Lali, the new Uzbek restaurant from Arkady Novikov and Yervand Galstyan on Al-Farabi Avenue, marks the sixth address in a restaurant collection that already stretches from Tashkent and Moscow to Voronezh and Russia’s Krasnodar coast. Its menu is rooted in a year of research by Brand Chef Ruslan Italmazov, who travelled extensively across Uzbekistan, studying the culinary traditions of its different regions before translating them into a contemporary restaurant setting. Alongside enduring classics such as naryn, vaguri, kazan kabob, kovurma lagman and manti, the kitchen explores the country’s regional cooking in greater depth, from bodomi samsa and balaza soup from Bukhara to Khorezm’s renowned battered pike-perch. The signature plov follows the Samarkand tradition recognised by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The interiors are airy and understated, pairing traditional Uzbek ornament with an open kitchen at the centre of a dining room that seats 180 guests. Expect to spend around KZT 10 000 — 15 000 per person. Read our full review here.
The latest Julius, at Samal Mall, takes the café well beyond its original brief of breakfasts and pastries, introducing a full kitchen alongside the coffee programme that made the brand a local favourite. Chef Stepan Litvin has expanded the menu with draniki topped with salmon, the café’s signature coconut syrniki and a selection of nourishing bowls. The drinks have been developed by Irina Sharipova, with matcha served in several variations alongside hojicha and the house Mont Blanc. The pastry counter offers tiramisu, banoffee, and Danish pastries filled with strawberry, blueberry or raspberry. Expect to pay from KZT 3 000 for coffee and pastry, or between KZT 3 400 and 6 000 for a main course.
Bitanga has opened a new home at Dostyk Plaza, bringing its distinctly contemporary take on Ukrainian cooking to one of Almaty’s busiest shopping destinations. Under the direction of Brand Chef Serhii Baisarevych, familiar dishes are approached with quiet restraint rather than reinvention: borscht arrives with a warm pampushka and garlic butter, deruny are served with salmon and a poached egg, while varenyky, nalysnyky, stuffed cabbage rolls and the restaurant’s own Kyiv cake complete the picture. The kitchen extends well beyond the expected, with Ukrainian-style trout tartare, Odesa-inspired mussels in a white wine cream sauce and a cheese board showcasing artisan cheesemakers from Almaty. Bright, understated interiors are lifted by mustard accents and large-scale textile artworks, creating a space that feels contemporary without losing sight of its roots. Expect to spend around KZT 8 000 — 12 000 per person.
Photos: the restaurant’s website and social media; Yandex Maps.
Le Kiosque is built around a simple idea: a choice between carefully composed house bowls and the freedom to assemble your own. Among the signatures are smoked salmon with avocado, beef with kimchi, salmon with ponzu, spiced horse meat with fermented cabbage, and a green bowl with tofu and edamame. Those building their own can choose every element, from leafy greens and grains to proteins, toppings and dressings, making it easy to tailor each bowl to individual nutritional preferences. Bowls start from KZT 3 900. To drink, there’s a considered selection of smoothies, house-made lemonades, protein shakes and coffee. Open daily from 8am until 9pm, Le Kiosque works equally well for an early breakfast, a quick lunch or an unhurried catch-up later in the day.
