Seafood Spread
Buffets can include fresh seafood, sushi, oysters and carving stations, with seafood quality repeatedly praised.
Yalumba
Al Garhoud
Yalumba is a buffet-led restaurant at Le Méridien Dubai in Al Garhoud, with themed brunches, breakfast and dinner nights. It is especially worth considering for broad international spreads—particularly seafood buffets—and family occasions where children can join activities such as cupcake decorating.
Reputation Score
4.4
★★★★☆
603 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Brunch Variety
Saturday brunch includes live and BBQ stations, international dishes and less usual choices such as ostrich.
Family Activities
Family brunches can include a dedicated kids’ area, activities and a children’s menu, helping parents settle in.
Breakfast Spread
Breakfast covers international and regional dishes, with freshly baked breads, fruit and live egg stations.
Outdoor Seating
The spacious venue has both indoor and outdoor seating, including a terrace used for brunches and relaxed meals.
Attentive Service
Reviews commonly describe the service as warm, polite and well organised, including during large gatherings.
What to Eat at Yalumba 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 Yalumba, 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 Yalumba got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 10
-
Bbq night Net +1
“The BBQ Night was particularly impressive. The variety of food available was very well balanced, catering to different preferences, and every dish was flavorful, well-prepared, and consistently tasty.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The BBQ Night was particularly impressive. The variety of food available was very well balanced, catering to different preferences, and every dish was flavorful, well-prepared, and consistently tasty.”January 2026
-
Calamari Net +1
“Oysters, crabs, calamari, octopus were just delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Oysters, crabs, calamari, octopus were just delicious.”November 2021
-
Cheese cake Net +1
“Desserts variety was great too my favorite being date pudding and cheese cake 🍰”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Desserts variety was great too my favorite being date pudding and cheese cake 🍰”January 2022
-
Cornflakes Net +1
“After surprising myself by eating a champion of a breakfast I decided to end my temptations with a nice bowl of cornflakes in cold milk and dried fruits- aahhh that was refreshing and my tummy is full and I skipped lunch.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“After surprising myself by eating a champion of a breakfast I decided to end my temptations with a nice bowl of cornflakes in cold milk and dried fruits- aahhh that was refreshing and my tummy is full and I skipped lunch.”August 2022
-
Couscous salad Net +1
“The couscous salad I paired with croissant was yummyy.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The couscous salad I paired with croissant was yummyy.”August 2022
-
Crispy hash browns Net +1
“I loved me some crispy hash browns, paired that with their variety of cheese they had.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I loved me some crispy hash browns, paired that with their variety of cheese they had.”August 2022
-
Croissant Net +1
“The couscous salad I paired with croissant was yummyy.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The couscous salad I paired with croissant was yummyy.”August 2022
-
Danish pastries Net +1
“My favourites were definitely the danish pastries, ALL OF THEM- super fresh and just how it should be.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“My favourites were definitely the danish pastries, ALL OF THEM- super fresh and just how it should be.”August 2022
-
Date pudding Net +1
“Desserts variety was great too my favorite being date pudding and cheese cake 🍰”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Desserts variety was great too my favorite being date pudding and cheese cake 🍰”January 2022
-
Dosai masala Net +1
“Nice atmosphere, freshly made Dosai Masala. Fresh juices too. Takeaway Cappuccino with Oat milk. Good service!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Nice atmosphere, freshly made Dosai Masala. Fresh juices too. Takeaway Cappuccino with Oat milk. Good service!”June 2025
Honorable mentions (18)
-
Eggnogg Net +1
“With friendly service, delicious eggnogg on arrival and magical Christmas décor, it was the right choice to come in.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“With friendly service, delicious eggnogg on arrival and magical Christmas décor, it was the right choice to come in.”November 2018
-
Fois gras Net +1
“The seafood was also of a good variety ( scallops, oysters...) and they had so many special other food items like Fois Gras et... Amazing.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The seafood was also of a good variety ( scallops, oysters...) and they had so many special other food items like Fois Gras et... Amazing.”April 2024
-
Fresh oysters Net +1
“Having gone for the Christmas Eve brunch, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of the range of food available, including fresh oysters, decent seafood and meat offerings through to a good selection of international cheeses and dessert - better than average for a buffet.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Having gone for the Christmas Eve brunch, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of the range of food available, including fresh oysters, decent seafood and meat offerings through to a good selection of international cheeses and dessert - better than average for a buffet.”December 2020
-
Grilled pork ribs Net +1
“I specifically enjoyed the fresh seafood, the lobsters and oysters, roasted beef and lamb, grilled pork ribs and sweet ham!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I specifically enjoyed the fresh seafood, the lobsters and oysters, roasted beef and lamb, grilled pork ribs and sweet ham!”July 2022
-
Honey glazed ham Net +1
“The food, however, was the real highlight. On the savoury side, the buffet featured a beautifully roasted turkey, honey glazed ham, and a selection of meat pies, alongside roasted vegetables and classic holiday sides.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food, however, was the real highlight. On the savoury side, the buffet featured a beautifully roasted turkey, honey glazed ham, and a selection of meat pies, alongside roasted vegetables and classic holiday sides.”July 2026
-
Instant birthday cake Net +1
“Should mention Jahir the head chef who was there sharing his stories and entertaining us also Santosh had always a smile on his face and Nahdar who topped off the glasses for us with no fuss, the pastry chef (Ranjan) or something like that too was very kind made an instant birthday cake for my favorite friend which was awesome.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Should mention Jahir the head chef who was there sharing his stories and entertaining us also Santosh had always a smile on his face and Nahdar who topped off the glasses for us with no fuss, the pastry chef (Ranjan) or something like that too was very kind made an instant birthday cake for my favorite friend which was awesome.”July 2025
-
Jalebis Net +1
“The warm Jalebis were damn good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The warm Jalebis were damn good.”March 2020
-
Kunafa Net +1
“There were my favorite Umm ali and Kunafa – that I couldn’t resist.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“There were my favorite Umm ali and Kunafa – that I couldn’t resist.”March 2020
-
Lobsters Net +1
“I specifically enjoyed the fresh seafood, the lobsters and oysters, roasted beef and lamb, grilled pork ribs and sweet ham!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I specifically enjoyed the fresh seafood, the lobsters and oysters, roasted beef and lamb, grilled pork ribs and sweet ham!”July 2022
-
Micro fern-like creation Net +1
“The array of amuse-bouche was equally impressive. My favorite was a small plate featuring a micro fern-like creation, artistically crafted on a green broccoli base and garnished with broccoli, mushroom, asparagus, and a delectable vinaigrette in a caviar bubble that bursts as you chew.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The array of amuse-bouche was equally impressive. My favorite was a small plate featuring a micro fern-like creation, artistically crafted on a green broccoli base and garnished with broccoli, mushroom, asparagus, and a delectable vinaigrette in a caviar bubble that bursts as you chew.”June 2024
-
Octopus Net +1
“Oysters, crabs, calamari, octopus were just delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Oysters, crabs, calamari, octopus were just delicious.”November 2021
-
Ostrich Net +1
“The selection is generous and carefully designed, featuring live/BBQ stations and international options prepared with notable care and freshness, appealing to both classic and adventurous palates (like ostrich).”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The selection is generous and carefully designed, featuring live/BBQ stations and international options prepared with notable care and freshness, appealing to both classic and adventurous palates (like ostrich).”January 2026
-
Roasted beef Net +1
“I specifically enjoyed the fresh seafood, the lobsters and oysters, roasted beef and lamb, grilled pork ribs and sweet ham!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I specifically enjoyed the fresh seafood, the lobsters and oysters, roasted beef and lamb, grilled pork ribs and sweet ham!”July 2022
-
Roasted lamb Net +1
“I specifically enjoyed the fresh seafood, the lobsters and oysters, roasted beef and lamb, grilled pork ribs and sweet ham!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I specifically enjoyed the fresh seafood, the lobsters and oysters, roasted beef and lamb, grilled pork ribs and sweet ham!”July 2022
-
Roasted turkey Net +1
“The food, however, was the real highlight. On the savoury side, the buffet featured a beautifully roasted turkey, honey glazed ham, and a selection of meat pies, alongside roasted vegetables and classic holiday sides.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food, however, was the real highlight. On the savoury side, the buffet featured a beautifully roasted turkey, honey glazed ham, and a selection of meat pies, alongside roasted vegetables and classic holiday sides.”July 2026
-
Sweet ham Net +1
“I specifically enjoyed the fresh seafood, the lobsters and oysters, roasted beef and lamb, grilled pork ribs and sweet ham!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I specifically enjoyed the fresh seafood, the lobsters and oysters, roasted beef and lamb, grilled pork ribs and sweet ham!”July 2022
-
Tuna pastrami Net +1
“The highlight for me amongst all was the tuna pastrami which I found so delicious and unique, I’ve had other salami and pastrami but this was just perfect, didn’t even taste like fish whatsoever.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The highlight for me amongst all was the tuna pastrami which I found so delicious and unique, I’ve had other salami and pastrami but this was just perfect, didn’t even taste like fish whatsoever.”August 2022
-
Umm ali Net +1
“There were my favorite Umm ali and Kunafa – that I couldn’t resist.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“There were my favorite Umm ali and Kunafa – that I couldn’t resist.”March 2020
Drinks 2
-
Cappuccino with oat milk Net +1
“Nice atmosphere, freshly made Dosai Masala. Fresh juices too. Takeaway Cappuccino with Oat milk. Good service!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Nice atmosphere, freshly made Dosai Masala. Fresh juices too. Takeaway Cappuccino with Oat milk. Good service!”June 2025
-
Watermelon juice Net +1
“The watermelon juice is perfect to beat this heat.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The watermelon juice is perfect to beat this heat.”August 2022
Tips for a Better Visit
Reserve Groups. If you are dining with a large group during Iftar, reserve ahead; one group found that a reservation helped.
Choose Themes. Check the theme before booking: Seafood Tuesday was specifically praised for its fresh, plentiful seafood.
Try Breakfast. For a calmer visit, consider breakfast, which one reviewer described as spacious, organised and calm.
Validate Parking. Ask the restaurant to validate your ticket; a review reports free parking with in-restaurant ticket validation.
Plan For Kids. Saturday family brunches can include cupcake decorating, pizza making, face painting and magic shows.
Check Last Orders. Ask about last-order timings before a brunch visit, as one guest was disappointed there was no last-order call.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Airport Rd
Al Garhoud, Dubai
| Mon | 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
| Tue | 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
| Wed | 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
| Thu | 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
| Fri | 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
| Sat | 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
| Sun | 6:30 AM – 10:30 AM |
Common Concerns
Desserts Vary
One brunch review found the desserts consistently underwhelming, despite stronger savoury food.
Slow Replenishment
At Filipino Night, some popular dishes were not replenished promptly, creating waits at the buffet.
Limited Alternatives
One Sunday brunch reviewer found fewer choices for diners who avoid seafood and red meat.
Iftar Delays
One Ramadan visit involved waits for water and dates, and some anticipated dishes were unavailable.
Buffet Crowding
A large-group Iftar visit found the opening buffet crowded and short on supporting staff.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
185 AED/pp
buffet for Iftar
“The buffet for Iftar is a bargain at only 185 AED/pp”Google review · March 2023
350AED
Seafood day
“Seafood day is Tuesday, so if u are in book ur self, payed 350AED, ate & drunk for 1k… thank u wonderful team of Yalumba!”Google review · July 2022
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Yalumba is a buffet-focused restaurant at Le Méridien Dubai in Al Garhoud, and its strongest draw is the range. You can come for breakfast, a Saturday brunch, a themed Seafood Tuesday or an Iftar buffet, with international dishes and live cooking stations changing the experience by occasion. Seafood is a recurring highlight: reviews mention oysters, lobster, crab, prawns, sushi and sashimi, while brunches also bring carving and BBQ stations.
Breakfast is calmer and includes regional and international dishes, freshly baked breads and live egg stations. The spacious setting has indoor and outdoor seating, and service is generally described as attentive and friendly. Families will find more than a meal at selected brunches, with children’s areas, face painting, magic shows and cupcake decorating.
Large celebrations and corporate dinners are also well represented in the reviews. For Ramadan groups, book ahead, as one Iftar visit became crowded and experienced delays with water, dates and buffet replenishment. Quality can vary by theme: one reviewer found the regular brunch’s main dishes less compelling and another found the desserts underwhelming.
Customer-reported prices include 185 AED per person for one Iftar buffet and 350AED for Seafood Day, so confirm current packages before booking.