Tashkent has dozens of great restaurants with cuisines of all kinds. You’ll find plenty of traditional Uzbek restaurants selling plov, shashlik and manti (dumplings). Then once you can eat no more rice and lamb, you’ll find plenty of international restaurants offering Turkish, Korean, Indian, Italian and Japanese cuisines.
In my first two months staying in Tashkent, I ate out almost every day and never got tired of what Tashkent had to offer.
In this post, we have a look at some of the top restaurants in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Restaurants in Tashkent: Prices
2023 Update: Much of the world has seen inflation raise prices and Uzbekistan is no different. Whilst you can still find very cheap food here, it’s not quite the giveaway it used to be.
If you’re on a budget then eating local food is always cheapest and you can get a meal for as little as $2-3 if you’re having plov at small street restaurants, known as ‘cafes’. These places are small, family run businesses that despite the name, sell traditional food (rather than coffee).
If you’re looking for mid-range restaurants you might expect to pay $5-10 for a main meal. For these prices you’ll have a much bigger range of options, including international dishes like burgers, Indian curries and Italian pizzas and pastas.
In terms of high end restaurants in Tashkent, there are a growing number of high class restaurants catering to wealthy locals and tourists. Some of the best restaurants serve fusion Asian food, Japanese seafood, and European and Mediterranean classics. Be prepared to pay $100+ per head for food and drink at some of the fanciest restaurants out there.
Top Restaurants in Tashkent
Best Authentic Uzbek Restaurants in Tashkent
For the best Uzbek experience, close Google Maps, find a food cafe in the street and use a mix of pointing and broken Russian to order plov, shashlik, yoghurt, bread, salad and tea.
It’s impossible to go wrong with this type of restaurant as they all offer a fairly standard menu and you’ll pay no more than $5 per person for a satisfying, hearty meal.
The staff at these places rarely encounter foreigners and so might be amused by your presence as you struggle to communicate.
This is by far the best way to enjoy Uzbek food but you won’t find these places advertised online. Just walk around, be brave and head into any small local restaurant. You won’t regret it.
Best Cheap Food in Tashkent
Chorsu Bazaar Street Food: If you’re feeling adventurous then head to Chorsu Bazaar where you can find noren: noodles with horse meat and khasip: mutton sausage. You can get most dishes for a couple of dollars and sit among the locals.
It’s not the most sanitary of places but it’s the perfect place to go for an authentic, cheap meal.
Best Plov in Tashkent
The Plov Center, now known as Besh Qozon, is a large, bustling restaurant which sells an industrial amount of plov on a daily basis!
Before you walk into the building, you can wander into the preparation area and watch it being cooked in giant pans over wooden fires.
It’s a little overwhelming as you enter. You’ll have to navigate the busy servers, groups of families, and tourists with selfie sticks in order to find your own table.
From there grab the attention of one of the busy waiters.
There’s no English menu but don’t worry if you can’t speak Uzbek or Russian as there’s always a friendly local willing to help you order.
They sell various types of plov plus all the usual Uzbek extras like bread, yoghurt, salad, dolma and tea. Expect to pay around $5 per person for all food and drink.
It’s located behind Tashkent Tower and is a 10 minute walk from Shahriston metro.
Best Shashlik in Tashkent
Bek Cafe, popular with the locals, offers great service and some of the best shashlik in the city. It’s a restaurant rather than a cafe, and a lively one at that!
Expect a real Uzbek experience with large tables of families, Uzbek disco music, and dancing grandmothers.
It can be loud and crowded inside so if you prefer a quieter evening then we suggest that you take a table outside. We sat outside and ventured in to take a peek at the disco-like hall once the music started.
They have an extensive menu, offering all the usual Uzbek meals such as shashlik, plov, soup, bread, and salads. The barbecue is great and there’s a good alcohol menu too.
The restaurant known only as ‘Shashlik‘ is also a very popular place for the shashlik in Tashkent.
Located at the top entrance to EcoPark, it seems to be full almost every evening so get there early to ensure a table.
International Restaurants in Tashkent
Vegetarian Restaurants in Tashkent
Eating in Uzbekistan can be a challenge for vegetarians and vegans but you still have a few options.
Tashkent is Uzbekistan’s most vegetarian-friendly city and is home to what is possibly the only vegetarian cafe in the entire country!
Eco Cafe in the basement of Eco Art hotel is a must for vegetarians and vegans. It has a healthy vegan menu and a long list of herbal teas. They also sell vegan desserts and they change their menu every day.
Tashkent is also home to many Indian restaurants and they all have an abundance of curried vegetables dishes.
‘The Host‘ is a well established Indian restaurant on Aybek Street with veggie starters and main courses.
If you want to sample vegan plov, head to Khiva Restaurant in the Hyatt Regency hotel. They sell vegan plov for a very reasonable 70,000 som.
Read here for a full list of vegan restaurants in Tashkent.
Fusion Restaurants in Tashkent
Jumani Restaurant brands itself as ‘Fusion Cuisine’ and it really is a mix of everything. It offers all kinds of cuisines from Georgian to Japanese but is well known for its Chinese dishes. Due to its giant menu, it’s also another good option for vegetarians.
Its interior is a little dated but the service was good and we were entertained by a solo pianist as we waited for our food.
Whilst we wouldn’t say it was the very best of our gastronomic experiences in Tashkent, it’s a good all around choice if your group can’t decide on what to eat.
Korean Restaurants in Tashkent
Tashkent has a surprising number of Korean restaurants and having lived in South Korea for 6 years, I considered myself a mini expert in guzzling BBQ pork with tasteless beer.
As a Muslim country, it can be hard to find pork in Uzbekistan but being such a staple in the Korean cuisine, you’ll find plenty at the Korean restaurants in Tashkent.
At the start of my trip in Uzbekistan, speaking no Russian, I found Korean restaurants to be my safe haven when ordering food as it was the only place I could be understood.
Seoul Restaurant is highly rated and has authentic banchan (side dishes), soups, stews and noodles.
The confusing ‘Seoul the Noodles’ sign on the shop front is fitting for a city whose tourism slogan is ‘I Seoul U’.
Just looking for breakfast in Tashkent?
Best Italian Restaurant in Tashkent
Affresco is an old Italian restaurant with a classic feel and sells pizza, pasta, steak and seafood. It’s been famous for many years and was apparently started by Italians living in Tashkent.
The restaurant has a legitimate Italian atmosphere. Everything from the white tablecloths to the pictures on the wall, makes this place feel like an authentic Italian restaurant. It has a good choice of wine and some tasty desserts like tiramisu and cheesecake.
The director of Affresco also ran several other popular restaurants in Tashkent known collectively as the Caravan Restaurants. These days she apparently teaches wealthy, young Uzbek girls how to marry…
Best Japanese Restaurant in Tashkent
Head to Assorti behind Hotel Uzbekistan for some of the city’s best Japanese food. It’s not the cheapest option but we found it had the nicest sushi and sashimi. It has a large menu and also sells Uzbek and Korean food. The quality of the food is great and we have been back several times.
It’s a good place for an evening meal or a light lunch. They also stock pretty much every type of alcohol you could ask for as well as some decent coffee.
Luxury Restaurants in Tashkent
Hori is a Japanese, pan-Asian restaurant located by Amir Timur square. They have great chefs and some of the best seafood in Uzbekistan (quite impressive for a double-landlocked country).
It’s on the pricier side, especially for Tashkent so expect to pay (roughly) $100 per person for a couple of courses and a drink.
It has a fancy interior and is a perfect place to take somebody if you want to impress. We ordered sushi and a steak, cooked on their $5,000 teppan grill.
The staff were very friendly and even gave us some free sushi to apologise for a brief power outing.
You’ll need to book in advance if going on the weekend as it’s a popular place with the wealthier locals.
Basilic is a high end restaurant serving Mediterranean and European dishes. It’s been around for a long time and is perfect for a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary. It’s located opposite the state museum of art and it has live music on the weekend.
Best International Restaurant in Tashkent
Humble opinion time…
The restaurant has a down-to-Earth, rustic feel about it and you’ll be greeted with a smile and some upbeat Georgian music.
We tried a couple of meat and vegetable starters and some khachapuri, a Georgian style pizza that left us full for days.
If ordering wine we recommend the Georgian wine as it’s cheaper than other international wines and a little easier to drink than its Uzbek counterpart. Uzbekistan is known for its food more so than its wine.
It’s pricey by Uzbek standards but hands-down winner for non-Uzbek food in Tashkent.
Think we’ve missed something from this list? Leave us a comment!