Em Sherif Cafe — Restaurant in Dubai

Finally got to try this new gem on the boulevard, we can certainly recommend it.

A very warm and friendly welcome, attentive service, and a check in by the manager all served to make us feel like old friends returning to a favored eating spot. For me, this is what rounds off good food to make a great experience.

I will recommend you reserve a table in the shisha section so you can enjoy a boulevard view with open windows allowing the perfect Dubai winter weather to add to your experience. For non-smokers, thanks to the wide open windows and great ventilation, you can enjoy this space without feeling intoxicated by the shisha vapors. If that’s not your vibe, there is a non-smoking section at the rear though this does not enjoy the same views and cosmopolitan feel of the front of house.

It’s Lebanese cuisine, freshly made, and tasty, and the price is very reasonable, with main dishes averaging out between AED 60 and AED 80, while the mezze ranges from around AED 30 to AED 60.

Highly recommend the hummus with pine nuts, lentil salad and meat shawarma. We also ordered the shakshuka - this is a scrambled egg variant, so best to ask about that first, if you are expecting other versions with whole soft-cooked yolks.

In summary: Menu: • variety: 4/5 • quality: 5/5 Service: • hospitality: 5/5 • attentiveness: 5/5 Setting: • ambience: 5/5 • comfort & accessibility: 4/5 • privacy: 4/5 • social distancing considerations: 4/5 Value for money: 4/5

Would we go back? Yes. Em Sharif feels like a new regular haunt.

📍 Downtown Dubai 🍽 Casual dining 💲 AED 443 for 3 persons, including shisha 💁🏻‍♂️ What I ordered: Hummus with pine nuts Meat shawarma Lentil salad Shakshuka Turkish coffee Local...

We visited Um Sherif Café with high expectations, especially after trying their restaurant, which truly is one of the best in every aspect. Unfortunately, our experience at the café today was disappointing. Food Ratings: Boneless Chicken: 9/10 Boneless Chicken Sandwich: 7/10 Beef Shawarma Sandwich: 8.5/10 Spicy Potatoes: 5/10 Raw Meat Platter: 10/10 Hummus: 10/10 While most dishes were great, the sandwiches were overloaded with parsley, which affected the overall flavor. The spicy potatoes were underwhelming. Service & Cleanliness Issues: Inconsistent Table Setup: Some tables had napkins, others only tissues – surprising for a place of this level. Serving Method: Staff do not use trays. They carry plates and juices by hand, which looks unprofessional and raises hygiene concerns. Unhygienic Cleaning Practices: The most frustrating part was seeing staff collect used tissues, wipe the tables using the same bunch, and then walk away with them. This is unacceptable for any dining establishment, let alone one under the Um Sherif name. Overall, the food had some high points, but the lack of attention to service and hygiene really impacted our experience. I hope the management takes these issues seriously to maintain the reputation built by...

Unfortunately we had a bad experience at our visit yesterday Sunday 8 Sep 2025, at the beginning the lady who welcomed us she was not welcoming at all and she said the table are reserved you can sit here (the are inside which is after smoking area which where people whom are waiting for their orders or some nannies sit there , with all my respect to all nannies out there) after that she said umm you know you wait here maybe we can find table upstairs, before we sit she was talking to other main guys out there and then she said ok you can sit here at the smoking area!!!!! Will all my respect but the staff are totally untrained and nonprofessional (that was the beginning, after the guy who take the order comes to our table who was also having that poker face or lets call it non welcoming behavior, i asked what is the dish for today and he confidently said i dont know let me check .. ok fine no problem… then we order and the quality of food was not the best specially kubba and moujanat it look like old, and we ordered tawook as well which was ok not that bad 5/10 lets say.. i hope restaurant management take action on this, i dont usually write such reviews but it was realllly bad experience and the the whole experience really...