Trader Vic's Madinat

Name: Trader Vic's Madinat
Address: STORE NO.143, SOUK MADINAT JUMEIRAH, JUMEIRAH DISTRICT, Near Mina Salam Hotel, Al Sufouh, Dubai, AE
Telephone: +97143686559

Al Sufouh

Restaurant Open now 04 368 6559

Trader Vic’s Madinat is a South Seas-themed cocktail bar and restaurant in Al Sufouh, with Asian-fusion dishes, a canal-side terrace and live music. It suits social evenings, especially if you want a Mai Tai, waterfront views and an energetic band rather than a quiet dinner.

Reputation Score

4.6

★★★★★

4,739 ratings

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The Good Stuff

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Waterfront views

Outdoor seating can overlook the Burj Al Arab, with canal-side tables adding to the evening setting.

Live music

Live Cuban and salsa music gives the venue a lively identity, with dancing around the bar on some nights.

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What to Eat at Trader Vic's Madinat

Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of Trader Vic's Madinat, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.

Food 2

Mai tai Net +2

“The mai tai had a balanced flavor and arrived nicely presented, fitting the tropical concept without being overly sweet.”
Spring rolls Net +2

“On the food side, we ordered spring rolls, sweet crab tostada, and beef cho cho. The crab dishes and spring rolls were especially amazing and definitely stood out.”

Honorable mentions (27)

Baked cookie Net +1

“I gotta say.. their food is amazing. There was so much to eat, I was beyond stuffed. To name a few dishes: for starters, we had the chicken honey skewers, prawn dumplings, calamari and spring rolls. For the mains, seafood padillara and crispy duck and dessert, molten lava along with baked cookie. Everything from the start to the end was delicious!”
Beef cho cho Net +1

“Good food, service and atmosphere. The beef Cho Cho skewers are a classic. The restaurant discontinued the chicken skewers and replaced with chicken Kofta, which we didn't find as tasty, and more Indian than polynesian. The tuna tartare was made of mashed tuna, not cubes. Chicken Kung Pao was excellent.”
Beef skewers on flaming hibachi Net +1

“The quality of the food was amazing! I have picked few starters and a very mouthwatering grilled salmon with mashed potato! As well as very soft and delicious tenderloin!!! And must order beef skewers on flaming hibachi is my favorite!!! Highly recommended!”
Calamari Net +1

“I gotta say.. their food is amazing. There was so much to eat, I was beyond stuffed. To name a few dishes: for starters, we had the chicken honey skewers, prawn dumplings, calamari and spring rolls. For the mains, seafood padillara and crispy duck and dessert, molten lava along with baked cookie. Everything from the start to the end was delicious!”
Ceasar salad Net +1

“He not only made our ceasar salad delicious and presentable but he made our stay wonderful!”
Chicken honey skewers Net +1

“I gotta say.. their food is amazing. There was so much to eat, I was beyond stuffed. To name a few dishes: for starters, we had the chicken honey skewers, prawn dumplings, calamari and spring rolls. For the mains, seafood padillara and crispy duck and dessert, molten lava along with baked cookie. Everything from the start to the end was delicious!”
Chicken kung pao Net +1

“Good food, service and atmosphere. The beef Cho Cho skewers are a classic. The restaurant discontinued the chicken skewers and replaced with chicken Kofta, which we didn't find as tasty, and more Indian than polynesian. The tuna tartare was made of mashed tuna, not cubes. Chicken Kung Pao was excellent.”
Coleslaw shrimp Net +1

“- the coleslaw shrimp under the appetizer is a must”
Crepe suzette Net +1

“The place is great. We were served by Kavish, he was very good, made live cooking crepe Suzette in front of us and a great Irish coffee. He just made our experience very nice.”
Crispy duck Net +1

“I gotta say.. their food is amazing. There was so much to eat, I was beyond stuffed. To name a few dishes: for starters, we had the chicken honey skewers, prawn dumplings, calamari and spring rolls. For the mains, seafood padillara and crispy duck and dessert, molten lava along with baked cookie. Everything from the start to the end was delicious!”
Crispy duck and pancakes Net +1

“Amazing cocktails in happy hour and the legendary crispy duck and pancakes.”
Daisy brunch Net +1

“I absolutely loved Daisy Brunch! The atmosphere is bright and welcoming, which is perfect for a weekend brunch, outstanding food and drinks presentation, bravo for the little fire jar served along with hot starters, I don’t know who’s genius idea was it but I was blown away by this creativity 🤩🤩”
Duck pancakes Net +1

“Great music and atmosphere. Something completely different to the other bars. Food is absolutely amazing too! We tried things we never thought we would and the duck pancakes..... WOW. I Love the way they prepare somr of the foods infront of you. We ate here maybe 9 times during our 5 week visit to dubai. The service is fantastic also, everyone was very attentive, especially Yanelis & Nelson. They gave us space to enjoy but also were always there when we needed something. Really welcoming & friendly - thank you! I am already looking forward to my next trip to Dubai to fetch those Duck pancakes!!”
Grilled salmon Net +1

“The quality of the food was amazing! I have picked few starters and a very mouthwatering grilled salmon with mashed potato! As well as very soft and delicious tenderloin!!! And must order beef skewers on flaming hibachi is my favorite!!! Highly recommended!”
Maui shrimp appetizer Net +1

“We also got the Maui Shrimp appetizer which surprised us out great it was!”
Molten lava Net +1

“I gotta say.. their food is amazing. There was so much to eat, I was beyond stuffed. To name a few dishes: for starters, we had the chicken honey skewers, prawn dumplings, calamari and spring rolls. For the mains, seafood padillara and crispy duck and dessert, molten lava along with baked cookie. Everything from the start to the end was delicious!”
Paper thin flambé Net +1

“He gave a the best recommendation to order the Paper Thin Flambé and cooked it PERFECTLY! I could have eaten literally five of them!”
Pinky gonzalez Net +1

“I also had the pinky Gonzalez, which I also enjoyed.”
Prawn dumplings Net +1

“I gotta say.. their food is amazing. There was so much to eat, I was beyond stuffed. To name a few dishes: for starters, we had the chicken honey skewers, prawn dumplings, calamari and spring rolls. For the mains, seafood padillara and crispy duck and dessert, molten lava along with baked cookie. Everything from the start to the end was delicious!”
Purple punch Net +1

“For drinks, we tried their famous Tiki Puka Puka, Tututupo Tiki, Zombie, and Purple Punch—each one was well-made and enjoyable.”
Seafood padillara Net +1

“I gotta say.. their food is amazing. There was so much to eat, I was beyond stuffed. To name a few dishes: for starters, we had the chicken honey skewers, prawn dumplings, calamari and spring rolls. For the mains, seafood padillara and crispy duck and dessert, molten lava along with baked cookie. Everything from the start to the end was delicious!”
Singapore noodles Net +1

“While everything was so good, my favorite thing on thing on the menu is the Singapore noodles! Which are listed as a “side dish” extra, so everyone overlooks them, but trust me get them 😍 they come with beef and shrimp.”
Sweet crab tostada Net +1

“On the food side, we ordered spring rolls, sweet crab tostada, and beef cho cho. The crab dishes and spring rolls were especially amazing and definitely stood out.”
Tip tao punch Net +1

“I tried the Tip Tao punch… one word, delicious!”
Tututupo tiki Net +1

“For drinks, we tried their famous Tiki Puka Puka, Tututupo Tiki, Zombie, and Purple Punch—each one was well-made and enjoyable.”
Zombie Net +1

“For drinks, we tried their famous Tiki Puka Puka, Tututupo Tiki, Zombie, and Purple Punch—each one was well-made and enjoyable.”
Creme brulee Net 0

Only neutral feedback

“- the dessert (creme brulee) was average”

Drinks 2

Irish coffee Net +1

“The place is great. We were served by Kavish, he was very good, made live cooking crepe Suzette in front of us and a great Irish coffee. He just made our experience very nice.”
Puka puka cocktail Net +1

“One of the highlights for me is the Puka Puka cocktail—always expertly crafted and consistently delicious.”

What to Avoid (5)

Food 5

Chicken kofta Net −1

“Good food, service and atmosphere. The beef Cho Cho skewers are a classic. The restaurant discontinued the chicken skewers and replaced with chicken Kofta, which we didn't find as tasty, and more Indian than polynesian. The tuna tartare was made of mashed tuna, not cubes. Chicken Kung Pao was excellent.”
Crab rangoon Net −1

“Giving 2 stars because we ordered “crab Rangoon” and it was horrible, it’s like fried wonton with crabs but taste was sooo bad, maybe oil was very old. We didn’t even eat it.”
Mongolian beef Net −1

“-the Mongolian beef was a little too sweet for my liking”
Salmon Net −1

“At Trador Vic's, the food did not impress me. I didn’t taste any fusion flavors; instead, the dishes were bland. The salmon was overcooked, and the butter sauce it was supposed to come with was missing entirely. As for the charred broccolini, the small portion of 3 stems felt insufficient given the price.”
Tuna tartare Net −1

“Good food, service and atmosphere. The beef Cho Cho skewers are a classic. The restaurant discontinued the chicken skewers and replaced with chicken Kofta, which we didn't find as tasty, and more Indian than polynesian. The tuna tartare was made of mashed tuna, not cubes. Chicken Kung Pao was excellent.”

Tips for a Better Visit

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Reserve ahead. Call in advance, especially for weekends, as reviews describe packed Friday nights and recommend reserving a table.

Arrive early. Arrive before the evening gets busy if you want to use the reported happy-hour window, which ends at 7 pm.

Plan the visit

Practical details

STORE NO.143, SOUK MADINAT JUMEIRAH, JUMEIRAH DISTRICT, Near Mina Salam Hotel

Al Sufouh 1, Dubai

04 368 6559

Mon	4:00 PM – 2:00 AM
Tue	4:00 PM – 2:00 AM
Wed	4:00 PM – 2:00 AM
Thu	4:00 PM – 2:00 AM
Fri	1:00 PM – 3:00 AM
Sat	1:00 PM – 3:00 AM
Sun	1:00 PM – 2:00 AM

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Common Concerns

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Peak-hour noise

The band and busy Friday or Saturday evenings can make conversation difficult, so it is not a quiet-dinner venue.

Food inconsistency

Reviews vary sharply on the food: one diner found the Crab Rangoon so poor it was left uneaten and still billed.

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The Bottom Line

Trader Vic’s Madinat in Al Sufouh is a lively South Seas-themed restaurant and cocktail bar built around drinks, entertainment and its canal-side setting. Come for the Mai Tai or Tiki Puka Puka, then stay for live Cuban or salsa music; the bar and dance-floor areas can become energetic, while outdoor tables offer views towards the Burj Al Arab. The menu has some memorable choices.

Crispy duck and pancakes, beef Cho Cho skewers, prawns and Singapore noodles all receive specific praise, and one reviewer enjoyed seeing dishes prepared in front of the table. Saturday brunch is a separate draw, with live dancers, a drummer, DJ and a broad spread of starters, mains and desserts. This is more of a social night-out venue than a quiet dinner.

Fridays and Saturdays can be packed, noisy and difficult for conversation, so calling ahead and arriving early is sensible. Happy-hour timing is reported to end at 7 pm. The restaurant is described as kid-friendly and licensed, and parking validation is available, though one review mentions only three free hours.

Food and service reviews are mostly warm but not perfectly consistent. Some diners found dishes bland, overcooked or overpriced, and one reported poor handling of an uneaten Crab Rangoon. The men’s toilet also drew a cleanliness complaint.