Shahista

Quirky Afghan venue in Garhoud proves endearing 7 Reviews

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From Time Out Dubai Eating Out 2011

There are few Afghan restaurants in Dubai. Of those we’re familiar with, none pretend for a minute to be anything touching on upscale. That is until Shahista, an Afghan restaurant with five-star notions. The decor gives off a garden centre feel while the menu does make a commitment to authenticity, reinforced by the gaggle of Afghan expats who descended on the restaurant later in the evening. Alas, for the vast majority of uninitiated Dubaians who’ve never heard of mantu and qorma, there weren’t many floor staff from the region so we relied on our own judgement.

Opening with mixed vegetable pakoras: fried, flat, dill-filled pastries with a gentle, baby’s-bottom softness, these were served alongside an incredibly piquant, earthy blend of whirred tomatoes and toasted spices that strongly resembled a good South American salsa. The reshmi kebab was a bit of a let down, comprising of tangy but slightly tough strips of chicken. The lamb qorma was heaps better – the sauce possessed a subtle wealth of flavours and, though mild, it was sharp and homely (a nice accompaniment to the tender chunks of lamb. Shahista shows promise.

By Time Out Dubai staff
Time Out Dubai, 24 March 2011

• Previous reviews
  • 19 July,2010- reviewed by Daisy Carrington

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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: Nemath Wardak on 14 Oct ' 12 at 12:32

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

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

Posted by: jay on 18 May ' 12 at 10:08

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

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

Posted by: Tamim Karimi on 27 Mar ' 12 at 07:22

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

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

Posted by: Nafisa on 12 Mar ' 12 at 17:36

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

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

after along trip from USA , i enjoyed every bite of my meal, my husband is very picky when it comes to food , this was first time we had food and he said the best food ever. highly recommended

Posted by: Jacob on 23 Jan ' 12 at 07:43

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

• Would you go back to this restaurant? No

It was quite welcoming from the outside, but its a totally different scene inside. Absolutely empty- and in addition, poor service. Quite pricy, but really far from what i expected (i buy afghan food quite often)....Would not come back for sure! Nor recommend it!

Posted by: Ahmad on 06 Aug ' 11 at 14:16

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

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

Posted by: fatboy on 20 Jan ' 11 at 10:02

OverallDecorService

FoodAmbienceValue

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

This restaurant is worth a trial. The food is like homemade, the spices are very balanced. After 9PM there is Iranian / Afghan life music, epsecially on the weekends. The washrooms are very clean and the Shisha is excellent. The service crew is very friendly, however they have not much idea about Afghan cuisine, you need ask the Restaurant Manager to guide you through the choices.
The location is also nice for celebrating birthday or just having a business lunch/dinner (WLAN available).

I will surely come back.