Ushna

Ushna sits on the Al Majaz Waterfront with one of the better tables in Sharjah: a terrace that looks straight onto the lagoon, the dancing fountains, and the promenade below. The name translates loosely as warmth, and the dining room earns it - a modern-Indian space with a mosaic-elephant mural, warm lighting, and seating spread across an indoor room, a waterfront terrace, and a rooftop where the live grill runs. It works equally well for a long family lunch, a relaxed couple's dinner, or a group celebration with a view of the evening light show. The kitchen cooks a confident northern-Indian menu with a light contemporary touch. The Chit Chaat platter is the right place to start: pani puri, dahi puri, palak chaat, and aloo tikki arrive together and consistently come out well. From the tandoor, gosht seekh kebab and tangri chicken are tender and properly spiced, and the soy-and-tofu koftas in a coconut moilee sauce are an unusual signature worth ordering. Butter chicken, dal makhani, and nalli nihari carry the mains, and the gosht dum biryani arrives sealed under a crust of bread in a clay handi. Breads are notably good - the milk-washed butter naan is soft rather than heavy. For dessert, the house jalebi with rabdi, and a dessert platter that ends on gajar halwa and pista kulfi, round things off. Pricing runs slightly above the Sharjah average, though the Entertainer offer eases it considerably. Service is generally attentive and warm, but it can thin noticeably on weekend afternoons when a single server covers the outdoor terrace. A few dishes - the biryani, certain gravies - have shown occasional inconsistency in seasoning, so regulars tend to stick to the tried favourites. For a waterfront Indian meal with genuine ambition and one of the best views in the emirate, Ushna remains among the stronger choices on Al Majaz.