al iwan - burj al arab

awesome food and buffet....
very friendly and helpful staff....
u get everything you can expect from a restaurant in burj al arab.... 
will def. go back for it's great seafood....

iwan lunch buffet

friendly staff
amazing ambience
heavy on price

the iwan buffet does not fail to appeal the lebanese food lovers and the ambience just takes you breath away.definately would recommend the buffet for all the lebanese lovers and the service provided is definitely worth for a 7 star restaurant.would love to visit agan and experience the dinning pleasure with iwaan

i was at al iwan recently and i took the lobster club sandwich. i honestly didn't find anything special in it, it was very standard. then i took the rasberry pistachio tart and yes this was a special tart that i loved.

the food is very average, the place itself is nice, the look of the place is the only reason why i am giving 3, however if it is the food that you are really interested in: please don't go here.

food - great |
pricing - expensive |
ambience - amazing |
dishes recommended - excellent range of seafood , lebanese cuisine & great variety of desserts

i have always been regular to burj al arab , they have always made sure that they provide elite service and the whole ambience thing is simple outstanding , previously i have visited few of their places the food was good but this time i have to admit it this is truly the best restaurant in burj . whether it's the seafood , lebanese or italian it ensures that we have great quality of food . not to forget the desserts of this place is just heaven . i strongly recommend you this place

overall , al iwan restaurant in burj is worth the experience , go 4 it 👍

the interior is lovely as you would expect from burj alarab yet the buffet choices are limited. i would have expected more variety and more traditional mezzeh to be on offer. not the greatest choice of place to celebrate ones birthday, although a surprise complementary chocolate cake was served to us at the end of the meal (once we filed ourselves up with the buffet sweets).
quick casual bite...perhaps, special occasion...big no no!

i had visited al iwan in 2006 for a lunch with family and found the place very good! we had opted for the buffet and it was very good - you get an amazing view of the upper floors of the hotel from the dining area........worth visiting again !

had been here to celebrate an anniversary, excellent ambiance and food. the service is very smooth and they have got an extremely friendly staff whose always eager to help. reservation process is easy to do as well. a must try for whose who are hesitant to spend it's a worth every dirham.

though there is no doubt that this place is the best. its a majestic hotel., without a booking in hand u can't even enter the hotel. the kind of ambience and glamour is out of the world, something that 85% indians won't be used to. i had a booking here for lunch buffet with my family on jan 05, 2015. this is an arabian food restaurant which is quite similar to authentic mughlai foods and the food was out of thr world. though i was quite upset on the kind of service they provided. the waiters & the staff was least bothered for a timely service. their beverages were specially beers were out of stock than at other pubs outside. appeared the bar tender was busy elsewhere serving drinks. the food for my child was ordered on ala cart served after 40-45 mins. the waiters have their own attitude, were not several times available when we needed them. food was just excellent but with mediocre service. they were also not child friendly restaurant. all in all i would rate them at 6/10 with major weightahe of food. spent almost rs 42,000/- on a lunch for 4 pax. this was one place where the overall experice not well spent. however their services could not justify the 7 star tag repo and the worth of a meal worth 42k.

the service simply top notch. being vegetarians the options are limited but that did not stop us from enjoying ourselves.

the staff made us feel very comfortable and went all out. the food was equally good if maybe the pasta could have had more red sauce.

the desserts were amazing with so many options available. a must visit!

al iwan, the lavishly decorated arabic restaurant of the hotel, provided the ideal setting for iftar with beautiful red and gold drapes, and a tiered tray with a selection of arabic desserts at the entrance. when we walked in, we instantly knew this would be one extravagant meal! a refreshing change from the buffet-style offerings of most restaurants, the meal here is served at the table.

on being seated, we were treated to fresh apricot, rose syrup and tamarind juice. a range of pickles and dips such as hummous, yoghurt with pine nuts (which was mouthwatering), moutabel and bulgur salad, were then laid out on the table - and this was before the appetisers even arrived. the hot appetisers which followed included the usual suspects of fattoush, tabbouleh and harari - a warm potato and meat soup with a hint of spice - which were all delicious. the meals were paced well, as the food came out every ten minutes, giving us enough time to enjoy each course. for mains, we tucked into seabass with salsa, kibbeh, moussakeh, arabic rice with vermicelli and our favourite, lobster tail, which was served in the shell. juicy and succulent, it was a highlight of the meal. as was the lamb quzi, a popular arabic dish, which was served towards the end of the main course.

tempting as it was to stuff ourselves, we saved some space for dessert, my favourite part of any meal. a tray of assorted desserts were served, which included knaffeh, baklava, warm and hearty umm ali, pistachio knaffeh and one dish that i still can't stop thinking about - hababm jabneh, a white stuffed sweet cheese roll with syrup on top.

this review was contributed by bbc good food me (www.bbcgoodfoodme.com) and featured in their july 2012 issue.