Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
9909 7716; Ikh Toiruu 93, Barilga Mega Store; mains T7000-12,000;
11am-midnight;
)
Part museum, part restaurant, this place sports great atmosphere, with walls lined with
Mongolian antiques and old photos. The menu is contemporary Mongolian, with stir-
fried meats, dumplings and boiled mutton with some Russian and European influence. If
you want to go all out, order the
khorkhog
(meat chunks cooked in a metal steamer with
scalding-hot rocks added to the pot to aid cooking), enough for six to eight people (you
must call and order six hours in advance). Two nights a week a traditional Mongolian
band plays here at 8pm (usually Monday and Tuesday). Mongolians is 600m east of the
US embassy.
Hazara
INDIAN$$$
$$$
( 9919 5007, 11-480 214; Peace Ave 16; dishes T12,000-16,000; noon-2.30pm & 6-10pm;
)
Tucked into a squat building behind the Wrestling Palace, this North Indian restaur-
ant has consistently been one of the best restaurants in Ulaanbaatar for over 15 years.
Each table is covered by a colourful
samiyan
(Rajasthani tent), where you sit back and
enjoy tandoori baked delights. Try the chicken
tikka
(grilled with a marinade),
aloo gobi
(potato and cauliflower) or the
raan-e-hazara
(lamb marinated in rum). The
saag paneer
(cheese with pureed spinach) should also find a spot on your table.
LIGHTS OUT
A strict ban on smoking was passed by parliament in 2013 so don't even think
about sparking up in any public places, including bars, restaurants and hotel lob-
bies. Smokers seen in public places have been shouted at by local vigilantes.
Drinking & Nightlife
There are many good, clean and safe bars and pubs in Ulaanbaatar; most of them are loc-
ated downtown, around the Drama Theatre or on Seoul St. There are an equal number of
dark and dingy nightspots, usually out in the suburbs, the 3/4 District and Ikh Toiruu
(north of the Kempinski Hotel).
Bars and pubs come in all shapes and sizes. There seems to be an over-abundance of
Irish-themed pubs, and while few serve Guinness on tap, good imported ales are easy to
find. A better idea would be to try something more Mongolian, like a cup of
airag
(
kou-
miss
; fermented mare's milk), available at sidewalk gers in summer.