Where Tashkent Chefs Go for the Love of It

Brand Chef, 12 and Ora

I don’t eat out very often, but there are a few places I genuinely stand by. First, City Burger in the 9th and 19th quarters — for the tandoor doner. They finish it over the grill; the tomatoes and onions may be cut a little roughly, but the beef is outstanding. I have taken a lot of people there, and it never fails. It is also refreshingly affordable. Then Beshqozon, the plov centre near the TV tower. I always go for the festive plov with raisins and chickpeas. And finally, the minced-meat pie with onion and tomato at Bazar. I have a weakness for food that feels deeply homemade, and this pie does something very few dishes can — it takes me straight back to childhood from the very first bite.

Brand Chef, Zira, Oko, Oila Cafe, Chalet, Zimmer and Vmyaso

At Gravity, the burgers are seriously good, with fillings for every possible mood. I always take mine with pickled jalapeños. For excellent house infusions and the best tartare in town, I go to Zimmer. The order is almost automatic: tartare, potato lattice fries, a couple of infusions — or a cocktail — and the evening settles into place. Oila Cafe has one of those summer terraces that makes the whole day feel better, along with food that is clear, comforting and easy to love. I like coming here for breakfast with my family. My favourites are the cherry dumplings, the chicken sandwich with fries, pancakes with berries and orange caramel, and the halva.

Brand Chef, Kaspiyka and Bella Ciao Asia

I don’t believe in one favourite restaurant. Good places are good for different reasons, and I choose by mood: sometimes for a dish that is exactly right, sometimes for the room, the service, the feeling. For khinkali, I go to PRO.Khinkali. For me, this is the standard: the dough, the broth, the balance — everything is in its place. I don’t look for another version. The service is easy, the room is calm, and nothing feels overdone. Gorynych I love for the atmosphere: the interior, the music, the whole energy of the place. The food is strong too — grilled tongue, burgers — but the real surprise was the pickles. Completely unexpected, and completely convincing. And their breakfast is excellent: rye toast with brisket.

For reliable, easy-going rolls, I go to Tanuki — the kind of place where you know exactly what you are getting. I like the Prime roll and the Peking-style chicken: simple, but very satisfying. For genuinely authentic Asia, it has to be Bamboo Dimsum. The interior is extremely simple, but the cooking is honest. Chinese chefs make smashed cucumbers — I love them — glass noodles with minced meat, and noodles that almost echo lagman. Add warm service and fair prices, and the place makes complete sense.

Brand Chef and Concept Chef

I rarely return to the same restaurant more than once. I’m more interested in reading the direction of the city’s dining scene — where it is moving, what ideas chefs are working with. New places open so quickly now that it is difficult to keep up even once. But some addresses stay in mind. As a chef, I find genuinely good breakfasts surprisingly hard to come by. Teplo at Parkwood Residence was a pleasant exception: a broad menu, a strong pastry counter with in-house baked goods and desserts, and a children’s area, which matters. The Asian omelette with rice and prawns was especially memorable, as was the pain au chocolat.

In the city, I have yet to find khinkali better than those at PRO.Khinkali — and the service and prices make the case even stronger. The khinkali with tomato and cheese are excellent, as are the shrimp chkmeruli. For shashlik, Bozsuv is my benchmark: the meat, the grilled vegetables, the trout over charcoal, the carp in oil — whatever lands on the table is juicy, generous and full of flavour. Much of that comes down to Marat Vagapov, who never marinates meat by formula; he works by instinct, exactly as he feels it. And the grilled wings are something else entirely: crisp on the outside, juicy within.

Brand Chef, Cultura and Nukus 89

One place I go back to again and again is Just Wine. I go for the tartare: sliced so thinly it almost becomes part of the plate, with quail yolks set neatly across the top. It is quiet, precise and beautifully balanced — the kind of dish that does not need to explain itself. And then there is the wine list: intelligent, well built, and confident across regions and styles. It has the sort of range you start to miss the moment you are too far from Europe.

At Brasserie Lambic, I go for the shrimp popcorn with kimchi-based sauce and the warm olives — snacks that, frankly, can make the evening on their own. The Belgian ale selection is also one of the strongest in the city. The service and the room are a pleasure in themselves: beautiful, lively, easy to return to. After work, I like Joydaman for the vegan borscht and house garlic bun. It is comfort food with a point of view — the kind that restores you after a long day, without ever becoming dull.

And of course, like any chef, I have a particular weakness for my own projects. I often stop by Cultura as a guest — usually for the cacio e pepe and the signature cocktails — and head to Nukus 89 for the chicken schnitzel, which somehow always lands in exactly the right mood.

Chef and founder of Fillet and Zaytoon

I spend most of my time working — and whatever is left usually goes to tastings and checking dishes across different projects — so free time is rare, and when it does appear, I almost never spend it in restaurants. Recently, though, I went to Abi Mukammal Doner on Oloy Bozori Street and was genuinely surprised by how good the Turkish doners were. And for Uzbek food, I would still recommend a classic: the plov at Beshqozon.

Images: restaurant websites and social media; Yandex Maps