Broad selection
Brunch reviews mention Arabic, Mexican, seafood, sushi, cheese, roasted meat and fish stations.
Channels
Barsha Heights
Channels is an all-day buffet restaurant in Barsha Heights, with international and Arabian dishes prepared at live cooking stations. Reviews highlight its brunch and dinner spreads, including sushi, seafood and a notably tender beef brisket, making it a flexible choice for family meals and group occasions.
Reputation Score
4.4
★★★★☆
172 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Strong brisket
The lunch buffet’s beef brisket was singled out as especially outstanding.
Tender lamb
One Saturday buffet review found the roasted lamb exceptionally tender and soft.
Attentive service
A brunch guest said staff were remarkable and attentive to every customer.
Clean setting
A lunch reviewer found the restaurant clean, spacious and well organised, with no waiting time.
Birthday touch
For a birthday, the team brought a cake with candles and sang for the guest.
What to Eat at Channels 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 Channels, 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 Channels got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 10
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Beef brisket Net +1
“The lunch buffet was excellent with a wide variety of tasty dishes. The beef brisket was especially outstanding.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The lunch buffet was excellent with a wide variety of tasty dishes. The beef brisket was especially outstanding.”January 2026
-
Chocolate fountain with marshmallows Net +1
“From their freshly baked cakes to chocolate fountain with marshmallows to so much more.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“From their freshly baked cakes to chocolate fountain with marshmallows to so much more.”January 2022
-
Cinnamon buns Net +1
“Their cinnamon buns are a must to end the meal.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Their cinnamon buns are a must to end the meal.”September 2016
-
Fondue Net +1
“Sweet station with fondue and ice creams - delicious!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Sweet station with fondue and ice creams - delicious!”January 2025
-
Freshly baked cakes Net +1
“From their freshly baked cakes to chocolate fountain with marshmallows to so much more.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“From their freshly baked cakes to chocolate fountain with marshmallows to so much more.”January 2022
-
Green curry Net +1
“Would've had another round of salads and just had the green curry for main if I had gone back.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Would've had another round of salads and just had the green curry for main if I had gone back.”September 2016
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Lamb steaks Net +1
“I like the stir fry beef, and the lamb steaks.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I like the stir fry beef, and the lamb steaks.”January 2024
-
Melons Net +1
“The dry dessert was fine but the liquid ones were not very palatable, but the fruits were excellent (mainly melons and pineapple).”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The dry dessert was fine but the liquid ones were not very palatable, but the fruits were excellent (mainly melons and pineapple).”November 2022
-
Molokhiya Net +1
“Food variety in Iftar is good; they had Arabic food (normal suspects like Uzi, which is as not great, rice, Molokhiya- which was good), etc), one type of pasta, and 2 sushi rolls only- nothing special about it.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Food variety in Iftar is good; they had Arabic food (normal suspects like Uzi, which is as not great, rice, Molokhiya- which was good), etc), one type of pasta, and 2 sushi rolls only- nothing special about it.”May 2022
-
Omali Net +1
“Every item we tasted was amazing, and we are especially grateful for preparing Omali, even though it was not on today’s menu.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Every item we tasted was amazing, and we are especially grateful for preparing Omali, even though it was not on today’s menu.”August 2025
Honorable mentions (5)
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Pineapple Net +1
“The dry dessert was fine but the liquid ones were not very palatable, but the fruits were excellent (mainly melons and pineapple).”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The dry dessert was fine but the liquid ones were not very palatable, but the fruits were excellent (mainly melons and pineapple).”November 2022
-
Roasted lamb Net +1
“Their roasted lamb was unbelievable tender and soft!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Their roasted lamb was unbelievable tender and soft!”January 2025
-
Steak meat Net +1
“The main courses were varied, the steak meat was cooked slowly for a long time, it melted in my mouth.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The main courses were varied, the steak meat was cooked slowly for a long time, it melted in my mouth.”November 2022
-
Stir fry beef Net +1
“I like the stir fry beef, and the lamb steaks.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I like the stir fry beef, and the lamb steaks.”January 2024
-
Thai curries Net +1
“From my favorite variety of sushi to thai curries, it was all delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“From my favorite variety of sushi to thai curries, it was all delicious.”January 2022
Drinks 1
-
Coffee Net +1
“Very tasty coffee and juices.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Very tasty coffee and juices.”January 2025
What to Avoid (5)
Food 5
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Iftar Net −1
“It is same food during Ramadan Iftar compared to non ramadan days not that much variety so I found Iftar price is very expensive compared to offered food and compared to other places which offer ramadan Iftar”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“It is same food during Ramadan Iftar compared to non ramadan days not that much variety so I found Iftar price is very expensive compared to offered food and compared to other places which offer ramadan Iftar”April 2024
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Papadam Net −1
“The papadam, prawn crackers were soft on the counter. Although overall it was average but was glad it’s quiet and my family and I can have peaceful dinner together.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The papadam, prawn crackers were soft on the counter. Although overall it was average but was glad it’s quiet and my family and I can have peaceful dinner together.”June 2025
-
Prawn crackers Net −1
“The papadam, prawn crackers were soft on the counter. Although overall it was average but was glad it’s quiet and my family and I can have peaceful dinner together.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The papadam, prawn crackers were soft on the counter. Although overall it was average but was glad it’s quiet and my family and I can have peaceful dinner together.”June 2025
-
Sushi rolls Net −1
“Food variety in Iftar is good; they had Arabic food (normal suspects like Uzi, which is as not great, rice, Molokhiya- which was good), etc), one type of pasta, and 2 sushi rolls only- nothing special about it.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Food variety in Iftar is good; they had Arabic food (normal suspects like Uzi, which is as not great, rice, Molokhiya- which was good), etc), one type of pasta, and 2 sushi rolls only- nothing special about it.”May 2022
-
Uzi Net −1
“Food variety in Iftar is good; they had Arabic food (normal suspects like Uzi, which is as not great, rice, Molokhiya- which was good), etc), one type of pasta, and 2 sushi rolls only- nothing special about it.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Food variety in Iftar is good; they had Arabic food (normal suspects like Uzi, which is as not great, rice, Molokhiya- which was good), etc), one type of pasta, and 2 sushi rolls only- nothing special about it.”May 2022
Tips for a Better Visit
Check pricing. If using Entertainer, confirm the current dinner-buffet price with the restaurant before arriving.
Confirm format. Ask whether a Saturday booking is brunch or simply a lunch buffet, especially in summer.
Confirm timing. For a buffet deal, verify serving and clearing times in advance; one guest found food removed before the stated end.
Plan parking. Ask about valet when you arrive rather than assuming basement parking is the only option.
Avoid crowds. Iftar can be busy, so expect queues and a noisier room; regular meals may feel calmer.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Hessa St
Al Thanyah First - Barsha Heights, Dubai
| Mon | 6:30 AM – 10:30 PM |
| Tue | 6:30 AM – 10:30 PM |
| Wed | 6:30 AM – 10:30 PM |
| Thu | 6:30 AM – 10:30 PM |
| Fri | 6:30 AM – 10:30 PM |
| Sat | 6:30 AM – 10:30 PM |
| Sun | 6:30 AM – 10:30 PM |
Common Concerns
Food concern
One recent review reported that some buffet food seemed old and spoiled.
Limited spread
A lunch guest reported only one dish each from Arabic, Indian, Chinese and Thai cuisines.
Dessert quality
The same lunch review described the desserts as poor in quality and not tasty.
Price mismatch
An Entertainer user found the restaurant price was 170 dirhams versus 100 in the app.
Iftar value
Some diners felt the Iftar selection did not justify its price compared with other venues.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Channels is an all-day buffet restaurant in Barsha Heights, drawing families, groups and weekend brunch diners. The strongest reviews focus on variety: guests describe Arabic dishes, a Mexican station, fresh seafood and sushi, plus cheese, roasted meat and fish counters. A lunch guest especially enjoyed the beef brisket, while another praised the unusually tender roasted lamb.
Service is often a real strength. Reviews mention attentive staff, smooth reservation check-in and thoughtful celebration touches, including a birthday cake, candles and a song. The setting is generally described as cosy, relaxed, clean and spacious, with outdoor seating praised by some diners.
It can work well for family meals, company dinners or a quieter weekday visit. There is a noticeable quality-and-value split, however. Several diners found the food fresh and varied, while others reported a very limited spread, poor desserts, soft papadam and prawn crackers, or even old food.
Iftar reviews are mixed too, with some praising the selection and others finding it overpriced. If you are using Entertainer or Groupon, confirm the current price, menu and serving hours first: one Entertainer user was quoted 170 dirhams per head at the restaurant versus 100 in the app, and one Groupon guest said the buffet was cleared early.