What the New Kitchen Will Be Like

Kitchen was a small yet phenomenal bistro that lived in Dom 36 at Baribayeva Street from 2023 to 2024. The project started as a dark kitchen for Blue Bar, meant to serve simple snacks for partygoers — so the space was tiny and unassuming, almost like a storage room. Then came a friendly barbecue hosted by Kitchen’s chef Ivan Kudryavtsev and Blue’s owner Rustam Kuzhagaliyev. Almaty’s social media loved it and started asking for invites — and so, Sunday barbecues in the courtyard of Dom 36 were born.

The long lines and the willingness to wait an hour or more for a steak spoke volumes, so Kitchen set up proper seating, declared itself a bistro, and started welcoming guests. And then it snowballed. First came modest seats across from the kitchen (where people even sat on the fridge), then a dining area appeared, followed by a terrace. The best beef tartare in town (in the opinion of our humble editor), a perfect strip loin steak with chimichurri, crispy chicken pasta, Sunday lasagna, and those legendary cinnamon rolls smothered in mascarpone cream — this tiny eight-square-meter kitchen somehow managed to crank out 150-170 dishes a day.

But as tenants were relocated from Dom 36, the building began to be dismantled, brick by brick. In January 2024, Kitchen on Baribayeva Street announced its last supper — but promised to return.

While Kitchen was on pause, we could still taste Kudryavtsev’s dishes at Fika (though the chef has since left the project), at Red beer bar, and at Beefeater Dostyk restaurant. Recently, the space formerly occupied by wine bar Pink on 113 Nazarbayev Avenue (the old Furmanova Street) became available — and that’s where the new Kitchen bistro is taking shape. Construction is in full swing, with an opening planned for the late April.

Fun Dining. Ivan Kudryavtsev is a new wave Almaty chef who has worked from Moscow to the Dominican Republic and now champions «fun dining» in Almaty. This isn’t elaborate, pompous fine dining — it’s everyday creative food that’s interesting at its core but simple in presentation and honestly priced. Kitchen’s menu will be tight and dynamic, with 12-15 items that rotate seasonally and according to the chef’s whims. Past hits (tartare, steak, chicken pasta — the staples) will return, but new dishes will debut too. The pizza oven from Pink’s remains, and Ivan plans to make small, pizza-like flatbreads with gourmet toppings to pair with wine. The new Kitchen will also serve breakfast and baked goods. The chef emphasizes quality ingredients and fair prices — and service charges or VAT will never appear on your bill.

Top-Tier Wine. The new Kitchen’s wine program is in the hands of managing director and sommelier Mikhail Krivenko, formerly manager of Benoit, sommelier at Moscow’s Dom Kultur. He promises to curate offbeat and intriguing wines across various styles and update selections regularly — basically, «found something cool, gotta show the guests.» Expect about a dozen wines by the glass (starting at ₸3,000) and servers who can guide you through the bottles effortlessly, without a trace of snobbery.

Cozy and Candlelit. Kitchen on Baribayeva Street prided itself on its open kitchen and friendly crowding, creating a «friends’ place» vibe — Kitchen on Furmanova Street will keep that energy. One room will have a small communal table with the best view of the kitchen bustle, another will seat 30-35 guests tightly, and opposite the entrance, a summer terrace will offer extra space. The decor has no designer tricks: white walls, rugs on old parquet, white tablecloths, candles in bottles, Easter eggs from its past life, and some playfully printed tableware to keep things both beautiful and simple in these 40 square meters.

Here’s a surprise for anyone who’s ever waited in line at Kitchen: the new bistro will take reservations. Not for all tables and not every day — but it’s a start.