Al Mallah

Diyafah Street stalwart and street food favourite 12 Reviews

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From Time Out Dubai Eating Out 2010

You don’t go to Al Mallah for ambience, you go to sample some of the city’s best cheese manakishes at nearly every hour of the day or night. The spot may be little more than a counter front, but the Satwa stalwart has long been a favourite stopover for late-night revellers on the way home. Equally adept is Al Mallah’s juicy shawarmas and crispy falafels. The restaurant also makes for a nice spot to people-watch, especially on weekend evenings, when hordes of young men drive around in circles to show off their cars.

By Time Out Dubai staff
Time Out Dubai, 6 April 2010

• Previous reviews
  • 22 March,2012- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 03 November,2011- reviewed by Oliver Robinson
  • 26 March,2011- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 26 March,2008- reviewed by Jeremy Lawrence
  • 12 March,2007- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
  • 30 April,2006- reviewed by Time Out Dubai

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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: stavroula on 21 Apr ' 13 at 15:48

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

A nice place if you looking for Simple tastes!!You should try!!!Great Hummous,Jebneh,Delicious Meat and Chicken Shwarma,mix grill also nice.

Posted by: Maya on 11 Dec ' 11 at 15:47

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Dear ALL,


CHILL!! ITS A CAFETERIA!! Dubaians don't eat there... they just order a take away... go to some proper restaurant if u want to sit!!! and again. ITS A CAFETERIA!

Posted by: Talib on 10 Nov ' 11 at 04:24

• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

I visited their branch in Mamzar Area. I ordered chicken shawarma and informed the person who packs shawarma i dont need burned chicken. Since shawarma rol had some part badly burned due to over heating i felt it was necessary for me to watch which one he cuts and packs for me. I was surprised instead of i telling i dont need burned, he kept packing burned one for me. When i informed cashier, the person who cut started fighting i didnt pack burned. I made them open packed shawarma to prove it was bruned. Cashier instructed to pack new one for me. Sorry to say same guy who made shawarma earlier was making new one. But now he was abusing in arabic languange and making shawarma with too little chicken. I refused to collect shawarma and took my money back.
These waiter and staff dont have manners and they prefer having only arabic customers.

I shall raise complaint to Dubai Municipality and Economic Dept soon on this issue

Posted by: Eric on 04 Apr ' 11 at 11:19

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

I liked the Cheese Mankish the last time i was there it was not bad has the reviews say so
i did not like the service though as i ordered a Mankish 2 Shawarmas
and it took around 35 minutes to get to my table before i had received it i complained to the waiter and he just said if i wanted to eat i had to wait for a while or leave horrible service and the waiters faces out there were as if they never cared about what you said or ordered
I m food lover and i like to enjoy my meal with good service and price
and i feel its not worth the money at this diner

Posted by: Ruhail Dawoodani on 24 Jul ' 10 at 10:09

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

please don't tip the waiter's as the owner doesn't Share the Tip with Them

Posted by: bhavini shah on 23 Jul ' 10 at 15:36

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

Posted by: Ahmed on 20 Aug ' 09 at 18:41

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

This place is the worst restaurant I have ever been to. First when I got there, I was seated at a table that was not even cleaned. They asked me to clean it myself. Then I had a cup of juice poured all over me as someone walking with juice tripped and fell on me. As I was waiting for my food I was asked to vacate the table and move to a new one. This table was right near the oven so it was just hotter. I then recieved a plate of kebabs which were not the greatest. I was then asked to eat faster as I was holding up the people waiting outside for a table. WORST PLACE!!

Posted by: Asad on 06 Aug ' 09 at 13:24

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

Al Mallah is not the same anymore. First of all, I ordered for one cheese manakish and received two. I told them that I only ordered one, and the waiter turned to his colleague and called me a liar! (they thought i did not understand Arabic) Eventually he took it back. The cheese manakish barely had any cheese! The shawarmas are now a quarter of the original size and they forgot to bring my watermelon juice! And to add insult to injury, they charged me for the second manakish! No wonder the place was empty on a Friday night! To the owner of Al Mallah - I have been a regular customer to your restaurant. If you want me and my family to come back, bring back the original portions! (and decent non-racist non-customer-does-not-understand-arabic-so-i-will-say-whatever-the-hell-i-want-in-front-of-them staff)

Posted by: Carlos on 04 Aug ' 09 at 13:17

• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

Have eaten there several times. Live in the area. I went when I was new to Dubai.

The restaurant does not bake their own bread (packaged in plastic bags), and most of the food is average.

For a good meal, walk one block further in Al Dhiyafa and check out Beirut, with excellent bread, hamoor, and mezze.

Posted by: Mahesh on 06 May ' 09 at 15:17

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

its not the best lebanese food in town as the matter of fact its YUCK, i would recommend sidra or jdoudna in the walk.

Posted by: B H on 06 May ' 09 at 11:25

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

After reading this review, we went to Al Mallah. it was the most horrible Arabic food I tested on Diyafah road. The meat on the hummous was cold. When we complained, the waiter was being rude.

The grill plate was hardly a plate, only 2 pieces of everything. We paid more to get the Al Mallah grill plate. We were told it includes ribs. Was shocked to see the one thin piece of rib.
If you want good arabic food, go down the road to Sidir or Labneh Wa Zaatar (amazing food). Much much better.

Posted by: Tariq Ali on 20 Mar ' 09 at 23:10

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• Would you go back to this restaurant? Yes

We visited this place in March 2009 after reading positive reviews on the internet. We got there about midnight, place was busy and stayed until abuot 1:30am.

Food was best ever especially their shawarmas and falafel sandwiches. Very cheap, highly recommended. Visited again during the afternoon but food was not as good as the section that sells the food at night is closed.

Not all taxi drivers instantly recognise "Al Mallah" when you tell them. Ask to be dropped on Dhiyafa Street and you can have a pleasant walk past the other restaurants and cafes and you cant miss is (it's next to Boots).

Would definately visit again when visiting Dubai.