Uzbekistan has traditionally been a tea drinking nation but being the metropolitan capital of the country, Tashkent has seen a number of modern cafes and coffee shops spring up over the past few years.
The word ‘café’ in Uzbekistan actually refers to a cheap restaurant, usually selling traditional local food but today the word is equally synonymous with cappuccino and cake.
Here we showcase some of the most popular cafes and coffee shops that Tashkent has to offer.
- Breadly: Best croissants and breakfasts
- Chaykof: Best lattes and cappuccinos
- Swiss Bakery: Best English Breakfast in Tashkent
- Hyatt Regency Breakfast: Best buffet breakfast
- Pie Republic: Good for alternative food and desserts
- Socials Cafe: Instagram haven
- Cafe Bon!: Affordable, tasty breakfasts
- B&B Coffee House: Giant coffees
- Giotto: Ice cream lovers
- Vohha Brasserie: Big Turkish-style breakfasts
Breadly Cafe
At the top of our list, Breadly is one of the best modern style cafés in Tashkent. As you might have guessed from the name, Breadly is a bakery as well as a café. They were the first café to sell freshly baked bread and croissants and they have a large breakfast menu.
It’s definitely on the fancier side of Tashkent cafes.
The owner is an Uzbek lady who went to France to study a Masters in Culinary Arts. She brought her newfound culinary skills back to Uzbekistan and soon after, Breadly was founded. Due to the success of the business she opened a couple of extra branches around the city.
The concept of breakfast in a coffee shop was new to Uzbekistan and the idea took off with wealthier Uzbeks. It’s on the pricey side for Uzbekistan but still very affordable from a dollar/euro/pound point of view.
Breakfasts start from around 80,000 UZS for an omelette up to 170,000 UZS for a Fabergé breakfast complete with caviar, avocado, cream cheese and their own sourdough bread. We told you it was fancy. We recommend it for breakfasts less so than dinner but they also sell pastas, falafel and steak etc.
Chaykof
Hear the name aloud and you might think of Swan Lake or the Nutcracker. The name Chaykof actually has nothing to do with composer Tchaikovsky but is a portmanteau ‘chay’ (tea) with ‘kof’ (coffee).
Chaykof is popular for tasty breakfasts at an affordable price. They sell omelettes from 30,000 UZS and offer an English breakfast for 55,000 UZS. Chaykof is a great cheap alternative to Breadly as it’s slightly cheaper.
It’s our favourite place for a coffee, especially cappuccino.
You can even try their Soviet Union style breakfast of sausage, eggs and peas for 45,000 UZS (although we haven’t gotten around to trying this ourselves yet…).
Chaykof is very popular in the winter period for its Irish coffee and it’s good for mulled wine as soon as the weather in Tashkent becomes chilly.
They have a long list of teas and coffee for around 25,000 to 35,000 UZS. They have several affiliated branches dotted around the city.
Swiss Bakery
Swiss Bakery is relatively new in Tashkent. Owned by Giotto (see below), they have a strong breakfast menu, very agreeable coffee, and outdoor seating to enjoy some people-watching on trendy Taras Shevchenko street.
Prices are ok but service charge at 20% pushes this into the more expensive breakfast places for Tashkent. Still, a standard breakfast here will cost no more than 100,000 Som (around $8-9) which is more than reasonable for the quality.
Best English Breakfast in Tashkent
English, American and French breakfasts in Uzbekistan can be quite different to what you’d expect and can be quite hit-and-miss.
Swiss Bakery’s English breakfast, however, is by far the best we’ve tried in Tashkent. There are no surprises: sausage, beef bacon, egg, beans, mushrooms, tomato with fresh bread and freshly squeezed orange juice.
Hyatt Hotel Breakfast Buffet
The Hyatt Regency has a daily buffet breakfast and offers a huge range of choice including cheese, salmon, salads, seasonal fruits, bread and desserts. You can also order eggs cooked to your own preference.
Drinks are unlimited and include coffee, tea, fresh fruit juice, and even sparkling wine!
The price is 250,000 Som (roughly $20) for non-hotel guests and breakfast hours are from 6:30am to 10:30am (11am on weekends).
Pie Republic
Pie Republic sells both sweet and savoury pastries and pies. Although they specialise in desserts, they also have a breakfast menu and sell quiches and vegetable and meat pies.
They’re famed for their wonderfully calorific ‘le Medovic’ dessert which is made of layered pastry, honey and cream. It’s a good place for couples on a date as the interior is modern and comfortable but it has a relaxed feel and although it can get busy you don’t feel rushed. They have some nice tea and coffee and they sell Masala tea in the winter.
Socials Cafe
Socials has great all day food including breakfasts and desserts and is more of a flashy place to go with a partner or to impress on a (sober) date.
It’s located on trendy Taras Shevchenko Street and its prices reflect this but it’s worth a visit, even for a coffee and some Instagram photos!
Socials is well decorated inside and good to visit at Christmas for its décor. It’s good all-around café for food, drink and its interior.
Looking for Tashkent’s Best Restaurants? Click here!
Café Bon!
‘Bon!’ is another affordable chain of cafes in Tashkent and offers some solid breakfasts. They’re popular brunch cafes for foreigners living in Tashkent, especially their Oybek branch.
Their club sandwich is my favourite and they are known for their own brand of chocolate! For vegans they have milk alternatives for coffees and a few vegetarian meals although the menu is sparse for vegans.
B&B Coffee House
Similar to Chaykof and ‘Bon!’, B&B is a chain of restaurants with decent breakfasts at cheap prices although their branches are starting to feel a little worn these days.
Service can be quite slow as they often seem understaffed but their breakfasts and coffee is worth a mention at least. Good for super-sized coffees at a good price.
Giotto
Giotto is more of a dessert place offering 34 different types of ice cream amongst other desserts but they also sell tea and coffee. They have three different locations and they’re all very popular with couple and families.
The staff are friendly but you might need to grab their attention at busy times. Giotto is great for kids and ice cream lovers but for coffee drinkers it’s not the best option.
Vohha Brasserie
Not actually a cafe but great for breakfasts, Vohha Brasserie has great coffee, a huge selection of desserts and authentic Turkish breakfasts big enough to cover your table. Here is their menu.
If you haven’t tried a Turkish breakfast before expect a generous platter of different types of cheese and bread, eggs, olives, salad, sausages, sauces and Turkish tea.
There’s a big selection of desserts that we were far too full to even think about but the girl working behind the dessert counter deserves a mention for her unparalleled enthusiasm for her own job!
The glint in her eyes as she explained the different types of dessert..
Whether you’re looking for a quick breakfast or a relaxing afternoon coffee, these cafes and coffee houses are sure to satisfy your cravings. So, if you’re planning a visit to Tashkent, be sure to check out these amazing cafes and coffee houses for a truly authentic and delicious experience.
Wonderful article!