Authentic cooking
Several diners describe the Uzbek food as authentic, traditional and close to homemade cooking.
Khiva Restaurant
Bluewaters Island
Khiva is an Uzbek restaurant on Bluewaters Island, serving traditional dishes such as plov, kebabs and tandoor-baked breads. Reviews point to a warmly decorated setting, with some diners especially enjoying the homemade-style food and attentive service.
Reputation Score
4.1
★★★★☆
204 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Strong plov
Plov is one of the safer picks in the reviews, praised for its flavour and presentation.
Welcoming setting
The decor and atmosphere are recurring strengths, including a distinctive design and a pleasant outdoor area.
Celebrations
A birthday guest received music, a special setup and a surprise dessert, making the restaurant suitable for an occasion.
Helpful service
Some diners found the staff attentive and knowledgeable, with recommendations that improved the overall experience.
What to Eat at Khiva Restaurant 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 Khiva Restaurant, 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 Khiva Restaurant got the most positive mentions in user reviews. Check them out!
Food 5
-
Plov Net +1
“Overpriced for the quality of the food. The plov was good, the tukhum barak was very bad, like an omlete that is not even mixed properly.”
Positive 2Negative 1Neutral 1
Review excerpts
“Overpriced for the quality of the food. The plov was good, the tukhum barak was very bad, like an omlete that is not even mixed properly.”November 2024
“The food is bursting with flavor and the service is exceptional. Loved the plov and green tea presentation.”October 2025
-
Crunchy eggplant Net +1
“Some of my favorites that has never let me down: crunchy eggplant, dolma, Kazan kebab, dumplings with pumpkin (I count them as dessert), fermented and salted vegetables.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Some of my favorites that has never let me down: crunchy eggplant, dolma, Kazan kebab, dumplings with pumpkin (I count them as dessert), fermented and salted vegetables.”February 2024
-
Dolma Net +1
“Some of my favorites that has never let me down: crunchy eggplant, dolma, Kazan kebab, dumplings with pumpkin (I count them as dessert), fermented and salted vegetables.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Some of my favorites that has never let me down: crunchy eggplant, dolma, Kazan kebab, dumplings with pumpkin (I count them as dessert), fermented and salted vegetables.”February 2024
-
Dumplings with pumpkin Net +1
“Some of my favorites that has never let me down: crunchy eggplant, dolma, Kazan kebab, dumplings with pumpkin (I count them as dessert), fermented and salted vegetables.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Some of my favorites that has never let me down: crunchy eggplant, dolma, Kazan kebab, dumplings with pumpkin (I count them as dessert), fermented and salted vegetables.”February 2024
-
Kazan kebab Net +1
“Some of my favorites that has never let me down: crunchy eggplant, dolma, Kazan kebab, dumplings with pumpkin (I count them as dessert), fermented and salted vegetables.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Some of my favorites that has never let me down: crunchy eggplant, dolma, Kazan kebab, dumplings with pumpkin (I count them as dessert), fermented and salted vegetables.”February 2024
Drinks 1
-
Green tea Net +1
“The food is bursting with flavor and the service is exceptional. Loved the plov and green tea presentation.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food is bursting with flavor and the service is exceptional. Loved the plov and green tea presentation.”October 2025
What to Avoid (10)
Food 8
-
Cheburek Net −1
“We ordered home delivery - plov , vareniki and 1 cheburek. charged us 250 AED almost which is overpriced and couldn’t even pack it well , portions are so small. And there is nothing special.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We ordered home delivery - plov , vareniki and 1 cheburek. charged us 250 AED almost which is overpriced and couldn’t even pack it well , portions are so small. And there is nothing special.”May 2024
-
Flatbread with meat Net −1
“The flatbread with meat was baked in old smelly oil, which is very unhealthy and usually used in cheap fast food restaurants.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The flatbread with meat was baked in old smelly oil, which is very unhealthy and usually used in cheap fast food restaurants.”February 2024
-
Fried eggplant salad Net −1
“The food we had (pilaf, manty, samsa, fried eggplant salad) was not good enough for the price we paid.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The food we had (pilaf, manty, samsa, fried eggplant salad) was not good enough for the price we paid.”January 2024
-
Manty Net −1
“The food we had (pilaf, manty, samsa, fried eggplant salad) was not good enough for the price we paid.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The food we had (pilaf, manty, samsa, fried eggplant salad) was not good enough for the price we paid.”January 2024
-
Pilaf Net −1
“The food we had (pilaf, manty, samsa, fried eggplant salad) was not good enough for the price we paid.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The food we had (pilaf, manty, samsa, fried eggplant salad) was not good enough for the price we paid.”January 2024
-
Samsa Net −1
“The food we had (pilaf, manty, samsa, fried eggplant salad) was not good enough for the price we paid.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The food we had (pilaf, manty, samsa, fried eggplant salad) was not good enough for the price we paid.”January 2024
-
Tukhum barak Net −1
“Overpriced for the quality of the food. The plov was good, the tukhum barak was very bad, like an omlete that is not even mixed properly.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“Overpriced for the quality of the food. The plov was good, the tukhum barak was very bad, like an omlete that is not even mixed properly.”November 2024
-
Vareniki Net −1
“We ordered home delivery - plov , vareniki and 1 cheburek. charged us 250 AED almost which is overpriced and couldn’t even pack it well , portions are so small. And there is nothing special.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“We ordered home delivery - plov , vareniki and 1 cheburek. charged us 250 AED almost which is overpriced and couldn’t even pack it well , portions are so small. And there is nothing special.”May 2024
Drinks 2
-
Freshly squeezed watermelon juice Net −1
“I ordered freshly squeezed watermelon juice, which was terrible. I sent it back and tried orange juice instead, but that was just as bad. Even though I didn’t like either and returned both, they still added them to my bill.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I ordered freshly squeezed watermelon juice, which was terrible. I sent it back and tried orange juice instead, but that was just as bad. Even though I didn’t like either and returned both, they still added them to my bill.”October 2025
-
Orange juice Net −1
“I ordered freshly squeezed watermelon juice, which was terrible. I sent it back and tried orange juice instead, but that was just as bad. Even though I didn’t like either and returned both, they still added them to my bill.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I ordered freshly squeezed watermelon juice, which was terrible. I sent it back and tried orange juice instead, but that was just as bad. Even though I didn’t like either and returned both, they still added them to my bill.”October 2025
Tips for a Better Visit
Allow time. Build in extra time for lunch or dinner: one quiet visit took 50 minutes for soup, lavash and a burger.
Confirm timing. If ordering with children or a group, ask whether dishes can arrive together; some meals arrived after others had finished.
Watch the bill. Review the bill carefully, especially for drinks: one customer said two returned juices were charged anyway.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Bluewaters 390248 - SA1-02
Marsa Dubai - Bluewaters Island, Dubai
Common Concerns
High prices
Many reviews say the bill is high for the portion sizes and food quality, especially compared with other Uzbek restaurants.
Small portions
Multiple diners felt portions were closer to children's servings, leaving them hungry despite the high prices.
Long waits
Orders have sometimes taken 40 minutes or more, with dishes arriving far apart even when the restaurant was quiet.
Uneven cooking
One diner reported raw meat on chicken, beef and liver skewers, while others found some dishes oily, salty or below expectations.
Juice dispute
A regular customer said two returned juices were still charged, creating a serious billing and service complaint.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Khiva is a traditional Uzbek restaurant on Bluewaters Island with an attractive, distinctive setting and a menu that gives you a chance to try dishes such as plov, manty, samsa, chebureki and kebabs. Some diners describe the food as authentic and homemade-style, while the welcoming tea, green tea presentation and dessert add polish to the meal. It has also been used for birthdays, with one guest mentioning music and a surprise dessert.
The strongest food feedback centres on plov, with crunchy eggplant, dolma, Kazan kebab and pumpkin dumplings also singled out by a returning Bluewaters resident. Service can be warm and knowledgeable, and some guests specifically praised recommendations and attentive staff. The main caution is value.
Several reviews call the restaurant seriously overpriced, citing small portions and bills that do not match the quality. Experiences are inconsistent: one diner reported raw chicken, beef and liver on skewers, while others found certain dishes delicious. Timing also needs attention.
Meals have taken 40 to 50 minutes, sometimes arriving separately, even during quiet periods. Ask about wait times and portion sizes before ordering, and check the bill carefully if you order juices.