Home Cooking
Reviewers describe the Syrian food as genuinely home-style, with one saying it recalls homemade meals in Damascus.
Al Abaq Al Shami Restaurant International City
International City
Al Abaq Al Shami is a Syrian and Levantine restaurant in International City, with a home-cooking style that reviewers return to for delivery and pickup. Named favourites include mansaf and sheshbarak, while the changing daily menu and Ramadan subscription add practical options for regular orders.
Reputation Score
4.7
★★★★★
527 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Fresh Portions
Reviews regularly mention fresh ingredients, generous servings and good quality-to-quantity value.
Reliable Delivery
Several customers report hot, well-packed orders arriving on time, including one long-term customer ordering for three years.
Daily Variety
The changing daily menu gives regular customers different Syrian and Levantine dishes to choose from.
Neat Packaging
A delivery review specifically praised the neat, clean packaging and food arriving on time.
Special Requests
One customer said the kitchen handled special requests warmly and professionally.
Ramadan Subscription
The Ramadan subscription was praised for offering a varied range of authentic dishes.
What to Eat at Al Abaq Al Shami Restaurant International City 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 Al Abaq Al Shami Restaurant International City, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. We still have more reviews to analyze, so the scores may change. 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.
These items at Al Abaq Al Shami Restaurant International City got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 6
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Mansaf Net +3
“i tried their mansaf before and its delicious and fresh, so today i decided to try their sheshbarak and honestly this restaurant is the freshest restaurant i ever tried in Dubai, and their food is as tasty as home cooked food.. i highly recommend this restaurant”
Positive 3Negative 0
Review excerpts
“i tried their mansaf before and its delicious and fresh, so today i decided to try their sheshbarak and honestly this restaurant is the freshest restaurant i ever tried in Dubai, and their food is as tasty as home cooked food.. i highly recommend this restaurant”February 2021
“My family and i usually order the mansaf, chicken freekeh and meat sambosa,, always satisfying, you should try it, its worth it❤️❤️❤️”May 2024
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Chicken freekeh Net +1
“My family and i usually order the mansaf, chicken freekeh and meat sambosa,, always satisfying, you should try it, its worth it❤️❤️❤️”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“My family and i usually order the mansaf, chicken freekeh and meat sambosa,, always satisfying, you should try it, its worth it❤️❤️❤️”May 2024
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Fatayer Net +1
“It is one of the most delicious restaurants in Dubai.. highly recommended specially for their mansaf, vine leaves, and fatayer... keep the good work up.. good luck”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“It is one of the most delicious restaurants in Dubai.. highly recommended specially for their mansaf, vine leaves, and fatayer... keep the good work up.. good luck”April 2023
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Meat sambosa Net +1
“My family and i usually order the mansaf, chicken freekeh and meat sambosa,, always satisfying, you should try it, its worth it❤️❤️❤️”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“My family and i usually order the mansaf, chicken freekeh and meat sambosa,, always satisfying, you should try it, its worth it❤️❤️❤️”May 2024
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Sheshbarak Net +1
“i tried their mansaf before and its delicious and fresh, so today i decided to try their sheshbarak and honestly this restaurant is the freshest restaurant i ever tried in Dubai, and their food is as tasty as home cooked food.. i highly recommend this restaurant”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“i tried their mansaf before and its delicious and fresh, so today i decided to try their sheshbarak and honestly this restaurant is the freshest restaurant i ever tried in Dubai, and their food is as tasty as home cooked food.. i highly recommend this restaurant”February 2021
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Vine leaves Net +1
“It is one of the most delicious restaurants in Dubai.. highly recommended specially for their mansaf, vine leaves, and fatayer... keep the good work up.. good luck”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“It is one of the most delicious restaurants in Dubai.. highly recommended specially for their mansaf, vine leaves, and fatayer... keep the good work up.. good luck”April 2023
What to Avoid (2)
Food 2
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Grilled chicken Net −1
“Ordered grilled chicken. NO seasoning whatsoever, and the chicken is not fully cooked. Had to throw half of it away. First and last time.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Ordered grilled chicken. NO seasoning whatsoever, and the chicken is not fully cooked. Had to throw half of it away. First and last time.”September 2023
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Molokheyia Net −1
“The Molokheyia was black not green and taste different i want to do the complaint yesterday through Talabat but I said its ok maybe they have other good dishes.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The Molokheyia was black not green and taste different i want to do the complaint yesterday through Talabat but I said its ok maybe they have other good dishes.”August 2024
Tips for a Better Visit
Order Early. Order ahead if you want a daily meal: one regular customer says the meals often sell out.
Ask Daily. Ask what is on the daily menu before ordering, since reviewers mention a changing selection.
Use Delivery. For convenience, delivery or calling ahead for pickup are the clearest ordering options mentioned by customers.
Try Mansaf. Mansaf is one of the dishes reviewers specifically recommend, alongside vine leaves and fatayer.
Ask Ramadan. If ordering during Ramadan, ask about the subscription, which one customer praised for its variety of authentic dishes.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Greece L06 - Shop 3
Warsan First - Greece, Dubai
| Mon | 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Tue | 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Wed | 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Thu | 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Fri | 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Sat | 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Sun | 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
Common Concerns
Food Safety
One 2024 reviewer reported illness after ordering Molokhiya or Yabra2, describing the Molokhiya as unusually dark.
Undercooked Chicken
A customer reported that a grilled chicken order was unseasoned and not fully cooked.
Sells Out
A long-term customer said the meals are sometimes finished before they can order them.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Al Abaq Al Shami is a Syrian and Levantine restaurant in International City that suits anyone looking for home-style food delivered to the door or collected by pickup. Reviews repeatedly describe the cooking as tasting like home, with generous portions, fresh ingredients and familiar Damascus-style flavours. Mansaf, chicken freekeh, meat sambosa, fatayer and sheshbarak are among the named dishes customers return for.
Delivery is a major part of the experience. Customers mention hot arrivals, tidy packaging, polite service and orders reaching them on time; one reviewer says they have been ordering for three years. The changing daily menu is useful for regular customers, and a Ramadan subscription was praised for its varied range of authentic dishes.
Reviews also describe the food as reasonably priced, though no specific amounts are provided. There are a few cautions. One customer reported illness after a Talabat order involving Molokhiya or Yabra2, while another said grilled chicken arrived undercooked and unseasoned.
These are individual reports, but they are worth bearing in mind when choosing dishes. Meals may also sell out, so ordering early or asking about the day’s availability is sensible. If you want to try a well-known option first, mansaf is a clear starting point from the review recommendations.