We set out on one of the most important food quests ever: to find the 25 best kebabs in the UK. Now, we know this one will split opinion, as everybody has their favourite kebab, but these places really are the best of the best.
From high-end Turkish-style meats cooked in sit down restaurants, to a kebab you grab on the way home from the pub. Tying in with new food trends, a vegan kebab even makes the list. There are shawarmas, flat breads, meaty loaded fries and pita breads… Whatever way you like your kebab you’ll find something here that will have you drooling and quickly planning your next meal.
Strap yourself in for the 25 best best kebabs in the UK. Think we’ve missed somewhere amazing? Be sure to let us know in the comments where your local favourite can be found!
Where to Find The Best Kebabs in The UK
How do these rankings work?
25th. Armenian Kebab House – Blackpool
They’ve been open since way back in 1978, so you know that an establishment serving kebabs for over 40 years knows what they are doing.
It’s all about the meat and their sauces, here with big flavours and the perfect size kebab to walk along the street with, enjoying every bite.
24th. Doner Kebab House – St Ives
Doner Kebab House produces the highest quality kebabs using local produce from Cornwall. Their style of cooking is Polish and is all about the mixtures of flavours and textures that bring the meal to life.
Kebabs here are just as popular to takeaway as they are eating in. You will savour every single bite of this truly great kebab.
23rd. Rakki Rakkas – Nottingham
They only recently opened in 2017, but they have been changing the way people think about kebabs already. Their grilled meats are packed full of wonderful herbs and spices and have that lovely, clean chargrilled taste.
They have some great specials on the menu and the restaurant is always buzzing with happy customers. Truly world-class cooking.
22nd. The Mad Turk – Stamford
The Mad Turk cooks up traditional, rustic Turkish-Cypriot food. There are dishes that were enjoyed by past generations, prepared fresh daily using ingredients sourced locally, where possible.
They have chicken, lamb or pork kebabs which are all served with classic sides. You’ll also find a good selection of vegetarian dishes. Everything is cooked the traditional way on a charcoal barbecue.
21st. The Skew Hutton – Brentwood, Essex
This is a really spectacular room that is fitting as a venue for the food that they serve. Although they have a huge menu with lots of variety, their lamb or chicken shish are an absolute must-try.
As high-end as a kebab gets, but worth every single penny – which you will see the second you bite into the meat.
20th. Verdo – Edinburgh
They offer simple yet delicious well-executed Mediterranean mezze, kebabs and specials on a daily basis that are utterly delicious.
You will smell the chargrill and be licking your lips in anticipation as soon as you walk in the door. The portions are super generous so make sure to work up an appetite before you come here.
19th. Cappadocia – Kingston upon Thames, London
The owner and many of their staff are Turkish and they have proudly drawn on their heritage to create a little corner of Turkey in the UK.
The place huge emphasis on sourcing the very best of ingredients, and the grilled meats are to die for. Add in some lovely house cocktails and this is the perfect place to start a night out with friends.
18th. E. Mono – Kentish Town, London
A simple Turkish joint serving kebabs and shawarma wraps, falafels and kofte, doing so with integrity and top end quality produce.
The shawarma is highly recommended and comes with chips and salad, always with a side of flat bread, or if you prefer, you can have it all wrapped up to go.
17th. Shiraz BBQ – Liverpool
Shiraz BBQ is an absolutely buzzing restaurant that is known for the large portions and the great house cocktails that they serve. The ideal place to start a night out with friends.
The kebabs themselves are cooked over a charcoal grill to absolute succulent perfection.
16th. Akarsu Turkish Restaurant & Grill – Durham
You’ll find them in a stunning Grade II listed timber framed building, upstairs on Silver Street. The menu and the style of kebab is Turkish, which means wonderfully marinated and well seasoned meat cooked over hot charcoal for smokey perfection.
One thing we will say is keep some room for their delicious desserts. You don’t want to miss those.
15th. Awa Grill House – Swansea
Awa Grill House is a simple no-fuss restaurant where the food is superb and the service friendly – you won’t be able to find fault with anything.
Their juicy meat loaded onto a half and half mixture of chips and rice and then topped with their house sauces is the way to go. An absolute feast.
14th. Troy Meze Bar – Cardiff
The first experience to fill your senses when you walk through our door is the aroma coming from the Okabashi grill. That is where they cook freshly grilled meats and fish covered in their secret marinade.
What ends up coming to the table is some of the juiciest and tastiest meat you could ever wish for. It barely needs anything with it, but all the classic sides are there for you to choose from. Superb cooking by true professionals.
13th. Grab A Kebab – Omagh, Northern Ireland
This is a tiny little hole-in-the-wall spot that serves up one of the very best kebabs that you can get to go. Their meat and sauces combined with their seriously good chips are what have people coming for miles to sample the kebab.
The chicken kebab is the way to go. Order it with everything on top.
12th. Beelzebab – Brighton
When you first set eyes on these kebabs it is hard to believe that they are 100% vegan. The really good news is that when you taste them you will be blown away in terms of flavour, too.
They also do great vegan hot dogs, loaded fries and more, but the kebab is a thing of absolute beauty. It might just change everything you thought you knew about food.
11th. Döner Haus – Glasgow
Their aim was to bring some of the very best Berlin style food to Glasgow and they’ve achieved that in style. The menu is a mixture of Berlin döner, currywurst, great beers and tasty cocktails.
Our advice? Ignore everything else and zero straight in on the kebab. Either with bread or chips, it is an absolute triumph.
10th. Bodrum – Oxford
Their aim at Bodrum is to provide the healthiest and most well-balanced Turkish and Mediterranean Halal food in Oxford.
The beauty about this place is they really offer you the ability to pick and choose the kebab you want. Both in terms of portion size and how healthy you want it. Seriously good meat cooked by top professionals.
9th. Antep Kitchen – Milton Keynes
They are constantly winning awards for their food and it isn’t hard to see why. The portions are big and there is something on the menu for everybody.
Their best selling “Family Platter” is a combination of Adana Kofte, chicken Shish, lamb shish, chicken wings, lamb ribs served with all the trimmings. If that doesn’t fill you up, nothing will!
8th. Lokanta – Sheffield
Lokanta is Turkish for ‘neighbourhood restaurant’, and the aim here is to bring the best of modern Turkey to South Yorkshire. They’ve done that in spades with an authentic and delicious menu.
They bake their own fresh breads daily, only source the highest quality meats and then cook it up to perfection. It’ll be a long time before you have better meat than this.
7th. Friends – Liverpool
It’s all about the freshly made naan breads at Friends, which are perfectly for wrapping the meat and chips inside.
The portions are as big as the flavours, so do make sure you bring a serious appetite with you. You’ll be hooked on this kebab from the very first bite.
6th. Delight – Manchester
An unassuming restaurant from the outside, but as soon as you walk in you’ll be captivated by their food, passionate chefs and great service.
Just as many people get the kebabs to takeaway but eating is the way to go with a kebab this good. Choose from several different meats and have them wrapped in their super soft and delicious breads, loaded with toppings and a spicy home sauce. Divine.
5th. Marmaris Original Turkish Charcoal Grill – Birmingham
It’s all about the original Turkish charcoal grill at Marmaris, where the marinated meat is cooked up to smokey perfection. You’ll get the lovely aromas as soon as you walk into the building.
They also have a great doner kebab but all their fresh sauces and dips are what really seal the deal. Easily one of the best kebabs In the UK.
4th. Le Bab – London
Le Bab’s aim is to inject technique honed in Michelin starred kitchens into traditional Middle Eastern & South Asian cookery. The end result are some of the best kebabs not just in the country, but in the world.
All their cooking is done on a wood and charcoal-fired robata, and as an added bonus they have a great selection fo craft beers.
3rd. Mangal 1 – Hackney Downs, London
Mangal is a true open charcoal grill restaurant (ocakbasi) and is loved by foodies and chefs themselves all across London.
They’ve been going strong since 1991 and the key to their success is all about sourcing the very best meat and raw produce. Service comes with a smile; you can be sure you will be leaving here one very happy camper.
2nd. ‘BABS – Glasgow
Babs strives to create great street food dishes that make the most of seasonal and ethical produce. They also aim to respect the kebab’s culinary Greek, Turkish and Levantine heritage.
The cooking happening here is truly redefining what people expect from a kebab. You will leave here with your mind absolutely blown and already be planning your next visit. Out-of-this-world good.
1st. I Am Döner – Leeds
I Am Doner believes in “no more dirty kebabs” and are starting a revolution to reinvent the kebab as something you can eat at any time of the day.
They use a total of 120 ingredients in the six kebabs on offer, with a heavy focus on veg, great sauces and quality produce. You’ll instantly taste the difference and be hooked for life. The best kebab in the UK? No doubt about it.
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Mickey Kebabs, Campsie Road, Omagh, Co Tyrone. Same town as No 13 Grab-a-kebab on your best kebab list. There is much division in the town as to which offers the best kebab. Grab-a-Kebab is relatively new to the town, whereas Mickey Kebabs has been resident for over 30 years. It would be great if an impartial judge considered comparable offerings from both to finally settle the argument once and for all!