Liwan Restaurant — Restaurant in Dubai

It has been about two and half years since I’ve had a family outing especially for a lunch buffet given the situation personally and pandemic-ally. Glad we got out for Eid and enjoyed our much needed buffet at Liwan Restaurant located in Swissôtel Al Ghurair. I’ve been here thrice and they never disappoint especially their salad station, absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! . Freshness, uniqueness, variety and flavours are a 10/10. They really get you started with their greens and servings, beyond irresistible I must say, I had to come for seconds even during my mains. Well, I didn’t want to regret it later on, IYKYK. Too many for me highlight here because everything was scrumptious. If you do live in UAE or plan on visiting Liwan Restaurant is a must try!

A hearty and delicious spread at Liwan was definitely worthwhile! , Alhamdullilah. Loved their concise menu- serving up Arabic cuisine, Italian, Indian, American and more. I enjoyed it all over again(this is our third time at this restaurant). My favourites were the Lamb Ouzi, Roast Beef w/ Thyme, Dawood Basha, Shish Barak, Kibbeh, Grilled Chicken w/ Potatoes, Fish in Lemon Sauce and they also cater to fresh on-the-spot grills featuring Shrimps, Sea Bass, Lamb Chops- oh the grease and taste was too good and most importantly Shawarma. I had to take breaks in between so that I could try everything and enjoy it instead of devouring it and feeling full, besides I am yet to taste the desserts, ain’t no way am I leaving a buffet without having em’ sweetness. The fact that their taste still remains the same over the years says a lot about their service and food, it was a delightful experience again. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED….AGAINN.

The dessert station at any buffet is a mandatory ritual. Given the simplicity of the desserts served at Liwan Restaurant makes it more decadent. I loved their rich Chocolate Layered Cake w/ Peanuts, Raspberry Panna cotta, bite sized Pistachio Truffles and another dessert that I can’t recall but it was basically a creamy inner wrapped in a semi-sweet white mousse, it was beyond decadent! Those were my favourites, they also cater Ice Creams, Arabic Sweets such as Baklava, Dumplings, Knafa, Cookies and Umm Ali- I felt the fritters and the famous Umm Ali lacked texture and flavours. The dumplings were hard to munch and dry, the latter had no sweet at all or essence when it usually should be sweeter. Apart from these, I enjoyed the rest.

Great ambiance, location, impeccable staff and service- eager to help and guide you as when needed. We had a delightful experience here after a long time.

Do check all my reels on their salads/appetisers, mains, and desserts on my Instagram page: @the.forensic.foodess for a glimpse of their delicacies, it’s...

yesterday we had Iftar dinner at this restaurant and i must say it has good vibes in terms of ambience and believe me that is the only good thing about this restaurant live music adds some sort of melody in experience which was good too now lets address the elephant in the room THE FOOD if you are actually hungry i would suggest to go somewhere else i have had iftar/dinner at so many restaurants in dubai sharjah ajman but if i make a list of my top 10 or even top 20 it wont come near to any place the food was of total 3 items for main course grilled style chicken makloubeh style mandi and i dont even know the boneless chicken all of these were so stale and hard i think even ready to eat meals from a supermarket would have more taste and tenderness and when you are charging more than 100 dirhams and feeding people with fake shawarmas filled with same stale chicken with some extra sauce it was just outright disrespect to so loved traditional dish shawarma imagine paying 100+ dirhams to eat shawarma and meat so hard you cant even chew on these anyways it was our first and last visit to this restaurant hope someday manager eats at his own restaurant and realize whats people are going through and for the love of god please add few items of BBQ middle eastern cuisine includes these too :( for the service part as it was a buffet dinner there was no one there to take your plate if you are done with an item and want to try another one plates were piling up on the tables as people were unable to eat those tasteless items and were going back for another items in a desparat attempt to find something to eat and service people only came when its all over and just took plates with food piling up on all the tables so if i rate this it goes like this

ambiance = 8/10 food = 2 / 10 (2 numbers only for few dessert...

My officemates and I recently went to Liwan Restaurant for lunch, and overall, it was a pleasant experience with a few areas that could be improved.

First, I really appreciated the service. The staff were genuinely nice, approachable, and helpful, which made the dining experience more enjoyable. A special mention to Raiza, Sarah, and Hema—they were attentive and made sure we felt well taken care of throughout our meal. Their friendly and professional attitudes really stood out.

The venue itself is also impressive. It’s clean, well-maintained, and has a comfortable ambiance that’s perfect for both casual dining and special gatherings.

However, when it comes to the food, I felt there was room for improvement. While the dishes were served fresh and warm—which I truly appreciated—the variety of food options was a bit limited. It would have been nice to see a broader selection, including more vegetarian dishes, especially for a buffet setting. Additionally, some of the dishes were slightly on the salty side, which affected the overall balance of flavors.

On the positive side, the staff were quick to refill items, so nothing stayed empty for long, which is always a good sign of attentive service. I also really enjoyed the desserts—they were a delightful way to end the meal.

Overall, Liwan offers great service, a pleasant ambiance, and fresh food. With a bit more variety on the menu and some adjustments to the seasoning, it could be even better. I’d definitely consider...