Al Mawal in Al Bustan Rotana, Garhoud, Dubai - Restaurant Reviews

Al Mawal

Having long proved to be a popular destination with both locals and tourists, Al Mawal could be accused of resting on its gastronomic laurels 1 Reviews

Having long proved to be a popular destination with both locals and tourists, Al Mawal could be accused of resting on its gastronomic laurels. The food is ample, the simple décor delightful, and the live entertainment draws diners from all over Dubai. What lets Al Mawal down is the staff.

Pushy sales tactics — plonking down food not ordered and then charging for it, being unforgivably ignorant, refusing to show diners the menu while insisting they have the ‘special’ and then strutting around like snooty peacocks — all make for an uncomfortable dining experience, despite the belly dancing. The food, at least, doesn’t disappoint. The mezze-style starters including a creamy hummos topped with chickpeas and a tangy mutabbal are rich accompaniments to the warm and light flatbread served liberally to enthusiastic diners. The cheese pastries are also highly recommendable, with paper-thin pastry (reminiscent of spring rolls) pumped full of melted, mouth-burning, soft cheese. A safe option for the main course is the hammour — juicy and moist with a slight crunch to the grilled exterior and covered with a generous dousing of garlic and butter.

Hardened carnivores will get a kick out of the mixed grill with the usual suspects of lamb, lamb and more lamb (and a little chicken), prepared as chops, koftas, and tender barbeque-tasting cutlets. Accompanying al dente fresh vegetables also give the course a tasty freshness. The obligatory fresh fruit dessert platter comes as a pick-and-mix standard: juicy kiwi, lychees, watermelon and sharp pineapple mingle together to form a DIY fruit salad. It hardly breaks the mould, but it’s a pleasant enough distraction while you prepare to do battle with the bullying peacocks for your bill.

By TimeOut Dubai Staff