Syrian Flavours
Reviews describe the food as authentically Syrian, with traditional taste and generous portions that can stretch a family meal.
Damasco Restaurant
Al Barsha
Damasco Restaurant is a Syrian and Mediterranean spot in Al Barsha, known in reviews for authentic flavours, generous hospitality and a cosy setting. Shawarma and the shish tawook sandwich are reliable starting points, while the menu also suits a fuller family meal with grilled dishes and mezze.
Reputation Score
4.8
★★★★★
1,387 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Shawarma
The shawarma is repeatedly praised, with one review highlighting its light texture and unusually good garlic sauce.
Grilled Dishes
The char-grilled chicken and Arayees were standout choices for one family, while another review praised juicy chicken and bread.
Warm Hospitality
Multiple reviews describe attentive, welcoming service, including complimentary soup, tea and extra soup during visits.
Cosy Setting
The restaurant is described as cosy and warm, with inviting lights, music and a comfortable atmosphere.
Fresh Mezze
The Beiruti hummus, falafel and fattoush-style accompaniments receive specific praise for texture, freshness and flavour.
What to Eat at Damasco Restaurant 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 Damasco Restaurant, 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 Damasco Restaurant, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.
Food 6
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Shawarma Net +5
“Damasco Shawarma Restaurant offers a distinctive flavor that reflects the quality of its ingredients and preparation.”
Positive 5Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Damasco Shawarma Restaurant offers a distinctive flavor that reflects the quality of its ingredients and preparation.”May 2026
“Syrians have the best shawarma.”July 2026
-
Hummus Net +3
“The best hummus I've ever had.”
Positive 3Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The best hummus I've ever had.”July 2026
“Hummus 10/10, hummus and pickles were served complimentary”September 2023
-
Arayees Net +2
“Ordered grill chicken, meat+hammous, kabab platter, Arayees Cheese kunafa cake. Syrian flavours, and truly tasty.. Of special mention was the juicy chicken and bread.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Ordered grill chicken, meat+hammous, kabab platter, Arayees Cheese kunafa cake. Syrian flavours, and truly tasty.. Of special mention was the juicy chicken and bread.”June 2026
“What we liked most were the Arayees and the char grilled chicken.”June 2026
-
Armenian salad Net +2
“Food is very amazing. I have ordered Armenian salad + Shawarma + Shish Tawwok sandwich. All are perfect.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Food is very amazing. I have ordered Armenian salad + Shawarma + Shish Tawwok sandwich. All are perfect.”July 2026
“sheesh tawook sandwiches, mix fries, Armenian salad, and their signature kunafa cheesecake. Everything was fresh, well prepared, and full of flavor.”March 2026
-
Falafel Net +2
“The falafel and hummus are some of the best I’ve had, served with fresh carrots, tea, and a side of pickles.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The falafel and hummus are some of the best I’ve had, served with fresh carrots, tea, and a side of pickles.”August 2025
“The Beiruti hummus was impossibly smooth and rich, the falafel crisp on the outside and fluffy inside.”October 2025
-
Sheesh tawook sandwiches Net +2
“sheesh tawook sandwiches, mix fries, Armenian salad, and their signature kunafa cheesecake. Everything was fresh, well prepared, and full of flavor.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“sheesh tawook sandwiches, mix fries, Armenian salad, and their signature kunafa cheesecake. Everything was fresh, well prepared, and full of flavor.”March 2026
“Food is very amazing. I have ordered Armenian salad + Shawarma + Shish Tawwok sandwich. All are perfect. The shish Tawook sandwich they have is bery special.”July 2026
Honorable mentions (25)
-
Beiruti hummus Net +1
“The Beiruti hummus was impossibly smooth and rich, the falafel crisp on the outside and fluffy inside.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The Beiruti hummus was impossibly smooth and rich, the falafel crisp on the outside and fluffy inside.”October 2025
-
Char grilled chicken Net +1
“What we liked most were the Arayees and the char grilled chicken.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“What we liked most were the Arayees and the char grilled chicken.”June 2026
-
Cheese kunafa cake Net +1
“Ordered grill chicken, meat+hammous, kabab platter, Arayees Cheese kunafa cake. Syrian flavours, and truly tasty.. Of special mention was the juicy chicken and bread.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Ordered grill chicken, meat+hammous, kabab platter, Arayees Cheese kunafa cake. Syrian flavours, and truly tasty.. Of special mention was the juicy chicken and bread.”June 2026
-
Chicken and lamb shish Net +1
“Firstly the chicken and lamb shish was cooked perfect, the homous and tabouli was fresh and tasty, from the beverage section i ordered the 100% promegranete juice which was amazing.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Firstly the chicken and lamb shish was cooked perfect, the homous and tabouli was fresh and tasty, from the beverage section i ordered the 100% promegranete juice which was amazing.”May 2026
-
Chicken ferrekeh Net +1
“Chicken Ferrekeh 7/10 chicken could be more juicy”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Chicken Ferrekeh 7/10 chicken could be more juicy”September 2023
-
Chips Net +1
“The chips, in particular, were fantastic, perfectly crispy, and seasoned just right.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The chips, in particular, were fantastic, perfectly crispy, and seasoned just right.”September 2024
-
Complimentary lentil soup Net +1
“Salad had fresh veggies and the complimentary lentil soup was amazing as well.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Salad had fresh veggies and the complimentary lentil soup was amazing as well.”June 2026
-
Damasco basha style Net +1
“Damasco Basha Style 10/10 highly recommended”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Damasco Basha Style 10/10 highly recommended”September 2023
-
Fatteh Net +1
“The manoushe was extremely delicious l loved it.And the Fatteh was out of this world.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The manoushe was extremely delicious l loved it.And the Fatteh was out of this world.”October 2025
-
Green beans cold starter Net +1
“Some of the dishes like the green beans cold starter are a stand out but I was very very disappointed with the lamb kebab plate which was also by far the most expensive dish.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Some of the dishes like the green beans cold starter are a stand out but I was very very disappointed with the lamb kebab plate which was also by far the most expensive dish.”March 2026
-
Grill chicken Net +1
“Ordered grill chicken, meat+hammous, kabab platter, Arayees Cheese kunafa cake. Syrian flavours, and truly tasty.. Of special mention was the juicy chicken and bread.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Ordered grill chicken, meat+hammous, kabab platter, Arayees Cheese kunafa cake. Syrian flavours, and truly tasty.. Of special mention was the juicy chicken and bread.”June 2026
-
Homous Net +1
“Firstly the chicken and lamb shish was cooked perfect, the homous and tabouli was fresh and tasty, from the beverage section i ordered the 100% promegranete juice which was amazing.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Firstly the chicken and lamb shish was cooked perfect, the homous and tabouli was fresh and tasty, from the beverage section i ordered the 100% promegranete juice which was amazing.”May 2026
-
Hummus with meat Net +1
“We ordered soup, sarma, lahmacun, hummus with meat and a dessert. Everything was delicous and this was the best hummus.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered soup, sarma, lahmacun, hummus with meat and a dessert. Everything was delicous and this was the best hummus.”December 2025
-
Lahm ajeen Net +1
“The food was 10/10. Shawarma, burger, juices, lahm ajeen. Some of the best food we had in Dubai for a very long time.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food was 10/10. Shawarma, burger, juices, lahm ajeen. Some of the best food we had in Dubai for a very long time.”July 2026
-
Lahmacun Net +1
“We ordered soup, sarma, lahmacun, hummus with meat and a dessert. Everything was delicous and this was the best hummus.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered soup, sarma, lahmacun, hummus with meat and a dessert. Everything was delicous and this was the best hummus.”December 2025
-
Lamb leg Net +1
“I had the lamb leg (not sure what its official called) but it was great.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I had the lamb leg (not sure what its official called) but it was great.”May 2025
-
Manoushe Net +1
“The manoushe was extremely delicious l loved it.And the Fatteh was out of this world.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The manoushe was extremely delicious l loved it.And the Fatteh was out of this world.”October 2025
-
Meat+hammous Net +1
“Ordered grill chicken, meat+hammous, kabab platter, Arayees Cheese kunafa cake. Syrian flavours, and truly tasty.. Of special mention was the juicy chicken and bread.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Ordered grill chicken, meat+hammous, kabab platter, Arayees Cheese kunafa cake. Syrian flavours, and truly tasty.. Of special mention was the juicy chicken and bread.”June 2026
-
Mix fries Net +1
“sheesh tawook sandwiches, mix fries, Armenian salad, and their signature kunafa cheesecake. Everything was fresh, well prepared, and full of flavor.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“sheesh tawook sandwiches, mix fries, Armenian salad, and their signature kunafa cheesecake. Everything was fresh, well prepared, and full of flavor.”March 2026
-
Sarma Net +1
“We ordered soup, sarma, lahmacun, hummus with meat and a dessert. Everything was delicous and this was the best hummus.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered soup, sarma, lahmacun, hummus with meat and a dessert. Everything was delicous and this was the best hummus.”December 2025
-
Signature kunafa cheesecake Net +1
“sheesh tawook sandwiches, mix fries, Armenian salad, and their signature kunafa cheesecake. Everything was fresh, well prepared, and full of flavor.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“sheesh tawook sandwiches, mix fries, Armenian salad, and their signature kunafa cheesecake. Everything was fresh, well prepared, and full of flavor.”March 2026
-
Soup Net +1
“We ordered soup, sarma, lahmacun, hummus with meat and a dessert. Everything was delicous and this was the best hummus.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered soup, sarma, lahmacun, hummus with meat and a dessert. Everything was delicous and this was the best hummus.”December 2025
-
Tabouli Net +1
“Firstly the chicken and lamb shish was cooked perfect, the homous and tabouli was fresh and tasty, from the beverage section i ordered the 100% promegranete juice which was amazing.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Firstly the chicken and lamb shish was cooked perfect, the homous and tabouli was fresh and tasty, from the beverage section i ordered the 100% promegranete juice which was amazing.”May 2026
-
Kabab platter Net 0
Mixed feedback
“Ordered grill chicken, meat+hammous, kabab platter, Arayees Cheese kunafa cake. Syrian flavours, and truly tasty.. Of special mention was the juicy chicken and bread.”
Positive 1Negative 1
Review excerpts
“Ordered grill chicken, meat+hammous, kabab platter, Arayees Cheese kunafa cake. Syrian flavours, and truly tasty.. Of special mention was the juicy chicken and bread.”June 2026
-
Hummus with beef Net 0
Only neutral feedback
“The vibe and staff’s service were perfect! The tastes of the dishes we ordered were fine (salad, and hummus with beef), and the free vegetables, soup, and bread were very touching.”
Positive 0Negative 0Neutral 1
Drinks 1
-
100% Promegranete juice Net +1
“Firstly the chicken and lamb shish was cooked perfect, the homous and tabouli was fresh and tasty, from the beverage section i ordered the 100% promegranete juice which was amazing.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Firstly the chicken and lamb shish was cooked perfect, the homous and tabouli was fresh and tasty, from the beverage section i ordered the 100% promegranete juice which was amazing.”May 2026
What to Avoid (1)
Food 1
-
Lamb kebab plate Net −1
“Some of the dishes like the green beans cold starter are a stand out but I was very very disappointed with the lamb kebab plate which was also by far the most expensive dish.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Some of the dishes like the green beans cold starter are a stand out but I was very very disappointed with the lamb kebab plate which was also by far the most expensive dish.”March 2026
Tips for a Better Visit
Try Shawarma. Start with the shawarma and ask for the garlic sauce; one review specifically found both light and fresh.
Choose Grills. For a grilled meal, consider the Arayees or char-grilled chicken, both singled out as favourites in one visit.
Check Parking. If you are driving, look for RTA parking directly in front of the restaurant.
Late Visits. Late-night dining may be possible: one group arrived very late and was still served, though hours are not specified.
Save Room. Leave space for dessert if you can; the signature kunafa cheesecake was ordered as a late-night takeaway treat and praised for its flavour.
Watch Kebabs. If ordering a kebab platter, check that the meat arrives hot, as one diner found the lamb and meat insufficiently warm.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Hessa St
Al Barsha Third - Al Barsha, Dubai
| Mon | 6:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Tue | 6:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Wed | 6:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Thu | 6:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Fri | 6:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Sat | 6:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Sun | 6:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
Common Concerns
Value Concern
One review found the meal 30–40% more expensive than expected, while another felt the food was not always worth its price.
Lamb Kebab
A reviewer was very disappointed with the lamb kebab plate, which was also described as the most expensive dish.
Kebab Temperature
One diner found the lamb and meat in the kebab platter insufficiently hot.
Inconsistent Food
Although the place and staff were praised, one review said the food was not particularly impressive.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Damasco Restaurant is a Syrian-Mediterranean restaurant in Al Barsha where the strongest draw is traditional Syrian cooking paired with unusually attentive hospitality. You can keep it casual with shawarma or a shish tawook sandwich, or sit down for mezze and grilled dishes. Reviews also mention manakeesh, Beiruti hummus, falafel and mixed-grill-style plates.
The shawarma is described as light and fresh, with garlic sauce that stands out. The Beiruti hummus was praised for being exceptionally smooth, while the Arayees and char-grilled chicken were particular favourites in one family meal. For dessert, the signature kunafa cheesecake has made a good impression, and complimentary soup, tea, bread or vegetables appear in several reviews.
The setting comes across as cosy and warm rather than formal, with some diners mentioning music, inviting lighting and clean facilities. RTA parking is available in front, and one late-night group was still served after arriving very late. Do keep value in mind: one review found the pricing 30–40% higher than expected, and opinions on the lamb kebab plate were mixed.
If choosing kebabs, it is worth checking that the meat is served hot.