Al Nafoorah

When it’s time for the hot dishes the grilled hammour is an excellent choice, and comes beautifully tender, soaked as it is in its lemony juices, but lacks something of its natural fish flavour Discuss this article

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From Time Out Dubai Eating Out 2007

Nestled at the base of Dubai’s soon-to-be-eclipsed tallest building, this popular Lebanese eatery welcomes steady streams of discerning Arabic cuisine lovers through its elegant doors. When you come to a place like this, you should order Lebanese staples: the light and fluffy Nafoorah hummos, which is dive-bombed by squadrons of folded flatbread at the earliest available opportunity; the busy baba ganoush salad of aubergine, tomatoes, onion and fragrant herbs; and the lipstick-pink mound of kibbeh Nafoorah – a thick carpet of minced raw lamb with ground bulgur wheat – which is moist and creamy in texture, and quickly establishes itself as the highlight among the mezze.

When it’s time for the hot dishes the grilled hammour is an excellent choice, and comes beautifully tender, soaked as it is in its lemony juices, but lacks something of its natural fish flavour. The kebab kheshkash – little more than three strips of minced lamb that have been shaped around skewers and grilled – are pleasant but hardly outstanding; however, the hot kibbeh are wonderfully crunchy on the outside, and crack open in a dancing show of succulent meaty granules and vegetable nuggets.

There’s no reason to doubt the people at Al Nafoorah. They can be relied upon to produce good, and occasionally great, Lebanese food in the stately surroundings of the charming restaurant, or alternatively on the beautiful al fresco terrace in the long shadow of the skyscrapers above. Which is why you should look them up some time.

• Previous reviews
  • 30 March,2009- reviewed by Time Out Dubai staff
  • 26 March,2008- reviewed by Jeremy Lawrence
  • 11 February,2008- reviewed by James Brennan
  • 21 February,2007- reviewed by Time Out Dubai Staff
  • 27 April,2006- reviewed by Time Out Dubai
  • 21 December,2005- reviewed by Matthew Lee
  • 01 October,2004- reviewed by Matthew Lee
  • 01 August,2002- reviewed by Carolyn Robb
  • 01 July,2002- reviewed by Carolyn Robb

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