“Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, it could be your mini-getaway for the evening!”

How Much: AED 99 Set Iftar Menu

Ideal spot for: Dinner with a view

Where: Adjacent to Heritage Village, Al Ghubaiba, Bur Dubai [Google Map here]

Known for: Exotic Camel Burgers

This week, we visited Barjeel Al Arab, an authentic Emarati restaurant for Iftar. It is situated at the Barjeel Heritage Guest House, facing the waterways of the Historical Creek. The place takes you back decades and gives you a great feel for Emirati heritage.

Here’s the Barjeel Al Arab review:

Set Iftar menu:

1. Juices
2.Medley of crisps appetizers
3.Cold Appetizers
4.Soup
5.Main Course
6.Sweet Endings

Food

Appetisers: From the medley of crisp appetizers we liked the Falafel the most, while the mixed Fatayer (spinach & meat) were quite ordinary. The cold appetizers consisted of hummus, Muttabbal and Baba Ghanoush. They offered conventional lentil soup, which truth be told, could have been thicker.

Main Course: We had the Emarati rice dishes, Machboos and Pine Nuts rice topped with Chicken Saffron Tikka and Kebab Halabi. These were quite heavy and tasted rather authentic, the chicken could have done well with a bit more marination.

The vegetarian options are quite limited since Emarati cuisine places a bigger emphasis on meat. Yet on request, the chef prepared spinach bil laban, which is spinach pastry in yogurt-based curry. Inspite of being soaked in the curry, the pastry had somehow managed to stay crispy.

Dessert: Finally coming to the most anticipated part of the meal as always: desserts. Freshly cut fruits and loqimat -deep fried dumplings topped with date syrup, were the highlight of the iftar. A must try!

Ambience & Service

For the duration of the Holy month of Ramadan, they have converted one of their suites into a Majlis. The Iftar takes place there in true Islamic traditional spirit.

The view from the restaurant is obviously spectacular, overlooking the Dubai Creek and Old Deira. Since it is located in the Heritage Village, the interiors are rustic and complementary. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, this could be your mini-getaway for the evening!

The servers were attentive, though the time gap between courses was quite long and for someone one who’s been fasting, it could be irksome. Mr. Shahbaz, the restaurant manager, was welcoming and open to feedback.

B-Change Overall Rating: 6/10

Quick tip: It is advisable to make reservations during the winter season as the restaurant runs on full occupancy.