A Capital Harvest
A Table Above Astana
A Second One in Place
Let the Show Begin
Between Two Banks
Photo: restaurant websites and social media; Yandex Maps
On the 21st floor of the Diplomat Hotel, Kök looks out towards Bayterek. The menu is deliberately concise, with its own easy sense of geography: begin with mezze, kimchi tomatoes and labneh, then follow the Italian thread through casarecce with stracciatella, orzo with baby squid and paccheri with burrata. The Josper has its own chapter. Ribeye and sea bass, a burger, prawns and broccoli all take on the flavour of charcoal.
Piligrim is the work of local artisans, who have lined its walls in solid wood and devised an interior evoking the Mangystau plateau. Its self-appointed title of «museum-restaurant» feels entirely justified. The concept rests on Tengriist principles, Eastern hospitality and local ingredients, brought together with fusion techniques. Caspian mullet appears alongside Far Eastern octopus; baursaks come with salmon. The location is equally fortuitous. Piligrim sits in Astana Tower, almost at the meeting point of the city’s two banks: Atatürk Park on one side, Karaötkel Bridge on the other, and Central Park across the river.
Tochka has opened a second location. The new bistro is at 58/1 Syganak Street, extending the story of a small urban project that began on the city’s right bank. The original Tochka has built a sizeable following. In the morning, people come for breakfast and coffee; by day, they settle in with their laptops; in the evening, they drop by with their pets—the project is pet-friendly—for pasta, bowls, pita and smash burgers. For most of the week, the mood is relaxed and democratic. From Friday to Sunday, white tablecloths and glasses appear on the tables. The menu keeps its familiar favourites: shakshuka with mozzarella and chicken grechotto at breakfast; hummus, fried noodles with beef and a harissa chicken sandwich for lunch and dinner. Even the coffee tea with sesame and condensed milk has made the move.
Astana now has two circuses. One is home to acrobats; at the other, the show comes to the table. Circus, the latest project from Koktem restaurant group, has opened almost next door to the Stolichny Circus at 5/11, Kabanbay Batyr Avenue. The coincidence is central to the idea. Inside, the mood is that of an Italian circus: striped tents, saturated colour and theatrical details. The menu continues the theme, with dishes named for circus acts — from the Sea Show in a Pan, pike-perch with seafood in sauce, to Salmon Beneath the Green Dome and Forest Magician’s Fettuccine with chicken and mushrooms. The restaurant seats around 110 guests and is open from morning until late. In Astana, «meet me by the circus» now calls for clarification.
Almaty’s Jinau, part of the abr restaurant group, has opened in the capital, at Mega Silk Way. Its name translates from Kazakh as «gathering», a word the project’s creators use in two senses: the gathering of the harvest and the gathering of people around a table. The interior brings together raw wood, clay, straw and aged glass, with sacks of grain, dried herbs, millstones, ploughs and carts. Some of the objects were collected in auls. In the open kitchen, tandoors and grills are at work, with a separate area for baking. The menu follows the same Central Asian thread: samsa, plov, manti both plain and fried, and desserts made with local ingredients, including a cheesecake of irimshik.
