Desert setting
The camp creates a memorable desert backdrop, especially around sunset, with attractive decor and views over the dunes.
Nara Desert Escape
Umm Eselay
Nara Desert Escape is a restaurant and desert-camp experience in Umm Eselay, combining dinner with an Arabian Desert setting. Reviews highlight its sunset outings, overnight tent rooms and entertainment such as the fire show, while families can also find activities for children.
Reputation Score
4.4
★★★★☆
177 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Friendly team
Many reviews describe attentive, welcoming staff, with drivers and camp teams making the journey feel well looked after.
Fire show
The fire show is a standout part of the evening entertainment, with one review also praising the Tanura performance.
Family friendly
Families found the camp manageable with young children, including entertainment that kept a five-year-old occupied during a summer visit.
Overnight tents
The tent rooms received strong praise from guests who stayed overnight, with one calling the room fantastic and the food good.
Iftar experience
A Ramadan visit included a 4x4 transfer, Iftar, mocktails, henna, camel rides and a fire show, with butter chicken and lamb singled out.
Kids cinema
The camp has a cinema room for children, which one family used as an extra way to keep kids busy during the visit.
What to Eat at Nara Desert Escape 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 Nara Desert Escape, 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 Nara Desert Escape got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 5
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Burata salad Net +1
“Great kitchen we had amazing sushi with wagui beef and burata salad and amazing passion fruit martini.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Great kitchen we had amazing sushi with wagui beef and burata salad and amazing passion fruit martini.”October 2025
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Butter chicken Net +1
“We had Iftar and the food was unbelievable and my favourite was the butter chicken and the lamb!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We had Iftar and the food was unbelievable and my favourite was the butter chicken and the lamb!”March 2024
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Lamb chops Net +1
“The food was really great, especially the lamb chops.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food was really great, especially the lamb chops.”January 2022
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Luqaimat Net +1
“And not only that , they have this amazing live music playing in the background while you enjoy their activities such as camel ride , photos with hawk , sledder ride , live luqaimat making and fire show 🤩”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“And not only that , they have this amazing live music playing in the background while you enjoy their activities such as camel ride , photos with hawk , sledder ride , live luqaimat making and fire show 🤩”March 2025
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Sushi with wagui beef Net +1
“Great kitchen we had amazing sushi with wagui beef and burata salad and amazing passion fruit martini.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Great kitchen we had amazing sushi with wagui beef and burata salad and amazing passion fruit martini.”October 2025
Drinks 1
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Passion fruit martini Net +1
“Great kitchen we had amazing sushi with wagui beef and burata salad and amazing passion fruit martini.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Great kitchen we had amazing sushi with wagui beef and burata salad and amazing passion fruit martini.”October 2025
What to Avoid (1)
Drinks 1
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Espresso Net −1
“the most disgusting and worest service you will get thats was shame on them for example when I reach the place I wait 45min to be asked what I want 'regarding the waving and shouting ' and other 30min to get my espresso (it was cold)”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“the most disgusting and worest service you will get thats was shame on them for example when I reach the place I wait 45min to be asked what I want 'regarding the waving and shouting ' and other 30min to get my espresso (it was cold)”January 2021
Tips for a Better Visit
Check extras. Ask what is included before paying for add-ons: one overnight guest said there was no need to pay for extra activities.
Ask about noise. If staying overnight, ask whether a private event is scheduled; one guest said a party continued until 3am.
Pack layers. For a winter overnight stay, check heating arrangements and bring warm layers because a guest found the tents very cold.
Plan for children. Families can ask about the kids cinema and child-friendly activities; one review says it helped keep children busy.
Clarify transfers. Confirm the return-transport arrangement when booking: one guest described the paid drop-off back to the city as a bad experience.
Set food expectations. If dinner quality matters most, ask about the current menu and inclusions before booking, since reviews range from delicious to 3/10.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Al Ain - Dubai Rd
Umm Eselay, Dubai
Common Concerns
High pricing
Several guests felt the cost was too high for the food and entertainment delivered, including one who paid 800 AED per person.
Mixed food
Food feedback is inconsistent: some guests loved dinner, while others called it average or rated it 3/10.
Uneven service
Service has ranged from attentive to frustrating, with one guest waiting 45 minutes to be asked for an order and another 30 for espresso.
Noisy overnight
An overnight guest reported that a private party continued until 3am, with no effective help from staff.
Cold tents
A winter overnight review reported cold tents without heating and uneven tent floors that caused backache.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Nara Desert Escape is a restaurant and desert-camp outing in Umm Eselay, where the appeal is the setting as much as the meal. Visitors come for sunset views, dinner under the desert sky and evening entertainment; the fire show and Tanura performance are among the most memorable parts mentioned in reviews. Some packages also include camel rides, while overnight bookings use tent rooms that guests have described as comfortable and attractive.
The experience works well for families and groups. A family with a five-year-old and a four-month-old said the team kept the children entertained, and another review mentions a kids cinema. Ramadan visitors have praised the Iftar setup, particularly the butter chicken and lamb, though food opinions overall are mixed: some call dinner delicious, while others found it average or rated it 3/10.
The main caution is value. Several guests considered the pricing too high for what was delivered, and service has sometimes been slow. Overnight guests should ask about heating, tent-floor condition and nearby private events; one party continued until 3am.
Also confirm what activities and return transport are included before paying, as reviews disagree about extras and one paid city drop-off was described as a bad experience.