Buffet variety
Buffets can cover steak, kebabs, grilled fish, chicken, salads and desserts, with a live cooking station.
Makan Restaurant
Al Garhoud
Makan Restaurant is a hotel-lobby buffet restaurant in Al Garhoud, with international spreads that range from Arabic and Indian dishes to seafood. Reviews particularly highlight its Wednesday seafood buffet, live grilling stations, generous breakfasts and occasional family-friendly touches such as a free kids’ area.
Reputation Score
4.3
★★★★☆
269 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Seafood night
Wednesday seafood nights have been praised for fresh fish, sushi, shrimp, lobster tails, oysters and a cooking station.
Breakfast choice
Breakfast includes hot dishes, fruit, pastries and made-to-order items, with several reviews describing it as fresh and generous.
Family friendly
Families can use the free kids’ area inside the hotel while adults explore the buffet.
Celebrations
Birthday celebrations can include thoughtful touches such as bringing out a cake with singing and festive jingles.
Desserts
Desserts are a consistent highlight in several reviews, including oriental sweets, Western cakes and baklava.
What to Eat at Makan 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 Makan Restaurant, 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 Makan Restaurant got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 10
-
Baklava Net +1
“On the positive side, the baklava is delicious, a real highlight of the meal.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“On the positive side, the baklava is delicious, a real highlight of the meal.”June 2024
-
Cake Net +1
“Also, thank you for the delightful birthday cake for my daughter Salma.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Also, thank you for the delightful birthday cake for my daughter Salma.”May 2024
-
Desert Net +1
“Oh, I just remembered, save room for desert. Their selection and the quality is something else.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Oh, I just remembered, save room for desert. Their selection and the quality is something else.”July 2024
-
Deserts Net +1
“However the deserts were the best part and they tasted as delicious as they look.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“However the deserts were the best part and they tasted as delicious as they look.”August 2024
-
Dessert Net +1
“Dessert was nice.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Dessert was nice.”December 2023
-
Dessert counter Net +1
“In the international buffet they have perfect combinations of all the cuisine. The dessert counter was great too .”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“In the international buffet they have perfect combinations of all the cuisine. The dessert counter was great too .”February 2023
-
Fresh fishes Net +1
“The seafood buffet is delicious, with plenty of fresh fishes and a cooking station.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The seafood buffet is delicious, with plenty of fresh fishes and a cooking station.”November 2024
-
Khachapuri Net +1
“Amazing breakfast! Everything tasted great and delicious Thanks to you Usman for helping us in selecting food and provided us special khachapuri”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Amazing breakfast! Everything tasted great and delicious Thanks to you Usman for helping us in selecting food and provided us special khachapuri”November 2025
-
Made to order items Net +1
“I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the breakfast at this hotel the selection was generous with planty of fresh options ranging for hot dishes to fruit, pastries and made to order items everything tasted fresh and well prepared”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the breakfast at this hotel the selection was generous with planty of fresh options ranging for hot dishes to fruit, pastries and made to order items everything tasted fresh and well prepared”November 2025
-
Made to order pasta Net +1
“ah almost forgot the chef Avin with perfectly tuned made to order pasta that so fresh and got my little one to eat Broccoli..”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“ah almost forgot the chef Avin with perfectly tuned made to order pasta that so fresh and got my little one to eat Broccoli..”November 2024
Honorable mentions (9)
-
Oriental sweets Net +1
“Come to the desserts, it is wow with it is both sections oriental sweets and Western cakes.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Come to the desserts, it is wow with it is both sections oriental sweets and Western cakes.”June 2025
-
Penne Net +1
“We celebrated our son’s birthday here. The food was good especially the roasted chicken and penne during their lunch buffet. Staff were friendly and approachable”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We celebrated our son’s birthday here. The food was good especially the roasted chicken and penne during their lunch buffet. Staff were friendly and approachable”November 2025
-
Roasted chicken Net +1
“We celebrated our son’s birthday here. The food was good especially the roasted chicken and penne during their lunch buffet. Staff were friendly and approachable”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We celebrated our son’s birthday here. The food was good especially the roasted chicken and penne during their lunch buffet. Staff were friendly and approachable”November 2025
-
Seafood Net +1
“Has verity of foods, delicious meats, seafood and salad, and arabic cuisine is nice.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Has verity of foods, delicious meats, seafood and salad, and arabic cuisine is nice.”October 2025
-
Seafood buffet Net +1
“The seafood buffet is delicious, with plenty of fresh fishes and a cooking station.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The seafood buffet is delicious, with plenty of fresh fishes and a cooking station.”November 2024
-
Seafood night Net +1
“Excellent service and the food was good especially seafood night Vijay is very helpful guy he provided a very excellent service”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Excellent service and the food was good especially seafood night Vijay is very helpful guy he provided a very excellent service”November 2025
-
Seafood options Net +1
“They have an international dinner buffet with a really good variety along with lots of seafood options, on Wednesdays. Sushi, shrimp cocktails, broiled shrimp, broiled lobster tails, oysters, etc.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“They have an international dinner buffet with a really good variety along with lots of seafood options, on Wednesdays. Sushi, shrimp cocktails, broiled shrimp, broiled lobster tails, oysters, etc.”July 2024
-
Wednesday buffet Net +1
“Excellent service and amazing food 😍 specially Wednesday buffet .”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Excellent service and amazing food 😍 specially Wednesday buffet .”December 2025
-
Western cakes Net +1
“Come to the desserts, it is wow with it is both sections oriental sweets and Western cakes.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Come to the desserts, it is wow with it is both sections oriental sweets and Western cakes.”June 2025
Drinks 1
-
Coffee Net +1
“he got me a great cup of coffee to go with the cake .. ah almost forgot the chef Avin with perfectly tuned made to order pasta that so fresh and got my little one to eat Broccoli..”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“he got me a great cup of coffee to go with the cake .. ah almost forgot the chef Avin with perfectly tuned made to order pasta that so fresh and got my little one to eat Broccoli..”November 2024
What to Avoid (7)
Food 7
-
Barbeque Net −1
“Barbeque is not live. It is done and kept in a warmer.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Barbeque is not live. It is done and kept in a warmer.”May 2024
-
Beef curry Net −1
“Mutton and Beef curry is bland and cold”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Mutton and Beef curry is bland and cold”May 2024
-
Dessert selection Net −1
“The food options are very limited, 1 type of salad only!, very poor dessert selection, very limited main course selection!”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The food options are very limited, 1 type of salad only!, very poor dessert selection, very limited main course selection!”March 2024
-
Fish salona Net −1
“Fish Salona nobody seems to touch it”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Fish Salona nobody seems to touch it”May 2024
-
Mutton curry Net −1
“Mutton and Beef curry is bland and cold”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Mutton and Beef curry is bland and cold”May 2024
-
Sea food Net −1
“From sea food, rice sea food, past, fresh, fries etc.. but the food lacked the rich taste, and it mainly felt bland. We are both seafood lovers but we weren’t impressed.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“From sea food, rice sea food, past, fresh, fries etc.. but the food lacked the rich taste, and it mainly felt bland. We are both seafood lovers but we weren’t impressed.”August 2024
-
Sweet dish Net −1
“Sweet dish disappointing.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Sweet dish disappointing.”May 2024
Tips for a Better Visit
Book Wednesday. For seafood, target Wednesday evenings, when reviews mention sushi, shrimp, lobster tails and oysters.
Reserve ahead. Reservations are strongly advised for the popular seafood buffet, and one reviewer recommends requesting a lobby table.
Check vouchers. Compare Entertainer or Groupon offers before booking; diners reported substantial buffet savings through both.
Save dessert room. Leave space for dessert: multiple reviews call out the range and quality, especially after buffet meals.
Bring children. If dining as a family, the hotel has a free kids’ area, which can make a longer buffet meal easier.
Check freshness. Because freshness and selection vary sharply between reviews, check what has just been replenished before filling your plate.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Mövenpick Grand Al Bustan Dubai 51st - Corner Casablanca St
Al Garhoud, Dubai
| Mon | 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
| Tue | 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
| Wed | 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
| Thu | 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
| Fri | 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
| Sat | 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
| Sun | 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
Common Concerns
Inconsistent freshness
Several diners reported food that looked tired, tasted old or seemed like leftovers, although other reviews describe fresh dishes.
Limited selection
Some visits, including a birthday-coupon visit, were described as having far fewer buffet choices than expected.
Bland dishes
One seafood-night review found the spread generous but said the food lacked rich flavour and felt bland.
Table attention
A diner felt waiters focused on clearing plates rather than checking the tables or responding promptly.
Small grills
One review found the grill portions insufficient and overpriced compared with the overall cost.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
Aed135
Entertainer voucher for Buy1Get1
“We used the Entertainer voucher for Buy1Get1 so we ended up paying Aed135 for 2 people”Google review · August 2025
DXB
LOCAL
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The Bottom Line
Makan Restaurant is a hotel-lobby buffet in Al Garhoud where the main draw is variety rather than a single signature dish. Depending on the themed service, you can find international buffet dishes, Arabic and Indian food, grilled meats, breakfast cooked to order, or a seafood spread with sushi, shrimp, lobster tails and oysters. Wednesday seafood nights and international evenings receive some of the strongest praise.
Families also mention a free kids’ area, while birthday diners have described cake presentations and other thoughtful touches. Desserts are worth planning for, with oriental sweets, Western cakes and baklava repeatedly mentioned as highlights. The experience is not completely consistent.
Several diners reported fresh, well-prepared food and attentive service, but others found limited choices, bland dishes or food that looked like leftovers. One seafood-night visit also found table service slow when ordering drinks and clearing tables. That makes the themed night, timing and current spread worth confirming before you go.
For value, check Entertainer or Groupon offers: reviews mention an AED 75 Groupon buffet deal and an Entertainer Buy1Get1 voucher that brought the bill to Aed135 for two people. Reservations are advised, especially if you want a lobby table.