Wine List: 7 Tasting Spots

Some restaurants announce themselves loudly, while others speak softly yet strike right at the heart — like Silk96. Tashkent’s first wine bar, opened back in 2011, pioneered the now-classic «glass of Prosecco» trend and became a champion of thoughtful wine-and-food pairings — and has remained timeless.

Its power spot is a cozy courtyard with a fireplace. Picture this: evening, flickering firelight, a gentle breeze, a glass in hand, and someone across from you with whom both conversation and silence feel equally perfect. It’s less about dinner and more about a cinematic lifestyle. For those seeking maximum privacy, there’s a wine cellar stocked with bottles from around the world. Among the 200 labels, you’ll find everyday picks as well as true gems like Château Lafite Rothschild. Silk96’s menu is refreshed seasonally, but the beef medallions and chocolate fondant remain consistently excellent.

Here, bottles are opened like letters from Europe — with curiosity, anticipation, and a slight thrill. Just Wine isn’t about glamour or snobbery; it’s about conversation. You’ll want to sit at the counter, ask for something unexpected, and leave with both a fascinating discovery and a quick lesson. Among the 500 wines in their collection, standouts include an Austrian orange Riesling aged in clay amphorae, a Grüner Veltliner dessert wine, and Muscats from Pantelleria.

And it’s far from «just wine» — they know their food, too, and always suggest perfect pairings. The usual wine companions — cheeses, cured meats, nuts, olives — are always there, but no matter what, you should try the spinach waffles with pâté and the salmon tartare with guacamole and tomato ponzu.

A double surname, a dual personality. By day, CoffeeWine greets you with soft natural light, the delicate hum of an espresso machine, and something cozy, almost homely: chocolate-filled syrniki, potato pancakes with salmon, or rice porridge with orange. But as the sun dips lower, the rhythm shifts. Wine arrives like music — the faint clink of glasses here and there, growing steadily. The wine list isn’t out to impress, but it always proves one thing: every guest will find something from the Old World — a classic that never goes out of style.

CoffeeWine isn’t about either/or — it’s about and/and. Coffee to wake up, wine to feel, and all of it together to live just a little more beautifully.

Punto — a point where you’ll want to pause. The interior is like the perfect fabric: slightly rough, matte, warm. The menu is Italy retold with subtle modernity. Everything here is balanced, as if the chef and designer sat down together, shared a glass, and decided: let’s do this with love.

Start the evening with pasta featuring porcini mushrooms and truffle oil — almost indecently aromatic — then move on to veal in red wine, and finish not with dessert (though the tiramisu is worth trying at least once) but with wine. Here, it’s respected, and themed tastings are held regularly, helping guests embrace culture of wine. Pours are unhurried, and presentations are knowledgeable. Want Sicily in a glass with sunny generosity with volcanic character? Easy. Prefer Tuscan velvet or the cool nobility of the north? They’ll find it. Punto speaks with an accent — Italian, confident, but never pushy.

Perfectly cooked fish that yields to the fork, mussels in white wine, lobster sauté, oysters, snails, unbeatable quality, and surprisingly reasonable prices — everything at La Mer is designed to make you imagine a seaside getaway.

And then there’s the wine room, home to an impressive collection from the Old and New Worlds. Among the orderly rows of bottles, you’ll often spot rare guests on Uzbek soil — exclusive labels you won’t find by the glass anywhere else in Tashkent. Thank the enomatic machine for that — a smart system that dispenses wine without uncorking the bottle, letting you sample even expensive, aged selections by the glass. The device also ensures perfect serving temperatures and precise pour sizes: 25 ml, 75 ml, or a full 150 ml glass. For reference, most restaurants pour 125 ml. Our advice? Skip the printed wine list and explore the shelves with the sommelier — the most interesting finds are often temporary and easy to miss.

Wine Bazaar in the City is a fresh space for wine lovers. With its casual vibe, you hardly need an excuse to visit, unless you’re hunting for one of the 200 bottles on offer. They host tastings and ease you in wine culture — a sommelier is always on hand to guide you through flavors and styles.

The menu is delightfully bazaar-like, offering a bit of everything. Sections are dedicated to Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Uzbekistan, and Asia, each featuring twists on iconic dishes with curated wine pairings. If your eyes start wandering after an aperitif, just order the «not-your-average nuts» with smoked salmon — they’re a must-try.

This is the first family-owned winery just half an hour from Tashkent. Fifteen hectares of vineyards stretch across the land, while another two hold a rare botanical garden with 1,500 plants from around the world. It’s a full-scale landscape spectacle: a Japanese rock garden, a Russian meadow, a Chinese tea pavilion, an Italian amphitheater, a New Zealand grotto, and a pine forest welcome with changing seasonal décor throughout the year.

This time, we came to Uzum, of course, to sample local wines — five varieties to choose from, including autochthonous Hajji Murad, Sogdiana, Rizamat, and Charas, served with a cheese platter and fruit. Afterward, you can stroll the grounds, go fishing, or stay overnight in the mini-hotel. At sunset or under the stars, wine sometimes reveals itself in a whole new way.

Photos: restaurant websites and social media; Yandex Maps