Diwan Kitchen - مطبخ الديوان

“To start off the food was banging. The prices were good and the food is authentic and tasty. The food came at 10:15 and was told at 10:25 that they were closing in 10 minutes. The Google page said it closes at 11pm and it still says this. If I knew we had 15 minutes to eat don't serve for sit in. The service was mediocre, I had to constantly ask for things that were missing or were requested and they forgot. You'd think they'd bring you the carrier bag and containers quickly without asking multiple times if they were trying to close 30 minutes early? We had to ask multiple times for this as well! To add insult to injury, they slapped a 10% service charge on the bill.”

“My husband and I visited the restaurant after looking at alot of reel reviews. Our experience was not that great. Well the restaurant vibe was fine. But the food disappointed us. We are from saudi arabia and know how a kabsa and mandi tastes like. But the restaurant food was nowhere close to that. The food service was quick. We got in within 5 min of ordering. But it was cold and seemed like microwaved. The lamb mandi was 8/10 but the chicken kabsa was 1/10. It tasted burnt like the pot it was cooked in got burnt from bottom. And chicken skin was literally burnt not “charcoaled” as the server told us. The prices are not at all upto the taste and image being portrayed by these content creators who are getting paid to promote it. Well during billing the server did not even ask us about the service charge and charged us £4 service charge even though we mentioned that we were not happy with the food. After my husband asked for the receipt and noticed it, he told the server to remove it, but the server said it is always charged in the bill and can not be refunded. I would like to get a refund of the service charge and any compensation for the unhappy experience we received from your restaurant.”

“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authentic Arabian Excellence We celebrated a special occasion this weekend at this gem restaurant Diwan Kitchen and were blown away. The authentic atmosphere immediately transported us straight to the heart of the Arabian Peninsula with its traditional decor and lighting. We had a private box which provided the perfect intimate family setting for our evening. The food was outstanding—rich, aromatic, and true to Saudi and Yemeni traditions. Special thanks to Manager Adam, whose exceptional hospitality ensured our evening was flawless. The waiters were equally impressive—attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely warm. If you want authentic flavors, impeccable service, and a memorable atmosphere, this is the place. We'll definitely be back!”

“The meat is tender and I would recommend the haneeth and lamb shank as the taste is quite different. There is no prayer facility (infact th staff looked offended when I asked for a prayer mat as I found an empty corner). Areeka dessert is worth a try also”

“UPDATE 06.06.2026: We’ve visited Diwan Kitchen a number of times now, and yesterday we visited for the first time after a few months. We had such a lacklustre experience I unfortunately feel compelled to amend my original review. The restaurant was overall very quiet which initially was nice, but it didn’t fill up at all throughout our meal, some people even walked in and walked away. I was beginning to get confused about what was going on. There was no complimentary soup and the salad only consisted of cucumber and lettuce whereas previously I’m sure there were tomatoes and carrots in there making it much more appealing. We ordered the lamb mandi, chicken mandi and chicken saleeg. The quality of the chicken was questionable with very brittle and dark bones. Disappointed to see that Diwan Kitchen are also now stocking mostly drinks that we are choosing to boycott, when previously there was always a selection of Kinza on offer. It also made a huge difference that the usual bubbly lady was not working. The servers yesterday spent much of their time on their phones which just feels unprofessional to me. To top it off, the experience was really dampened by blaring music and singing coming from the kitchen. Based on this experience I doubt we will be visiting again. Original review 17.10.2025: Diwan Kitchen gave us one of the most enjoyable meals we have had out for a long time. The private seating is so comfortable, tidy and perfect when you have young children. It really eases the burden of parents trying to appease unsettled kids. The soup to start was light, yet rich and incredibly warming and hearty. The saleeg was creamy and comforting. The flavour was mild but still very tasty and enjoyable. The chicken boukhari was lightly and perfectly spiced with sweet raisins to complement the rice. This reminded me a lot of kabuli pilau 😋 I was highly impressed by how tender, soft and juicy the chicken in each of the dishes was. The star of the show was truly the lamb mandi. Generous portion, beautifully spiced, and the rice looked unassuming, but it was so delicious and moreish. The red sauce served along side was also very tasty when eaten with the rice dishes. The cheese mutabbaq was stringy and yummy. To finish we had kunafah which my husband and kids hoovered up. I couldn’t fault a single thing. The service was prompt and respectful, the food delicious and the atmosphere lovely. I’m already planning my next visit.”