Pure vegetarian
The newer format focuses entirely on vegetarian food, with Indian dishes and chats for variety.
Basil leaves Vegetarian Restaurant New
Deira
Basil Leaves is a pure vegetarian restaurant in Deira, serving South Indian and North Indian vegetarian food alongside variety chats. Recent visitors highlight its AED 20 lunch buffet, clean dining room and homely, approachable meals.
Reputation Score
4.3
★★★★☆
150 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Lunch value
A recent review highlights a lunch buffet at AED 20, making it appealing for an inexpensive regular meal.
Clean setting
One visitor specifically praised the spotless dining area and visible attention to hygiene.
Friendly service
Several recent visitors describe the staff as polite, welcoming and helpful during buffet and dining visits.
Homely feel
A visitor described the food and hospitality as reminiscent of home cooking away from home.
What to Eat at Basil leaves Vegetarian Restaurant New 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 Basil leaves Vegetarian Restaurant New, 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.
These items at Basil leaves Vegetarian Restaurant New got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 10
-
Aviyal Net +1
“The most important factor is that all dishes are traditional ones, koottukari, Olan, Pineapple Pachadi, Aviyal deserves a special mention ...”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The most important factor is that all dishes are traditional ones, koottukari, Olan, Pineapple Pachadi, Aviyal deserves a special mention ...”September 2023
-
Beef coconut chili fried Net +1
“I ordered the prawns thattukkada (flat stone grilled, tawa), beef coconut chili fried and the chicken kondaattam, and the typical porotta. Big portion, and nice taste for my paladar.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I ordered the prawns thattukkada (flat stone grilled, tawa), beef coconut chili fried and the chicken kondaattam, and the typical porotta. Big portion, and nice taste for my paladar.”August 2023
-
Beef steak Net +1
“Very friendly staff. Good food at reasonable price. Filipino food can be served too. Beef steak is very tasty and the meat is so tender.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Very friendly staff. Good food at reasonable price. Filipino food can be served too. Beef steak is very tasty and the meat is so tender.”August 2023
-
Char-grilled fish Net +1
“The char-grilled fish was cooked to perfection, crisp on the outside while retaining moisture and flavor on the inside.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The char-grilled fish was cooked to perfection, crisp on the outside while retaining moisture and flavor on the inside.”September 2024
-
Chicken biriyani Net +1
“The food was very tasty. The chicken biriyani was very tasty.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food was very tasty. The chicken biriyani was very tasty.”May 2024
-
Chicken dum biriyani Net +1
“Good food and good ambience.service is also nice,very goood experience.But the chicken dum biriyani is delicious!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Good food and good ambience.service is also nice,very goood experience.But the chicken dum biriyani is delicious!”September 2023
-
Chicken kondaattam Net +1
“I ordered the prawns thattukkada (flat stone grilled, tawa), beef coconut chili fried and the chicken kondaattam, and the typical porotta. Big portion, and nice taste for my paladar.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I ordered the prawns thattukkada (flat stone grilled, tawa), beef coconut chili fried and the chicken kondaattam, and the typical porotta. Big portion, and nice taste for my paladar.”August 2023
-
Fish curry Net +1
“Fish curry was amazing.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Fish curry was amazing.”May 2024
-
Kerala chatti choru Net +1
“The menu has a variety of dishes from Kerala and Sri lanka. We ordered the Kerala Chatti Choru, which came with rice, Sambar, Pulisheri, Kootkari, Fish curry, Fish fri 2 types, yogurt, pickle and papad. The food was fresh, flavorful and satisfying. The portions were generous and the price was reasonable.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The menu has a variety of dishes from Kerala and Sri lanka. We ordered the Kerala Chatti Choru, which came with rice, Sambar, Pulisheri, Kootkari, Fish curry, Fish fri 2 types, yogurt, pickle and papad. The food was fresh, flavorful and satisfying. The portions were generous and the price was reasonable.”July 2023
-
Kerala meals Net +1
“Serving Kerala meals in a banana leaf is an attraction.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Serving Kerala meals in a banana leaf is an attraction.”October 2023
Honorable mentions (15)
-
Kiribath Net +1
“This is a place where you can get real sri lankan food taste.. specially Kotthu, kiribath and pol roti… Also hats off to the sri lankan girl who manages the customers really well…”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“This is a place where you can get real sri lankan food taste.. specially Kotthu, kiribath and pol roti… Also hats off to the sri lankan girl who manages the customers really well…”September 2024
-
Koottukari Net +1
“The most important factor is that all dishes are traditional ones, koottukari, Olan, Pineapple Pachadi, Aviyal deserves a special mention ...”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The most important factor is that all dishes are traditional ones, koottukari, Olan, Pineapple Pachadi, Aviyal deserves a special mention ...”September 2023
-
Kotthu Net +1
“This is a place where you can get real sri lankan food taste.. specially Kotthu, kiribath and pol roti… Also hats off to the sri lankan girl who manages the customers really well…”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“This is a place where you can get real sri lankan food taste.. specially Kotthu, kiribath and pol roti… Also hats off to the sri lankan girl who manages the customers really well…”September 2024
-
Mini meals Net +1
“Not only Onam Sadhya, there mini meals also available and it is good experience and food quality also is amazing......”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Not only Onam Sadhya, there mini meals also available and it is good experience and food quality also is amazing......”September 2023
-
Olan Net +1
“The most important factor is that all dishes are traditional ones, koottukari, Olan, Pineapple Pachadi, Aviyal deserves a special mention ...”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The most important factor is that all dishes are traditional ones, koottukari, Olan, Pineapple Pachadi, Aviyal deserves a special mention ...”September 2023
-
Onam sadhya 2023 Net +1
“I had Onam Sadhya 2023 from Basil Leaves Restaurant and it was amazing taste...”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I had Onam Sadhya 2023 from Basil Leaves Restaurant and it was amazing taste...”September 2023
-
Papad Net +1
“The side dishes offer a wide variety of textures and flavors, from crunchy papad to a tangy chutney and a perfectly spiced curry.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The side dishes offer a wide variety of textures and flavors, from crunchy papad to a tangy chutney and a perfectly spiced curry.”September 2024
-
Pepper chicken Net +1
“The pepper chicken was good. With some light hommos on the side.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The pepper chicken was good. With some light hommos on the side.”September 2024
-
Pineapple pachadi Net +1
“The most important factor is that all dishes are traditional ones, koottukari, Olan, Pineapple Pachadi, Aviyal deserves a special mention ...”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The most important factor is that all dishes are traditional ones, koottukari, Olan, Pineapple Pachadi, Aviyal deserves a special mention ...”September 2023
-
Pol roti Net +1
“This is a place where you can get real sri lankan food taste.. specially Kotthu, kiribath and pol roti… Also hats off to the sri lankan girl who manages the customers really well…”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“This is a place where you can get real sri lankan food taste.. specially Kotthu, kiribath and pol roti… Also hats off to the sri lankan girl who manages the customers really well…”September 2024
-
Porotta Net +1
“I ordered the prawns thattukkada (flat stone grilled, tawa), beef coconut chili fried and the chicken kondaattam, and the typical porotta. Big portion, and nice taste for my paladar.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I ordered the prawns thattukkada (flat stone grilled, tawa), beef coconut chili fried and the chicken kondaattam, and the typical porotta. Big portion, and nice taste for my paladar.”August 2023
-
Prawns thattukkada Net +1
“I ordered the prawns thattukkada (flat stone grilled, tawa), beef coconut chili fried and the chicken kondaattam, and the typical porotta. Big portion, and nice taste for my paladar.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I ordered the prawns thattukkada (flat stone grilled, tawa), beef coconut chili fried and the chicken kondaattam, and the typical porotta. Big portion, and nice taste for my paladar.”August 2023
-
Sea bream fish Net +1
“Must try sea bream fish. It’s delicious!!!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Must try sea bream fish. It’s delicious!!!”October 2023
-
Sweet pudding made with milk Net +1
“A sweet pudding made with milk was very good. It was heavenly.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“A sweet pudding made with milk was very good. It was heavenly.”July 2023
-
Thalassery chicken dum biryani Net +1
“We ate thalassery Chicken Dum Biryani, it was delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ate thalassery Chicken Dum Biryani, it was delicious.”September 2023
What to Avoid (7)
Food 7
-
Beef biryani Net −1
“About food we ordered beef biryani,it's meat like pet meat, it's not like real beef , in butcher place they give some meat for Dogs and cat , beef was like that in what they given in beef biryani for 16AED, if it's for only me we can say it's okay out everyone plate like same we didn't found a single piece of meat, all it's like skin like cows waste cutting for cats or dog's,”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“About food we ordered beef biryani,it's meat like pet meat, it's not like real beef , in butcher place they give some meat for Dogs and cat , beef was like that in what they given in beef biryani for 16AED, if it's for only me we can say it's okay out everyone plate like same we didn't found a single piece of meat, all it's like skin like cows waste cutting for cats or dog's,”September 2023
-
Chicken kothu Net −1
“Today I want this restaurant order one chicken kothu and fried rice very bad experience it's not srilankan style my expectations become disappointed if you guys don't know how to make srilankan food remove from your menu thanks 🙏”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Today I want this restaurant order one chicken kothu and fried rice very bad experience it's not srilankan style my expectations become disappointed if you guys don't know how to make srilankan food remove from your menu thanks 🙏”November 2023
-
Falooda Net −1
“As for dessert, the Falooda took 23 mins to prepare. I took this time to read about its ingredients (1st time trying) It was something completely different. Fruit of weird combination with 2 ice cream balls on top. Wouldn't order it again”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“As for dessert, the Falooda took 23 mins to prepare. I took this time to read about its ingredients (1st time trying) It was something completely different. Fruit of weird combination with 2 ice cream balls on top. Wouldn't order it again”September 2024
-
Fried rice Net −1
“Today I want this restaurant order one chicken kothu and fried rice very bad experience it's not srilankan style my expectations become disappointed if you guys don't know how to make srilankan food remove from your menu thanks 🙏”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Today I want this restaurant order one chicken kothu and fried rice very bad experience it's not srilankan style my expectations become disappointed if you guys don't know how to make srilankan food remove from your menu thanks 🙏”November 2023
-
Prawns Net −1
“Prawns was just prawns nothing else in it.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Prawns was just prawns nothing else in it.”November 2023
-
Sambol Net −1
“I ordered from the Ceylon menu, Sambol was like used coconut powder mixed with pepper, chicken gravy is just water and chilli powder.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I ordered from the Ceylon menu, Sambol was like used coconut powder mixed with pepper, chicken gravy is just water and chilli powder.”November 2023
-
Soup Net −1
“One of the worst restaurant I experienced in the UAE. They have only Menu, nothing in kitchen. So Disgusting. The staff is forcing to take customers, what they have in kitchen ( unfortunately they have only types dishes) I came for dinner and end up with ever worst soup.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“One of the worst restaurant I experienced in the UAE. They have only Menu, nothing in kitchen. So Disgusting. The staff is forcing to take customers, what they have in kitchen ( unfortunately they have only types dishes) I came for dinner and end up with ever worst soup.”August 2024
Tips for a Better Visit
Check availability. For delivery, confirm that your chosen dish is actually available; one accepted order was later cancelled as out of stock.
Allow time. Build in extra time for à la carte visits, since a reviewer found service slow even though the food was good.
Try buffet. If you want the clearest value option, ask about the lunch buffet, which a recent visitor reported at AED 20.
Be cautious subscribing. Avoid paying for a monthly food mess without confirming continuity and refund arrangements; an older subscriber reported deliveries stopping after day 10.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Al Dana Centre - G03 - 04 Al Maktoum Rd
Al Muraqqabat - Deira, Dubai
Common Concerns
Mess complaints
Older reviews allege that monthly food-mess deliveries stopped suddenly after payment, with refunds still unresolved.
Order shortages
A delivery customer said an accepted order was later cancelled because the ordered dish was out of stock.
Slow service
Some visitors reported long waits, including slow à la carte service and delayed delivery.
Past inconsistency
Earlier reviews describe missing menu items and disappointing dishes, so older menu feedback may not reflect the current vegetarian format.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
AED 20
lunch buffet
“Their lunch buffet for just AED 20 is an unbeatable deal, offering great value without compromising on taste or quality”Google review · January 2025
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Basil Leaves is now positioned as a pure vegetarian restaurant in Deira, with South Indian and North Indian vegetarian food plus variety chats. The strongest recent reason to consider it is the lunch buffet: a January review describes the staff as attentive and the food as meeting expectations, while another reports a buffet priced at AED 20. Recent visitors also mention a spotless dining area, visible attention to hygiene and nominal menu pricing.
The atmosphere is described as cozy, and the food as homely enough to feel like home cooking away from home. That makes it a practical stop for a straightforward vegetarian meal rather than a formal dining occasion. The review history needs some context.
Many older comments refer to the restaurant’s previous Sri Lankan and Kerala menu, including Onam Sadya, biryani and seafood dishes; those should not be treated as current offerings after the vegetarian transition. Older delivery reviews also report long waits, unavailable items and monthly food-mess payments followed by stopped deliveries. For a first visit, ask what is available before ordering, allow extra time if you are eating à la carte, and check the lunch-buffet details on the day.
The recent vegetarian reviews are encouraging, but the older service and subscription complaints are worth keeping in mind.