Where to Eat Deliciously in Tashkent?
Uzbek cuisine, which has absorbed the traditions of Central Asia and the Middle East, as well as Turkic and Persian cultures, was shaped through the development of the region as a vital trade crossroads. Tashkent is the most attractive city for those looking to enrich their gastronomic experience.
Besides Uzbek plov, known worldwide, the national cuisine includes samsa filled with lamb and beef, potatoes and herbs; manty — steamed dumplings with meat and onions, served with sour cream and sauce; chuchvara — a local type of dumplings where the meat is finely chopped with a knife instead of being ground. Popular local soups include lagman — a soup with thin noodles, beef or chicken, spices, and vegetables; shurpa — a potato broth with meat; and katykli — a soup made from fermented dairy products. I will tell you where to find authentic plov in Tashkent and which restaurants to visit during your trip.
Where to Find Authentic Uzbek Plov in Tashkent?
A trip is unimaginable without plov. Although this dish is widespread in countries such as Iran, India, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, the traditions of preparing specifically Uzbek plov are included in the UNESCO heritage list.
Each region has its own way of making plov — recipes from Bukhara and Samarkand differ. Unlike other types, Tashkent-style plov is made using long-grain rice called lahmon. Raisins, beans, chickpeas, nuts, spices, and more are often added to the Tashkent version.
You can try plov in many restaurants, but a true gastronomic delight and cultural immersion is tasting the dish at city bazaars or plov centers (Osh Markazi), small street eateries operating from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. It is believed that here it tastes best. To catch fresh portions, you need to arrive as early as possible in the morning — the dish is prepared several hours before the establishment opens.
In addition to the national Uzbek dish in various variations (with egg, herbs, roast beef, and vegetables), plov centers also offer baked goods, tandoor bread, and salads. The average price per serving starts from 21,000 UZS. Among the centers, many tourists favor Besh Qozon.
You can also find plov at the Chorsu Bazaar, where souvenirs, groceries, and dried fruits are sold. Cooking begins here before dawn, and portions are quickly taken, so by 11 AM, plov may already be sold out.
Each region has its own way of making plov — recipes from Bukhara and Samarkand differ. Unlike other types, Tashkent-style plov is made using long-grain rice called lahmon. Raisins, beans, chickpeas, nuts, spices, and more are often added to the Tashkent version.
You can try plov in many restaurants, but a true gastronomic delight and cultural immersion is tasting the dish at city bazaars or plov centers (Osh Markazi), small street eateries operating from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. It is believed that here it tastes best. To catch fresh portions, you need to arrive as early as possible in the morning — the dish is prepared several hours before the establishment opens.
In addition to the national Uzbek dish in various variations (with egg, herbs, roast beef, and vegetables), plov centers also offer baked goods, tandoor bread, and salads. The average price per serving starts from 21,000 UZS. Among the centers, many tourists favor Besh Qozon.
You can also find plov at the Chorsu Bazaar, where souvenirs, groceries, and dried fruits are sold. Cooking begins here before dawn, and portions are quickly taken, so by 11 AM, plov may already be sold out.
Where to Try Uzbek Cuisine?
If you didn't make it to the plov center, don't worry — you can try plov at all national cuisine restaurants.
A fine Uzbek and Lebanese cuisine restaurant Café 1991 with a seasonal menu. On weekdays from 12:00 to 16:00, guests are offered hearty business lunches. For example, on Thursday, this includes Uzbek vegetable salad achik-chuchuk made from tomatoes, greens, and onions, Uzbek mastava soup, plov, and chak-chak with tea. The business lunch costs from 100,000 UZS. In summer, the venue opens a terrace and offers guests sets of signature dishes.
At the “Bukhara”, you can enjoy a tasty and affordable lunch. The menu includes plov, samsa, salads, and soups. Among the salads are herring under a fur coat and Caesar. The first and second courses cost approximately from 50,000 UZS.
The Caravan restaurant project, founded 20 years ago, combines the concept of a family establishment. Guests are offered live music, a tavern atmosphere, and a wide selection of dishes with generous portions. Here you will find all types of Uzbek soups: Uzbek and Uyghur lagman, mashkhurda soup, Armenian khash soup, and Russian okroshka. Shashlik is prepared to suit every taste: potato, lula, fish shashlik, vegetable shashlik, and lamb ribs shashlik. You can view the menu on the website. The average check is from 100,000 UZS.
At the “Bukhara”, you can enjoy a tasty and affordable lunch. The menu includes plov, samsa, salads, and soups. Among the salads are herring under a fur coat and Caesar. The first and second courses cost approximately from 50,000 UZS.
The Caravan restaurant project, founded 20 years ago, combines the concept of a family establishment. Guests are offered live music, a tavern atmosphere, and a wide selection of dishes with generous portions. Here you will find all types of Uzbek soups: Uzbek and Uyghur lagman, mashkhurda soup, Armenian khash soup, and Russian okroshka. Shashlik is prepared to suit every taste: potato, lula, fish shashlik, vegetable shashlik, and lamb ribs shashlik. You can view the menu on the website. The average check is from 100,000 UZS.
At Plov Lounge, you will find a fusion of signature cuisine, national, and European traditions. Uzbek motifs in the interior are “wrapped” in a trendy space filled with numerous details: authentic mosaics, colorful tiles, hammocks, and a terrace surrounded by a neatly trimmed lawn.
Despite the name, this is a versatile international restaurant where the chef has devised a fresh approach to familiar dishes. The menu features manty, soups (shurpa, lagman, or chuchvara), Tashkent-style duck, as well as Armenian khorovats barbecue, steaks, Italian fettuccine and carbonara pasta, risotto, meat assortments, and more than a dozen types of shashlik.
The extensive bar menu offers signature and classic cocktails, liqueurs, aperitifs, single malt and blended Scotch and Japanese whiskies. The detailed menu is available on the restaurant’s website. The average check starts from 350,000 UZS.
Despite the name, this is a versatile international restaurant where the chef has devised a fresh approach to familiar dishes. The menu features manty, soups (shurpa, lagman, or chuchvara), Tashkent-style duck, as well as Armenian khorovats barbecue, steaks, Italian fettuccine and carbonara pasta, risotto, meat assortments, and more than a dozen types of shashlik.
The extensive bar menu offers signature and classic cocktails, liqueurs, aperitifs, single malt and blended Scotch and Japanese whiskies. The detailed menu is available on the restaurant’s website. The average check starts from 350,000 UZS.