UK Nostalgia
The kebabs’ taste and texture remind regulars of what they had back home in the UK.
Charlie Khan's
Dubai Marina
Charlie Khan’s is a British restaurant in Dubai Marina serving UK-style donner in naan, alongside late-night takeaway favourites. Reviews most often single out the lamb doner and munch box.
Reputation Score
4.5
★★★★★
267 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Lamb Doner
The lamb doner is repeatedly praised for tender, authentic-tasting meat and thin slicing.
Fresh Naan
The naan is made hot in the tandoor, giving the kebab a distinct alternative to pita.
Late Hours
It stays open until 4am, making it a practical option for late-night kebabs and takeaway.
Friendly Service
Several reviews describe welcoming staff and helpful menu guidance, including assistance with orders.
Curry Value
The curry is called out as both tasty and good value, adding more than kebabs to the menu.
What to Eat at Charlie Khan's 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 Charlie Khan's, 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 Charlie Khan's got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 5
-
Donner kebab Net +9
“Donner kebab classic 👌 I love these place to order fresh and warm 😍. Never disappointed”
Positive 10Negative 1
Review excerpts
“Donner kebab classic 👌 I love these place to order fresh and warm 😍. Never disappointed”March 2026
“Very good experience best food in town Donner kebab”June 2026
-
Lamb done kebab Net +4
“Interesting lamb done kebab! The concept is originally from the UK and I must say its very much like the best ones I've had in UK! They should serve with the pickles and also make it a bigger portion for the price they charge.”
Positive 4Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Interesting lamb done kebab! The concept is originally from the UK and I must say its very much like the best ones I've had in UK! They should serve with the pickles and also make it a bigger portion for the price they charge.”June 2022
“Loved this place. The lamb doner is authentic UK and tasted perfect. The only one small complaint I have is there isn’t enough meat but overall it was excellent.”January 2025
-
Charlie’s munchbox Net +2
“Definitely try the special doner kebab, the chicken curry, the Munchbox and the doner burger Everything cooked to perfection, super fresh, big portions and a great team who are always happy to serve you.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Definitely try the special doner kebab, the chicken curry, the Munchbox and the doner burger Everything cooked to perfection, super fresh, big portions and a great team who are always happy to serve you.”November 2023
“We loved the Charlie fries, Charlie’s munchbox and the butter chicken with naan.”December 2025
-
Doner burger Net +2
“Go for the donner burger or chicken burger with donner meat, goes down a treat after 7 or 8 pints..”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Go for the donner burger or chicken burger with donner meat, goes down a treat after 7 or 8 pints..”October 2023
“Definitely try the special doner kebab, the chicken curry, the Munchbox and the doner burger Everything cooked to perfection, super fresh, big portions and a great team who are always happy to serve you.”November 2023
-
Naan Net +2
“It tastes similar to the Doner Kebab in UK but its not the same as that comes in a pita bread where as this comes in a Naan. At 52 dhs this is a small serving for one. You will see in my video exactly how juicy the Lamb Doner was when it was being sliced. It was fascinating watching him slice the Doner so thinly. Freshly made Naan hot out of the Tandoor.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“It tastes similar to the Doner Kebab in UK but its not the same as that comes in a pita bread where as this comes in a Naan. At 52 dhs this is a small serving for one. You will see in my video exactly how juicy the Lamb Doner was when it was being sliced. It was fascinating watching him slice the Doner so thinly. Freshly made Naan hot out of the Tandoor.”May 2022
“I ordered the doner kebab last night - decent naan bread and tasty doner as always but the whole thing was overwhelmed with this shredded cabbage which I had to throw away.”October 2024
Honorable mentions (8)
-
Butter chicken Net +1
“Great food. Lovely late night eats. Butter chicken and garlic naan was class!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Great food. Lovely late night eats. Butter chicken and garlic naan was class!”February 2026
-
Butter chicken with naan Net +1
“We loved the Charlie fries, Charlie’s munchbox and the butter chicken with naan.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We loved the Charlie fries, Charlie’s munchbox and the butter chicken with naan.”December 2025
-
Charlie fries Net +1
“We loved the Charlie fries, Charlie’s munchbox and the butter chicken with naan.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We loved the Charlie fries, Charlie’s munchbox and the butter chicken with naan.”December 2025
-
Chicken burger with donner meat Net +1
“Go for the donner burger or chicken burger with donner meat, goes down a treat after 7 or 8 pints..”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Go for the donner burger or chicken burger with donner meat, goes down a treat after 7 or 8 pints..”October 2023
-
Chicken curry Net +1
“Definitely try the special doner kebab, the chicken curry, the Munchbox and the doner burger Everything cooked to perfection, super fresh, big portions and a great team who are always happy to serve you.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Definitely try the special doner kebab, the chicken curry, the Munchbox and the doner burger Everything cooked to perfection, super fresh, big portions and a great team who are always happy to serve you.”November 2023
-
Seekh kebab Net +1
“Always good food. Today tryed seekh kebab was amazing”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Always good food. Today tryed seekh kebab was amazing”April 2026
-
Special doner kebab Net +1
“Definitely try the special doner kebab, the chicken curry, the Munchbox and the doner burger Everything cooked to perfection, super fresh, big portions and a great team who are always happy to serve you.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Definitely try the special doner kebab, the chicken curry, the Munchbox and the doner burger Everything cooked to perfection, super fresh, big portions and a great team who are always happy to serve you.”November 2023
-
Special lamb donner kebab Net +1
“Surrounded by good ambience, I had their Special Lamb Donner Kebab (Served with Naan, Salad & Tossed in Charlie's Special Donner Mix). Loved it.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Surrounded by good ambience, I had their Special Lamb Donner Kebab (Served with Naan, Salad & Tossed in Charlie's Special Donner Mix). Loved it.”December 2021
What to Avoid (6)
Food 6
-
£2 Value box Net −1
“I’d get more doner meat in a £2 value box back home”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I’d get more doner meat in a £2 value box back home”October 2024
-
British kebab Net −1
“Ordered British kebab, with house seasoning, house seasoning turned out to be v spicy tomato ketchup taste, nowhere on the menu does it state spicy. As I didn’t want it spicy, I returned the dish to the restaurant, they wouldn’t exchange, I left it on their counter. Most expensive kebab I’ve ever had, all you get is a few shavings of meat, terrible customer service, staff only wanted to argue, won’t be returning!”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Ordered British kebab, with house seasoning, house seasoning turned out to be v spicy tomato ketchup taste, nowhere on the menu does it state spicy. As I didn’t want it spicy, I returned the dish to the restaurant, they wouldn’t exchange, I left it on their counter. Most expensive kebab I’ve ever had, all you get is a few shavings of meat, terrible customer service, staff only wanted to argue, won’t be returning!”November 2022
-
Doner box Net −1
“I usually switch between the doner box and doner kebab but recently the box is mainly full of salad (shredded cabbage and some other stuff you don’t really know because it’s soaked in sauce) and too much sauce which means you don’t get the full taste of the doner and the chips arrive very very soggy.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I usually switch between the doner box and doner kebab but recently the box is mainly full of salad (shredded cabbage and some other stuff you don’t really know because it’s soaked in sauce) and too much sauce which means you don’t get the full taste of the doner and the chips arrive very very soggy.”October 2024
-
Onion bhajis Net −1
“Onion Bhajis were cramped into a very small container, it arrived wet & soggy.. it’s also bland and needs more flavor.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Onion Bhajis were cramped into a very small container, it arrived wet & soggy.. it’s also bland and needs more flavor.”January 2026
-
Plain lamb donner Net −1
“My mistake - I love traditional UK-style lamb donner kebabs, just like I used to get in London - with loads of succulent pieces of tender grilled lamb sandwiched in a warm donner bread, but I made the mistake of ordering Charlie's "Special" lamb donner kebab, thinking it would be just that much better than the plain lamb donner - but what a disaster!”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“My mistake - I love traditional UK-style lamb donner kebabs, just like I used to get in London - with loads of succulent pieces of tender grilled lamb sandwiched in a warm donner bread, but I made the mistake of ordering Charlie's "Special" lamb donner kebab, thinking it would be just that much better than the plain lamb donner - but what a disaster!”October 2025
-
Fries Net −4
“Fries should be improved, were over salty! Definitely worth a try!”
Positive 0Negative 4
Critical review excerpts
“Fries should be improved, were over salty! Definitely worth a try!”June 2022
“So so so overpriced. Shocked that for proudly “UK style” food, I got to know that their chips are not even fresh, and in fact skinny and frozen 😳 shame.”December 2021
Tips for a Better Visit
Choose Plain. For a more traditional lamb doner, choose the plain version rather than the Special, whose tomato sauce drew a strong complaint.
Check Sauces. For delivery, confirm the sauces are included; one Careem order arrived without mint yoghurt, garlic or chilli sauce.
Expect Late Hours. The restaurant is open until 4am, so it suits late-night eating when other options may be closed.
Request Less Salad. If you want more meat in the kebab, ask for less salad; a diner specifically said there was too much salad.
Allow Time. For larger dine-in orders, allow extra time: one customer waited 40 minutes and then another 30 to 40 minutes.
Parking Available. If you are driving, one review specifically reports that parking space is available.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Marina Diamond 4 - Shop 1 Al Marsa St
Marsa Dubai - Dubai Marina, Dubai
| Mon | 3:00 PM – 4:00 AM |
| Tue | 3:00 PM – 4:00 AM |
| Wed | 3:00 PM – 4:00 AM |
| Thu | 3:00 PM – 4:00 AM |
| Fri | 3:00 PM – 4:00 AM |
| Sat | 3:00 PM – 4:00 AM |
| Sun | 3:00 PM – 4:00 AM |
Common Concerns
Small Portions
Some diners found the meat portion too small for the price, with salad taking up too much space.
Soggy Chips
Delivery and doner boxes have been criticised for chips arriving very soggy.
Special Sauce
The Special lamb doner can arrive covered in a strong tomato-based sauce that overwhelms the lamb.
Delivery Quality
One Careem order arrived stone cold and greasy, with the expected sauces missing.
Slow Service
One visit involved a 40-minute wait, followed by another 30 to 40 minutes for the missing dish.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Charlie Khan’s is a Dubai Marina British restaurant for UK-style donner, served in naan rather than the pita some diners may expect. The lamb doner is the main draw: reviews describe tender meat, thin slicing and a taste that recalls kebabs from London, Cardiff and elsewhere back home. The munch box, donner burger, chicken curry and garlic naan also get specific mentions, so there is more to explore than one standard kebab.
The late hours are useful for night owls: one customer noted that the restaurant stays open until 4am. Staff are often described as friendly and helpful with menu suggestions, while another review praised the tandoor-made naan. Takeaway can work well when fresh, but delivery quality is not completely consistent; one Careem order arrived cold and greasy with sauces missing.
Portions and assembly are the main cautions. Several diners felt there was too much shredded salad or sauce and not enough meat, and soggy chips have been reported in doner boxes. If you want the lamb to taste more traditionally, think twice before ordering the Special version, which one reviewer found overwhelmed by tomato-based sauce.
For a first visit, the plain lamb doner or a donner burger is the safer starting point, and it is worth checking your sauces and requesting less salad.