Nigerian flavours
Jollof rice, yam and egg sauce, and egusi with yam are repeatedly praised for their Nigerian-style flavour.
African Dishes Restaurant Dubai
Al Barsha
African Dishes Restaurant is a West African restaurant in Al Barsha, with a menu that leans Nigerian. Reviewers come for generous plates of jollof rice, egusi and yam, while the goat meat pepper soup is a particularly reliable order for delivery.
Reputation Score
3.9
★★★★☆
272 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Generous servings
Several diners describe the portions as substantial, including a first-time African-food visit where the quantity impressed.
Pepper soup
The goat meat pepper soup is a regular customer's go-to, with notably generous amounts of meat.
Calm setting
One detailed review found the restaurant calm, with an African-themed touch to the ambience.
Non-spicy guidance
A first-time diner asked for non-spicy options and received advice that worked for both an adult and a picky 10-year-old.
Home flavours
Customers from Nigeria and South Africa say dishes such as jollof and semolina reminded them of home.
Affordable meals
Some diners consider the pricing good value, especially alongside the reported portion sizes.
What to Eat at African Dishes Restaurant Dubai How we choose these items We use AI to find praise and criticism of specific foods and drinks in a selection of Google reviews. For African Dishes Restaurant Dubai, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. The score is positive reviews minus negative reviews. For example, two positive reviews and one negative review give +1. Each review counts once per item; neutral comments do not change the score. A zero score is not a positive recommendation. “Only neutral feedback” means there are no positive or negative votes. “Mixed feedback” means equal numbers of positive and negative votes. The quotes are examples of what people said, not every comment we counted. We use different reviews where we can. We normally show up to 10 foods and 5 drinks with non-negative scores. Items with the same score stay together. If a tied group would go past the limit, that group and the lower non-negative scores go into Honorable mentions. If an overflowing positive top tie would leave the list empty, we show up to 10 items from that tie and keep the rest in Honorable mentions. Foods and drinks with a negative score are under What to Avoid. Use this as a guide to what reviewers liked, not a guarantee that you will like it too.
Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of African Dishes Restaurant Dubai, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.
Food 7
-
Pot of jellof Net +1
“Very clean and beautiful service. My husband enjoys the food and reminds us of home although we are South African. Very flavourful jollof and we take semolina as a substitute to what we used to as pap back home. Highly recommend”
Positive 3Negative 2
Review excerpts
“Very clean and beautiful service. My husband enjoys the food and reminds us of home although we are South African. Very flavourful jollof and we take semolina as a substitute to what we used to as pap back home. Highly recommend”February 2025
“- Jollof Rice: A flavorful one-pot wonder from West Africa, cooked to perfection with tender chicken,beef or Turkey.”February 2025
-
Egusi yam Net +1
“Yamiiiiii so delicious . I love African dishes because of this restaurant . My favorite Egusi Yam .”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Yamiiiiii so delicious . I love African dishes because of this restaurant . My favorite Egusi Yam .”May 2026
-
Goat meat pepper soup Net +1
“My go to is the goat meat pepper soup and they know what they are doing + they are not stingy with the meat.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“My go to is the goat meat pepper soup and they know what they are doing + they are not stingy with the meat.”July 2026
-
Yam and egg sauce Net +1
“The jollof rice was so smooth in taste,the real Nigerian taste was there I really enjoyed it and also the yam and egg sauce was so superb and yummy”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The jollof rice was so smooth in taste,the real Nigerian taste was there I really enjoyed it and also the yam and egg sauce was so superb and yummy”January 2026
-
Yam porridge Net +1
“However the food is good. I had some yam porridge and my partner had MOI moi. Taste was okay and environment was clean.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“However the food is good. I had some yam porridge and my partner had MOI moi. Taste was okay and environment was clean.”January 2022
-
Fufu Net 0
Mixed feedback
“I ordered egusi and fufu on talabat very reasonable price. My first time trying it and won’t be my last. It was absolutely delicious, it’s a nice stepping stone into the Nigerian cuisine. Hats off to the chef 🙏🏽👍🏾”
Positive 1Negative 1
Review excerpts
“I ordered egusi and fufu on talabat very reasonable price. My first time trying it and won’t be my last. It was absolutely delicious, it’s a nice stepping stone into the Nigerian cuisine. Hats off to the chef 🙏🏽👍🏾”January 2025
-
Moi-moi Net 0
Mixed feedback
“However the food is good. I had some yam porridge and my partner had MOI moi. Taste was okay and environment was clean.”
Positive 1Negative 1
Review excerpts
“However the food is good. I had some yam porridge and my partner had MOI moi. Taste was okay and environment was clean.”January 2022
What to Avoid (7)
Food 7
-
Bitter leaf soup Net −1
“I ordered White Soup, Ogbono Soup, and Bitter Leaf Soup (AED 12, AED 17, and AED 12), but the portions delivered were almost empty and did not look like proper servings at all.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I ordered White Soup, Ogbono Soup, and Bitter Leaf Soup (AED 12, AED 17, and AED 12), but the portions delivered were almost empty and did not look like proper servings at all.”March 2026
-
Egusi with goat meat Net −1
“First quality of food is poor ,taste as well very odd ,food portion small I ordered egusi with goat meat paid Dhs50 and all I got is one meat …the egusi taste have never had anything tasteless like that ,the picture display is not same as end food ,just a waste of money .”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“First quality of food is poor ,taste as well very odd ,food portion small I ordered egusi with goat meat paid Dhs50 and all I got is one meat …the egusi taste have never had anything tasteless like that ,the picture display is not same as end food ,just a waste of money .”August 2025
-
Ogbono soup Net −1
“I ordered White Soup, Ogbono Soup, and Bitter Leaf Soup (AED 12, AED 17, and AED 12), but the portions delivered were almost empty and did not look like proper servings at all.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I ordered White Soup, Ogbono Soup, and Bitter Leaf Soup (AED 12, AED 17, and AED 12), but the portions delivered were almost empty and did not look like proper servings at all.”March 2026
-
Peppered goat meat Net −1
“I just received peppered goat meat you sell for 40aed and it was old, microwaved, dried empty plate. Just 4 pieces of little/tiny meats in it! Someone ate it or you guys are cheat!!! No way to reach out or report this! Very terrible!”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I just received peppered goat meat you sell for 40aed and it was old, microwaved, dried empty plate. Just 4 pieces of little/tiny meats in it! Someone ate it or you guys are cheat!!! No way to reach out or report this! Very terrible!”March 2026
-
Ponmo Net −1
“I just ordered Shaki and ponmo, It Came very dry like it was a left over from someone else, just pieces of meat put in a bowl, no form of sauce or something, just some dry meat 🤔 Very disappointing”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I just ordered Shaki and ponmo, It Came very dry like it was a left over from someone else, just pieces of meat put in a bowl, no form of sauce or something, just some dry meat 🤔 Very disappointing”June 2026
-
Shaki Net −1
“I just ordered Shaki and ponmo, It Came very dry like it was a left over from someone else, just pieces of meat put in a bowl, no form of sauce or something, just some dry meat 🤔 Very disappointing”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I just ordered Shaki and ponmo, It Came very dry like it was a left over from someone else, just pieces of meat put in a bowl, no form of sauce or something, just some dry meat 🤔 Very disappointing”June 2026
-
White soup Net −1
“I ordered White Soup, Ogbono Soup, and Bitter Leaf Soup (AED 12, AED 17, and AED 12), but the portions delivered were almost empty and did not look like proper servings at all.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I ordered White Soup, Ogbono Soup, and Bitter Leaf Soup (AED 12, AED 17, and AED 12), but the portions delivered were almost empty and did not look like proper servings at all.”March 2026
Tips for a Better Visit
Dine in. If consistency matters, consider eating in: one reviewer felt online orders differed from the restaurant food and recommended going in person.
Ask spice. Tell staff your preferred spice level and ask for guidance; a family received successful non-spicy recommendations.
Choose favourites. For delivery, start with the goat meat pepper soup, which a regular customer identifies as the restaurant's dependable strength.
Bring cutlery. If ordering delivery, keep spare cutlery nearby because one reviewer says it is frequently omitted.
Plan parking. Drivers should plan ahead: a reviewer specifically reported that the restaurant has no customer parking.
Check portions. For app orders, check the delivered quantities against the listing, since one customer reported nearly empty soup containers and a missing paid extra.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Barsha Platinum Building By Armada Hotel
Al Barsha First - Al Barsha, Dubai
| Mon | 10:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
| Tue | 10:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
| Wed | 10:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
| Thu | 10:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
| Fri | 10:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
| Sat | 10:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
| Sun | 10:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
Common Concerns
Inconsistent quality
Reviews range from excellent meals to burnt jollof, dry meat and food described as old or reheated.
Poor service
Multiple customers report rude, unengaged or unhelpful staff, including disputes over missing items and cancellations.
Delivery portions
Some delivery orders arrived with very small quantities, including one paid extra portion that contained only a tiny piece of tripe.
Packing issues
One customer reported sloppy food packing, while another says cutlery is often forgotten.
Spice swings
Spice levels can vary sharply: one customer received a meal that was too spicy despite requesting mild food.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
AED 12
White Soup
“I ordered White Soup, Ogbono Soup, and Bitter Leaf Soup (AED 12, AED 17, and AED 12), but the portions delivered were almost empty and did not look like proper servings at all”Google review · March 2026
AED 17
Ogbono Soup
“I ordered White Soup, Ogbono Soup, and Bitter Leaf Soup (AED 12, AED 17, and AED 12), but the portions delivered were almost empty and did not look like proper servings at all”Google review · March 2026
AED 12
Bitter Leaf Soup
“I ordered White Soup, Ogbono Soup, and Bitter Leaf Soup (AED 12, AED 17, and AED 12), but the portions delivered were almost empty and did not look like proper servings at all”Google review · March 2026
AED 7
extra sharky (beef tripe)
“I also paid AED 7 for extra sharky (beef tripe) and received only one tiny piece”Google review · March 2026
40aed
peppered goat meat
“I just received peppered goat meat you sell for 40aed and it was old, microwaved, dried empty plate”Google review · March 2026
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
African Dishes Restaurant is a Nigerian-leaning West African restaurant in Al Barsha, serving familiar dishes such as jollof rice, egusi, fufu, yam and semolina. It is worth considering if you want hearty African comfort food, especially when you already know which dishes suit you. The goat meat pepper soup stands out as a regular customer's go-to, with generous meat, while egusi yam and jollof rice also receive strong praise.
Portion size and value are recurring positives. Some diners describe big servings at reasonable prices, and the calm setting has an African decorative touch. A first-time visitor even found the menu approachable after staff suggested non-spicy choices for a family with a picky 10-year-old.
The atmosphere is not universally loved, though: one review found it dull, while another mentioned a strong West African food smell and preferred takeaway. The main caution is inconsistency. Reviews include excellent meals alongside burnt jollof, dry or allegedly old meat, missing items and very small delivery portions.
Service feedback is similarly mixed, with several complaints about rudeness and poor follow-up. If ordering through an app, check the items and portions on arrival; for a more dependable first try, dine in and ask about spice levels.