Authentic dishes
Reviews consistently describe the food as authentic, with plov, manty, Dograma and Fitchi standing out as useful introductions to Turkmen cuisine.
Talhan Restaurant Dubai
Dubai South
Talhan Restaurant Dubai is a Turkmen restaurant in Dubai South, serving traditional dishes in a calm setting decorated with Turkmen carpets and tapestry. Plov and manty are popular starting points, while the menu also introduces lesser-known dishes such as Dograma and Gutap.
Reputation Score
4.9
★★★★★
465 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Plov quality
The plov has well-cooked beef and buttery rice, making it one of the clearest crowd-pleasers for a first visit.
Calm setting
Traditional carpets, tapestry and soft background music create a spacious, quiet atmosphere where conversation is easy.
Warm hospitality
Many visitors describe the staff as polite, attentive and welcoming, with help choosing unfamiliar dishes mentioned more than once.
Generous portions
One recent breakfast visit specifically praised the broad choice of dishes and generous serving sizes.
Parking access
Reviews mention parking nearby, including spaces behind the pavilion, which makes the out-of-the-way location easier to manage.
What to Eat at Talhan Restaurant Dubai 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 Talhan Restaurant Dubai, 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 Talhan Restaurant Dubai, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.
Food 4
-
Dograma Net +3
“Highly recommending to try meal named "Dograma". Absolutely great taste”
Positive 3Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Highly recommending to try meal named "Dograma". Absolutely great taste”March 2026
“The Dograma was especially comforting—like a warm embrace in a bowl. The broth carried a gentle, lamb-forward aroma, with a depth that felt both rustic and soothing. On the palate, it was clean yet flavorful, allowing each component to come through distinctly. The lamb added a subtle richness, while the potatoes contributed a soft, hearty texture that grounded the dish. It’s the kind of meal that feels restorative—simple, but deeply satisfying.”April 2026
-
Manty Net +3
“Manty reminded me of a north indian dish momos.”
Positive 3Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Manty reminded me of a north indian dish momos.”July 2023
““Manti” and “plow” were amazing!”March 2024
-
Plov Net +3
“It’s my first time to try Turkmenistan food but I love Plov this dish. The rice quality is very good with butter, and the beef is also steamed very well, chewy but not hard.❤️ The atmosphere is fantastic with traditional style with colorful carpets on the wall.”
Positive 3Negative 0
Review excerpts
“It’s my first time to try Turkmenistan food but I love Plov this dish. The rice quality is very good with butter, and the beef is also steamed very well, chewy but not hard.❤️ The atmosphere is fantastic with traditional style with colorful carpets on the wall.”August 2025
“I would love to recommend PLOV. So delicious the meat is so juicy.”May 2023
-
Fitchi meat pie Net +2
“Delicious manty, traditional Fitchi meat pie, soft and juicy lamb kebab. Everything we've tried was fresh and very tasty”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Delicious manty, traditional Fitchi meat pie, soft and juicy lamb kebab. Everything we've tried was fresh and very tasty”April 2026
“Fitchy is a tasty pie & shek sheki though a bit over sweet is a good dessert to wrap up.”July 2023
Honorable mentions (11)
-
Eggplant rolls Net +1
“As a starter, I had Eggplant rolls , then I had Somsa Beef and Dograma, which were really delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“As a starter, I had Eggplant rolls , then I had Somsa Beef and Dograma, which were really delicious.”September 2023
-
Gatlama Net +1
“Ordered Govurdak (Fried egg with beef) Pelmeni (Dumplings filled with beef) Gatlama (Turkmen Bread). Overall tasty food and stunning calm ambience.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Ordered Govurdak (Fried egg with beef) Pelmeni (Dumplings filled with beef) Gatlama (Turkmen Bread). Overall tasty food and stunning calm ambience.”May 2026
-
Gutap Net +1
“The Gutap was more understated in presentation: thin, lightly crisped bread encasing finely sliced beef. Despite its simplicity, the filling delivered a surprising intensity of flavor. The beef was well-seasoned, savory, and aromatic, with a satisfying contrast between the tender interior and the delicate crispness of the bread.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The Gutap was more understated in presentation: thin, lightly crisped bread encasing finely sliced beef. Despite its simplicity, the filling delivered a surprising intensity of flavor. The beef was well-seasoned, savory, and aromatic, with a satisfying contrast between the tender interior and the delicate crispness of the bread.”April 2026
-
Kavurma and eggs Net +1
“The only thing that surprised us was that bread was not served with the kavurma and eggs, but we understand that this varies from culture to culture, so it wasn’t an issue for us.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The only thing that surprised us was that bread was not served with the kavurma and eggs, but we understand that this varies from culture to culture, so it wasn’t an issue for us.”June 2026
-
Lamb kebab Net +1
“Delicious manty, traditional Fitchi meat pie, soft and juicy lamb kebab. Everything we've tried was fresh and very tasty”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Delicious manty, traditional Fitchi meat pie, soft and juicy lamb kebab. Everything we've tried was fresh and very tasty”April 2026
-
Pelmeni Net +1
“Ordered Govurdak (Fried egg with beef) Pelmeni (Dumplings filled with beef) Gatlama (Turkmen Bread). Overall tasty food and stunning calm ambience.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Ordered Govurdak (Fried egg with beef) Pelmeni (Dumplings filled with beef) Gatlama (Turkmen Bread). Overall tasty food and stunning calm ambience.”May 2026
-
Shek sheki Net +1
“Fitchy is a tasty pie & shek sheki though a bit over sweet is a good dessert to wrap up.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Fitchy is a tasty pie & shek sheki though a bit over sweet is a good dessert to wrap up.”July 2023
-
Somsa beef Net +1
“As a starter, I had Eggplant rolls , then I had Somsa Beef and Dograma, which were really delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“As a starter, I had Eggplant rolls , then I had Somsa Beef and Dograma, which were really delicious.”September 2023
-
Syrniki Net +1
“Even I get my favourite syrniki at night 😍 And what surprised me, it’s that prices also good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Even I get my favourite syrniki at night 😍 And what surprised me, it’s that prices also good.”January 2025
-
Traditional lamb soup of turkmenistan Net +1
“I ordered the traditional lamb soup of Turkmenistan and burger, and it's delicious.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I ordered the traditional lamb soup of Turkmenistan and burger, and it's delicious.”July 2023
-
Govurdak Net 0
Mixed feedback
“Ordered Govurdak (Fried egg with beef) Pelmeni (Dumplings filled with beef) Gatlama (Turkmen Bread). Overall tasty food and stunning calm ambience.”
Positive 1Negative 1
Review excerpts
“Ordered Govurdak (Fried egg with beef) Pelmeni (Dumplings filled with beef) Gatlama (Turkmen Bread). Overall tasty food and stunning calm ambience.”May 2026
Tips for a Better Visit
Order bread. Bread is not automatically served with every dish, so order it separately if you want it with kavurma and eggs.
Try Dograma. Regular visitors specifically recommend Dograma; it is described as a lamb-forward broth with potatoes and a restorative, hearty character.
Check stock. Ask what is available before ordering, particularly if you want fresh vegetables or a less common menu item.
Plan the route. Use navigation and allow time to locate the restaurant among the pedestrian alleys and converted pavilion buildings.
Ask for guidance. If Turkmen food is new to you, ask the team for dish recommendations rather than relying only on the menu.
Consider Iftar. During Iftar, reviews mention dates, drinks and both hot and cold starters alongside a generous spread.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Expo City - OS04
Opportunity District - Dubai South, Dubai
| Mon | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Tue | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Wed | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Thu | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Fri | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Sat | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
| Sun | 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM |
Common Concerns
Higher pricing
Some diners found the pricing high, especially when comparing the menu with the quality or limited choice available on their visit.
Limited availability
A visitor reported that only half the menu was available and that fresh vegetables were unavailable that day.
Hard to find
The restaurant can be difficult to locate within the Expo City area, even with navigation, so allow extra time for finding it.
Service inconsistency
Although most service reviews are positive, one diner reported unfriendly interactions and difficulty getting clear English explanations of menu items.
Quality variation
One long-term customer reported a sharp drop in food quality after relocation, including an unpleasant smell in desserts.
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
Talhan Restaurant Dubai brings Turkmen national cuisine to Dubai South, with an atmospheric dining room featuring carpets, tapestry, greenery and soft music. It is a useful stop when you want to try something beyond the usual Central Asian choices: plov is praised for buttery rice and tender beef, while manty, Fitchi meat pie, Dograma and Gutap all receive specific recommendations. The setting suits a relaxed meal with family, friends or guests.
Reviews mention spacious seating, easy conversation and a calm, almost meditative feel. Service is usually described as polite, attentive and welcoming, and several diners appreciated help choosing unfamiliar dishes. Iftar has also been well received, with dates, drinks and hot and cold starters included in the spread.
Parking is reported nearby, including behind the pavilion. There are a few practical caveats. The restaurant can be difficult to find within the Expo City area, even with navigation, so give yourself extra time.
Prices are described by some diners as high, and one visit found only half the menu available, with no fresh vegetables. Bread is not automatically served with every dish, so order it separately if you want it with kavurma and eggs. Most feedback is strongly positive, but a small number of reviews point to uneven service and food quality on particular visits.