Kashmiri dishes
Reviewers praise the traditional menu, particularly Goshtaba, Rogan Josh, Wazwan and spiced Kahwa.
Cafe Kashmir
Al Karama
Cafe Kashmir is a restaurant in Al Karama centred on Kashmiri and North Indian food, with shisha and a relaxed lounge atmosphere. Reviews point to dishes such as Rogan Josh and Wazwan, alongside music and comedy nights.
Reputation Score
4.5
★★★★★
360 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Smooth shisha
Shisha is repeatedly described as smooth and flavourful, with several flavours and fruit options mentioned.
Warm setting
The classic Kashmiri interiors, warm lighting and comfortable music create a setting suited to relaxed visits.
Music nights
Live bands, Sufi performances and other events add an entertainment angle beyond the food and shisha.
Conversation-friendly
One reviewer found the noise level comfortable enough for conversation during a meal.
Drink choice
The non-alcoholic drinks menu includes options such as saffron lassi, Kahwa and tropical drinks.
What to Eat at Cafe Kashmir How we choose these items We use AI to find praise and criticism of specific foods and drinks in a selection of Google reviews. For Cafe Kashmir, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. The score is positive reviews minus negative reviews. For example, two positive reviews and one negative review give +1. Each review counts once per item; neutral comments do not change the score. A zero score is not a positive recommendation. “Only neutral feedback” means there are no positive or negative votes. “Mixed feedback” means equal numbers of positive and negative votes. The quotes are examples of what people said, not every comment we counted. We use different reviews where we can. We normally show up to 10 foods and 5 drinks with non-negative scores. Items with the same score stay together. If a tied group would go past the limit, that group and the lower non-negative scores go into Honorable mentions. If an overflowing positive top tie would leave the list empty, we show up to 10 items from that tie and keep the rest in Honorable mentions. Foods and drinks with a negative score are under What to Avoid. Use this as a guide to what reviewers liked, not a guarantee that you will like it too.
These items at Cafe Kashmir got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 2
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Goshtaba Net +2
“Very nice food. Sheesha is very good. Kashmiri food is awesome specially Goshtaba.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Very nice food. Sheesha is very good. Kashmiri food is awesome specially Goshtaba.”June 2026
“When you feel like having a taste of authentic Kashmir, but aren't able to travel to Srinagar or find a kashmiri friend to treat. Just head straight to Cafe Kashmir in Karama where you can indulge yourself in Kashmiri Waazwan, including Goshtaba, Rista, Tabak Maaz, Yakhni Pulao, Rogan Josh which are an absolute finger licking delicacy. And then you wash it all down with Kashmiri Noon Chaai and Saffron infused Kahwa.”June 2026
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Rogan josh Net +2
“The cafe offers good food, we ordered roghan josh for sahur. Shisha was perennially and flavor retained in for decent amount of time.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The cafe offers good food, we ordered roghan josh for sahur. Shisha was perennially and flavor retained in for decent amount of time.”February 2026
“When you feel like having a taste of authentic Kashmir, but aren't able to travel to Srinagar or find a kashmiri friend to treat. Just head straight to Cafe Kashmir in Karama where you can indulge yourself in Kashmiri Waazwan, including Goshtaba, Rista, Tabak Maaz, Yakhni Pulao, Rogan Josh which are an absolute finger licking delicacy. And then you wash it all down with Kashmiri Noon Chaai and Saffron infused Kahwa.”June 2026
Honorable mentions (20)
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Chicken tikka Net +1
“The food was delicious and full of flavour. We tried the chicken tikka, chilli chicken, palak patta chaat (which was super crispy), momos with an amazing spicy chutney, hakka noodles, and peri peri fries — everything was really well prepared.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food was delicious and full of flavour. We tried the chicken tikka, chilli chicken, palak patta chaat (which was super crispy), momos with an amazing spicy chutney, hakka noodles, and peri peri fries — everything was really well prepared.”April 2026
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Chilli chicken Net +1
“The food was delicious and full of flavour. We tried the chicken tikka, chilli chicken, palak patta chaat (which was super crispy), momos with an amazing spicy chutney, hakka noodles, and peri peri fries — everything was really well prepared.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food was delicious and full of flavour. We tried the chicken tikka, chilli chicken, palak patta chaat (which was super crispy), momos with an amazing spicy chutney, hakka noodles, and peri peri fries — everything was really well prepared.”April 2026
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Hakka noodles Net +1
“The food was delicious and full of flavour. We tried the chicken tikka, chilli chicken, palak patta chaat (which was super crispy), momos with an amazing spicy chutney, hakka noodles, and peri peri fries — everything was really well prepared.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food was delicious and full of flavour. We tried the chicken tikka, chilli chicken, palak patta chaat (which was super crispy), momos with an amazing spicy chutney, hakka noodles, and peri peri fries — everything was really well prepared.”April 2026
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Kashmiri masala chicken kant Net +1
“Our favourites were the Kashmiri Masala Chicken Kant, which was slightly spicy (just the way we like it) and the Pahadi Murgh Tikka.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Our favourites were the Kashmiri Masala Chicken Kant, which was slightly spicy (just the way we like it) and the Pahadi Murgh Tikka.”February 2026
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Kashmiri pulao Net +1
“The Kashmiri Pulao was full of dry fruits and was unexpectedly delicious, which was a pleasant surprise.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The Kashmiri Pulao was full of dry fruits and was unexpectedly delicious, which was a pleasant surprise.”February 2026
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Kashmiri waazwan Net +1
“When you feel like having a taste of authentic Kashmir, but aren't able to travel to Srinagar or find a kashmiri friend to treat. Just head straight to Cafe Kashmir in Karama where you can indulge yourself in Kashmiri Waazwan, including Goshtaba, Rista, Tabak Maaz, Yakhni Pulao, Rogan Josh which are an absolute finger licking delicacy. And then you wash it all down with Kashmiri Noon Chaai and Saffron infused Kahwa.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“When you feel like having a taste of authentic Kashmir, but aren't able to travel to Srinagar or find a kashmiri friend to treat. Just head straight to Cafe Kashmir in Karama where you can indulge yourself in Kashmiri Waazwan, including Goshtaba, Rista, Tabak Maaz, Yakhni Pulao, Rogan Josh which are an absolute finger licking delicacy. And then you wash it all down with Kashmiri Noon Chaai and Saffron infused Kahwa.”June 2026
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Lambchops Net +1
“NunChai and LambChops recommend.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“NunChai and LambChops recommend.”April 2026
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Momos Net +1
“The food was delicious and full of flavour. We tried the chicken tikka, chilli chicken, palak patta chaat (which was super crispy), momos with an amazing spicy chutney, hakka noodles, and peri peri fries — everything was really well prepared.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food was delicious and full of flavour. We tried the chicken tikka, chilli chicken, palak patta chaat (which was super crispy), momos with an amazing spicy chutney, hakka noodles, and peri peri fries — everything was really well prepared.”April 2026
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Mutton chops Net +1
“Every dish,from the tender Mutton Chops to the rich, aromatic gravies, was cooked to perfection.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Every dish,from the tender Mutton Chops to the rich, aromatic gravies, was cooked to perfection.”February 2026
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Nunchai Net +1
“NunChai and LambChops recommend.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“NunChai and LambChops recommend.”April 2026
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Pahadi murgh tikka Net +1
“Our favourites were the Kashmiri Masala Chicken Kant, which was slightly spicy (just the way we like it) and the Pahadi Murgh Tikka.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Our favourites were the Kashmiri Masala Chicken Kant, which was slightly spicy (just the way we like it) and the Pahadi Murgh Tikka.”February 2026
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Palak patta chaat Net +1
“The food was delicious and full of flavour. We tried the chicken tikka, chilli chicken, palak patta chaat (which was super crispy), momos with an amazing spicy chutney, hakka noodles, and peri peri fries — everything was really well prepared.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food was delicious and full of flavour. We tried the chicken tikka, chilli chicken, palak patta chaat (which was super crispy), momos with an amazing spicy chutney, hakka noodles, and peri peri fries — everything was really well prepared.”April 2026
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Peri peri fries Net +1
“The food was delicious and full of flavour. We tried the chicken tikka, chilli chicken, palak patta chaat (which was super crispy), momos with an amazing spicy chutney, hakka noodles, and peri peri fries — everything was really well prepared.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food was delicious and full of flavour. We tried the chicken tikka, chilli chicken, palak patta chaat (which was super crispy), momos with an amazing spicy chutney, hakka noodles, and peri peri fries — everything was really well prepared.”April 2026
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Rajma daal Net +1
“Food is not that OK. We tried Rajma daal and Yakhni pulao. Rajma was good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Food is not that OK. We tried Rajma daal and Yakhni pulao. Rajma was good.”July 2026
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Rista Net +1
“When you feel like having a taste of authentic Kashmir, but aren't able to travel to Srinagar or find a kashmiri friend to treat. Just head straight to Cafe Kashmir in Karama where you can indulge yourself in Kashmiri Waazwan, including Goshtaba, Rista, Tabak Maaz, Yakhni Pulao, Rogan Josh which are an absolute finger licking delicacy. And then you wash it all down with Kashmiri Noon Chaai and Saffron infused Kahwa.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“When you feel like having a taste of authentic Kashmir, but aren't able to travel to Srinagar or find a kashmiri friend to treat. Just head straight to Cafe Kashmir in Karama where you can indulge yourself in Kashmiri Waazwan, including Goshtaba, Rista, Tabak Maaz, Yakhni Pulao, Rogan Josh which are an absolute finger licking delicacy. And then you wash it all down with Kashmiri Noon Chaai and Saffron infused Kahwa.”June 2026
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Spiced kahwa Net +1
“the wazwan was amazing and so was the spiced kahwa.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“the wazwan was amazing and so was the spiced kahwa.”June 2026
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Tabak maaz Net +1
“When you feel like having a taste of authentic Kashmir, but aren't able to travel to Srinagar or find a kashmiri friend to treat. Just head straight to Cafe Kashmir in Karama where you can indulge yourself in Kashmiri Waazwan, including Goshtaba, Rista, Tabak Maaz, Yakhni Pulao, Rogan Josh which are an absolute finger licking delicacy. And then you wash it all down with Kashmiri Noon Chaai and Saffron infused Kahwa.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“When you feel like having a taste of authentic Kashmir, but aren't able to travel to Srinagar or find a kashmiri friend to treat. Just head straight to Cafe Kashmir in Karama where you can indulge yourself in Kashmiri Waazwan, including Goshtaba, Rista, Tabak Maaz, Yakhni Pulao, Rogan Josh which are an absolute finger licking delicacy. And then you wash it all down with Kashmiri Noon Chaai and Saffron infused Kahwa.”June 2026
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Tropical paradise Net +1
“The saffron lassi and tropical paradise were also very refreshing.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The saffron lassi and tropical paradise were also very refreshing.”April 2026
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Wazwan thali Net +1
“We started with the Wazwan Thali, and it was spectacular.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We started with the Wazwan Thali, and it was spectacular.”February 2026
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Yakhni pulao Net +1
“When you feel like having a taste of authentic Kashmir, but aren't able to travel to Srinagar or find a kashmiri friend to treat. Just head straight to Cafe Kashmir in Karama where you can indulge yourself in Kashmiri Waazwan, including Goshtaba, Rista, Tabak Maaz, Yakhni Pulao, Rogan Josh which are an absolute finger licking delicacy. And then you wash it all down with Kashmiri Noon Chaai and Saffron infused Kahwa.”
Positive 1Negative 0Neutral 1
Review excerpts
“When you feel like having a taste of authentic Kashmir, but aren't able to travel to Srinagar or find a kashmiri friend to treat. Just head straight to Cafe Kashmir in Karama where you can indulge yourself in Kashmiri Waazwan, including Goshtaba, Rista, Tabak Maaz, Yakhni Pulao, Rogan Josh which are an absolute finger licking delicacy. And then you wash it all down with Kashmiri Noon Chaai and Saffron infused Kahwa.”June 2026
Drinks 3
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Latte Net +1
“To top it off, the Latte was smooth, creamy, and featured some impressive latte art.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“To top it off, the Latte was smooth, creamy, and featured some impressive latte art.”February 2026
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Matcha Net +1
“Awesome vibes cant describe the night we enjoy in cafe Kashmir, first time we came at cafe Kashmir we enjoy the food , drinks and awesome live singing by Anas Sabri, Thanks to hostess Sahista for giving us good Table, waiters Simran , Aakash, for suggestions us good food and drink's, and thanks to Razia and sonpal for Awesome yummy Matcha we have in Dubai.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Awesome vibes cant describe the night we enjoy in cafe Kashmir, first time we came at cafe Kashmir we enjoy the food , drinks and awesome live singing by Anas Sabri, Thanks to hostess Sahista for giving us good Table, waiters Simran , Aakash, for suggestions us good food and drink's, and thanks to Razia and sonpal for Awesome yummy Matcha we have in Dubai.”April 2026
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Saffron lassi Net +1
“The saffron lassi and tropical paradise were also very refreshing.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The saffron lassi and tropical paradise were also very refreshing.”April 2026
What to Avoid (3)
Food 3
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Crispy corn Net −1
“Had to call the Sheesha guys multiple times to change the coal. Crispy Corn was soggy. The potatoes were really wonderful. Expected the overall experience to be a little better.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Had to call the Sheesha guys multiple times to change the coal. Crispy Corn was soggy. The potatoes were really wonderful. Expected the overall experience to be a little better.”May 2026
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Firni Net −1
“Kehwa isn't anything like Kashmiri kehwa and firni is actually kheer.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Kehwa isn't anything like Kashmiri kehwa and firni is actually kheer.”February 2026
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Kehwa Net −2
“The food is no where near the authentic Kashmiri nor is the Kehwa.”
Positive 0Negative 2
Critical review excerpts
“The food is no where near the authentic Kashmiri nor is the Kehwa.”April 2026
“Kehwa isn't anything like Kashmiri kehwa and firni is actually kheer.”February 2026
Tips for a Better Visit
Book early. Reserve ahead for Friday and Saturday music nights, which one reviewer said fill up quickly.
Confirm tables. If a particular table matters, reconfirm it before arriving because one booking did not match the table's apparent availability.
Ask water price. Check the bottled-water charge before ordering; one review reported AED 10 for a small Arwa bottle not listed on the menu.
Mind the volume. For a quieter birthday or conversation, ask about the live-music volume when booking, as one guest found it too loud.
Try Goshtaba. Goshtaba is one of the clearest dish recommendations in the reviews, alongside Rogan Josh and other Wazwan plates.
Check coals. If the shisha coal needs changing, mention it promptly; one guest said they had to call several times.
Plan the visit
Practical details
196 Khalid Bin Al Waleed Rd
Al Karama, Dubai
| Mon | 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM |
| Tue | 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM |
| Wed | 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM |
| Thu | 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM |
| Fri | 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM |
| Sat | 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM |
| Sun | 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM |
Common Concerns
Booking issues
A requested table reportedly stayed empty for 2½ hours despite being described as reserved, suggesting inconsistent reservation handling.
Loud music
One birthday visit found the live music too loud and noisy rather than soothing.
Mixed authenticity
Reviews disagree sharply on the Kashmiri cooking: some found it authentic, while others strongly disputed the Wazwan and Kehwa.
Coal changes
One guest had to repeatedly call the shisha team to replace the coal.
Water charge
A reviewer objected to an AED 10 charge for a small Arwa bottle that was not shown on the menu.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
AED 10
small Arwa water bottle
“The worse part was charging AED 10 for a small Arwa water bottle”Google review · May 2026
DXB
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The Bottom Line
Cafe Kashmir in Al Karama combines Kashmiri and North Indian food with shisha, non-alcoholic drinks and a lounge-style setting. Reviews specifically mention Wazwan Thali, Rogan Josh, Goshtaba, chicken momos and spiced or saffron drinks, so there is plenty to explore beyond the hookah. It is also used for relaxed catch-ups, family meals and celebrations.
The atmosphere is a major part of the appeal. Customers describe classic Kashmiri interiors, warm lighting and music that can make conversation easy; the venue also hosts live bands, Sufi evenings and Thursday comedy nights. Shisha is commonly praised as smooth and flavourful, with fruit flavours among the options.
There are a few things to manage. Friday and Saturday music nights reportedly fill quickly, so booking ahead is sensible. Reservation handling has drawn criticism, including one requested table that remained empty while guests were seated elsewhere.
Live music can also be loud, depending on the evening. Food opinions are mixed: many diners call the Kashmiri dishes authentic, while two reviewers strongly disagreed about the Wazwan and Kehwa. Finally, check the water charge before ordering; one guest reported AED 10 for a small Arwa bottle that was not listed on the menu.
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