Dosa favourite
Dosa is a standout order, with one regular calling it the best dosa in Dubai.
Indian Pavilion
Al Safa
Indian Pavilion is a long-running Indian restaurant in Al Safa, known in reviews for generous, reasonably priced breakfasts and strongly flavoured dishes. Dosa and chicken biryani are two of the clearest reasons diners return, while the calm setting suits a relaxed meal.
Reputation Score
4.2
★★★★☆
174 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Biryani flavour
The chicken biryani receives especially strong praise for its flavour.
Indian flavours
Several diners describe the food as authentic, fresh and well-balanced, rather than simply heavily spiced.
Calm setting
The ambience is described as calm and pleasant, giving the restaurant a relaxed feel for dining in.
Long-running favourite
Long-time customers report that the original restaurant has kept its quality over many years.
Friendly service
Reviews often mention welcoming, attentive staff who help with menu suggestions.
What to Eat at Indian Pavilion 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 Indian Pavilion, 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 Indian Pavilion got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 1
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Dosa Net +2
“Always amazing. Great food and great service. The best Dosa in Dubai!”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Always amazing. Great food and great service. The best Dosa in Dubai!”June 2025
“This is a surprisingly underrated Indian restaurant that offers very very good Indian food, particularly the dosa and the chana masala and the Aloo Gobi. Do not be put off by the fact that it's in a little spinny's shopping mall. It's really worth a visit if you're hungry”September 2024
Honorable mentions (13)
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Aloo gobi Net +1
“This is a surprisingly underrated Indian restaurant that offers very very good Indian food, particularly the dosa and the chana masala and the Aloo Gobi. Do not be put off by the fact that it's in a little spinny's shopping mall. It's really worth a visit if you're hungry”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“This is a surprisingly underrated Indian restaurant that offers very very good Indian food, particularly the dosa and the chana masala and the Aloo Gobi. Do not be put off by the fact that it's in a little spinny's shopping mall. It's really worth a visit if you're hungry”September 2024
-
Aloo parantha Net +1
“The price is a bit high but the food was amazing. The aloo parantha and masala chai was the best. It's a new gem that we have found...”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The price is a bit high but the food was amazing. The aloo parantha and masala chai was the best. It's a new gem that we have found...”October 2021
-
Chana masala Net +1
“This is a surprisingly underrated Indian restaurant that offers very very good Indian food, particularly the dosa and the chana masala and the Aloo Gobi. Do not be put off by the fact that it's in a little spinny's shopping mall. It's really worth a visit if you're hungry”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“This is a surprisingly underrated Indian restaurant that offers very very good Indian food, particularly the dosa and the chana masala and the Aloo Gobi. Do not be put off by the fact that it's in a little spinny's shopping mall. It's really worth a visit if you're hungry”September 2024
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Chas Net +1
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”May 2023
-
Chicken tikka masala Net +1
“We had the Chicken Tikka Masala and Prawn Tikka Masala and by far it was the best we have had in Dubai.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We had the Chicken Tikka Masala and Prawn Tikka Masala and by far it was the best we have had in Dubai.”March 2025
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Creamy butter chicken Net +1
“I absolutely love the food at Indian Pavilion! Whether it’s their creamy butter chicken, flavorful biryani, or fresh naan, everything is perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I absolutely love the food at Indian Pavilion! Whether it’s their creamy butter chicken, flavorful biryani, or fresh naan, everything is perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious!”May 2025
-
Karwari prawns Net +1
“The staff is always welcoming and helpful with suggesting what to eat. I enjoy eating there Papadum before eating the food we order. I ordered Murgh Omar Khayam Chicken it was delicious with Naan ! And definitely would suggest to order the Karwari Prawns 👌🏻”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The staff is always welcoming and helpful with suggesting what to eat. I enjoy eating there Papadum before eating the food we order. I ordered Murgh Omar Khayam Chicken it was delicious with Naan ! And definitely would suggest to order the Karwari Prawns 👌🏻”May 2025
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Masala dosa Net +1
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”May 2023
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Murgh omar khayam chicken Net +1
“The staff is always welcoming and helpful with suggesting what to eat. I enjoy eating there Papadum before eating the food we order. I ordered Murgh Omar Khayam Chicken it was delicious with Naan ! And definitely would suggest to order the Karwari Prawns 👌🏻”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The staff is always welcoming and helpful with suggesting what to eat. I enjoy eating there Papadum before eating the food we order. I ordered Murgh Omar Khayam Chicken it was delicious with Naan ! And definitely would suggest to order the Karwari Prawns 👌🏻”May 2025
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Naan Net +1
“I absolutely love the food at Indian Pavilion! Whether it’s their creamy butter chicken, flavorful biryani, or fresh naan, everything is perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I absolutely love the food at Indian Pavilion! Whether it’s their creamy butter chicken, flavorful biryani, or fresh naan, everything is perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious!”May 2025
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Papadum Net +1
“The staff is always welcoming and helpful with suggesting what to eat. I enjoy eating there Papadum before eating the food we order. I ordered Murgh Omar Khayam Chicken it was delicious with Naan ! And definitely would suggest to order the Karwari Prawns 👌🏻”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The staff is always welcoming and helpful with suggesting what to eat. I enjoy eating there Papadum before eating the food we order. I ordered Murgh Omar Khayam Chicken it was delicious with Naan ! And definitely would suggest to order the Karwari Prawns 👌🏻”May 2025
-
Pineapple shots Net +1
“The staff member provided complimentary pineapple shots which was very good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The staff member provided complimentary pineapple shots which was very good.”July 2021
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Prawn tikka masala Net +1
“We had the Chicken Tikka Masala and Prawn Tikka Masala and by far it was the best we have had in Dubai.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We had the Chicken Tikka Masala and Prawn Tikka Masala and by far it was the best we have had in Dubai.”March 2025
Drinks 1
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Masala chai Net +1
“The price is a bit high but the food was amazing. The aloo parantha and masala chai was the best. It's a new gem that we have found...”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The price is a bit high but the food was amazing. The aloo parantha and masala chai was the best. It's a new gem that we have found...”October 2021
What to Avoid (11)
Food 10
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Aam ka panna Net −1
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”May 2023
-
Aloo tikki Net −1
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”May 2023
-
Garlic naan Net −1
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”May 2023
-
Goan prawn curry Net −1
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”May 2023
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Lemon mint Net −1
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”May 2023
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Mlai kofta Net −1
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”May 2023
-
Paneer tikka Net −1
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”May 2023
-
Spicy chicken bijlee Net −1
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”May 2023
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Vada pav Net −1
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”May 2023
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Veg thali Net −1
“2. The non veg and veg thali was available, but nonveg thali was same like veg thali and cant find anything non veggie in that thali accept on small chicken item and looks same like veg thali.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“2. The non veg and veg thali was available, but nonveg thali was same like veg thali and cant find anything non veggie in that thali accept on small chicken item and looks same like veg thali.”February 2020
Drinks 1
-
Lassi Net −1
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We were 9 people and we tried almost everything but nothing apart from the dosa and Chas was good. Our order was Masala dosa Vada pav Goan prawn curry Spicy chicken bijlee Aloo tikki Paneer tikka Mlai kofta Rice Garlic naan Lassi Lemon mint Aam ka panna Chas”May 2023
Tips for a Better Visit
Order dosa. If it is your first visit, dosa is the safest starting point: it is repeatedly praised and called the best in Dubai.
Try biryani. Chicken biryani is another well-supported pick, praised for its strong flavour and rated 10/10 by one diner.
Ask suggestions. Ask the staff for menu guidance if you are unfamiliar with the dishes; diners specifically appreciated their recommendations.
Expect mall ambience. Come for the food rather than a standalone restaurant atmosphere: it is located inside a mall.
Allow time. For delivery, leave extra time and confirm the payment arrangement, as one nearby order was delayed more than an hour.
Check portions. If ordering chicken or prawn biryani, check portion expectations first because one review found both protein portions small.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Umm Al Sheif Rd
Al Safa 2 - Al Safa, Dubai
| Mon | 8:00 AM – 9:30 PM |
| Tue | 8:00 AM – 9:30 PM |
| Wed | 8:00 AM – 9:30 PM |
| Thu | 8:00 AM – 9:30 PM |
| Fri | 8:00 AM – 9:30 PM |
| Sat | 8:00 AM – 9:30 PM |
| Sun | 8:00 AM – 9:30 PM |
Common Concerns
Delivery delays
One delivery order took over an hour and ten minutes, followed by unclear updates and a call being disconnected.
Price concerns
Multiple diners consider the restaurant expensive, with some feeling the portions do not match the prices.
Small portions
A review specifically found the chicken and prawns in a prawn biryani portion too small.
Uneven food
Although many reviews are positive, some diners found the food below average and not worth the money.
Plain decor
The decoration has been criticised as unattractive, and the mall setting can limit the atmosphere.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Indian Pavilion is a long-established Indian restaurant in Al Safa with a loyal following, including customers who say they have been returning for 10 to 25 years. You can come for breakfast, dosa, chicken biryani, chicken tikka masala or classic breads such as naan. The strongest dish-specific praise goes to the dosa and biryani, while chana masala, Aloo Gobi, butter chicken and prawn dishes also appear in recommendations.
The dining experience sounds pleasantly calm, with polite staff and a clean environment mentioned in several reviews. It is inside a mall, though, so expectations should be closer to a convenient local restaurant than a destination dining room; one reviewer felt the decoration needed an update. Staff are often described as welcoming and helpful with menu suggestions, which is useful if you are choosing beyond the familiar dishes.
Pricing is the main caution. Some customers call it reasonable and good value, but others find it expensive for the quantity, specifically mentioning small chicken and prawn portions. Food feedback is also mixed: many describe authentic, well-balanced cooking, while a few recent reviews report disappointing meals.
Dining in appears safer than relying on delivery, as one order took over an hour and ten minutes and communication broke down.