Published on July 22, 2026
After a long journey from Torkham or Mazar-e Sharif to Kabul, you’ll probably want to fill your stomach first. The Shar-e Naw neighborhood is, in my opinion, the best place to do so. Located right in the city center and close to all the major ministries and diplomatic institutions, the area offers plenty of options in the evening. During the day, many people instead head to the bazaar around the Nadir Pashtun Bridge. Street food is the main attraction there. It's not as clean as in the restaurants here, but those with a strong stomach can give the dishes a try. Apart from that, you should really like meat. Vegetarian options are few and far between, not to mention vegan ones.
Here are my 9 favorite dishes to eat in Kabul – with restaurant tips:
1. Qabuli Palao
Qabuli Palao is the national dish and essentially a combination of fluffy basmati rice, meat, raisins, chickpeas, almonds, and carrots. Lamb is usually added to the degi cooking pot and slow-cooked under the rice. Sometimes other types of meat are used, depending on what is available. You can find the dish in almost every restaurant, as well as at roadside stops on the way to Kabul and in Shar-e Naw.
The top address for Qabuli Palao in Kabul, according to almost everyone I spoke to in the city, is Barg Continental directly opposite Shar-e Naw Park. You’re warmly welcomed, shown to your table, and given recommendations. The portions are huge, and you can taste the individual spices in the dish. Sometimes, one spoonful tastes just a little different from the next.
Among Kabul’s restaurants, many visitors also recommend Shaam Kabul, further west on Ahmad Zaher Road. The quality of the Qabuli Palao is comparable to Barg Continental, while the festive atmosphere and floor seating make this place a truly authentic Afghan experience.
Another tip from me: If you want to try the best Qabuli Palao in Afghanistan, you should honestly head to Mazar-e Sharif. The city lies close to the Uzbek border, and the cuisine there is therefore much more reminiscent of the refined art of plov in the neighboring country.
Among all the Palao, Pulao, Pilaf, Plov, and Polov dishes of Central Asia, I consider the Uzbek version to be one of the best. You can even find a reasonably authentic taste of it in Germany at some of the best Uzbek plov restaurants in Berlin, or, for Afghan flavors, at the Dong Xuan Center.
Webseite Barg Continental: https://www.bargcontinental.com/
Shaam: https://www.shaamkabul.com/
2. Small Kebab Skewers (Lamb oder Goat/Kabob)
The small mini kebabs are a great snack if you’re a meat lover. You can grab them on the go, but usually you’ll sit down somewhere, have some tea served alongside them, and enjoy the little bites with fresh naan bread.
The mini skewers, made from lamb or goat meat and generously seasoned beforehand, are grilled over an open charcoal fire. On some streets, such as Malek Fahd Ave. west of Shar-e Naw Park, the smoke rises and the grills sizzle - you will see the barbecue stations already from far away. Apart from that, there are also good options along Sulh Road, which leads all the way from the Shirpoor roundabout to Shar-e Naw.
What I found somewhat surprising - quite shocking, actually - was that people in Afghanistan enjoy these kebabs as early as the morning. On my journeys to Kabul by shared taxi and hitchhiking, we would often stop at roadside eateries, where this heavy food was already going into our stomachs at 8 or 9 in the morning.
3. Chopan Kebab (Lamb Chops)
Chopan kebab can roughly be translated as “shepherd’s kebab” from Dari and Pashto. In my opinion, it is truly one of the best dishes in Afghanistan, because it is hard to imagine a fresher way of preparing it. In Kabul’s restaurants, the owner usually sits on a raised chair directly in front of a tree stump, where the meat is cut up. To place your order, you simply go over to him - he is both the owner and the butcher.
In Kabul, I found a whole range of such restaurants on Malek Fahd Ave Street in Shar-e Naw and completely fell in love with Raees Khan’s place. Since the owner speaks English, communication is very easy. He is talkative, gives great recommendations, and cuts up what I consider the best lamb chops in Afghanistan.
You simply tell him how many grams you want. He chops the pieces in half with his cleaver in mid-air and then tosses them with a flourish into a metal bowl. The bowl is then passed to the grill masters at Raees Khan Super Shinwary, who season the meat and cook it slowly over an open charcoal fire on the mangal. Alternatively, you can choose other cuts and types of meat, but the Chopan version is simply the best choice at this Kabul restaurant. It is usually served with the somewhat simpler side rice, Chulao, along with plenty of naan.
The preparation takes a little while, which is hardly surprising when the meat has to be cut up first. In the meantime, it’s best to order a pot of green tea, watch the goings-on in the café, or strike up a conversation with one of the groups of men (women, unsurprisingly, are nowhere to be seen here - unless you find the family section).
What arrives at the table are butter-soft lamb chops that go perfectly with the yogurt sauce and naan. The naan, by the way, is always replenished without you even having to ask.
4. Sajji – Spit-Roasted Chicken
On the streets of Kabul, you’ll frequently come across a rather striking sight: You might be walking through Shar-e Naw, or another part of the city, and suddenly find yourself passing rows of spitted chickens. The birds, marinated with saffron to give them a slightly yellowish color, are skewered one above the other on thick wooden sticks and then placed around a fire pit - or, okay, perhaps not quite that dramatically, - into the designated openings around the fire barrel.
The embers slowly cook the sajji chickens until they are expertly carved and sliced onto the plate. The skin becomes crispy from the additional coating of lamb fat, while the meat remains perfectly tender. When you order a portion at a restaurant, it usually comes with some vegetables, rice, sauce, and naan as well - which, in my opinion, is almost too much of a good thing. I had to take the leftovers back to my hotel.
I've tried the Sajji chicken a few times in Kabul, but a place apparently called Kabul Bites was so far the best for this dish. I'm not 100% sure if it's known to locals under this name, but at least you can find it this way on Google Maps. Just head to this location and watch out for chickens on sticks.
5. Bolani Pancakes
Bolani is simple street food, but perfect for filling your stomach a little between meals. It’s a relatively thin flatbread that is more reminiscent of crêpes or Turkish gözleme. The dough is cooked fairly quickly on a hot griddle or in a pan, then filled and folded over.
This is also one of the few options for vegetarians looking to eat meat-free in Afghanistan. Typical bolani fillings include potatoes, leeks, and lentils, so minced meat isn’t necessarily part of it, although that is also available.
The problem for vegetarians might be the fat. In most cases, vegetable oil is actually used. Afghans, however, often like to enhance their dishes with a little fat from sheep’s tails. Therefore, it might be a good idea to ask beforehand which oil is used on the pan.
You can eat bolani all over Kabul. Nearly every bazaar is a good spot to watch out for this dish, as are busy streets. I came across my Afghan pancake, for example, while looking for a SIM card somewhere along Zargona Road.
6. Chapli Kebab (Afghanistan's Flat Kebab)
Chapli Kebab is a distinctly Pashtun dish, more commonly found in Jalalabad or across the border in Peshawar, Pakistan. Since the Taliban returned to power, many Pashtuns have moved to Kabul, making this dish much more common in the capital as well.
To put it simply, Chapli Kebab consists of minced mutton or beef, heavily seasoned with chili, coriander, onions, cumin, and ginger, then pressed into a somewhat oval but flat patty (chapli means "flat"). It is then pushed with a long spatula into the oil of a large, tilted frying pan and deep-fried until it is practically dripping with fat. The addition of baking powder and a little lemon juice gives it a lighter texture.
Overall, the deep-fried version of Chapli Kebab isn’t necessarily my favorite, nor is it particularly filling. You’d need at least two portions with bread and side dishes to really feel full. One thing I noticed is that most Peshawar-style Chapli restaurants are concentrated in Kabul’s Karte Naw neighborhood, presumably because more Pashtuns live there. That said, you can also find it at bazaars and along busy streets such as Ahmad Zaher Road.
7. Mantu and Aushak – Dumplings from Afghanistan
As in many Asian countries, Afghanistan also has its own dumplings. The classic version is mantu - yes, the name is very similar to the Central Asian and Turkish manty - but unlike those, they are steamed rather than boiled.
The thin dough is usually filled with a mixture of minced lamb or beef and onions. The dumplings are served with tomato sauce, yogurt, dried mint, and a little coriander. Qoroot, a type of buttermilk, is also a popular garnish.
A special variation of mantu that is very common in Kabul is aushak. These dumplings are mainly filled with leeks and then served on a large plate with tomatoes, beans, and a little mint-and-garlic qoroot. They are often topped with a portion of fried minced meat, which could theoretically be left out if you’re vegetarian.
Really good mantu can be found at Barg Continental, which I already recommended for Qabuli Palao. Another option is Kaboora, although this one is more of a luxury option.
8. Shiryakh – Afghan Ice Cream
Shiryakh literally translates as “cold milk” and is freshly prepared from this very ingredient right in front of customers. Combined with cream, cardamom, rosewater, and saffron, it gets its distinctive flavor. Finally, a few chopped pistachios are often sprinkled on top to give the dessert the finishing touch.
Perhaps even more striking is the presentation. The preparation itself, in a metal pot sitting on ice, looks unusual at first glance. The creamy mixture is then shaped into a pointed cone on the plate - a cone that rises almost obscenely high into the sky.
In the cafés, you find yourself sitting among other sweet-toothed customers in one of Kabul’s many ice cream parlors. Most of the guests tend to be bearded, rather tough-looking men who apparently have a soft spot for sweets too.
My top spot is, of course, in Shar-e Naw, not far from the sajji chicken stand. Tolo Icecream is simply the best place for shiryakh in Kabul, thanks to its friendly owner, excellent presentation, and outstanding flavor.
9. Fresh Fruit Juice – Kabul's Best Juice Shops
You can recognize them by the huge quantities of fruit displayed in the windows. Sometimes the fruit is real; sometimes it’s fake. But when it comes to the actual drinks, only the best-quality fruit is used, of course.
Proper juice shops are a good reason to head out again in the evening and treat yourself to a healthy dose of vitamins. The great thing is that they rarely dilute the juice with milk or water. Most of the time, you get pure fruit juice, from mango, banana, and guava to strawberry, watermelon, orange, and grapes. Sometimes they mix different fruits, add toppings, and throw all kinds of combinations together.
You’ll find restaurants serving fresh smoothies all over Kabul, but my favorite juice spots have become Taj Mahal - which is also a palao and grill restaurant - and a small shop on the corner of Angara Ave and Sulh Road.