Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest country on Earth — a vast landlocked nation spanning Europe and Asia, where the steppe stretches to every horizon and the culinary tradition was shaped by centuries of nomadic life. The food is hearty, meat-forward, and extraordinarily satisfying: whole-animal cooking, hand-made pastas, slow-braised broths, and the kind of communal feasting that is designed to be shared by many hands around a single dish.
Dubai has a significant Kazakh community — drawn by employment, trade, and the city's role as a regional hub. They have brought their food culture with them. You won't find Kazakh food in the gleaming malls or on tourist restaurant strips, but in the working-class neighbourhoods of Al Qusais, Al Nahda, and the back streets of Deira, it thrives quietly and magnificently.
This is the guide to all of it.
Understanding Kazakh Food: The Basics
Why Kazakh Cuisine Is Unlike Any Other
Kazakh food evolved for a nomadic lifestyle — portable, calorie-dense, and built around the horse and sheep that travelled with the people. The two defining proteins are lamb (in almost every dish) and horse meat (in the most celebrated dishes, including the famous kazy sausage and beshbarmak made for special occasions). Dairy plays a huge role: kumiss (fermented mare's milk), ayran (yoghurt drink), and kurt (dried fermented cheese balls) are all everyday foods. The flavour profile is savoury and umami-rich, with relatively restrained spicing compared to Uzbek or Tajik food — the quality of the meat is allowed to speak for itself.
Essential Kazakh Dishes — What to Order
The Kazakh Menu Decoded
Best Kazakh Restaurants in Dubai
Almaty Grill
The definitive Kazakh restaurant in Dubai, named for Kazakhstan's cultural capital. Everything here is done with seriousness: the lamb shashlik is marinated for 18 hours, the sorpa broth is made from whole bones simmered overnight, and the beshbarmak is a genuine ceremony. The charcoal grill is visible from the dining room, and the smoke smell when you walk in is one of Dubai's greatest food experiences. Order the kazy if they have it — horse sausage served with sliced onions and fresh bread.
Must order: Lamb shashlik (AED 64/3 skewers), kazy horse sausage when available (AED 58), beshbarmak pre-order (AED 145/person, min 4), sorpa (AED 28). Reservation: Essential for beshbarmak — call 24 hours ahead. Walk-ins welcome for shashlik.
Steppe Kitchen
A few minutes from Almaty Grill in the same Al Qusais industrial area, Steppe Kitchen is the everyday choice for Dubai's Kazakh community. The food is slightly less refined but completely authentic — the plov is excellent, the shashlik is reliably good, and the baursaki (fried dough balls) with soured cream make a perfect end to a meal. The family who run it are from Almaty and have been cooking in Dubai for 12 years. Closes by 10pm.
Must order: Kazakh plov (AED 32), lamb shashlik x3 (AED 48), shorpo (AED 22), baursaki with soured cream (AED 24). Reservation: Not required.
Astana Diner
Named for Kazakhstan's capital, Astana Diner is a modest but warmly run spot in Deira that serves the full Kazakh repertoire at accessible prices. The sorpa lamb broth here is notably good — clear, intensely flavoured, served with torn fresh bread — and the samsa from their small tandoor oven are the best in this part of Dubai. Open late, so it catches the after-midnight crowd in Deira's never-sleeping streets.
Must order: Sorpa lamb broth (AED 25), samsa x2 (AED 18), mixed grill platter (AED 65). Reservation: Not required.
The Beshbarmak Guide: Everything You Need to Know
Beshbarmak is Kazakhstan's most significant dish — its presence at weddings, funerals, celebrations, and homecomings is a cultural constant. The name comes from the Kazakh words for "five fingers," because it is traditionally eaten by hand. Understanding the dish helps you order it correctly in Dubai.
| Element | What It Is | What to Know |
|---|---|---|
| The Meat | Whole-bone lamb or horse, boiled for 2–3 hours | In Dubai, lamb is standard. Horse is available occasionally at specialist spots — ask in advance |
| The Pasta | Hand-rolled flat noodle sheets (zhaya) | Boiled in the meat broth to absorb the flavour. Should be thick and slightly chewy |
| The Broth (Sorpa) | Concentrated bone broth with onion | Served separately in a bowl to drink — the most nutritious part of the meal |
| The Onions | Thinly sliced and briefly poached in broth | Scattered over the top with black pepper. Essential — don't skip them |
| Ordering in Dubai | Always requires advance booking | Call 24 hours ahead minimum. Almaty Grill: AED 145/person, min 4 people |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I find horse meat in Dubai's Kazakh restaurants?
Occasionally yes, though not consistently. Horse meat is halal and an important part of Kazakh tradition — particularly kazy (horse sausage) and beshbarmak made with horse. Call Almaty Grill ahead of your visit to ask about availability. When they have it, order it — it's a genuinely unique culinary experience with a rich, slightly gamey flavour quite unlike lamb.
How do I get to Al Qusais Industrial Area for Kazakh food?
Al Qusais Industrial Area is best reached by taxi or Uber from Al Qusais Metro station (about 5 minutes, AED 12–15). Almaty Grill and Steppe Kitchen are within walking distance of each other in the same industrial zone. The area is safe and busy, especially in the evenings when workers from surrounding companies finish their shifts. Plenty of free parking if you're driving.
Is Kazakh food suitable for vegetarians?
Frankly, no — Kazakh cuisine is one of the most meat-focused food traditions in the world, shaped by centuries of nomadic herding. Vegetable side dishes exist (salads, bread, ayran dairy drinks), but the core of the cuisine is built entirely around lamb, beef, and horse. If you're vegetarian, the plov can sometimes be made without meat on request, and samsa occasionally have cheese or potato variants — but this is not a vegetarian-friendly cuisine.
What drinks should I have with Kazakh food?
Ayran (cold, slightly salty yoghurt drink) cuts beautifully through the richness of shashlik and beshbarmak. Green tea is drunk constantly throughout a Kazakh meal — keep your cup topped up. Sorpa (the lamb bone broth) is both a dish and a drink. No alcohol is typically served at authentic Kazakh restaurants in Dubai.