I wanted to find out whether there could ever be such a thing as a gourmet doner kebab

By James Aldridge

The German Doner Kebab eatery in Friar Street. Credit: German Doner Kebab

It's been about a month since German Doner Kebab opened in Friar Street, just seconds away from getreading's office.

With it being so close I thought it high time to give it a try so I popped in to grab some lunch this week.

From outside, the glass fronted fast-food joint looks really smart and trendy, and inside is no different. The walls are emblazoned in black and red - a patriotic nod to the German flag I think - and gold lighting hanging from the walls gives the place a warm and welcoming feel, much nicer than the cold, white interior of many other fast-food options in Reading town centre.

I placed my order at the counter after pondering over what option to choose - there are wraps, burger buns and salad boxes but I went for the traditional mixed meat doner kebab.

As it was only lunchtime and not an early-morning drunken feast I chose the "mini" option which costs £4.99 and includes a drink. I then peered into the kitchen where I could see the chefs busily prepare my meal.

My selection of beef and chicken meat was brilliant, much better cooked than most meat from the kebab spit, cut into chunks and had a strong, satisfying flavour.

It was piled into novel, waffle-looking bread which served well, not only did it keep the contents of the kebab contained in a strong, square package, it also had a decent texture - certainly a departure from the typical flatbreads doner meat is usually served in.

Finally, the meat and salad was smothered in a delicious secret sauce, the recipe for which GDK keeps locked away. Usually kebab joints will let you choose whatever sauce you like, but German Doner Kebab is confident - the chefs know what a great kebab tastes like and delivered it with their own creamy signature sauce.



German Doner Kebab serves up a tasty mix of chicken and beef. Credit: getreading

So, although the kebab was less customisable than most shops and vans, I respect that because German Doner Kebab know what they are doing.

I was slightly disappointed that GDK didn't have a lamb option, but once I'd started to tuck into my meal and realised just how good the meat was, the lack of lamb didn't bother me one bit.

I don't know many people who have never tried a kebab, but there's no comparison between GDK and the fare you get heading home from a night out, however if there was the German Doner Kebab would definitely come out the superior.

This felt a lot healthier to eat than other kebabs and made me feel completely satisfied, although I went for a small it kept me going until it was time to cook dinner.

So, can such a thing as a gourmet doner kebab exist? Yes it can.

German Doner Kebab is open in Friar Street, Reading, Berkshire.

Scores on the doors

Quality of food: 7/10

Service: 5/10

Atmosphere/surroundings: 5/10

Value for money: 8/10

Food hygiene rating: Reading branch not rated yet

Dinner brag factor:* 2/5

Total: 27/45 (as there's no hygiene rating)

*This is when you can take a picture, add a filter in Instagram, and post to your Twitter or Facebook and get all your mates going “oh, my pasta looks so bloody boring tonight”

What does TripAdvisor say? Ranked 424th out of 496 restaurants in Reading.

No delivery in Reading so far, but you can order in the eatery and take it out to eat.