Socotra Restaurant & Cafe

Name: Socotra Restaurant & Cafe
Address: Al Ittihad Rd, Port Saeed, Dubai, AE
Telephone: +97142225533

Port Saeed

Yemeni restaurant Open now 04 222 5533

Socotra Restaurant & Cafe is a Yemeni restaurant in Port Saeed, serving dishes such as mandi, fahsah and haneeth alongside café offerings including shisha. Reviews also mention family majlis-style seating, late-night dining and live football.

Reputation Score

4.2

★★★★☆

1,431 ratings

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The Good Stuff

Showing 2 of 8

Mandi

Mandi is a strong choice when it is well prepared: reviewers describe tender meat, fragrant rice and generous portions.

Yemeni Dishes

The menu includes well-reviewed Yemeni specialities such as mutton makhmoud, ma’asoob and kebab sanaee.

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What to Eat at Socotra Restaurant & Cafe

Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of Socotra Restaurant & Cafe, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.

Food 3

Mandi Net +4

“And stopped by at the Socotra Restaurant to experience One of the finest mandi ever. This flavorful rice that's slow cooked with soft and juicy lamb meat is one total feast that cannot be resisted.”
Chicken mandi Net +2

“I tried the chicken mandi. The food was nice, but the service was poor.”
Futtosh salad Net +2

“The futtosh salad was also good.”

Honorable mentions (28)

Arabic bread Net +1

“The fries were good and crispy the Arabic bread 🍞 was delicious.”
Chicken shawarma Net +1

“The mutton mandi and the chicken shawarma was so delicious!”
Chicken zurbian Net +1

“Very good ambience. Please refer to the photos. Majilis for family. Tried chicken zurbian (33 aed) and chicken kabsa (33 aed) Zurbian : 4.5/5”
Cream kunafa Net +1

“Cream kunafa (Cost : 19 aed) was awesome.”
Crispy khubus Net +1

“Visited Socotra Restaurant in Dubai and thoroughly enjoyed their prawn handi served with crispy khubus. The flavors were authentic and perfectly balanced.”
Grilled lamb liver Net +1

“& yes, we tried their grilled lamb liver which was perfectly cooked.”
Haneez Net +1

“The best place of Hantheez, Mandi, Mathbi in town. Everything is delicious! We were a party of 5, we ordered Haneez, Makhmoud, Mathbi and Chicken, everything was so good to the very last bite. I highly recommend if you’re into such food.”
Hantheez Net +1

“The best place of Hantheez, Mandi, Mathbi in town. Everything is delicious! We were a party of 5, we ordered Haneez, Makhmoud, Mathbi and Chicken, everything was so good to the very last bite. I highly recommend if you’re into such food.”
Kebab sanaee Net +1

“The kebab sanaee is outstanding definitely the highlight!”
Kibdah Net +1

“Great food. Clean and nice.. Kibdah and Saltah were very tasty. Service can improve but overall worth it.”
Kunafa Net +1

“The kunafa was fresh, crispy, and perfectly balanced in sweetness—truly enjoyable.”
Lamb chops Net +1

“The food was delicious 😋 I ordered the shrimp 🍤 and my friend ordered the lamb chops. We ate all of our food.”
Ma’asoob Net +1

“I tried the Ma’asoob, and it was outstanding.”
Madhbi Net +1

“The food was good specially the madhbi.”
Makhmoud Net +1

“The best place of Hantheez, Mandi, Mathbi in town. Everything is delicious! We were a party of 5, we ordered Haneez, Makhmoud, Mathbi and Chicken, everything was so good to the very last bite. I highly recommend if you’re into such food.”
Mathbi Net +1

“The best place of Hantheez, Mandi, Mathbi in town. Everything is delicious! We were a party of 5, we ordered Haneez, Makhmoud, Mathbi and Chicken, everything was so good to the very last bite. I highly recommend if you’re into such food.”
Meat kebab Net +1

“Ordered meat kebab which was quite delicious. The service can be really improved upon. Overall it was OK but food was good.”
Meat mandi Net +1

“Their meat Mandi was delicious, however, the reason i can not give them 5 stars is that bc of their desert Kunafah which was below average.”
Mutton makhmoud Net +1

“She recommended the Mutton Makhmoud and was a great recommendation. Rice was fragrant and the lamd shoulder was well cooked and tender.”
Mutton mandi Net +1

“The mutton mandi and the chicken shawarma was so delicious!”
Mutton soup Net +1

“The mutton soup 🍲 was FIRE 🔥 We loved it so much.”
Prawn handi Net +1

“Visited Socotra Restaurant in Dubai and thoroughly enjoyed their prawn handi served with crispy khubus. The flavors were authentic and perfectly balanced.”
Saltah Net +1

“Great food. Clean and nice.. Kibdah and Saltah were very tasty. Service can improve but overall worth it.”
Shrimp Net +1

“The food was delicious 😋 I ordered the shrimp 🍤 and my friend ordered the lamb chops. We ate all of our food.”
Tawook chicken Net +1

“I highly recommend visiting this restaurant while you are in Deira. Our Egyptian waiter who was serving us was very friendly and polite and one of the best waiters I’ve seen in a while. Other than that the food was amazing I highly recommend you order the tawook chicken and the Zurbian.”
Yemeni bread mwlaooh Net +1

“Best Yemeni bread Mwlaooh but not best mandi, Fahsa not the choice .”
Zurbian Net +1

“I highly recommend visiting this restaurant while you are in Deira. Our Egyptian waiter who was serving us was very friendly and polite and one of the best waiters I’ve seen in a while. Other than that the food was amazing I highly recommend you order the tawook chicken and the Zurbian.”
Chicken kabsa Net 0

Only neutral feedback

“Very good ambience. Please refer to the photos. Majilis for family. Tried chicken zurbian (33 aed) and chicken kabsa (33 aed) Zurbian : 4.5/5 Kabsa : Strictly Average”

Drinks 2

Orange mojito Net +1

“I also tried the Turkish coffee, which was rich and aromatic, and the orange mojito, which was very refreshing and well prepared.”
Turkish coffee Net +1

“I also tried the Turkish coffee, which was rich and aromatic, and the orange mojito, which was very refreshing and well prepared.”

What to Avoid (5)

Food 5

Chicken madbhi Net −1

“Ordered chicken madbhi and hamour mandi, the taste for this two dishes were bland. Not like what we expected. Has a boring taste, and not flavorful enough. Anyway, place was wide and clean.”
Desert kunafah Net −1

“Their meat Mandi was delicious, however, the reason i can not give them 5 stars is that bc of their desert Kunafah which was below average.”
Fahsa Net −1

“Best Yemeni bread Mwlaooh but not best mandi, Fahsa not the choice .”
Hamour mandi Net −1

“Ordered chicken madbhi and hamour mandi, the taste for this two dishes were bland. Not like what we expected. Has a boring taste, and not flavorful enough. Anyway, place was wide and clean.”
Spicy charcoal mandi Net −1

“Yesterday night, my friend and I visited your restaurant in Deira and ordered the Spicy Charcoal Mandi. Unfortunately, we were disappointed with the quality of the food. The rice was not properly cooked, and the chicken had a very raw taste, which affected our overall dining experience.”

Tips for a Better Visit

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Check Availability. If your first choice is unavailable, ask about alternatives; one reviewer was guided to mutton makhmoud instead.

Try Mandi. Mandi is the safest starting point, though recent complaints make it sensible to check that the meat and rice are fully cooked.

Plan the visit

Practical details

Al Ittihad Rd

Port Saeed - Deira, Dubai

04 222 5533

Mon	12:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Tue	12:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Wed	12:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Thu	12:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Fri	12:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sat	12:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Sun	12:00 AM – 12:00 PM

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Common Concerns

Showing 2 of 5

Service Issues

Recent reviews report rude or dismissive staff, weak communication and inconsistent attention from waiters and the cashier.

Food Control

A recent Spicy Charcoal Mandi order reportedly arrived with undercooked rice and chicken with a raw taste.

Customer-reported prices

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

19 aed

Cream kunafa

“Cream kunafa (Cost : 19 aed) was awesome”

Google review · January 2024

DXB
LOCAL

The Bottom Line

Socotra Restaurant & Cafe is a Yemeni dining spot in Port Saeed where mandi is the main reason to consider a visit. Reviews also point to fahsah, haneeth, mutton makhmoud and ma’asoob, with several diners praising tender meat, fragrant rice and generous portions. The food is not uniformly consistent, however: one recent Spicy Charcoal Mandi order had undercooked rice and chicken with a raw taste.

There is more than a quick meal here. Families can ask about majlis-style or private seating, while the café section is known for shisha. Multiple screens showing live football make it a popular place to sit with friends, and one reviewer had a comfortable dine-in meal at 2am.

Prices are generally described as reasonable, with chicken mandi reported at 31 AED and cream kunafa at 19 AED. Service is the main question mark. Some diners describe friendly, attentive staff and helpful recommendations; others report rude communication, poor attention and pressure to order.

A few reviews also mention air-conditioning problems, dirty seating areas and an extra sitting charge when ordering only tea. Confirm availability, cooling and any seating fee before settling in.