The city’s dining landscape continues to expand under the influence of Arkady Novikov’s restaurant group. The latest arrival is Bro& N, now open in the former Restopark space at Forum Mall — a project with an established name in Russia, and now making its first move into Kazakhstan.
Much like its Moscow locations, the interior presents a contemporary interpretation of the Italian trattoria: warm tonalities, signature blue accents, softened light, natural materials, shelves of ceramics, an open kitchen, and a pizza oven that draws the eye almost immediately. The space is arranged over two levels, with a tightly packed floor and long communal tables that lend the room its easy sociability.
A particular emphasis falls on the house-made pasta. Among the dishes most worth seeking out are the tagliatelle with ragù, pipe rigate with prawns and courgette, and the pasta finished in a wheel of cheese — very much there for its moment of theatre. The burger also merits attention: a marbled-beef patty, house pickles, and a potato bun made to Mirko Dzago’s own recipe. And then, of course, the cheeses — burrata, mozzarella, stracciatella and ricotta — all made in-house, and all very much part of the point. To finish, pastries baked fresh each morning, crème brûlée, and tiramisu.
Images: restaurant websites and social media; Yandex Maps
The Almaty kitchen is led by chef Vyacheslav Bakharov, while the broader culinary direction, as ever, remains with brand chef Mirko Dzago — bringing with it his characteristic discipline in matters of product and flavour. At Bro& N, pizza is unmistakably the main event. The dough is left to ferment for 72 hours, then baked in a Morello Forni oven brought over from Italy. Dzago points first to the classics — stracciatella, or gorgonzola with pear — though the menu also makes room for local specials: one with zhaya and mushrooms, another, for instance, with stracciatella and sur-et. Size is left to preference: 25 cm (from 2,900 to 6,500 KZT) or 33 cm (up to 9,900 KZT for the truffle pizza).
The cocktail list moves easily between the classics and the house’s own signatures — among them the Bron Sour, made with limoncello and egg white. The wine list is clear in its orientation and classical in its structure: Italy, France, a measured selection from the New World, and a handful of local bottles from Kazakhstan. On the non-alcoholic side, there are lemonades built around limoncello, strawberry, and white grape.
