Syrian dishes
Traditional Syrian and Lebanese cooking is a strength, with hummus, fresh bread and kebabs singled out as flavorful.
مطعم درج الياسمين Daraj Al Yasmin Restaurant & Cafe
Oud Metha
In Oud Metha, Daraj Al Yasmin is a spacious Syrian and broader Arabic restaurant and cafe with themed, Arabic-inspired interiors. It suits family meals, group celebrations and shisha evenings, with review-backed highlights including mixed grills and open-buffet dining, plus a children’s play area.
Reputation Score
4.1
★★★★☆
4,959 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Family setup
Families have access to a second-floor games area, while smoking and non-smoking seating are available.
Buffet variety
Several diners found the buffet broad and fresh, including Syrian and Lebanese salads, mains and desserts.
Shisha service
Shisha is a clear part of the experience, and one diner noted that charcoal was changed promptly without asking.
Large venue
The spacious layout works well for weddings, parties and larger family or colleague gatherings.
Nearby parking
One review points to plentiful paid RTA parking opposite the restaurant.
What to Eat at مطعم درج الياسمين Daraj Al Yasmin Restaurant & Cafe 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 مطعم درج الياسمين Daraj Al Yasmin Restaurant & Cafe, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. We still have more reviews to analyze, so the scores may change. 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 مطعم درج الياسمين Daraj Al Yasmin Restaurant & Cafe got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 2
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Hummus Net +3
“Hummus (10/10): Absolutely perfect — creamy and full of flavor.”
Positive 3Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Hummus (10/10): Absolutely perfect — creamy and full of flavor.”February 2025
“The hummus, fresh bread, and kebabs were flavorful and well-prepared.”March 2026
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Fresh bread Net +2
“The hummus, fresh bread, and kebabs were flavorful and well-prepared.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The hummus, fresh bread, and kebabs were flavorful and well-prepared.”March 2026
“Bread (9/10): Soft and delightful, but unfortunately served cold instead of warm.”February 2025
Honorable mentions (13)
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Arada Net +1
“1- the Advertisement done in media must reflect reality ( for instance they notified that there is Arada / Melawieh on daily basis ) but nothing was there on Reality “ only weekend “”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“1- the Advertisement done in media must reflect reality ( for instance they notified that there is Arada / Melawieh on daily basis ) but nothing was there on Reality “ only weekend “”March 2026
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Arais Net +1
“Arais (7/10): Decent, but lacked the crunch I was hoping for.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Arais (7/10): Decent, but lacked the crunch I was hoping for.”February 2025
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Breakfast set Net +1
“We ordered the breakfast set and it was very good”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered the breakfast set and it was very good”November 2025
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Daraj al yasmeen kabab Net +1
“Daraj Al Yasmeen Kabab (8/10): Nicely juicy and flavorful.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Daraj Al Yasmeen Kabab (8/10): Nicely juicy and flavorful.”February 2025
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Fatteh bilsamneh Net +1
“Fatteh Bilsamneh (9/10): Rich and satisfying — highly recommended.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Fatteh Bilsamneh (9/10): Rich and satisfying — highly recommended.”February 2025
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Kabab halabi Net +1
“Kabab Halabi (7.5/10): Good flavor but lacked the juiciness I expected.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Kabab Halabi (7.5/10): Good flavor but lacked the juiciness I expected.”February 2025
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Kibbeh Net +1
“Starting with appetizers the hummus, motabal, kibbeh , Sam is EK and livers were really good and recommended but the batata hara, was not eatable”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Starting with appetizers the hummus, motabal, kibbeh , Sam is EK and livers were really good and recommended but the batata hara, was not eatable”July 2023
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Lamb chops Net +1
“Lamb Chops (7.5/10): Delicious taste but disappointingly small in size.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Lamb Chops (7.5/10): Delicious taste but disappointingly small in size.”February 2025
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Mixed grill Net +1
“We went for the dj, I ordered a mixed grill (it went for 85) the meat was tender and has a god flavour form the coal.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We went for the dj, I ordered a mixed grill (it went for 85) the meat was tender and has a god flavour form the coal.”July 2026
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Mixed grill meat Net +1
“Generally an Arabic "Syrian" restaurant for Arabic food and shisha... They have a play area for kids, non-smoking area and a smoking area as well for shisha... Ambience is good they have a singer and band in weekends, we ordered grilled food and other western dishes in Syrian style which was very good, mixed grill meat quality was very good, western dishes was also very good... Portions was very good as well.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Generally an Arabic "Syrian" restaurant for Arabic food and shisha... They have a play area for kids, non-smoking area and a smoking area as well for shisha... Ambience is good they have a singer and band in weekends, we ordered grilled food and other western dishes in Syrian style which was very good, mixed grill meat quality was very good, western dishes was also very good... Portions was very good as well.”June 2019
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Motabal Net +1
“Starting with appetizers the hummus, motabal, kibbeh , Sam is EK and livers were really good and recommended but the batata hara, was not eatable”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Starting with appetizers the hummus, motabal, kibbeh , Sam is EK and livers were really good and recommended but the batata hara, was not eatable”July 2023
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Special sweet ice cream konafa Net +1
“We especially enjoyed the special sweet ice cream konafa”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We especially enjoyed the special sweet ice cream konafa”May 2018
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Suhoor buffet Net +1
“Moving on to the Suhoor buffet, it was a delightful culinary journey. The variety and quality of the dishes were impressive, making our meal truly enjoyable. Furthermore, the entertainment provided added an extra layer of enjoyment, enhancing the overall ambiance and making it a memorable experience.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Moving on to the Suhoor buffet, it was a delightful culinary journey. The variety and quality of the dishes were impressive, making our meal truly enjoyable. Furthermore, the entertainment provided added an extra layer of enjoyment, enhancing the overall ambiance and making it a memorable experience.”March 2024
What to Avoid (6)
Food 6
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Batata hara Net −1
“Starting with appetizers the hummus, motabal, kibbeh , Sam is EK and livers were really good and recommended but the batata hara, was not eatable”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Starting with appetizers the hummus, motabal, kibbeh , Sam is EK and livers were really good and recommended but the batata hara, was not eatable”July 2023
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Chicken with sauce Net −1
“The main dishes: the freekah had too much stones and in every bite and the meat had no real taste so wasn’t eaten , the chicken with sauce was below average and the shish taook was bit dry …. So over all main dishes is not their specialty”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The main dishes: the freekah had too much stones and in every bite and the meat had no real taste so wasn’t eaten , the chicken with sauce was below average and the shish taook was bit dry …. So over all main dishes is not their specialty”July 2023
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Cold omlette Net −1
“Awful Service, Terrible staff, for 18 guests with prior reservation for breakfast, nothing was prepared, we waited for 2 hours till they serve us, Not only tea served in these 2 hours. There were not any buffee or music as we expected, and they wanted to charge us 65 dirhams for tray of breakfast with cold omlette.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Awful Service, Terrible staff, for 18 guests with prior reservation for breakfast, nothing was prepared, we waited for 2 hours till they serve us, Not only tea served in these 2 hours. There were not any buffee or music as we expected, and they wanted to charge us 65 dirhams for tray of breakfast with cold omlette.”November 2025
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Freekah Net −1
“The main dishes: the freekah had too much stones and in every bite and the meat had no real taste so wasn’t eaten , the chicken with sauce was below average and the shish taook was bit dry …. So over all main dishes is not their specialty”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The main dishes: the freekah had too much stones and in every bite and the meat had no real taste so wasn’t eaten , the chicken with sauce was below average and the shish taook was bit dry …. So over all main dishes is not their specialty”July 2023
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Half a grilled chicken Net −1
“I ordered half a grilled chicken which arrived late and it was dry... Also missing the drumstick which was weird.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I ordered half a grilled chicken which arrived late and it was dry... Also missing the drumstick which was weird.”March 2024
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Shish taook Net −1
“The main dishes: the freekah had too much stones and in every bite and the meat had no real taste so wasn’t eaten , the chicken with sauce was below average and the shish taook was bit dry …. So over all main dishes is not their specialty”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The main dishes: the freekah had too much stones and in every bite and the meat had no real taste so wasn’t eaten , the chicken with sauce was below average and the shish taook was bit dry …. So over all main dishes is not their specialty”July 2023
Tips for a Better Visit
Book ahead. Reserve before visiting, particularly for evenings or weekends; one review specifically advises booking in advance.
Check buffet hours. Confirm the day’s buffet hours and dishes before going: a reviewer expected Arada and Melawieh daily but found them only on weekends.
Choose seating. Ask for the non-smoking section if smoke bothers you; reviews confirm that separate smoking and non-smoking areas are available.
Carry payment backup. Bring an alternative payment method or check card acceptance first, since one Visa card was refused because some banks were blocked.
Allow extra time. If you have a schedule to keep, avoid peak periods or confirm service timing first; one diner waited 50 minutes without food.
Check inclusions. For suhoor or buffet visits, ask whether tea and other extras are included; one guest was charged separately for tea.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Metha Plaza Building - 18th St
Oud Metha, Dubai
| Mon | 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Tue | 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Wed | 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Thu | 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Fri | 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Sat | 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Sun | 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
Common Concerns
Slow service
Service can break down badly: one visit reached 50 minutes without the food arriving, while another large breakfast booking waited two hours.
Loud music
The entertainment atmosphere can be too loud if you are mainly visiting for a quiet meal.
Heavy smoke
Smoke can be intense, especially around shisha seating, and ventilation was specifically flagged for improvement.
Inconsistent buffet
Buffet quality and replenishment have varied; one diner reported an undercooked dish and waited over an hour for desserts to be renewed.
Card restrictions
A customer reported that the payment machine would not accept their Visa card because some banks had been blocked.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
89 dirhams
Friday buffet
“The Friday buffet was for 89 dirhams and its also on the entertainer! Add 11 more dirhams and get a shisha”Google review · December 2018
65 dirhams
tray of breakfast
“There were not any buffee or music as we expected, and they wanted to charge us 65 dirhams for tray of breakfast with cold omlette”Google review · November 2025
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The Bottom Line
Daraj Al Yasmin in Oud Metha is a large Syrian and Arabic restaurant built around shared meals, family gatherings and lively evenings. You can order grilled dishes such as mixed grill, settle in for shisha, or visit during an open buffet. The venue also hosts weddings and other celebrations, with enough room for big groups.
Food feedback is strongest for traditional Syrian and Lebanese plates. Hummus, fresh bread, kebabs, grilled meat, salads and fatteh bilsamneh all receive specific praise, while buffet diners often mention broad choices and fresh flavours. The children’s play area and separate non-smoking section make it easier to plan a family visit, although the atmosphere can feel much more like a shisha cafe than a quiet restaurant.
Expect music and entertainment, sometimes loudly, and ask about seating if smoke is a concern. Booking ahead is sensible for busy evenings and weekends. Paid RTA parking is reported opposite the restaurant.
Buffet times and contents should be confirmed before you go: advertised daily items were reportedly available only on weekends, and tea was charged separately on one suhoor visit. Service is uneven. Some guests describe fast, attentive staff, but others waited 50 minutes or much longer for food.
Payment-card restrictions have also caused problems, so carrying a backup payment method is worthwhile.