Choosing the best restaurants and bars in Astana and Almaty is a serious undertaking: several rounds, a neural network, 15,000 Yandex Go users and 120 local experts. This article explains the process in full — and reveals who made this year’s list.
A gin bar with Casablanca in its DNA: low light, jazz, two rooms with distinct moods, and an interior threaded with references to classic cinema. French 42 opened in 2023 as a single hidden room, accessible only through the neighbouring venue. It has since grown into a fully fledged bar with an entrance of its own and a summer terrace. Gin sits at the heart of the drinks list, which moves from G& Ts, martinis and Negronis to the signature French 42, made with gin, pear and almond. The house cocktails include Baklava with pistachio; the ruby-red Rouge with French aperitif and pomegranate; and the dark-hued Mariee, built around dates and cherry. Beyond gin, the bar also pours Irish whiskey, Calvados and port.
Agora Wine & Deli is an intimate, eight-table wine bar whose shelves hold more than a thousand bottles. Around 80 wines are available by the glass, including mature vintages and rare grape varieties. Coravin is used extensively, allowing wine to be poured through the cork without fully opening the bottle — and preserving it for longer. The list is curated and continually expanded by a team of sommeliers led by Denis Salimzyanov. Its reach is broad: Champagne, Burgundy and Barolo; the Balkans and Grenache; natural wines and rare cuvées from small estates. To accompany them, there are cheeses, 48-month-aged jamón, foie gras, olives, capers and artichokes. Some of the delicacies are also available to take home, should you not feel like settling in at the bar. Agora Wine & Deli regularly hosts tastings, gastronomic dinners and meetings with winemakers.
One of Almaty’s longest-standing bars, WL13 is styled in the tradition of a classic Scottish pub. Its drinks list holds one of the city’s largest whisky collections, ranging from classic Scotch to Islay and Speyside single malts, alongside rare Japanese bottlings. There is also craft and draught beer, gin, cognac and vermouth. The kitchen serves finger food, burgers, steaks and hot dishes. Between the low murmur of conversation, a drink for every taste and screenings reserved for only the most important sporting events, it is easy enough to imagine yourself in Edinburgh or Glasgow.
Photos: restaurant websites and social media; Yandex Maps
