Open-air shisha
The outdoor seating is repeatedly praised as a relaxing open-air spot for shisha.
Elements Cafe
Umm Hurair
Elements Cafe is an international and Arabic restaurant in Umm Hurair, with indoor and outdoor seating for meals, coffee and shisha. Reviews make it especially appealing for a relaxed terrace visit, with mixed grill, shawarma and other Arabic favourites alongside pasta and burgers.
Reputation Score
4.4
★★★★☆
388 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Fresh food
Several reviews describe the food as freshly prepared, well presented and generous in portion.
Mixed grill
The mixed grill is a reliable choice, with one visitor calling it among the best they had tried.
Family friendly
One family review specifically noted that the staff were attentive and welcoming toward children.
Flexible seating
There is a quieter indoor cafe area as well as an outdoor shisha lounge with corners offering more privacy.
What to Eat at Elements 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 Elements Cafe, 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 Elements Cafe, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.
Food 3
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Chicken kiev Net +2
“I liked the chicken Kiev, but my husband thought it was a little dry. 8/10”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I liked the chicken Kiev, but my husband thought it was a little dry. 8/10”August 2022
“We thoroughly enjoyed the mixes grill platter and the chicken Kiev, the Element house salad was over flattering and Devine.”July 2022
-
Humus Net +2
“The hummus was outstanding.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The hummus was outstanding.”August 2021
“I tried chicken shawarma for the first time - yummmm and the humus was so smooth and creamy.”September 2024
-
Kunafa Net +2
“It was a good day at elements cafe, very beautiful interior and ambiance, staffs were veey good and really yummy food especially the kunafa😍”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“It was a good day at elements cafe, very beautiful interior and ambiance, staffs were veey good and really yummy food especially the kunafa😍”October 2022
“Had an amazing time. Loved outdoor shisha ambiance. Try out kebab grill and kunafa for sure.”September 2022
Honorable mentions (21)
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Chicken alakiew Net +1
“All the food is great..do try their chicken alakiew and their fajita”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“All the food is great..do try their chicken alakiew and their fajita”October 2022
-
Chicken fajita Net +1
“The chicken fajita was the best highly recommend that.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The chicken fajita was the best highly recommend that.”August 2022
-
Chicken shawarma Net +1
“I tried chicken shawarma for the first time - yummmm and the humus was so smooth and creamy.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I tried chicken shawarma for the first time - yummmm and the humus was so smooth and creamy.”September 2024
-
Dynamite shrimp Net +1
“🥰 their shakshouka is the best 😍 along with my fave dynamite shrimp 🍤 love it!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“🥰 their shakshouka is the best 😍 along with my fave dynamite shrimp 🍤 love it!”June 2022
-
Element house salad Net +1
“We thoroughly enjoyed the mixes grill platter and the chicken Kiev, the Element house salad was over flattering and Devine.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We thoroughly enjoyed the mixes grill platter and the chicken Kiev, the Element house salad was over flattering and Devine.”July 2022
-
Fajita Net +1
“All the food is great..do try their chicken alakiew and their fajita”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“All the food is great..do try their chicken alakiew and their fajita”October 2022
-
Iftar buffet Net +1
“Excellent Iftar Buffet.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Excellent Iftar Buffet.”April 2022
-
Kabab Net +1
“The kabab was better though - good consistency and was complimented well by the tomato sauce.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The kabab was better though - good consistency and was complimented well by the tomato sauce.”March 2024
-
Kebab grill Net +1
“Had an amazing time. Loved outdoor shisha ambiance. Try out kebab grill and kunafa for sure.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Had an amazing time. Loved outdoor shisha ambiance. Try out kebab grill and kunafa for sure.”September 2022
-
Kofta with tahini Net +1
“Everything was outstanding. The ambience, food, service everything was amazing. My fav was kofta with tahini . Must try!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Everything was outstanding. The ambience, food, service everything was amazing. My fav was kofta with tahini . Must try!”October 2022
-
Lentil soup Net +1
“Our lentil soup was a beautiful texture and great taste, generous portion.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Our lentil soup was a beautiful texture and great taste, generous portion.”September 2025
-
Mixed grill Net +1
“The order was beautifully presented and the food was very delicious. I recommend trying the salmon, Mixed grill, and burgers.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The order was beautifully presented and the food was very delicious. I recommend trying the salmon, Mixed grill, and burgers.”January 2026
-
Mixed grilled dishes Net +1
“One of best mixed grilled dishes that I tried here. Not salty and burning. I really like the food quality and taste.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“One of best mixed grilled dishes that I tried here. Not salty and burning. I really like the food quality and taste.”July 2022
-
Mixes grill platter Net +1
“We thoroughly enjoyed the mixes grill platter and the chicken Kiev, the Element house salad was over flattering and Devine.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We thoroughly enjoyed the mixes grill platter and the chicken Kiev, the Element house salad was over flattering and Devine.”July 2022
-
Mushroom soup Net +1
“More of arabic dishes, and food is very yummy, especially their mushroom soup.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“More of arabic dishes, and food is very yummy, especially their mushroom soup.”November 2022
-
Onion soup Net +1
“We ordered onion soup, which was excellent. 10/10.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered onion soup, which was excellent. 10/10.”August 2022
-
Salmon Net +1
“The order was beautifully presented and the food was very delicious. I recommend trying the salmon, Mixed grill, and burgers.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The order was beautifully presented and the food was very delicious. I recommend trying the salmon, Mixed grill, and burgers.”January 2026
-
Shawarma Net +1
“Delicious flavours of the shawarma.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Delicious flavours of the shawarma.”September 2025
-
Snickers cheescake Net +1
“We ordered snickers cheescake, red valvet molten and pistachio molten. But nothing is molten and not taste good at all but the snickers is the best from the three kind of cakes.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered snickers cheescake, red valvet molten and pistachio molten. But nothing is molten and not taste good at all but the snickers is the best from the three kind of cakes.”July 2021
-
Watermelon Net +1
“Samir was very responsive when we had a few dietary and menu requests and even brought fresh and sweet watermelon as a nice treat.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Samir was very responsive when we had a few dietary and menu requests and even brought fresh and sweet watermelon as a nice treat.”September 2024
-
Shakshouka Net 0
Mixed feedback
“🥰 their shakshouka is the best 😍 along with my fave dynamite shrimp 🍤 love it!”
Positive 1Negative 1
Review excerpts
“🥰 their shakshouka is the best 😍 along with my fave dynamite shrimp 🍤 love it!”June 2022
Drinks 1
-
Turkish coffee Net +1
“Turkish coffee is delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Turkish coffee is delicious.”July 2021
What to Avoid (3)
Food 3
-
Calamari Net −1
“Calamari was dry'sh 3/10.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Calamari was dry'sh 3/10.”August 2022
-
Pistachio molten Net −1
“We ordered snickers cheescake, red valvet molten and pistachio molten. But nothing is molten and not taste good at all but the snickers is the best from the three kind of cakes.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We ordered snickers cheescake, red valvet molten and pistachio molten. But nothing is molten and not taste good at all but the snickers is the best from the three kind of cakes.”July 2021
-
Red valvet molten Net −1
“We ordered snickers cheescake, red valvet molten and pistachio molten. But nothing is molten and not taste good at all but the snickers is the best from the three kind of cakes.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We ordered snickers cheescake, red valvet molten and pistachio molten. But nothing is molten and not taste good at all but the snickers is the best from the three kind of cakes.”July 2021
Tips for a Better Visit
Choose your area. Pick the terrace for shisha and the indoor section if you prefer a quieter cafe setting.
Check dietary details. If dairy or other ingredients matter, confirm them carefully when ordering rather than relying on a quick explanation.
Try the grill. For a first meal, the mixed grill or kebab platter is a safer starting point than the less consistent dishes.
Ask about offers. Ask whether current shisha promotions are running; a past review mentioned ladies' buy-one-get-one nights.
Try Thursday. If entertainment appeals, check whether the Thursday karaoke night is still scheduled before visiting.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Wafi City - Oud Metha Rd
Umm Hurair Second, 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
Uneven shakshouka
One breakfast review found the shakshouka lacking in flavour, although the kabab was better received.
Communication
A reviewer found it difficult to confirm whether dishes contained dairy because of communication problems.
Slow check
One visit ended with the customer having to leave the table to request the bill after staff were absent for a while.
Hot drinks
A review liked the food but felt the hot-beverage portions should be larger.
Some noise
The cafe can feel noisy when busy, according to one review.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Elements Cafe is a relaxed restaurant in Umm Hurair, inside Wafi Mall, where you can come for Arabic food, European-style cafe dishes, coffee or shisha. The strongest reasons to consider it are the open-air terrace and a menu that gives groups plenty of room to choose: reviews specifically mention mixed grill, chicken shawarma, shakshouka and kunafa. The mixed grill and kebab platters receive especially dependable praise, while shawarma, hummus and kunafa also stand out in individual visits.
The menu is broader than a purely Arabic restaurant, with pasta, burgers, salads and milkshakes appearing in recent orders. Families are catered for too, and one review found the staff particularly welcoming with children. Atmosphere is a major part of the appeal.
The indoor section has been described as cozy and quiet, while the terrace works as a shisha lounge, with different seating layouts and some more private corners. It can become noisy, though, and one visit involved having to ask for the bill after staff were absent for a while. If you have dietary questions, confirm ingredients carefully: one reviewer struggled to establish whether dishes contained dairy.
It is also worth checking current shisha or karaoke offers, since older reviews mention ladies' promotions and Thursday karaoke.