Custom Pasta
The open kitchen lets customers choose what goes into their pasta and adjust it to their taste.
Mrs. Vanellis
Al Barsha
Mrs. Vanellis is an Italian fast-food counter in Al Barsha, geared towards a quick mall-style meal rather than a leisurely restaurant visit. Reviews point to pizza by the slice and build-your-own pasta as the most useful reasons to consider it, though branch availability should be checked first.
Reputation Score
3.6
★★★★☆
213 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Pizza Slices
Pizza is available by the slice, which suits a light snack or a quick bite.
Quick Meal
One review describes it as a decent, fairly quick pizza-and-pasta option when you are already in the mall.
Good Deals
A pizza offer linked to a Carrefour receipt was specifically mentioned as good value.
Pasta Favourites
Some regulars enjoyed the white-sauce spaghetti with bacon or shrimp, broccoli and tomatoes.
What to Eat at Mrs. Vanellis 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 Mrs. Vanellis, 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 Mrs. Vanellis, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.
Food 4
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Chicken tikka pizza Net +1
“We have always come regularly in this branch because the first time we tried their mixed sauce pasta and chicken tikka pizza it was amazing! But today we are so disappointed because the pasta I ordered looked so pale, so watery and tasteless. Not to mention the chicken in it that looks as white as raw tofu 🥴 And we noticed that it was not the regular Chef was doing the orders but the lady in black which we think is the In-charge and not Chef (from the way she held the pan). Wont dine in here anymore unless we see again the Indian Sardar Chef making the orders.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We have always come regularly in this branch because the first time we tried their mixed sauce pasta and chicken tikka pizza it was amazing! But today we are so disappointed because the pasta I ordered looked so pale, so watery and tasteless. Not to mention the chicken in it that looks as white as raw tofu 🥴 And we noticed that it was not the regular Chef was doing the orders but the lady in black which we think is the In-charge and not Chef (from the way she held the pan). Wont dine in here anymore unless we see again the Indian Sardar Chef making the orders.”June 2019
-
Lasagna Net +1
“It’s rather a fast food eatery than a restaurant, since you can get a slice of pizza or a lasagna or other ready made pasta, and all are good indeed.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“It’s rather a fast food eatery than a restaurant, since you can get a slice of pizza or a lasagna or other ready made pasta, and all are good indeed.”July 2018
-
White sauce and spaghetti pasta Net +1
“I always ordered the same white sauce and spaghetti pasta with either bacon or shrimp and broccoli/tomatoes, and I loved it each time. Not a fan of their pizza, thus my 2-star reservation.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I always ordered the same white sauce and spaghetti pasta with either bacon or shrimp and broccoli/tomatoes, and I loved it each time. Not a fan of their pizza, thus my 2-star reservation.”April 2019
-
Pizza slice Net 0
Mixed feedback
“It’s rather a fast food eatery than a restaurant, since you can get a slice of pizza or a lasagna or other ready made pasta, and all are good indeed.”
Positive 1Negative 1
Review excerpts
“It’s rather a fast food eatery than a restaurant, since you can get a slice of pizza or a lasagna or other ready made pasta, and all are good indeed.”July 2018
What to Avoid (5)
Food 5
-
Bolognese Net −1
“Very bad, it is not italian for sure , food for animals,poor quality, was able to try one spoon.horrible. my son vomited after trying their bolognese”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Very bad, it is not italian for sure , food for animals,poor quality, was able to try one spoon.horrible. my son vomited after trying their bolognese”March 2019
-
Chicken pasta Net −1
“But orders today two chicken pasta and pasta were like liquid without and cheese or taste. Will never have it again.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“But orders today two chicken pasta and pasta were like liquid without and cheese or taste. Will never have it again.”December 2019
-
Medium pizza Net −1
“Very late order,took 1 and half hours,extremely rude over the phone,their medium pizza can’t feed a little child,very watery and oily pizza..tasteless..I’ll never ever think to order here again.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Very late order,took 1 and half hours,extremely rude over the phone,their medium pizza can’t feed a little child,very watery and oily pizza..tasteless..I’ll never ever think to order here again.”November 2019
-
Mixed sauce pasta Net −1
“We have always come regularly in this branch because the first time we tried their mixed sauce pasta and chicken tikka pizza it was amazing! But today we are so disappointed because the pasta I ordered looked so pale, so watery and tasteless. Not to mention the chicken in it that looks as white as raw tofu 🥴 And we noticed that it was not the regular Chef was doing the orders but the lady in black which we think is the In-charge and not Chef (from the way she held the pan). Wont dine in here anymore unless we see again the Indian Sardar Chef making the orders.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We have always come regularly in this branch because the first time we tried their mixed sauce pasta and chicken tikka pizza it was amazing! But today we are so disappointed because the pasta I ordered looked so pale, so watery and tasteless. Not to mention the chicken in it that looks as white as raw tofu 🥴 And we noticed that it was not the regular Chef was doing the orders but the lady in black which we think is the In-charge and not Chef (from the way she held the pan). Wont dine in here anymore unless we see again the Indian Sardar Chef making the orders.”June 2019
-
Veg pasta Net −1
“Insensitive behavior of the chef! I’m a pure vegetarian. Ordered for a veg pasta which had a piece of beef in it. Chef was totally insensitive and said he will make a new pasta. He said a piece of beef could have just fallen in the pasta. The attitude of the other staff working there was similar. They said the manager was not available and cannot be reached.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Insensitive behavior of the chef! I’m a pure vegetarian. Ordered for a veg pasta which had a piece of beef in it. Chef was totally insensitive and said he will make a new pasta. He said a piece of beef could have just fallen in the pasta. The attitude of the other staff working there was similar. They said the manager was not available and cannot be reached.”March 2019
Tips for a Better Visit
Check Availability. Confirm the branch is open before travelling; a review specifically reported that it was no longer there.
Order In Person. For time-sensitive meals, ordering at the counter may be safer than delivery, which was reported to take over an hour.
Try A Slice. For a lighter visit, consider pizza by the slice rather than ordering a full meal.
Check Seasoning. If ordering pasta, ask about seasoning, since one customer found it bland and said it needed more salt or spices.
Expect Fast Food. Treat it as a quick mall food-court stop, not a destination restaurant; reviews describe it as fast food.
Plan the visit
Practical details
4693+983 - Sheikh Zayed Road, 4th Interchange
Al Barsha - Al Barsha 1, Dubai
| Mon | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Tue | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Wed | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Thu | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Fri | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Sat | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
| Sun | 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM |
Common Concerns
Delivery Delays
Multiple delivery reviews describe waits of more than an hour, including orders delayed by platform problems or branch cancellation.
Inconsistent Food
Pasta and pizza quality varied sharply, with reports of watery pasta and bland, oily pizzas.
Poor Service
Reviews mention rude phone conversations, queue-cutting disputes and a 30-minute wait for two medium pizzas.
Dietary Error
One vegetarian customer reported finding a piece of beef in a supposedly vegetarian pasta.
Branch Status
Several reviews report that a branch had closed or was no longer operating at its former mall location.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Mrs. Vanellis is an Italian fast-food counter in Al Barsha, with the sort of format that works when you are already at the mall and want something quick. You can grab pizza by the slice, order a pasta combo, or customise pasta ingredients in the open kitchen.
The white-sauce spaghetti with bacon or shrimp, broccoli and tomatoes has its loyal fans, and chicken tikka pizza is another repeatedly mentioned choice. The experience is uneven. Some customers call the pizza good, fresh and reasonably priced, while others describe bland, oily pizza or pasta that arrived pale, watery and tasteless.
That inconsistency matters more than the occasional strong recommendation, especially if you are making a special trip rather than eating opportunistically. Delivery is the biggest practical warning. Reviews mention waits of 50 minutes to over an hour, an order cancelled without clear notification, and technical problems between the restaurant and delivery apps.
Service complaints include rude phone interactions and a 30-minute wait for two medium pizzas. One vegetarian diner also reported finding beef in a vegetarian pasta, so dietary orders deserve careful confirmation. Check that the relevant branch is still operating before you go, as multiple older reviews reported closures.