SAID DAL 1923 - City Walk, Dubai — Restaurant in Dubai

This place is all show and no substance. Honestly, I wish I could give zero stars.

I first found it on Google and was excited to visit because my husband and I love hot chocolate. From the photos, it looked amazing. The space itself is calm around midday, so I thought it would be perfect. But once we ordered, everything went downhill.

We asked for hazelnut hot chocolate — they didn’t have it. That’s like going to a coffee shop and being told there’s no coffee. What we got instead was simply undrinkable. It wasn’t hot chocolate — it was literally just melted chocolate in a cup. Looks cute for Instagram? Yes. Drinkable? Absolutely not. You could maybe drizzle it on strawberries, but don’t expect to enjoy it as an actual drink. Messy, overpriced, and disappointing.

The service didn’t help either. Our waiter looked unhappy, uninterested, and made no effort to be welcoming. Everyone has tough days, but in hospitality, attitude matters. Nobody wants to be served with a bad face.

We also ordered shakshuka because it looked good in the photos. Big mistake. It was the worst shakshuka I’ve ever had in Dubai. The eggs were undercooked, the tomatoes lacked flavor, and even the bread was messy and crumbly. We were so hungry we ate what we could in five minutes just to fill our stomachs, but it was not enjoyable at all.

To top it off, the prices are absurd for what you get. I’ve always been fair in my reviews, but this place simply doesn’t deserve the hype or the money.

Bottom line: Don’t waste your time or money. If you’re visiting Dubai and tempted because it “looks cool,” skip it. The hot chocolate isn’t drinkable, the food is below average, and the service is poor. There are plenty of better cafés in Dubai — even Peet’s Coffee is a far better choice.

One star, only because zero isn’t an option. I will never go back, and I don’t recommend anyone else...

I had the chance to visit Said Dal 1923 recently, and I must say, the experience was a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, their famous San Sebastian cake with triple chocolate covering absolutely lived up to its reputation. The cake was incredibly rich and decadent, with the perfect balance of creamy texture and intense chocolate flavors. The triple chocolate covering added an extra layer of indulgence, making it a must-try for anyone with a sweet tooth. It’s one of those desserts that leaves you craving more with every bite, and I can see why it’s such a popular choice.

On the other hand, I also ordered their hot chocolate, and this is where things fell short for me. While I was expecting something equally indulgent, the hot chocolate lacked the rich, velvety texture and deep flavor that I’ve come to expect from a place that specializes in chocolate-based items. It was more on the average side and didn’t quite complement the excellence of the dessert. I felt like it could have been smoother, thicker, and overall more flavorful to stand out on its own.

In summary, Said Dal 1923 is a fantastic spot if you’re looking to indulge in some top-tier desserts like their San Sebastian cake, but the hot chocolate left room for improvement. I’d definitely go back for the cake, but I might pass on the hot...

The food was terrible.

The hot chocolate and the mojito were good.

The sliders were abysmal - chewing on the chicken slider felt like chewing on tasteless rubber, and the beef wagyu wasn't any better. It's my worst purchase of the past year. It was so bad it probably makes me want to avoid ordering any food from this place at all.

I've had better burgers that cost 15 dhs from cafeterias instead of these for around 70 dhs.

The hot chocolate wasn't bad. The "small" cup was smaller than I expected - it was perhaps the size of a Turkish coffee cup? And yet it cost around 30 dirhams. It was good, but I wouldn't say it was worth 30 dirhams. If you want to try their specialty hot chocolate, you can perhaps try making your own and then spill some chocolate on your mug and save yourself 30 dirhams.

They have fazaa offer but it only applies for the food rather than the drinks.

The service wasn't bad. We were offered water and 2 pieces of chocolate because we couldn't finish our sliders. We just wanted to make it clear that the sliders were very poor - we thought that other people shouldn't suffer the way we did.

The fries were edible. Wish they were hotter, at least.

@houseoflavour...