Arabian buffet
The buffet covers Arabic starters, soups, salads, rice, sides and desserts, with some reviews also noting seafood and grilled dishes.
Al Iwan
Umm Suqeim
Al Iwan is an Arabian buffet restaurant in Umm Suqeim, set inside the Burj Al Arab’s atrium. Reviews point to Arabic buffet dishes, grilled meat and seafood, paired with sea views and an ornate hotel setting.
Reputation Score
4.3
★★★★☆
341 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Sea views
The restaurant’s Burj Al Arab setting is a major part of the experience, with reviewers highlighting the sea-facing views and elaborate interiors.
Seafood selection
One buffet review specifically mentions shrimp, mussels, salmon, crabs and clams among the available seafood.
Birthday touches
Staff have surprised birthday diners with candles, songs, roses and desserts, including when celebrations were mentioned without advance notice.
Helpful service
Several diners describe attentive hospitality, including staff helping a parent carrying a baby and promptly noticing when a spoon was missing.
Allergy guidance
A chef was available to explain dishes and check whether customers had food allergies.
Dessert favourite
The dessert buffet gets specific praise, while one diner singled out the cheese dessert as the standout item.
What to Eat at Al Iwan 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 Iwan, 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 Al Iwan, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.
Food 1
-
Iftar buffe Net +2
“The iftar buffe is what I tried and the food was awesome.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The iftar buffe is what I tried and the food was awesome.”May 2021
“A Remarkable ambient with very very delicious buffet food (Iftar) amust to try specifically in Ramadan,”March 2023
Honorable mentions (14)
-
Birthday dessert Net +1
“The birthday dessert was a lovely surprise.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The birthday dessert was a lovely surprise.”June 2024
-
Blue crab Net +1
“Delicious lamb, meatiest blue crab and sea bass I’ve had.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Delicious lamb, meatiest blue crab and sea bass I’ve had.”February 2023
-
Cheese dessert Net +1
“Food is ok. The cheese dessert is the best.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Food is ok. The cheese dessert is the best.”November 2025
-
Clams Net +1
“All types of seafoods: shrimp, mussels, salmon, crabs, clams, etc. Absolutely amazing!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“All types of seafoods: shrimp, mussels, salmon, crabs, clams, etc. Absolutely amazing!”January 2024
-
Crabs Net +1
“All types of seafoods: shrimp, mussels, salmon, crabs, clams, etc. Absolutely amazing!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“All types of seafoods: shrimp, mussels, salmon, crabs, clams, etc. Absolutely amazing!”January 2024
-
Fresh baked middle eastern bread Net +1
“The fresh baked middle eastern bread is so amazing with the hummus.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The fresh baked middle eastern bread is so amazing with the hummus.”October 2023
-
Grill items Net +1
“Especially the grill items and sea food was really good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Especially the grill items and sea food was really good.”May 2021
-
Grilled meat Net +1
“The restaurant inside the Burj Al Arab that serves pretty good grilled meat.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The restaurant inside the Burj Al Arab that serves pretty good grilled meat.”February 2026
-
Hummus Net +1
“The fresh baked middle eastern bread is so amazing with the hummus.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The fresh baked middle eastern bread is so amazing with the hummus.”October 2023
-
Iftar Net +1
“Iftar....good Food...nice ambience and live music 👍👍👍👍”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Iftar....good Food...nice ambience and live music 👍👍👍👍”May 2019
-
Mussels Net +1
“All types of seafoods: shrimp, mussels, salmon, crabs, clams, etc. Absolutely amazing!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“All types of seafoods: shrimp, mussels, salmon, crabs, clams, etc. Absolutely amazing!”January 2024
-
Salmon Net +1
“All types of seafoods: shrimp, mussels, salmon, crabs, clams, etc. Absolutely amazing!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“All types of seafoods: shrimp, mussels, salmon, crabs, clams, etc. Absolutely amazing!”January 2024
-
Sea bass Net +1
“Delicious lamb, meatiest blue crab and sea bass I’ve had.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Delicious lamb, meatiest blue crab and sea bass I’ve had.”February 2023
-
Buffet Net 0
Mixed feedback
“The buffet offered a wide variety of delicious dishes, each beautifully presented and full of flavor.”
Positive 3Negative 3
Review excerpts
“The buffet offered a wide variety of delicious dishes, each beautifully presented and full of flavor.”October 2025
“Good buffet, my favorite was the dessert buffet. Very good service i must add.”June 2024
What to Avoid (5)
Food 5
-
Chicken Net −1
“The soup smelled bad, the chicken was tough and tasted like it had been frozen for too long, and we couldn't find a single dish that we liked.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The soup smelled bad, the chicken was tough and tasted like it had been frozen for too long, and we couldn't find a single dish that we liked.”February 2024
-
Chicken with coriander sauce Net −1
“We even found the chicken with coriander sauce gross.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We even found the chicken with coriander sauce gross.”February 2024
-
Farmed tuna soup Net −1
“The supposed Arabic and Asian cuisine consisted mainly of cold, salty lamb rice and shrimp, with a farmed tuna soup that was so overwhelmingly salty it was nearly inedible.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The supposed Arabic and Asian cuisine consisted mainly of cold, salty lamb rice and shrimp, with a farmed tuna soup that was so overwhelmingly salty it was nearly inedible.”February 2024
-
Lamb rice Net −1
“The supposed Arabic and Asian cuisine consisted mainly of cold, salty lamb rice and shrimp, with a farmed tuna soup that was so overwhelmingly salty it was nearly inedible.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The supposed Arabic and Asian cuisine consisted mainly of cold, salty lamb rice and shrimp, with a farmed tuna soup that was so overwhelmingly salty it was nearly inedible.”February 2024
-
Shrimp Net −1
“The supposed Arabic and Asian cuisine consisted mainly of cold, salty lamb rice and shrimp, with a farmed tuna soup that was so overwhelmingly salty it was nearly inedible.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The supposed Arabic and Asian cuisine consisted mainly of cold, salty lamb rice and shrimp, with a farmed tuna soup that was so overwhelmingly salty it was nearly inedible.”February 2024
Tips for a Better Visit
Confirm pricing. Ask for the current buffet price before dining and check the bill carefully; one family reported a major difference between the quoted and final amounts.
Reserve ahead. Book ahead for busy breakfast periods, as a tourist group was linked to a long wait for tables.
Check buffet. Ask what is currently included before booking, since one Eid lunch guest found the buffet unusually limited.
Ask allergies. If you have an allergy, ask the chef or team to explain the dishes; a reviewer said this guidance was available.
Arrive hungry. For the buffet, leave room to try the bread, hummus and wider selection; one diner specifically advised arriving hungry.
Plan the visit
Practical details
First Floor, Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Rd.
Umm Suqeim Third - Umm Suqeim 3, Dubai
| Mon | 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM, 6:30 PM – 11:00 PM |
| Tue | 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM, 6:30 PM – 11:00 PM |
| Wed | 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM, 6:30 PM – 11:00 PM |
| Thu | 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM, 6:30 PM – 11:00 PM |
| Fri | 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM, 6:30 PM – 11:00 PM |
| Sat | 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM, 6:30 PM – 11:00 PM |
| Sun | 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM, 6:30 PM – 11:00 PM |
Common Concerns
Inconsistent food
A few diners found the buffet disappointing, describing cold or salty dishes, tough chicken and main courses lacking flavour.
Limited desserts
One Eid lunch reviewer found the buffet limited, with only two dessert options.
Seating waits
Breakfast seating was reported as insufficient, with long waits when a tourist group arrived.
Plate clearing
One dinner review reported dirty plates left on trays and surrounding the table throughout the meal.
Bill mismatch
A family said the final bill was more than twice the buffet price quoted during their confirmation call.
DXB
LOCAL
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The Bottom Line
Al Iwan is an Arabian buffet restaurant inside the Burj Al Arab in Umm Suqeim, and the setting is a big part of the draw. You can come for an Arabic buffet with grilled meat, rice, mezze-style starters and a broad seafood spread; one diner listed shrimp, mussels, salmon, crabs and clams. Sea views, red-and-gold decoration and the hotel’s atrium make it suited to a celebratory dinner or a memorable family meal.
Service is often described as attentive and warm. Reviews mention birthday surprises with candles, songs, roses and desserts, while another diner appreciated staff helping with plates while carrying a baby. Families also reported that a chef explained dishes and checked for allergies.
The dessert buffet is a recurring bright spot, with cheese dessert singled out by one guest. Expect a premium experience rather than a casual-value meal. Reported buffet prices include close to 550aed per person, while other reviews mention 450 AED each and around 500 per person.
Experiences vary: some guests found the food excellent, but others reported salty or cold dishes, limited desserts, dirty plates and a bill that exceeded the quoted price. Confirm what the buffet includes and the current price before you sit down.