Shrimp Sandwiches
The shrimp sandwiches use massive Egyptian bread, crispy breaded shrimp and rich tahini sauce.
NAYAS Restaurant & Cafe - Media City
Dubai Internet City
NAYAS Restaurant & Cafe is an Arabic and international cafe and shisha lounge in Dubai Internet City, with food, drinks and several seating areas. Reviews point to its shrimp sandwiches, sushi, sports screens and relaxed setting as reasons to stay for a meal, conversation or a game.
Reputation Score
4.4
★★★★☆
797 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Sports Screens
Multiple TVs let diners follow football, UFC and Formula 1 from around the venue.
Flexible Seating
Reviews describe a white terrace, a blue non-smoking area and a separate smoking section.
Quiet Music
The music is often quiet enough for conversation, and one review also found it workable for notebook-based work.
Large Portions
A review of the food mentions big portions and a salad made with fresh, good-quality ingredients.
Iftar Buffet
The Ramadan Iftar buffet was described as good value, alongside shisha and live music.
What to Eat at NAYAS Restaurant & Cafe - Media City 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 NAYAS Restaurant & Cafe - Media City, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. We still have more reviews to analyze, so the scores may change. 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 NAYAS Restaurant & Cafe - Media City got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 9
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Pasta with mushrooms Net +3
“And apart of all those beutiful things, I think I found my favorite pasta with mushrooms here. I don't know what is the secret, but it taste just grate.”
Positive 3Negative 0
Review excerpts
“And apart of all those beutiful things, I think I found my favorite pasta with mushrooms here. I don't know what is the secret, but it taste just grate.”March 2024
“Mushroom pasta and rolls were perfect”March 2024
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Chicken salad Net +1
“I love this place, one of the best restaurant with cozy environment, friendly staff and the food all amazing. I’ve tried the mushroom pasta, sushi, chicken salad and the sisha is always well done!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I love this place, one of the best restaurant with cozy environment, friendly staff and the food all amazing. I’ve tried the mushroom pasta, sushi, chicken salad and the sisha is always well done!”April 2024
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Chicken stroganoff Net +1
“My first visit to Nayas... had the chicken stroganoff, absolutely delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“My first visit to Nayas... had the chicken stroganoff, absolutely delicious.”December 2025
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Crab sandwich Net +1
“We ordered Japanese dishes.. the crab sandwich is sooo good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We ordered Japanese dishes.. the crab sandwich is sooo good.”June 2024
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Hummus Net +1
“This is a very nice place if you like shisha! I love the fact that the music is not too loud and you can speak with the people you hang out with. I also like the decor and the lightning. As for the food, their hummus is one of the best I had in Dubai, I'm not kidding. And that comes from a person who loves hummus a lot.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“This is a very nice place if you like shisha! I love the fact that the music is not too loud and you can speak with the people you hang out with. I also like the decor and the lightning. As for the food, their hummus is one of the best I had in Dubai, I'm not kidding. And that comes from a person who loves hummus a lot.”January 2024
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Makhini zatar Net +1
“The ambiance is good. I tried vegetarian sushi, could be more fresh. The Makhini zatar was amazing.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The ambiance is good. I tried vegetarian sushi, could be more fresh. The Makhini zatar was amazing.”April 2026
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Shrimp sandwiches Net +1
“Hands down the best shrimp sandwiches in town!Massive Egyptian bread sandwiches stuffed to the absolute max with crispy breaded shrimp and rich tahini sauce.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Hands down the best shrimp sandwiches in town!Massive Egyptian bread sandwiches stuffed to the absolute max with crispy breaded shrimp and rich tahini sauce.”June 2026
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Shrimps with spicy souse Net +1
“Highly recommend to try their shrimps with spicy souse- very big tasty portion!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Highly recommend to try their shrimps with spicy souse- very big tasty portion!”April 2024
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Sweet corn Net +1
“And sweet corn is amazing during Ramadan 🌙🫶🏻”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“And sweet corn is amazing during Ramadan 🌙🫶🏻”March 2024
Drinks 2
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Carrot fresh juice Net +1
“Also my choice- carrot fresh juice!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Also my choice- carrot fresh juice!”April 2024
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Strawberry mojito Net +1
“The highlight for me was the strawberry mojito, which was refreshing and delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The highlight for me was the strawberry mojito, which was refreshing and delicious.”March 2024
Tips for a Better Visit
Lunch Stop. For a quick workday meal, use its ground-floor location in Thuraya Tower.
Choose Seating. If smoke is a concern, ask for the blue non-smoking area rather than the smoking section.
Check Offers. Ask whether the ladies' free-shisha offer is still running; a review described it after 8pm.
Watch Games. For football or other major sports, choose a table with a clear view of the venue's multiple screens.
Ask About Music. Check the schedule if live entertainment matters, as reviews mention live bands and guitar performances.
Try Mocktail. Ask about the Nayas Sunset mocktail, which one reviewer says is on the secret menu.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Ground Floor, Al Thuraya Tower 1 Dubai Media City Park View Al Sufouh 2 - near American University in Dubai
Al Sufouh - Dubai Media City, Dubai
| Mon | 7:30 AM – 3:00 AM |
| Tue | 7:30 AM – 3:00 AM |
| Wed | 7:30 AM – 3:00 AM |
| Thu | 7:30 AM – 3:00 AM |
| Fri | 7:30 AM – 3:00 AM |
| Sat | 10:00 AM – 3:00 AM |
| Sun | 10:00 AM – 3:00 AM |
Common Concerns
Heavy Smoke
One visitor found the shisha smoke overwhelming, with poor ventilation making the venue foggy and difficult to breathe in.
Sushi Freshness
One review found the vegetarian sushi could have been fresher, despite other reviews praising the sushi.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
NAYAS is a cafe, restaurant and shisha lounge in Dubai Internet City that suits a relaxed meal, an after-work catch-up or watching sport. The menu crosses Arabic, international and Japanese-style dishes. Specific review favourites include the heavily filled shrimp sandwiches with crispy breaded shrimp and tahini, mushroom pasta, sushi and the Nayas Sunset mocktail from the secret menu.
The setting gives you some choice: one review describes a white terrace with a view, a blue non-smoking area and a separate smoking section. Multiple screens show major sports, while several visitors say the music is quiet enough to talk or work with a notebook. Live bands and guitar performances also appear in reviews, so the atmosphere can vary by occasion.
Service is a consistent positive, with reviewers describing attentive, friendly teams and fast service. The ground-floor position in Thuraya Tower makes it practical for a Media City workday lunch. An Iftar buffet received a positive value mention, while older reviews reported free shisha for ladies after 8pm or 9pm; confirm that offer before planning around it.
The main caution is smoke: one visitor found the shisha haze so strong and ventilation so poor that breathing became difficult. Choose the non-smoking section if that could affect your visit. Vegetarian sushi also received one freshness criticism, although other reviews found the sushi fresh.
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