far the best Thai and Chinese Restaurant in town. Great food, friendly service and a tranquil ambience. What more can you ask for... Keep it up!

Posted by: Kevin on 30 Mar ' 09 at 16:29

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• Best for: Business lunch
• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

The food is not very authentic and the staff has absolutely no clue about how to pronounce the names of the dishes let alone what each dish is supposed to be.
The atmosphere is average at best but location of the restaurant is quite good being in the Marina Walk so its a real shame that they haven't made this place in somewhere that I would want to go back to.