Breakfast
Breakfast favourites include idli, vada, dosa and idiyappam, with several reviewers returning regularly for the morning meals.
Amma's Restaurant Karama Dubai
Al Karama
Amma’s is a Tamil-style South Indian and Chettinad restaurant in Al Karama, known in reviews for homely meals, dosas and Tamil Nadu-style biryani. Breakfast is a major draw, while its compact dining room also handles takeaway and event snack orders.
Reputation Score
4.0
★★★★☆
571 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Dosa Range
Paper masala dosa, rava masala dosa and ghee roast masala dosa are repeatedly singled out, with chutney and sambar served alongside.
Tamil Biryani
The biryani has a distinct Tamil Nadu or Chettinad style; reviewers mention both chicken and mutton versions, including generous portions.
Homely Taste
Several customers describe the food as tasting like home cooking, including a thali with chicken gravy and omelet.
Event Orders
A customer ordering 100 snack boxes for an event received fresh food in good packing and on time.
Filter Coffee
The South Indian filter coffee is served in a brass dabara tumbler, an unusual detail noted positively by a reviewer.
What to Eat at Amma's Restaurant Karama 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 Amma's Restaurant Karama 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 Amma's Restaurant Karama 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 1
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Ghee roast masala dosa Net +2
“Ghee roast masala dosa is delicious, one of the best in town. Place is very light on pocket, food is worth the struggle of visiting Karama in peak hours.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Ghee roast masala dosa is delicious, one of the best in town. Place is very light on pocket, food is worth the struggle of visiting Karama in peak hours.”August 2023
“Ghee roast masala dosa one the best dosa in UAE, and huge”March 2022
Honorable mentions (21)
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3 Pc idli Net +1
“Though food is okay.. they give u wrong order and when u ask them that they delivered wrong order they will fight saying you are wrong..Attaching bill for refernce, i ordered for 3 pc idli for which the bill is correct and they deliver like 3 idli.. then they will startshouting.. saying you are wrong ..”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Though food is okay.. they give u wrong order and when u ask them that they delivered wrong order they will fight saying you are wrong..Attaching bill for refernce, i ordered for 3 pc idli for which the bill is correct and they deliver like 3 idli.. then they will startshouting.. saying you are wrong ..”December 2024
-
Biriyani Net +1
“Biriyani was soo good.. quantity is more than expected..”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Biriyani was soo good.. quantity is more than expected..”December 2021
-
Cake Net +1
“Very good place for desserts and pastries and they make fresh cake but staff is rude and not professional as they need to improve the service. I have ordered the cake to make it prepare and ready and they forget it as it is very difficult to find the parking in that area”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Very good place for desserts and pastries and they make fresh cake but staff is rude and not professional as they need to improve the service. I have ordered the cake to make it prepare and ready and they forget it as it is very difficult to find the parking in that area”February 2020
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Chettinadu style biriyani Net +1
“Tasty chettinadu style biriyani with cool ambiance and environment.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Tasty chettinadu style biriyani with cool ambiance and environment.”July 2026
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Chicken 555 Net +1
“Best mutton biryani in DG and chicken 555. Try it Guys”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Best mutton biryani in DG and chicken 555. Try it Guys”May 2022
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Chicken biryani Net +1
“Best dishes to try 1. vadai n filter coffee 2. Chicken biryani”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Best dishes to try 1. vadai n filter coffee 2. Chicken biryani”August 2020
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Chicken gravy Net +1
“I ordered a thali with chicken gravy and omelet and it was just superb. You can keep asking for more but not the chicken gravy you pay extra for that.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I ordered a thali with chicken gravy and omelet and it was just superb. You can keep asking for more but not the chicken gravy you pay extra for that.”January 2023
-
Chicken kothu paratha Net +1
“Chicken kothu paratha is another of my favourite.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Chicken kothu paratha is another of my favourite.”January 2021
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Chutney Net +1
“The best chutney in and around.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The best chutney in and around.”April 2024
-
Crispy dosas Net +1
“Nice crispy dosas are a delicacy.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Nice crispy dosas are a delicacy.”January 2021
-
Dindigul biryani Net +1
“I had the Mutton Biryani - Tamil Nadu style, This is a must have here - sufficient pieces and tasted like th Dindigul biryani. Surely is much better than the Thalapakatti Biryani of Dubai.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I had the Mutton Biryani - Tamil Nadu style, This is a must have here - sufficient pieces and tasted like th Dindigul biryani. Surely is much better than the Thalapakatti Biryani of Dubai.”December 2018
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Egg dosai Net +1
“Best place to have you daily dose of Indian food!! Their egg dosai exceptional. Highly recommended. Friendly staff. Decent pricing. Great location. They xan accommodate around 25pax.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Best place to have you daily dose of Indian food!! Their egg dosai exceptional. Highly recommended. Friendly staff. Decent pricing. Great location. They xan accommodate around 25pax.”June 2022
-
Mutton biryani Net +1
“Best mutton biryani in DG and chicken 555. Try it Guys”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Best mutton biryani in DG and chicken 555. Try it Guys”May 2022
-
Mutton biryani tamil nadu style Net +1
“I had the Mutton Biryani - Tamil Nadu style, This is a must have here - sufficient pieces and tasted like th Dindigul biryani. Surely is much better than the Thalapakatti Biryani of Dubai.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I had the Mutton Biryani - Tamil Nadu style, This is a must have here - sufficient pieces and tasted like th Dindigul biryani. Surely is much better than the Thalapakatti Biryani of Dubai.”December 2018
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Omelet Net +1
“I ordered a thali with chicken gravy and omelet and it was just superb.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I ordered a thali with chicken gravy and omelet and it was just superb.”January 2023
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Paper masala dosa Net +1
“Paper masala dosa and rava masala dosa are excellent and must have. Served with 3 different types of chutney and sambar.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Paper masala dosa and rava masala dosa are excellent and must have. Served with 3 different types of chutney and sambar.”April 2024
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Paratha with chicken gravy Net +1
“Favourite dishes are Paratha with chicken gravy.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Favourite dishes are Paratha with chicken gravy.”January 2021
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Rava masala dosa Net +1
“Paper masala dosa and rava masala dosa are excellent and must have. Served with 3 different types of chutney and sambar.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Paper masala dosa and rava masala dosa are excellent and must have. Served with 3 different types of chutney and sambar.”April 2024
-
Thali Net +1
“I ordered a thali with chicken gravy and omelet and it was just superb.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I ordered a thali with chicken gravy and omelet and it was just superb.”January 2023
-
Vadai Net +1
“Best dishes to try 1. vadai n filter coffee 2. Chicken biryani”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Best dishes to try 1. vadai n filter coffee 2. Chicken biryani”August 2020
-
Single omelette Net 0
Only neutral feedback
“Secondary when asked double omelette they can serve only single omelette I don’t know why”
Positive 0Negative 0Neutral 1
What to Avoid (11)
Food 10
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Biriyani with gravy chicken Net −1
“The food quality was poor, and the staff's behaviour was unacceptable. I ordered chicken Dum Briyani, but the restaurant staff gave me the biriyani with gravy chicken (not boiled with biryani rice). which had a bad smell.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The food quality was poor, and the staff's behaviour was unacceptable. I ordered chicken Dum Briyani, but the restaurant staff gave me the biriyani with gravy chicken (not boiled with biryani rice). which had a bad smell.”June 2026
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Chicken dum briyani Net −1
“The food quality was poor, and the staff's behaviour was unacceptable. I ordered chicken Dum Briyani, but the restaurant staff gave me the biriyani with gravy chicken (not boiled with biryani rice). which had a bad smell.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The food quality was poor, and the staff's behaviour was unacceptable. I ordered chicken Dum Briyani, but the restaurant staff gave me the biriyani with gravy chicken (not boiled with biryani rice). which had a bad smell.”June 2026
-
Chicken meal Net −1
“The chicken meal had almost no taste, and the chicken portion was very small.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The chicken meal had almost no taste, and the chicken portion was very small.”July 2026
-
Chicken spl dosas Net −1
“Yesterday we ordered Chicken spl dosas and chili chicken for dinner, the quality of chicken is so sub standard. We doubt it is frozen chicken, not sure about the expiry, treated with vinegar. Previously the quality was better here. Now, we need to think twice to order/ dine in here”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Yesterday we ordered Chicken spl dosas and chili chicken for dinner, the quality of chicken is so sub standard. We doubt it is frozen chicken, not sure about the expiry, treated with vinegar. Previously the quality was better here. Now, we need to think twice to order/ dine in here”September 2021
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Chili chicken Net −1
“Yesterday we ordered Chicken spl dosas and chili chicken for dinner, the quality of chicken is so sub standard. We doubt it is frozen chicken, not sure about the expiry, treated with vinegar. Previously the quality was better here. Now, we need to think twice to order/ dine in here”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Yesterday we ordered Chicken spl dosas and chili chicken for dinner, the quality of chicken is so sub standard. We doubt it is frozen chicken, not sure about the expiry, treated with vinegar. Previously the quality was better here. Now, we need to think twice to order/ dine in here”September 2021
-
Curd rice Net −1
“I oedred curd rice thy mixed rice with cured and server no taste waste of money”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I oedred curd rice thy mixed rice with cured and server no taste waste of money”December 2025
-
Mushroom fried rice Net −1
“very bad experience i had mushroom fried rice the quantity was very less (equivalent of two idly) even i am asking extra rice they refused this is not good service..”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“very bad experience i had mushroom fried rice the quantity was very less (equivalent of two idly) even i am asking extra rice they refused this is not good service..”March 2026
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Pongal Net −1
“Very worst food taste I have ordered via Keeta 2sets poori, Pongal and 2pcs vada…no salt in anything vada too hard …totally disappointed”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Very worst food taste I have ordered via Keeta 2sets poori, Pongal and 2pcs vada…no salt in anything vada too hard …totally disappointed”May 2026
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Poori Net −1
“Very worst food taste I have ordered via Keeta 2sets poori, Pongal and 2pcs vada…no salt in anything vada too hard …totally disappointed”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Very worst food taste I have ordered via Keeta 2sets poori, Pongal and 2pcs vada…no salt in anything vada too hard …totally disappointed”May 2026
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Red chutney Net −1
“Quality food and value for money. U will not get fresh coconut and red chutney. Always they kept in freezeer and serve you in chill chutney. I got cold due to this. Please change”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Quality food and value for money. U will not get fresh coconut and red chutney. Always they kept in freezeer and serve you in chill chutney. I got cold due to this. Please change”January 2024
Drinks 1
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Tea without sugar Net −1
“Quality of the food which we received in our order via Noon was great however, the restaurant missed two sets of Idli which we had ordered and also our special requirements for Tea without sugar was ignored.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Quality of the food which we received in our order via Noon was great however, the restaurant missed two sets of Idli which we had ordered and also our special requirements for Tea without sugar was ignored.”August 2023
Tips for a Better Visit
Try Breakfast. Go for breakfast if you want the strongest theme in the reviews: idli, vada, dosa and other South Indian morning dishes.
Order Dosa. Start with paper masala dosa, rava masala dosa or ghee roast masala dosa; the first two are noted with three chutneys and sambar.
Confirm Biryani. When ordering chicken dum biryani, confirm exactly what will arrive: one customer received gravy chicken rather than chicken cooked with biryani rice.
Allow Time. Build in extra time during a visit or takeaway order, as one review says staff needed two or three reminders to bring requested items.
Plan Parking. Street parking is limited; one reviewer suggests parking on Zabeel Street and walking to the restaurant.
Check Wash Area. If cleanliness is important, check the wash area on arrival, since several reviews mention odour and poor upkeep there.
Plan the visit
Practical details
26 20A St
Al Karama, Dubai
| Mon | 6:30 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Tue | 6:30 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Wed | 6:30 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Thu | 6:30 AM – 11:30 PM |
| Fri | 7:30 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Sat | 6:30 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Sun | 6:30 AM – 11:00 PM |
Common Concerns
Hygiene Issues
Recent reviews report a dirty washroom and wash area, foul smells reaching the dining room, and poor maintenance around the basin.
Service Conduct
Multiple customers describe rude or argumentative responses when orders were wrong or when they asked staff for help.
Food Consistency
Food quality varies in the reviews, from praised biryani and dosa to bland chicken meals, unsalted breakfast items and poor-quality dishes.
Small Portions
One customer said the mushroom fried rice portion was roughly equivalent to two idlis and that extra rice was refused.
Slow Service
Some diners report long waits, repeated reminders and inattentive counter service, especially when orders need correction.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
14aed
thali with chicken gravy
“I paid 14aed for the thali with chicken gravy”Google review · January 2023
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Amma’s Restaurant is a Tamil-style South Indian and Chettinad spot in Al Karama where breakfast is a strong reason to visit. The reviews point to idli, vada, paper masala dosa, rava masala dosa and idiyappam, while lunch and dinner customers often choose Tamil Nadu-style biryani. The food is sometimes described as homely, with one diner praising a thali with chicken gravy and omelet.
Dosa is the safest place to start if you want a specific recommendation: paper masala and rava masala versions come with three chutneys and sambar, while the ghee roast masala dosa is described as unusually large. Mutton biryani, egg dosai and brass-tumbler filter coffee also have individual fans. A snack-box order for an event was reported fresh, well packed and on time.
The experience is not completely consistent. Recent complaints mention bland food, small portions, cold chutney, slow service and wrong orders. Staff behaviour is another recurring concern, particularly when customers ask for corrections.
Pricing opinions range from affordable to very high. The biggest caution is the washroom and handwashing area: several reviews report foul smells, cramped facilities and poor maintenance. Parking is limited to the street, so one reviewer suggests Zabeel Street and a short walk.
Allow extra time, and confirm biryani details before paying.