Venus Restaurant, Al Karama

Name: Venus Restaurant, Al Karama
Address: Street # 20B, Al Karama, Dubai, AE
Telephone: +97143353851

Al Karama

Vegetarian restaurant Closed 04 335 3851

Venus Restaurant in Al Karama is a long-running vegetarian spot centred on South Indian and Mangalorean food. Breakfast regulars come for crisp dosas, fluffy idlis and Mangalore buns, while lunch brings options such as North Indian thali.

Reputation Score

4.1

★★★★☆

2,665 ratings

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The Good Stuff

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Breakfast Standouts

Masala dosa, idli and vada are repeatedly praised, with the mini tiffin giving you several small breakfast portions in one order.

Mangalorean Food

Mangalore buns, goli bhajji and other Karnataka specialities give the menu a distinctive regional focus beyond standard South Indian fare.

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What to Eat at Venus Restaurant, Al Karama

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

Food 10

Bhelpuri Net +1

“We like their BhelPuri also.”
Crispy onion tomtao uttapam Net +1

“We tried their Crispy Onion Tomtao Uttapam and that too was very tasty. Their chutneys are really good along with the sambar.”
Fresh poori bhaji Net +1

“The sambar was delicious and the fresh poori bhaji was great.”
Gobi manchurian Net +1

“Namaskara, perfect place for South Indian delicacies especially from Karnataka. Mangalore Goli Bhajji is perfectly cooked. Upma was light and tasty. Gobi Manchurian was good but could be bit more crispy (forgot to tell them). Service is fantastic.”
Golibaje panpun bodchi Net +1

“golibaje panpun bodchi... baaari yedde ittind..”
Gravvy manchurian Net +1

“Apart from that we had Noodles fried rice along with Gravvy Manchurian which was a good combination.”
Idli chilly Net +1

“Idli Chilly and Ghee Masala Dosa were delicious.”
Idli chilly dry Net +1

“We regularly visit here. Today we ordered a variety of dishes - Ghee Masala Dosa, Sada Dosa, Idli Vada Set, Idli Chilly Dry and South Indian Unlimited Thalli. Food was delicious. 😋”
Idli rasam Net +1

“We tried the Idli Vada Sambar dip, Idli Sambar dip, Mysore Sada Dosa and first time we tried Idli Rasam in a South Indian Restaurant which we haven’t got so far anywhere. All the above dishes were excellent.”
Idli sambar dip Net +1

“We tried the Idli Vada Sambar dip, Idli Sambar dip, Mysore Sada Dosa and first time we tried Idli Rasam in a South Indian Restaurant which we haven’t got so far anywhere. All the above dishes were excellent.”

Honorable mentions (21)

Idli vada sambar dip Net +1

“We tried the Idli Vada Sambar dip, Idli Sambar dip, Mysore Sada Dosa and first time we tried Idli Rasam in a South Indian Restaurant which we haven’t got so far anywhere. All the above dishes were excellent.”
Idli vada set Net +1

“We regularly visit here. Today we ordered a variety of dishes - Ghee Masala Dosa, Sada Dosa, Idli Vada Set, Idli Chilly Dry and South Indian Unlimited Thalli. Food was delicious. 😋”
Idlis Net +1

“Idlis and vada are good, mysoor Masada dosa was average but Rawa dosa was nice.”
Idly vada Net +1

“I love to have the idly vada in the morning.”
Mangalore goli bhajji Net +1

“Namaskara, perfect place for South Indian delicacies especially from Karnataka. Mangalore Goli Bhajji is perfectly cooked. Upma was light and tasty. Gobi Manchurian was good but could be bit more crispy (forgot to tell them). Service is fantastic.”
Mini-tiffin Net +1

“Awesome food. Dosa. Upma, Sheera, Idli. Vada and their chutneys are all delicious 😋 and fresh! Mini-tiffin is the nice option incase you are looking for a Brunch option.”
Mysore sada dosa Net +1

“We tried the Idli Vada Sambar dip, Idli Sambar dip, Mysore Sada Dosa and first time we tried Idli Rasam in a South Indian Restaurant which we haven’t got so far anywhere. All the above dishes were excellent.”
North indian thali Net +1

“My weekend breakfast craving is fulfilled here. Must try Masala dosa, and Mangalore Buns. For lunch Unlimited Thali...Try North Indian Thali which had Ghee Rice veg biryani etc. Affordable and Value for Money Thali restaurant.”
Northindian thali Net +1

“Over good food , tried the northindian thali and a couple of dosas for lunch .”
Paneer tikka masala Net +1

“After Ramadan it was having paneer tikka Masala in limelight.....was awesome.”
Rawa dosa Net +1

“Idlis and vada are good, mysoor Masada dosa was average but Rawa dosa was nice.”
Sajigey bajil Net +1

“I am not a lover of sajigey bajil but ever since I tried last week I have become a fan of it from Venus.”
Sheera/kesri bath Net +1

“sheera/kesri bath.. superb.. perfect sweetness..”
South indian unlimited thalli Net +1

“We regularly visit here. Today we ordered a variety of dishes - Ghee Masala Dosa, Sada Dosa, Idli Vada Set, Idli Chilly Dry and South Indian Unlimited Thalli. Food was delicious. 😋”
Unlimited thali Net +1

“My weekend breakfast craving is fulfilled here. Must try Masala dosa, and Mangalore Buns. For lunch Unlimited Thali...Try North Indian Thali which had Ghee Rice veg biryani etc. Affordable and Value for Money Thali restaurant.”
Uttapam Net +1

“One of the best restaurants serving South Indian as well as North Indian food located in Karama is Venus Restaurant. Quality of Dosa, Uttapam etc ordered was good, rates are just OK. Restrooms need better cleanliness. No COVID protocols been seen in use.”
Vadas Net +1

“If you have read any of my other reviews, you will know I stick to a tried and tested formula of starting with an idli-vada dip before moving on to a masala dosa and ending with a filter coffee. The idli/vadas at Venus are always fresh, the volume of business they do demands it. I find their idlis light and fluffy and their vadas crunchy on the outside and spongy on the inside – near perfect. Their sambar, although watery and almost entirely devoid of any veggies, is tart and tangy with just the right amount of pungency.”
Vanilla ice cream Net +1

“n in last they generally offer One bowl scoop of vanilla ice cream along with chopped fruits.......which kids always exited”
Veg thali Net +1

“Veg Thali is as always the best.”
Mysoor masada dosa Net 0

Only neutral feedback

“Idlis and vada are good, mysoor Masada dosa was average but Rawa dosa was nice.”
Papri chaat Net 0

Only neutral feedback

“The food was not good at all. Tried Pakora, Paneer Masala Dosa, Papri Chaat and a 🥭 lassi to wash it all down. The Pakoras were cold and soggy. The Dosa was tasteless, Chaat was okay. The only item I enjoyed was the lassi.”

Drinks 2

🥭 Lassi Net +1

“The food was not good at all. Tried Pakora, Paneer Masala Dosa, Papri Chaat and a 🥭 lassi to wash it all down. The Pakoras were cold and soggy. The Dosa was tasteless, Chaat was okay. The only item I enjoyed was the lassi.”
Cold coffee Net +1

“We finally ended with a nice Fliter Coffee and a cold coffee for kids.”

What to Avoid (10)

Food 9

Ghee roast Net −1

“Ordered a Ghee Roast, but it went cold very soon and not as tasty as I had from many other places.”
Idly fry Net −1

“All items, taste is good. Except idly fry. Personally, I felt its my mistake to order without asking them how it will be. I didnt expect that idly also will deepfry in oil.”
Pakora Net −1

“The food was not good at all. Tried Pakora, Paneer Masala Dosa, Papri Chaat and a 🥭 lassi to wash it all down. The Pakoras were cold and soggy. The Dosa was tasteless, Chaat was okay. The only item I enjoyed was the lassi.”
Paneer masala dosa Net −1

“The food was not good at all. Tried Pakora, Paneer Masala Dosa, Papri Chaat and a 🥭 lassi to wash it all down. The Pakoras were cold and soggy. The Dosa was tasteless, Chaat was okay. The only item I enjoyed was the lassi.”
Poori Net −1

“There was a fly in the poori, and it looked like the fly was fried along with it. This is very disappointing and unhygienic.”
Rasmalai Net −1

“Tried their Rasmalai in Indian desserts which was mediocre and not as expected.”
Rava dosa Net −1

“However, the rava dosa was slightly over-roasted, which took away from its usual delicate texture.”
Rava masala dosa Net −1

“We had the sada dosa and rava masala dosa served with sambhar and 3 different types of chutneys. Sada dosa was good though found the rava masala very different fron normal. Less porous and more like a normal masala dosa.”
Veg noodles Net −1

“Before placing the order, I specifically asked the waiter whether the Veg Noodles contained mushrooms, as my wife particularly wanted mushroom noodles. I was informed that it did contain mushrooms. However, when the dish arrived, there were no mushrooms at all. Despite the disappointment, I accepted the dish without creating any issue.”

Drinks 1

Avocado shake Net −1

“We also order avocado shake it took too much time to get on table but the taste was not good ..”

Tips for a Better Visit

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Arrive Early. For weekend breakfast, arrive early: tables can fill quickly, with waiting reported from around 9am onward.

Check Availability. Ask when a dish is available before waiting; some menu items are served only after 4pm or 7pm.

Plan the visit

Practical details

Street # 20B

Al Karama, Dubai

04 335 3851

Mon	7:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Tue	7:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Wed	7:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Thu	7:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Fri	7:00 AM – 11:30 PM
Sat	7:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Sun	7:00 AM – 11:30 PM

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Common Concerns

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Condiment Limits

Recent diners report being refused extra chutney and receiving incomplete chutney or sambar accompaniments with some dishes.

Cold Food

Breakfast items have occasionally arrived cold, and one review says food served upstairs was consistently cold.

DXB
LOCAL

The Bottom Line

Venus Restaurant is a vegetarian South Indian favourite in Al Karama, with a particularly strong breakfast reputation. You can order masala dosa, idli-vada, Mangalore buns or a mini tiffin that combines smaller servings such as idli, vada, upma and sheera. Lunch expands into South and North Indian thalis, while filter coffee is a popular finish.

The food is often described as flavourful, fresh and good value, with generous portions and fast service. Mangalorean dishes such as goli bhajji and sajigey bajil add interest, and several diners say the chutneys and sambar are a reason to return. Families have a separate first-floor seating area, though the restaurant can become noisy and crowded on weekends; one review reported about a 15-minute wait.

There are some important recent cautions. Customers have complained about refusals of extra chutney, missing accompaniments and rude handling of complaints. Food temperature has also been inconsistent, particularly upstairs and during breakfast, while one diner reported a fly in a poori.

Ask about dish availability before waiting, arrive early at peak breakfast times, and check that hot items are served hot. Parking may also be difficult when the area is busy.