Mahfel Restaurant & Cafe

Name: Mahfel Restaurant & Cafe
Address: 177 Hessa St, Al Barsha, Dubai, AE
Telephone: +97142948878

Al Barsha

Restaurant Open now 04 294 8878

Mahfel Restaurant & Cafe in Al Barsha serves Iranian and Arabic food in a spacious, two-floor setting with shisha. Reviews point to generous Persian mix grills and kebabs, plus separate non-smoking seating and big screens for watching matches.

Reputation Score

4.6

★★★★★

376 ratings

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The Good Stuff

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Persian grills

Persian mix grills, koobideh and lamb chops are repeatedly praised for flavour, tenderness and generous portions.

Large portions

Several diners describe the platters as huge or generous, making them practical for sharing or hearty meals.

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What to Eat at Mahfel Restaurant & Cafe

These items at Mahfel Restaurant & Cafe got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!

Food 6

Fattoush Net +4

“I tried The Mix Grill, Hot Meze Plate, Hummus with Meat, Shawarma and Fattoush and everything were flavorful.”
Beef hummus Net +2

“The beef hummus, seekh platter, and pizza were delicious.”
Hummus Net +2

“Poo’s recommendation : Persian mixed grill, Hummus + Blubbery 🫐 mint shisha Highly highly recommend this place. From the minute we walked in the customer service was incredible. The food is AMAZING.”
Koobideh kebab Net +2

“Food is great - specially biryeni esfahan top quality Koobideh is great”
Lamb chops Net +2

“Amazing place, a hidden gem of dubai for sure, food quality is great, service is amazing, presentation is 10/10, the lamb chops were perfect. We will be back for sure”
Persian mixed grill Net +2

“Food was excellent really really good specially the Persian mix grill !”

Honorable mentions (43)

Arabic barbecue platter Net +1

“Our mains were Arabic Barbecue platter and mutton chops, the barbecue was made to perfection, perfect blend of spice and melt in the mouth kind of texture. Mutton chops were the show stopper.”
Arabic mix grill Net +1

“We ordered Arabic mix grill, beef hummus, chicken shawarma, arayes, chicken joujeh and absolutely loved everything we ate.”
Arabic platter Net +1

“They have some good Persian foods as well as Arabic foods available, we tried 3 of their Persian Kababs with rice and an Arabic Platter. The appropriate are huge for the price given.”
Arabic salad Net +1

“The authentic Persian and Iranian food is so delicious, from arabic salad and pasta to mix grill and ribs with sofron rice.”
Arayes Net +1

“We ordered Arabic mix grill, beef hummus, chicken shawarma, arayes, chicken joujeh and absolutely loved everything we ate.”
Bbq plate Net +1

“We order bbq plate , shabze , shish lek , fatoosh , sweet , all are testy I sure we will come back ,”
Biryeni esfahan Net +1

“Food is great - specially biryeni esfahan top quality Koobideh is great”
Cesar salad Net +1

“food Quality was amazing kebab if you are a big fan for the meet 💕 as well for my sensitive stomach i ordered yoghurt salad and Cesar salad 😋😋”
Cheese manekeesh Net +1

“The cheese manekeesh was one of the best I have tried in dxb.”
Chicken joujeh Net +1

“We ordered Arabic mix grill, beef hummus, chicken shawarma, arayes, chicken joujeh and absolutely loved everything we ate.”
Chicken shawarma Net +1

“We ordered Arabic mix grill, beef hummus, chicken shawarma, arayes, chicken joujeh and absolutely loved everything we ate.”
Chicken shish tawooq Net +1

“I discovered this hidden gem which offers delicious Iranian & Middle eastern cuisines. I tried the Lamb chops with saffron rice, Chicken shish tawooq, Hummus & Fattoush. The food & the ambience of the restaurant is very nice.”
Chops Net +1

“Our highlights were the mix Persian platter, chops, Fattoush salad, Homous with meat, and shawarma manakish . Each dish bursting with flavor.”
Chulu kebab Net +1

“I particularly enjoyed the Mixed Grill platter, and the Iranian dishes like Chulu Kebab and Joojeh Masti were outstanding.”
Fresh lemon mint mojitos Net +1

“Accompanying our meal with fresh lemon mint mojitos added the perfect refreshing touch.”
Homous with meat Net +1

“Our highlights were the mix Persian platter, chops, Fattoush salad, Homous with meat, and shawarma manakish . Each dish bursting with flavor.”
Hot and cold mezza platter Net +1

“For starters we order Hot and Cold Mezza Platter and every single item was scrumptious, the best Kibbeh and warq Enab in town.”
Hot meze plate Net +1

“I tried The Mix Grill, Hot Meze Plate, Hummus with Meat, Shawarma and Fattoush and everything were flavorful.”
Hummus with meat Net +1

“I tried The Mix Grill, Hot Meze Plate, Hummus with Meat, Shawarma and Fattoush and everything were flavorful.”
Joojeh masti Net +1

“I particularly enjoyed the Mixed Grill platter, and the Iranian dishes like Chulu Kebab and Joojeh Masti were outstanding.”
Kibba Net +1

“The food menu is wide, and the lamb chops are just amazing so as the kibba.”
Kibbeh Net +1

“For starters we order Hot and Cold Mezza Platter and every single item was scrumptious, the best Kibbeh and warq Enab in town.”
Kofte plate Net +1

“Had Kofte plate. Incredible taste. Huge plate and amazing bread . Nice Salad and soup. Very rich plate and perfect meal with optimum price.”
Lamb chops with saffron rice Net +1

“I discovered this hidden gem which offers delicious Iranian & Middle eastern cuisines. I tried the Lamb chops with saffron rice, Chicken shish tawooq, Hummus & Fattoush. The food & the ambience of the restaurant is very nice.”
Lentil soup Net +1

“Also we got complementary lentil soup, it was so nice.”
Mix grill Net +1

“The authentic Persian and Iranian food is so delicious, from arabic salad and pasta to mix grill and ribs with sofron rice.”
Mix grill kebab Net +1

“You can also watch your favorite football game while enjoying their best mix grill kebab!”
Mix persian platter Net +1

“Our highlights were the mix Persian platter, chops, Fattoush salad, Homous with meat, and shawarma manakish . Each dish bursting with flavor.”
Mixed grill platter Net +1

“I particularly enjoyed the Mixed Grill platter, and the Iranian dishes like Chulu Kebab and Joojeh Masti were outstanding.”
Mutton chops Net +1

“Our mains were Arabic Barbecue platter and mutton chops, the barbecue was made to perfection, perfect blend of spice and melt in the mouth kind of texture. Mutton chops were the show stopper.”
Persian kabob platter Net +1

“I am a big fan of persian cuisine and went for the persian kabob platter which had a variety of yummy kababs.”
Ribs Net +1

“The food was good especially the ribs and the white rice with safron.”
Ribs with sofron rice Net +1

“The authentic Persian and Iranian food is so delicious, from arabic salad and pasta to mix grill and ribs with sofron rice.”
Seekh platter Net +1

“The beef hummus, seekh platter, and pizza were delicious.”
Shabze Net +1

“We order bbq plate , shabze , shish lek , fatoosh , sweet , all are testy I sure we will come back ,”
Shawarma Net +1

“I tried The Mix Grill, Hot Meze Plate, Hummus with Meat, Shawarma and Fattoush and everything were flavorful.”
Shawarma manakish Net +1

“Our highlights were the mix Persian platter, chops, Fattoush salad, Homous with meat, and shawarma manakish . Each dish bursting with flavor.”
Shish lek Net +1

“We order bbq plate , shabze , shish lek , fatoosh , sweet , all are testy I sure we will come back ,”
The mix grill Net +1

“I tried The Mix Grill, Hot Meze Plate, Hummus with Meat, Shawarma and Fattoush and everything were flavorful.”
Vegetarian pizza Net +1

“We went here a few days back and the food is delicious. We tried the vegetarian pizza and the koobideh kebab and both were so good. The avocado juice was one of the best we’ve tried. 👍”
Warq enab Net +1

“For starters we order Hot and Cold Mezza Platter and every single item was scrumptious, the best Kibbeh and warq Enab in town.”
White rice with safron Net +1

“The food was good especially the ribs and the white rice with safron.”
Yoghurt salad Net +1

“food Quality was amazing kebab if you are a big fan for the meet 💕 as well for my sensitive stomach i ordered yoghurt salad and Cesar salad 😋😋”

Drinks 1

Avocado juice Net +1

“We went here a few days back and the food is delicious. We tried the vegetarian pizza and the koobideh kebab and both were so good. The avocado juice was one of the best we’ve tried. 👍”

Tips for a Better Visit

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Check lunch items. If visiting for business lunch, confirm the included soup and other items first; one diner found the soup unavailable at 2:30 pm.

Follow up. If you order shisha, keep an eye on coal changes and follow up rather than assuming the request has been handled.

Plan the visit

Practical details

177 Hessa St

Al Barsha Third - Al Barsha, Dubai

04 294 8878

Mon	9:00 AM – 5:00 AM
Tue	9:00 AM – 5:00 AM
Wed	9:00 AM – 5:00 AM
Thu	9:00 AM – 5:00 AM
Fri	9:00 AM – 5:00 AM
Sat	9:00 AM – 5:00 AM
Sun	9:00 AM – 5:00 AM

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Common Concerns

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Service delays

Shisha coal changes can take too long, with one diner reporting repeated follow-ups and an unattended shisha.

Daytime service

One review says daytime service is weak and improves when the owner or manager is present.

Customer-reported prices

These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.

aed 46/-

basic sheesha

“The basic sheesha starts at aed 46/- only!”

Google review · February 2024

DXB
LOCAL

The Bottom Line

Mahfel Restaurant & Cafe is an Iranian and Arabic restaurant in Al Barsha with enough room for family meals, group dinners and football nights. The clearest draw is its grilled food: diners specifically mention the Persian mix grill, koobideh, lamb chops and large kabob platters. There is also a broad shisha selection, with separate non-smoking seating for guests who would rather eat without smoke.

Portions are a recurring strength. One diner described the Kofte plate as huge and paid 49 AED including delivery, while another called the lamb chops and kibbeh excellent and noted complimentary appetisers and soup. Reviews also mention pizza, pasta, salads and Arabic platters, so mixed groups should find workable choices.

Parking in front of the restaurant and the two-floor layout are useful practical advantages, especially for larger parties. The experience is not entirely consistent. Several customers report friendly, prompt service, but others describe weak daytime attention, slow coal changes and rude staff.

One business-lunch visit raised concerns about a dirty tray and unavailable soup at 2:30 pm. If shisha matters, follow up on coal changes; if booking lunch, confirm what is currently available. Overall, it suits diners seeking generous Iranian-Arabic grills and a casual shisha-and-sports setting, provided expectations around service are flexible.