Lake Views
The lake outlook, especially around sunset, is a major draw and gives meals a calm backdrop.
Estabena Cafe & Restaurant
Barsha Heights
Estabena Cafe & Restaurant serves Middle Eastern cuisine in a relaxed café setting, with lake views that suit a leisurely meal. Reviews particularly highlight its breakfast spread and dishes such as the Estabena salad and crispy chicken sliders, while families can use the nearby kids’ play area.
Reputation Score
4.6
★★★★★
1,137 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Family Friendly
A kids’ play area next to the restaurant lets parents enjoy lunch or shisha while children play.
Breakfast
Breakfast receives strong feedback, including a generous spread, good coffee and tasty shakshuka.
Middle Eastern Food
Reviews praise the Lebanese and Middle Eastern cooking, with well-presented dishes and fresh zaatar served with bread.
Shisha Space
There is a separate smoking room, and customers also describe indoor and outdoor shisha seating.
Event Catering
One event review praised the buffet, saying every dish was cooked to perfection and guests enjoyed the venue.
Parking
One recent visitor found parking easy, while another described it as free; availability may vary at busy times.
What to Eat at Estabena Cafe & 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 Estabena Cafe & Restaurant, 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.
Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of Estabena Cafe & 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 10
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Arabic grill Net +1
“We ordered Arabic Grill and a Sushi Platter and both were delicious. The sushi was exceptional, bursting with fresh flavors. The Arabic grill was served hot, showcasing perfect grilling skills.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered Arabic Grill and a Sushi Platter and both were delicious. The sushi was exceptional, bursting with fresh flavors. The Arabic grill was served hot, showcasing perfect grilling skills.”January 2024
-
Avo toasts Net +1
“Great ambiance, good coffee, generous portions, reasonable prices. Vibe is great and music is awesome to chill. Will come again, pleasantly surprised, shakshouka is tasty, avo toasts are massive. Arif and his team are great!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Great ambiance, good coffee, generous portions, reasonable prices. Vibe is great and music is awesome to chill. Will come again, pleasantly surprised, shakshouka is tasty, avo toasts are massive. Arif and his team are great!”October 2022
-
Beetroot hummus Net +1
“Must have items:- Guava and, goat cheese salad Beetroot hummus Every item on the, menu is, well presented and sumptuous..”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Must have items:- Guava and, goat cheese salad Beetroot hummus Every item on the, menu is, well presented and sumptuous..”May 2024
-
Beetroot salad Net +1
“The service was good, and the beetroot salad was tasty. However, the starters (halloumi rolls and falafel) were overly oily, making it hard to finish the plate. For the main course, we had the mixed grill but unfortunately lahm bajin and kabab were also too greasy. View was lovely, but with a football game being broadcast at a high volume, which took also from our experience”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The service was good, and the beetroot salad was tasty. However, the starters (halloumi rolls and falafel) were overly oily, making it hard to finish the plate. For the main course, we had the mixed grill but unfortunately lahm bajin and kabab were also too greasy. View was lovely, but with a football game being broadcast at a high volume, which took also from our experience”December 2024
-
Chicken roll deluxe Net +1
“There is a wide variety of food and the taste is perfect. You should try Estabena salad and chicken roll deluxe is unique.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“There is a wide variety of food and the taste is perfect. You should try Estabena salad and chicken roll deluxe is unique.”July 2025
-
Crispy chicken sliders Net +1
“It was worth taking a 30 mins drive to go there. We went a second time too just to try their amazing crispy chicken sliders. Wonderful ambiance. Wish it ws closer to home so we could visit regularly.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“It was worth taking a 30 mins drive to go there. We went a second time too just to try their amazing crispy chicken sliders. Wonderful ambiance. Wish it ws closer to home so we could visit regularly.”May 2024
-
Desk fruit platter Net +1
“We had the full grill chicken, and the goat cheese salad, for dessert we had a desk fruit platter with arabic sweets - I highly recommend it all 😅”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We had the full grill chicken, and the goat cheese salad, for dessert we had a desk fruit platter with arabic sweets - I highly recommend it all 😅”August 2025
-
Estabena breakfast platter Net +1
“The meal was delicious,i took Estabena breakfast platter, the portions were generous, and the price was reasonable, the only thing there was a misunderstanding, the waiter added extra foul tahini to my order. Nice ambiance and good service”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The meal was delicious,i took Estabena breakfast platter, the portions were generous, and the price was reasonable, the only thing there was a misunderstanding, the waiter added extra foul tahini to my order. Nice ambiance and good service”June 2024
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Estabena salad Net +1
“There is a wide variety of food and the taste is perfect. You should try Estabena salad and chicken roll deluxe is unique.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“There is a wide variety of food and the taste is perfect. You should try Estabena salad and chicken roll deluxe is unique.”July 2025
-
Full grill chicken Net +1
“We had the full grill chicken, and the goat cheese salad, for dessert we had a desk fruit platter with arabic sweets - I highly recommend it all 😅”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We had the full grill chicken, and the goat cheese salad, for dessert we had a desk fruit platter with arabic sweets - I highly recommend it all 😅”August 2025
Honorable mentions (7)
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Manakeesh Net +1
“The breakfast takes 40 minutes to be served. The egg omelet was burned. Manakeesh was good. I enjoyed the view only. Not recommend the food”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The breakfast takes 40 minutes to be served. The egg omelet was burned. Manakeesh was good. I enjoyed the view only. Not recommend the food”February 2025
-
Quinoa salad Net +1
“All the food tasted great, but I have to highlight the quinoa salad and mojito because it’s one of the best I’ve tried. I absolutely love it!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“All the food tasted great, but I have to highlight the quinoa salad and mojito because it’s one of the best I’ve tried. I absolutely love it!”March 2024
-
Shakshuka Net +1
“Great ambiance, good coffee, generous portions, reasonable prices. Vibe is great and music is awesome to chill. Will come again, pleasantly surprised, shakshouka is tasty, avo toasts are massive. Arif and his team are great!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Great ambiance, good coffee, generous portions, reasonable prices. Vibe is great and music is awesome to chill. Will come again, pleasantly surprised, shakshouka is tasty, avo toasts are massive. Arif and his team are great!”October 2022
-
Shishtawook sandwich Net +1
“The shishtawook sandwich was good. More chicken would’ve been nice, but it was still a good meal.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The shishtawook sandwich was good. More chicken would’ve been nice, but it was still a good meal.”January 2025
-
Sushi platter Net +1
“We ordered Arabic Grill and a Sushi Platter and both were delicious. The sushi was exceptional, bursting with fresh flavors. The Arabic grill was served hot, showcasing perfect grilling skills.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered Arabic Grill and a Sushi Platter and both were delicious. The sushi was exceptional, bursting with fresh flavors. The Arabic grill was served hot, showcasing perfect grilling skills.”January 2024
-
Falafel Net 0
Mixed feedback
“Falafel was good. The filling was very pale/white, which is unusual. But it was pretty good.”
Positive 1Negative 1
Review excerpts
“Falafel was good. The filling was very pale/white, which is unusual. But it was pretty good.”January 2025
-
Mixed grill Net 0
Mixed feedback
“The mixed grill was scrumptious along with the starters and desserts.”
Positive 1Negative 1
Review excerpts
“The mixed grill was scrumptious along with the starters and desserts.”May 2023
Drinks 2
-
Coffee Net +2
“Wonderful breakfast spread with stunning views. Great coffee. A special shoutout for our server Hassan, he was most helpful and efficient.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Wonderful breakfast spread with stunning views. Great coffee. A special shoutout for our server Hassan, he was most helpful and efficient.”January 2026
“Great ambiance, good coffee, generous portions, reasonable prices. Vibe is great and music is awesome to chill. Will come again, pleasantly surprised, shakshouka is tasty, avo toasts are massive. Arif and his team are great!”October 2022
-
Mojito Net +1
“All the food tasted great, but I have to highlight the quinoa salad and mojito because it’s one of the best I’ve tried. I absolutely love it!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“All the food tasted great, but I have to highlight the quinoa salad and mojito because it’s one of the best I’ve tried. I absolutely love it!”March 2024
What to Avoid (9)
Food 8
-
Egg omelet Net −1
“The breakfast takes 40 minutes to be served. The egg omelet was burned. Manakeesh was good. I enjoyed the view only. Not recommend the food”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The breakfast takes 40 minutes to be served. The egg omelet was burned. Manakeesh was good. I enjoyed the view only. Not recommend the food”February 2025
-
Halloumi rolls Net −1
“The service was good, and the beetroot salad was tasty. However, the starters (halloumi rolls and falafel) were overly oily, making it hard to finish the plate. For the main course, we had the mixed grill but unfortunately lahm bajin and kabab were also too greasy. View was lovely, but with a football game being broadcast at a high volume, which took also from our experience”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The service was good, and the beetroot salad was tasty. However, the starters (halloumi rolls and falafel) were overly oily, making it hard to finish the plate. For the main course, we had the mixed grill but unfortunately lahm bajin and kabab were also too greasy. View was lovely, but with a football game being broadcast at a high volume, which took also from our experience”December 2024
-
Iftar Net −1
“Cane here for the Iftar on the first day of Ramadan, drinks were abnormally sweet; some foods were either tastless or super salty. And then apparently they offer only one bottle of water for a table of 4 grownups that are fasting, and if you ask for any additional water, they wouldn’t mention that it’s not under the offer ! Don’t come it’s not worth it ! الاداره سيئه .. السيد حسين المدير بين انه مش مهم ازا منحط ريفيوي مش كويس على المطعم.. بس لانه أصر انو يضيف سعر المي .. بالرغم انه مش من المعقول انو يوكون على الطاوله من ٤ شباب .. قنينة مي واحد .. و الأكل مش طيب ..”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Cane here for the Iftar on the first day of Ramadan, drinks were abnormally sweet; some foods were either tastless or super salty. And then apparently they offer only one bottle of water for a table of 4 grownups that are fasting, and if you ask for any additional water, they wouldn’t mention that it’s not under the offer ! Don’t come it’s not worth it ! الاداره سيئه .. السيد حسين المدير بين انه مش مهم ازا منحط ريفيوي مش كويس على المطعم.. بس لانه أصر انو يضيف سعر المي .. بالرغم انه مش من المعقول انو يوكون على الطاوله من ٤ شباب .. قنينة مي واحد .. و الأكل مش طيب ..”February 2026
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Kabab Net −1
“The service was good, and the beetroot salad was tasty. However, the starters (halloumi rolls and falafel) were overly oily, making it hard to finish the plate. For the main course, we had the mixed grill but unfortunately lahm bajin and kabab were also too greasy. View was lovely, but with a football game being broadcast at a high volume, which took also from our experience”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The service was good, and the beetroot salad was tasty. However, the starters (halloumi rolls and falafel) were overly oily, making it hard to finish the plate. For the main course, we had the mixed grill but unfortunately lahm bajin and kabab were also too greasy. View was lovely, but with a football game being broadcast at a high volume, which took also from our experience”December 2024
-
Lahm bajin Net −1
“The service was good, and the beetroot salad was tasty. However, the starters (halloumi rolls and falafel) were overly oily, making it hard to finish the plate. For the main course, we had the mixed grill but unfortunately lahm bajin and kabab were also too greasy. View was lovely, but with a football game being broadcast at a high volume, which took also from our experience”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The service was good, and the beetroot salad was tasty. However, the starters (halloumi rolls and falafel) were overly oily, making it hard to finish the plate. For the main course, we had the mixed grill but unfortunately lahm bajin and kabab were also too greasy. View was lovely, but with a football game being broadcast at a high volume, which took also from our experience”December 2024
-
Pizza Net −1
“I ordered a pizza and didn’t really like it.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I ordered a pizza and didn’t really like it.”April 2026
-
Signature salad Net −1
“The signature salad used to be hearty but now it’s just ok.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The signature salad used to be hearty but now it’s just ok.”January 2026
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Vine leaves Net −1
“As for the food, we stand by our feedback. Several dishes were excessively salty — particularly the vine leaves — while others lacked flavor. Additionally, none of the dishes were labeled, which is a serious concern for guests with allergies and dietary restrictions.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“As for the food, we stand by our feedback. Several dishes were excessively salty — particularly the vine leaves — while others lacked flavor. Additionally, none of the dishes were labeled, which is a serious concern for guests with allergies and dietary restrictions.”February 2026
Drinks 1
-
Mango juice Net −1
“Very Slow Service , Shisha is really bad , mango juice is horrible honestly although the waiter said it’s very tasty and freshly made but it was horrible. Had few ants on my table. And another table had cockroach it seems they haven’t done Pest Control”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Very Slow Service , Shisha is really bad , mango juice is horrible honestly although the waiter said it’s very tasty and freshly made but it was horrible. Had few ants on my table. And another table had cockroach it seems they haven’t done Pest Control”April 2026
Tips for a Better Visit
Check Water. Before ordering Iftar, ask how much water is included and what extra bottles cost; guests reported one bottle for four people.
Visit Off-Peak. Allow extra time when the restaurant is busy, or visit outside peak periods; a full venue was linked to slow service.
Confirm Rules. If you want the smoking area, confirm the current age rule when booking because one guest was refused entry at age 20.
Check Prices. Ask for the current coffee price before ordering: one guest reported AED 36 for an iced Americano versus AED 26 hot.
Dress Warmly. On cooler or rainy days, ask staff to close the terrace door if needed; one table repeatedly felt cold.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Estabena Cafe & Restaurant • The Meadows Village Mall - 1st Rd
Al Thanyah Fourth, Dubai
| Mon | 9:30 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Tue | 9:30 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Wed | 9:30 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Thu | 9:30 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Fri | 9:30 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Sat | 9:30 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Sun | 9:30 AM – 2:00 AM |
Common Concerns
Uneven Service
Service ranges from attentive and friendly to unfriendly or dismissive, with repeated reports of slow responses.
Slow Orders
Several reviews mention delays, including a 40-minute breakfast wait and late food during another visit.
Food Consistency
Food quality is mixed: one review found the pizza disappointing, while another reported salty or tasteless Iftar dishes.
Extra Charges
Customers were unhappy about water being charged during Iftar and about unclear communication over the bill.
Pest Complaint
One review reported ants on a table and a cockroach at another table, alongside concerns about pest control.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
AED 36
iced americano
“I was really shocked about the price for the iced americano AED 36 - versus a hot Americano at 26 AED”Google review · April 2026
26 AED
hot Americano
“I was really shocked about the price for the iced americano AED 36 - versus a hot Americano at 26 AED”Google review · April 2026
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Estabena is a Middle Eastern café and restaurant built around relaxed meals, lake views and a sociable atmosphere. Breakfast is one of its strongest themes: reviews mention a generous breakfast spread, good coffee, shakshuka and small sharing dishes. For lunch or dinner, customers call out the Estabena salad, goat cheese salad, beetroot hummus, mixed grill and crispy chicken sliders.
Shisha is available, with a separate smoking room, and a nearby kids’ play area makes the setting more workable for families. The atmosphere is consistently described as calm, cozy and welcoming, especially outdoors around the lake and at sunset. Some visitors also like the free parking and football screenings.
Event groups have praised the venue and a buffet prepared for a private gathering. Service is the main variable. Some visits bring attentive staff and quick help, but others report long waits for water, bills or breakfast, including a 40-minute wait.
Food feedback is similarly mixed: alongside praise for Lebanese cooking, reviews mention a burned omelet, greasy starters, a disappointing pizza and uneven Iftar seasoning. During Iftar, clarify water inclusions and charges before settling in. Also check smoking-area age rules and coffee prices in advance.