Buddha Bar

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Buddha Bar

Buddha Bar Overview

Buddha Bar is a new addition to the Grosvenor House Hotel, the same restaurant and bar that has made it way from its origin in Paris to various overseas locations.

The red carpet leading down towards the large separate entrance and the large doormen manage to evoke a little tingle of self importance. As you enter you will be greeted by numerous bowing waitresses who will show you to the bar or straight to your table. The restaurant is huge, spread across two floors the main dining area being overlooked by a 15ft tall Buddha. The ceiling is up way above and has numerous classical red chandeliers dangling down from above. The large floor to ceiling windows allow for views of the marina.

The restaurant is dark (we were given a pocket light at the bar to read the menu) and is lit by little red candles. There are lots of secluded little coves as well as a sushi bar with Japanese low seating all around. There is a good mixture of food, taking the best of many different Asian cuisines, for instance for start you can have duck and pancakes, a variety of sushi or share a plate of vegetable tempura, which is what we opted for and it was fantastically fresh. For main course I had the Vegetable Mussuman curry with steamed rice, the portions were of a perfect size, my friend´s beef strips on a bed of mash was absolutely delicious.

The kind waitress advised us on a good bottle of red wine and when chatting discovered that two weeks ago we had missed out on a birthday celebration at the restaurant because it was fully booked, so she brought over a birthday dessert with "Happy Birthday" written in chocolate on the plate. No need for it and completely unexpected but it adds to the feeling that you are being looked after properly.

Buddha Bar is hugely popular throughout Dubai for visitors and residents alike, a place to see and be seen for sure.

Buddha Bar Photos

19 Visitor Reviews

Average rating 5 / 5 from 19 visitor reviews

Posted November 2009
I really love Budda Bar - Sabrina from Italy
sabrina zani from italy
I have been there last week on 18th November 2009, and what to say it is an excellent place, the food is delicious the service is perfect and the place is magnificient.

2/3 people found this helpful
Posted July 2009
I Loved Buddha Bar
VB from Dubai
Excellent, i enjoyed it.,

3/5 people found this helpful
Posted June 2009
extremely disappointing
Alex from Dubai
I feel compelled to write a review because I was extremely disappointed with the food at Buddha Bar. Having eaten at many many Asian restaurants - Japanese, Thai and Chinese, my main was bland at best. My mother's duck pancakes were good, but my father's chicken and my husband's noodles were also very average which is very disappointing seeing as the reviews I'd read seemed to guarantee delicious food. They also had run out of our first two choices of wine. I'm not sure what went wrong here as it seems most people are raving about the place. We all found the food extremely average.

4/4 people found this helpful
Posted April 2009
Good for oriental flavour
C-L from Dubai
As you enter, you can't help noticing the predominant Buddha statue. The layout of the restaurant is good, however would recommend management turn up the lighting a wee bit to make reading menus easier. Good decor, very good food, although meals leave you wanton for more and could be less expensive, Very chic place, perhaps a little clicky, but good to go to with a crowd.

2/2 people found this helpful
Posted March 2009
The best time of my stay in dubai
cookiemonster from france
The crowd is pretty closed so you need to come with a gang of friends to enjoy. Overall experience is great. The food is excellent so is the staff. Great Job !

2/4 people found this helpful
Posted March 2009
One of a kind!
Kicky from Athens, Greece
Simply amazing! Unique design, excellent service and by far the best strawberry daquiri I've ever tasted. Be back soooon! :)

3/5 people found this helpful
Posted March 2009
Amazing !!!
Ashley from London
I had the best time in Budda Bar. Decor was fab, atmosphere like no where else but the food was fantastic well worth every penny as it is quite expensive.

2/2 people found this helpful
Posted February 2009
Magnificent time spent, Buddha Bar simply one of the best!
Tattikat from Dubai
Really quite an experience, from the entrance and the welcoming abacus-like walls made of chinese characters along the hall, welcoming you to separate dome shaped private areas... and lo! the great room high ceiling and majestic lanterns above... feels like i'm trancended to a mystic and coolest place to be on earth (at the time)!! anyway, like almost half of my fantasy come to life... and the food, ooh don't get me started cause i might even end up having to have some to take home. excellent crowd, staff are very efficient and friendly, if you want to have dinner, sit in a bar and drink, mingle, have a meeting, take your date and just plain unwind and have a great time... this is it!

2/3 people found this helpful
Posted February 2009
pants
collymore from abu dhabi
budda bar is for snobs, and how normal people can get in is beyond me. you have to spend a lot at the table, buying bottles for 1000dhs a pop just get a seat. even paris is cheaper. and this all if you can get in. having tried before and booked in advance i was told that i wasnt the right clientele. maybe im just too ugly.

1/5 person found this helpful
Posted January 2009
great happy new year 2009 in buddha bar:)))
gamze and mert from izmir turkey
It was a wonderfull evening since, right from the moment of walking in the entrace until the end of the meal. This was our frist time in Dubai, I came from Turkey with my boyfriend for 2009 new year and we did not know anything about Dubai, we asked our hotel were to go in dubai to have a nice evening and they told us buddha bar. Unfortunately despite the hotel making a reservation for us when we got to the door they could not find our reservation, luckily they managed to find a space for us in the Japenese Grill and it was a great dinner. Buddha Bar is a great venue and we had a fantastic time dancing the night away and celebrating New Years Eve. We would reccomend Buddha Bar to everyone...

1/2 person found this helpful
Posted January 2009
I loved Buddaha Bar to much
Chicago King from Syria - Damascus
I really injoyed my visit to Buddah bar , I came from Syria Damascus it is very beautiful bar in the world ... I wish to open Buddha Bar in Damascus but I am going to Dubai for Buddha bar soon ... Thanks

1 person found this helpful
Posted December 2008
I was really impressed!:P
Kinga from Dubai
Yesterday it was my first time in Buddha Bar. I was really,really impressed. Its a beautiful place!!! And the music played by DJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! soooooooooooooo good!!!!! I think Im gonna be a frequent visitor of that place:P and people,please let me know where I can get this music from!!!!!!!!!!!!

1 person found this helpful
Posted November 2008
Your bar is ridiculous your bar has killed my birthday
Chad lawrence from dubai marina
i have been going to your bar for some time now and lately i have not been able to get in due to makeing a booking i rang to make a booking for my birthday to have drinks at the bar and the lady said no you have to book a table and eat so i said ok can i book a table she said no because i know now that you dont whant to eat you just whant to use the bar so i said no i will eat there i will cancel my dinner at the hilton and eat a the buda bar so i can drink arfter she still said no and hung up the phone hire people who dont hate there job i was not one bit Rude and she acused me and would not book a table for me your bar has killed my birthday.

1/3 person found this helpful
Posted November 2008
The Place to be
VIJAY SHAHDADPURI from DUBAI
One of the most happening crowd,the best of music,exceptional customer service and the great ambience is how i would define this place as.So far,the best pub i have been to.If you come to dubai and don't visit them,it's a waste.I have been working here for 10 months now and i regret that why did i not go there before yesterday.But don't worry i will make sure i make it up for these long months.BUDDHA BAR ROCKS!!!!

0 people found this helpful
Posted September 2008
Worth a visit
S. Anderson from Dubai
Worth booking early or you could end up at the back (sunken tables for two). The oriental theme is unusual in Dubai and very tastefully done. Reminded me of China. The lavatories are worth a visit just to see the decor! I felt the menu was a little limited. As an Asian myself, I was expecting a greater selection. The food is very pricey (one of our dishes was Dhs150) unless you're willing to share or unless it's a birthday. It was very good quality however. This bar would be a great place to meet after work if you worked out that way, although valet parking can be a pain. Not a place for people who don't like smokey atmospheres unless you go early.

0 people found this helpful
Posted September 2008
You have to see it!
Anna from Slovakia
The best bar I've ever seen! Great ambient, staff and music. It was my pleasure to see it. Thank you for that unforgetable experience.

0 people found this helpful
Posted July 2008
interior design, staff, atmospher and ofcourse the music are more than i can express FANTASTIC
Muayad M. ALOBAID
I really injoyed my visit to Buddah bar and really the staff and the partenders are friendly and the place is really classy and will come again next time to have a drink with friends ..... thank you.

0 people found this helpful
Posted July 2008
I Loved Buddha Bar
Louise Ward
Buddha bar............is amazing,had one of the best nights in there while on holiday in Dubai......People behind the bar were lovely.......Myself and my boyfriend very much recomend.......thank you very muchly!!!!

0 people found this helpful
Posted November 2007
must visit: Boudha Bar Dubai
jonid
love the scene...reminds me of Paris...my fav place in dubai for (very)good food (kobe beef)and great atmosphere . . . dark and loud ... so get close!!!

0 people found this helpful