al iwan - burj al arab

i had booked this place for my wifés birthday and everything went pretty well as we planned. the service, food andambiencewill definitely fullfil your expectations of a luxurious fine dining hotel. loved their gesture of providing an amazing multi layer chocolate cake.

just to describe in 1 word - highly disappointed

so after a big disappointment from a restaurant at a place also known as 8th wonder of the world, i decide to write my first review on zomato.. after recommendation from a friend and going by zomato reviews and rating, i planned to celebrate a very special evening at al iwan, reservation done, husband's pic given (as they mention in confirmation email - pic can be provided so the guest will be greeted at the entrance), special comments mentioned that its my husband's birthday which r are able to celebrate together after about 5yrs so request to provide the best possible table with best possible arrangements..

we arrived at the restaurant and here the disappointment starts - first, sending pic was of no use, second, there wasn't any sort of special decor on the table (which i expected to be atleast a few petal of roses), the table provided was rather so secluded that even the waiters couldn't see us when we needed them, the view on the table was of a lobby (which actually gave a feeling like we were sitting in a lobby cafe/restaurant - a table close to the window or anywhere in quite and a more romanticambiencerather than a lobby view and noise would have been appreciated) , sitting was really uncomfortable with the semi circle kind of sofa.

after that next was the arabic bread, labneh and salad served at our table, with this high standard of restaurant one can never expect a not so hot arabic bread platter and a bowl of salad with really poor presentation - a few long sliced cucumber and capsicums...then the food buffet, buffet spread out nicely with quite a few options but the food was already cold - chef was there to explain us all the dishes but to our disappointment, from bbq to lamb ozi, everything was cold as if they were about to close the restaurant...

a complimentary cake was given for my husband and a rose for me....thankyou for that

however, the only reason to give 2 points is the friendly staff, the waiter (noor) and the lady on reception to whom i also mentioned that it was quite a disappointment specially in regards to the sitting provided.

i chose al iwan thinking a restaurant at the best location would never go rong on anything and make this very special evening even more special for us.......but i guess my choice was completely wrong...there was not even one single special gesture which could make it different from any other restaurant

incredible level of service is what you get at this place. the staff is the highlight here

being at burj al arab is a luxerious experience all in all. however, theambienceand food variety is something that can't compete anymore with the new places that keep popping up in dubai. food taste is very good.

i can recommend it and may go again

my husband took me here for surprise birthday dinner, i was so aww struck, when we were in front of burj al arab and was soo excited to go in and have dinner from here.
interiors are too good. table was set up so nice, the colors on the table, rose and the candles,perfect for a date.
the service was really good too..
coming to the food part.. it was a wide spread arabic buffet.. not that great, it was just okay for the price. they had all kinds of arabic sweets which was good.
overall very good experience, would recommend everyone for theambienceand the experience.

the cost was reasonable as we used entertainer coupon 1+1 free, so we paid only for one person.

service:5/5
food:3/5
ambience:4.5/5
price:3/5

al iwan, the yummiest place on earth... they have a buffet, food is tempting, fresh, and tasteful.ambienceis just wow 😮. it’s a must must go to place. it’s a little pricey place but worth paying. i’m definitely going again. cheers

this is one of the best restaurant i've visit so far in terms of the place which is located at the iconic burj al arab, i really loved the place, greatambienceand very welcoming staff. food is purely arabic. many options to choose from main course to dessert in the buffet section. i had a great experience in this restaurant on which the staff will treat you like a vip.

burj al arab known for luxury and class being a 7 star hotel houses many restaurants out of which is this arabic , al iwan .
extremely luxurious interiors, comfortable seating which also has a view facing the sea. a very calm and tranquil place.
hospitality went above my expectations. each and every staff were polite , courteous , pleasant and had an eye to detail. we had small kids so their baby sear were laid down very beautifully with the table preset for them. this was very impressive. also, services like one being approached to hang their handbags on the edge of the tables were little element of surprise. they went extra mile to arrange snacks for the kids as per their choice. the food was explained to us (depicts their product knowledge). basically i found not a monotonous service but humans offering hospitality humbly .
the buffet was very presentable , clean and hygienic. 1 chef was constantly near the buffet to help us with the dishes and recommendations.
the food i found wasn't any extra ordinary . have tasted the same at many places. less options for vegetarians , especially main course.
if you choose to visit this place , surely come for the service where they will make you feel like a king and of course theambienceand venue.
a very well done job to this team. certainly under pressure being located inside burj al arab to keep the fame, but still won my heart. hope the food which we pay so much for improves.

except forambienceand good service, thd visit was a total disappointment.

food was a total disappointment except for salads and desserts.

at such exorbitant price, it seems we are worthwile paying only forambienceand not food.

soft drinks for my 5 yrs old daughter was charged in the buffet while they were free us!!! any logic? and that too it was not informed on arrival or on web site.

seems its the restaurant policy to grab whatever comes to hands rather than holding to clientage.

signature arabic buffet restaurant at the burj al arab.
nice and cosyambiencethats a stark contrast to the granduer of the lobby and atrium of this iconic hotel.
loved the one to one service. the staff and their service is really worth mentioning. the buffet is also just right, not too over the top interms of the number of dishes, but just right. i expected a bit more varieties at the dessert corner but thats just me.
you habe got to try their harees and veil curry.

niceambienceand view.. limited food options..
not recommended for indians due to lack of desi options.

recommended if you get a voucher to for it.. strictly one time visit!

located in the breathtaking burj al arab, we visited al iwan since it was featured in the 'luxury iftar venues' collection.

it is a buffet restaurant offering arabic and middle eastern cuisines. despite the luxuriousambienceand the lovely staff, the restaurant was surprisingly not as impressive as the hotel itself.

the buffet was well spread out with a good variety of salads, starters (such as fattoush, moutabel and hummus), meats (cuts of chicken and lamb), lamb biryani and desserts. however each item was quite medicore, even the desserts. there was hardly any flavor to any of the dishes and there was not one dish which made us want to grab a second time. the best items so far were the soups and the complimentary birthday cake which was a layered chocolate cake.

the service on the other hand was impeccable. the staff was very helpful with enquiries about the food and offered to point out the contents of the dishes which could cause an allergic reaction.

the ambience, without a doubt, was beautiful with embroidered red curtains and lavish seatings. we had the window seating which was perfect as it had a good view of the sea.

overall it was a hit n miss since theambienceis what made the dining experience worthwhile while the food was a disappointment.

we went there for lunch on a weekday and honestly i did not find the buffet too impressive, but not bad either. had better indian options than the arabic ones 😜.
for the price you pay, the service andambienceis not that good. it's in the main lobby area of the property and hence very crowded and noisy. certainly found the bab al yam restaurant within the same property much better.

today i went to al iwan for my birthday it was my first visit to al iwan. the food and theambiencewere all not as nice as per the price. they are charging 550 per person and it doesnt even include water or soft drinks which is weird as per the price paid. the food variety was very less as compare to the price even with half of this price you can get better buffet at another 5 star restaurants. poor service and poor birthday celebration. the only thing make this restaurant running is that it is inside the 7 star burj al arab hotel. would not recommend this restaurant at all to food lovers.

iwan lunch buffet

friendly staff
amazingambience
heavy on price

the iwan buffet does not fail to appeal the lebanese food lovers and theambiencejust 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

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 wholeambiencething 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 👍