Beachfront setting
Outdoor tables sit beside the beach, with sea views, Turkish music and a relaxed waterfront atmosphere.
Karaf by Bahce - The Palm
Palm Jumeirah
Karaf by Bahce is an upmarket Turkish restaurant in Palm Jumeirah, known for beachfront dining, Turkish music and raki. Reviews point especially to the lahmacun, döner and broad mezze selection, with both beach and indoor seating available.
Reputation Score
4.5
★★★★★
217 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Strong lahmacun
Lahmacun is one of the clearest standouts, with reviewers calling it the best they have had in Dubai.
Excellent döner
The döner is described by one regular as the best in town, while other diners praised its authentic flavour.
Authentic flavours
A Turkish diner who compared it with restaurants in different countries found genuine Turkish flavours across most of the meal.
Family friendly
One reviewer found it easy to bring children, and another described the restaurant as pet friendly.
What to Eat at Karaf by Bahce - The Palm 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 Karaf by Bahce - The Palm, 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.
Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of Karaf by Bahce - The Palm, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.
Food 6
-
Kebabs Net +4
“I recently had the pleasure of trying Turkish kebabs from Karaf, and they exceeded all my expectations. The flavors were incredibly rich and perfectly balanced, with the meat tender and juicy. The kebabs were accompanied by fresh, flavorful sides, making the meal even more enjoyable.”
Positive 4Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I recently had the pleasure of trying Turkish kebabs from Karaf, and they exceeded all my expectations. The flavors were incredibly rich and perfectly balanced, with the meat tender and juicy. The kebabs were accompanied by fresh, flavorful sides, making the meal even more enjoyable.”August 2024
“Food is delicious with variety of kebabs and well chosen mezzes.”October 2024
-
Lahmacun Net +4
“Lahmacun and çiğ köfte was really good.”
Positive 4Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Lahmacun and çiğ köfte was really good.”April 2026
“Also highly recommend the lahmacun — don’t skip it.”December 2025
-
Baklava Net +2
“The kebabs were tender and flavorful, and the baklava was heavenly.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The kebabs were tender and flavorful, and the baklava was heavenly.”August 2024
“The authentic flavors of kebabs and baklava are a true delight.”August 2024
-
Cigkofte Net +2
“My menu consisted of Hummus, Fava, Gavurdağı Salad, Çiğ Köfte, Lahmacun, Adana Kebab, and Döner. Everything was very delicious except the Adana Kebab.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“My menu consisted of Hummus, Fava, Gavurdağı Salad, Çiğ Köfte, Lahmacun, Adana Kebab, and Döner. Everything was very delicious except the Adana Kebab.”November 2025
“Lahmacun and çiğ köfte was really good.”April 2026
-
Döner Net +2
“High-end Turkish restaurant with amazing quality. Easily the best döner in town, and the mezes are excellent as well. If you have guests and want to impress them with real Turkish cuisine, this is definitely the place to go.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“High-end Turkish restaurant with amazing quality. Easily the best döner in town, and the mezes are excellent as well. If you have guests and want to impress them with real Turkish cuisine, this is definitely the place to go.”December 2025
“My menu consisted of Hummus, Fava, Gavurdağı Salad, Çiğ Köfte, Lahmacun, Adana Kebab, and Döner. Everything was very delicious except the Adana Kebab.”November 2025
-
Kebap Net +2
“Specially the kebap was the star of the night, richly spiced, perfectly grilled, and full of authentic flavor.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Specially the kebap was the star of the night, richly spiced, perfectly grilled, and full of authentic flavor.”July 2025
“We got an amazing experience with food, very delicious kebap, enjoyed our raki with our music, just like in Turkey.”August 2025
Honorable mentions (7)
-
Fava Net +1
“My menu consisted of Hummus, Fava, Gavurdağı Salad, Çiğ Köfte, Lahmacun, Adana Kebab, and Döner. Everything was very delicious except the Adana Kebab.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“My menu consisted of Hummus, Fava, Gavurdağı Salad, Çiğ Köfte, Lahmacun, Adana Kebab, and Döner. Everything was very delicious except the Adana Kebab.”November 2025
-
Gavurdağı salad Net +1
“My menu consisted of Hummus, Fava, Gavurdağı Salad, Çiğ Köfte, Lahmacun, Adana Kebab, and Döner. Everything was very delicious except the Adana Kebab.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“My menu consisted of Hummus, Fava, Gavurdağı Salad, Çiğ Köfte, Lahmacun, Adana Kebab, and Döner. Everything was very delicious except the Adana Kebab.”November 2025
-
Iskender Net +1
“Iskender was average vs Turkey but quite good for Dubai.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Iskender was average vs Turkey but quite good for Dubai.”April 2026
-
Lamb with pistachios Net +1
“My favorite dish was the lamb with pistachios, which I highly recommend.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“My favorite dish was the lamb with pistachios, which I highly recommend.”January 2026
-
Meat platter Net +1
“Meat platter was amazing, lamajun was the best I’ve had in Dubai.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Meat platter was amazing, lamajun was the best I’ve had in Dubai.”November 2025
-
Adana kebab Net 0
Mixed feedback
“My menu consisted of Hummus, Fava, Gavurdağı Salad, Çiğ Köfte, Lahmacun, Adana Kebab, and Döner. Everything was very delicious except the Adana Kebab. The Adana was good, but I wouldn’t call it a real Adana kebap it was more like şiş köfte.”
Positive 1Negative 1
Review excerpts
“My menu consisted of Hummus, Fava, Gavurdağı Salad, Çiğ Köfte, Lahmacun, Adana Kebab, and Döner. Everything was very delicious except the Adana Kebab. The Adana was good, but I wouldn’t call it a real Adana kebap it was more like şiş köfte.”November 2025
-
Raki Net 0
Only neutral feedback
“However, the prices were ridiculous, especially for alcohol. Asking AED 550 for 35cl raki is beyond luxury pricing, it’s just thinking they can get away with anything because of the nice location.”
Positive 0Negative 0Neutral 1
What to Avoid (1)
Food 1
-
Shashlik Net −1
“Shashlik was not juicy but overcooked.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Shashlik was not juicy but overcooked.”March 2025
Tips for a Better Visit
Choose beach. Ask for beach seating rather than the terrace if you want the waterfront atmosphere reviewers preferred.
Book ahead. Reserve your table, especially if you want a good sea-view position; one booking request was not fulfilled as expected.
Check kitchen. If arriving late, confirm that hot dishes are still being served before settling in for dinner.
Check charges. Ask about drink-related charges before ordering raki, since one diner reported a separate AED 120 water charge.
Order lahmacun. Include lahmacun in your order; it was singled out as one of the restaurant’s strongest dishes.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Club Vista Mare
Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
| Mon | 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
| Tue | 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
| Wed | 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
| Thu | 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
| Fri | 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
| Sat | 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
| Sun | 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM |
Common Concerns
High prices
Multiple diners felt the food and drinks were expensive for the quality, especially compared with nearby alternatives.
Late kitchen
Guests arriving at 10:45 PM were served starters before being told that no hot food was available.
Raki pricing
One review reported AED 550 for 35cl of raki, describing the charge as beyond luxury pricing.
Table handling
A booking request for a first-row sea-view table was not honoured, despite better tables appearing empty.
Inconsistent cooking
One diner found the Adana unlike a real Adana kebap and said the shashlik was dry and overcooked.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
AED 550
35cl raki
“Asking AED 550 for 35cl raki is beyond luxury pricing, it’s just thinking they can get away with anything because of the nice location”Google review · March 2025
120 AED
water
“The restaurant where we drank raki charged 120 AED for water”Google review · September 2025
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Karaf by Bahce is a Turkish restaurant in Palm Jumeirah where the setting is a major part of the experience. You can dine beside the beach with Turkish music, order raki, and work through a menu built around dishes such as lahmacun, döner, kebabs and mezes. The outdoor area is also described as easy to use with children.
Food reviews are strongest on the lahmacun, döner, kebabs and mezze selection. One diner called the lahmacun the best they had eaten in Dubai, while another praised the lamb with pistachios. Opinions are less consistent on Adana kebab and shashlik: one review found the Adana unlike the Turkish original and the shashlik overcooked.
Service is often warm and helpful, though a few visits involved inattentive staff or awkward table handling. Budget carefully. Several diners considered the pricing hard to justify, and reported charges include AED 550 for 35cl of raki and AED 120 for water.
If you are visiting late, check that the kitchen is still serving hot food; two reviews describe being admitted at 10:45 PM and then told it had closed. For the best view, request beach seating when booking and confirm it on arrival.