Food quality
Reviews praise the salmon, chicken parmesan and a red curry described as genuinely Thai in style.
South Central Restaurant & Bar by Holiday Inn Dubai Al-Maktoum
Dubai South
South Central is a modern social kitchen and bar in Dubai South, with a relaxed restaurant-and-pub feel. Reviews point to well-prepared dishes such as salmon, chicken parmesan and Thai-style red curry, alongside shisha, sports viewing and quiz nights.
Reputation Score
4.8
★★★★★
400 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Shisha
Shisha is a clear draw, with several visitors specifically describing it as good or great.
Signature dishes
One birthday group singled out the specialty ribs, stuffed portobello, house wings and fried ice cream.
Sports viewing
The bar has hosted football and rugby viewing, including a quieter World Cup experience without extreme crowds.
Quiz nights
Thursday quiz nights add a planned activity to the evening rather than just background bar time.
Family friendly
One review specifically recommends the venue for visits with children despite its bar appearance.
Atmosphere
Reviews describe the ambience as calm yet lively, with a relaxed setting suitable for celebrations.
Brunch value
A Saturday brunch was reported to start at 149 AED and include plenty of food.
What to Eat at South Central Restaurant & Bar by Holiday Inn Dubai Al-Maktoum 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 South Central Restaurant & Bar by Holiday Inn Dubai Al-Maktoum, 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 South Central Restaurant & Bar by Holiday Inn Dubai Al-Maktoum got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 10
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Chicken parmesan Net +1
“We tried the salmon and chicken parmesan, and both dishes were really good in taste and well prepared.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We tried the salmon and chicken parmesan, and both dishes were really good in taste and well prepared.”May 2026
-
Crispy brie Net +1
“The south central cheese burger and crispy Brie were winners!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The south central cheese burger and crispy Brie were winners!”October 2025
-
Fried ice cream Net +1
“For desert definitely get the fried ice cream. Yum yum yum would come again garunteeeed.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“For desert definitely get the fried ice cream. Yum yum yum would come again garunteeeed.”November 2025
-
House wings Net +1
“I highly recommend the specialty ribs, the stuffed portobello, and the house wings.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I highly recommend the specialty ribs, the stuffed portobello, and the house wings.”November 2025
-
Red curry Net +1
“We’ve just had some excellent food at the restaurant at Holiday Inn near DWC airport, particularly the red curry was made truly like a Thai curry and kudos to chef sandesh & chef dischan for their great work!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We’ve just had some excellent food at the restaurant at Holiday Inn near DWC airport, particularly the red curry was made truly like a Thai curry and kudos to chef sandesh & chef dischan for their great work!”November 2025
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Salmon Net +1
“We tried the salmon and chicken parmesan, and both dishes were really good in taste and well prepared.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We tried the salmon and chicken parmesan, and both dishes were really good in taste and well prepared.”May 2026
-
Saturday brunch Net +1
“We had Saturday brunch which includes so much food ( really delicious ) the price starts from 149 aed which makes it amazing deal !”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We had Saturday brunch which includes so much food ( really delicious ) the price starts from 149 aed which makes it amazing deal !”January 2023
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South central cheese burger Net +1
“The south central cheese burger and crispy Brie were winners!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The south central cheese burger and crispy Brie were winners!”October 2025
-
Specialty ribs Net +1
“I highly recommend the specialty ribs, the stuffed portobello, and the house wings.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I highly recommend the specialty ribs, the stuffed portobello, and the house wings.”November 2025
-
Stuffed portobello Net +1
“I highly recommend the specialty ribs, the stuffed portobello, and the house wings.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I highly recommend the specialty ribs, the stuffed portobello, and the house wings.”November 2025
Tips for a Better Visit
Check timing. If you are visiting for a quick meal, consider a quieter period because one review reports waits exceeding 30 minutes for acknowledgement.
Ask offers. Ask what current offers are available; reviews say the venue explains them clearly, and happy-hour options are also mentioned.
Try quiz night. For a more structured evening, Thursday quiz night has been described as a fun addition to dinner and drinks.
Check sports. If you want to watch a match, ask about the screening schedule; reviews mention both World Cup and rugby viewing.
Consider brunch. Saturday brunch was reported as starting from 149 AED and including a substantial amount of food.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Aviation City
Madinat Al Mataar - Dubai South, Dubai
| Mon | 12:30 PM – 1:00 AM |
| Tue | 12:30 PM – 1:00 AM |
| Wed | 12:30 PM – 1:00 AM |
| Thu | 12:30 PM – 1:00 AM |
| Fri | 12:30 PM – 1:00 AM |
| Sat | 12:30 PM – 2:00 AM |
| Sun | 12:30 PM – 2:00 AM |
Common Concerns
Slow service
One visitor reported waiting more than 30 minutes before a server acknowledged the table, even after complaints.
Unfriendly service
A review found the food acceptable but said an unfriendly attitude from female staff made the visit uncomfortable.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
South Central Restaurant & Bar is a modern social kitchen and bar in Dubai South, with enough going on for a meal, a drink or a match-night stop. Reviews specifically mention salmon, chicken parmesan and a Thai-style red curry, while the bar side is used for shisha, sports viewing and Thursday quiz nights. The food highlights are unusually concrete.
A birthday group recommended the specialty ribs, stuffed portobello, house wings and fried ice cream; another visitor praised the South Central cheese burger and crispy Brie. Shisha also receives repeated approval, and the ambience is described as calm but lively rather than rowdy. One review says it works well for children despite looking like a bar, while another suggests it could suit birthday celebrations.
Service is the main reason people return, with many reviews describing attentive help and useful menu or drink suggestions. Still, expectations should be tempered: one customer reported waiting over 30 minutes before anyone acknowledged the table, and another found the female staff unfriendly. Ask about current offers before ordering.
If you are visiting for brunch, a past review reported Saturday brunch from 149 AED, though that is not a current price guarantee.