Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
latter prepared in the main dining room by
an animated assembly line of middle-aged
women.
Sunduk¨
FReNCh $$
(Azimov 63; mains 8000-20,000S;
h
9.30am-
midnight Mon-Sat;
WvE
;
m
Amir Timur hiy-
oboni)
The comfort food at this diminutive
eatery, kitted out like a French country
kitchen, is as perfect as the handwriting on
the menus - on homemade paper, no less.
The good-value business lunch is popular
with the diplomatic set, many of whom
work nearby.
Efendi¨
TURKiSh $$
(
%
233 15 02; Azimov 79A; mains 9000-16,000S;
h
9am-midnight;
v
;
m
oybek)
This sprawling,
non-alcoholic Turkish place has a menu, but
don't bother - just saunter inside and pick
out a kebab and a mouth-watering salad
from the refrigerated display case, and retire
to the shaded outdoor seating to enjoy it as
Tashkent's traffic roars on by.
Manas¨Art¨Cafe¨
KYRgYZ $$
(
%
712 523 811; Yakubov 12; mains 9000-25,000S;
h
11am-11pm;
WvE
;
m
oybek)
To dine in a
yurt without schlepping over the desert on
a camel, head here. There are a few yurts
decorated in traditional style, with chill-out
tunes and
shisha
(hookah) smoke wafting
through the air. It specialises in Kyrgyz
cuisine such as
beshbarmak
. Reservations
recommended.
Yolki¨Palki¨
RUSSiAN $$
(Shakhrisabz 5; mains 5000-15,000S;
h
11am-
11pm;
vE
;
m
Amir Timur hiyoboni)
Sprawling
Russian chain famous for all-you-can-eat
hot and cold salad bars with every Ukrain-
ian and Russian speciality imaginable. No
service charge.
o
City¨Grill¨
iNTeRNATioNAL $$$
(www.citygrill.uz; Shakhrisabz 23; mains 15,000-
50,000S;
h
noon-midnight;
WE
;
m
Amir Timur
hiyoboni,
m
Mustaqillik Maydoni)
The brand
new and very central flagship for the City
Grill is a great spot for a sophisticated and
good-value business lunch (18,500S) or a
blow-out dinner. Specialising in steak and
pasta, the menu here is varied and uses
delicious fresh produce. There's also a fan-
tastic selection of salads, soups and other
meat grills. Service is discreet and efficient,
and the original
location
(Shayhontohur 1;
E
)
is also still working and offers similarly
excellent fare.
o
Han¨Kuk¨Kwan¨
KoReAN $$$
(Yusuf Khos Khodjib 1; mains 18,000-30,000S;
h
noon-10pm;
vE
;
m
Kosmonavtlar)
Tashkent's
large population of ethnic Koreans is what
drives demand for all those Korean restau-
rants around town. Popular Han Kuk Kwan
is one of the best. It fries up absolutely deli-
cious dishes such as
bi-bim-bab
(rice, egg,
vegetables and chopped meat fried together
in a stone bowl) right at your table and serv-
ice is charming.
Caravan¨
UZBeK $$$
(
%
150 66 06; www.caravan.uz; Abdulla Kahhor 22;
mains 20,000-60,000S;
h
11am-11pm;
nWvE
)
Tashkent's quintessential theme restaurant
is tarted up like a made-for-Hollywood Uz-
bek home. The original menu is heavy on
arcane but well-prepared Uzbek dishes. The
walls are festooned with purchasable paint-
ings by local artists, and the attached store,
filled with high-quality crafts from all over
the country, is open late, making Caravan
a great place for a last-minute gift-buying
spree.
Teahouse¨Shafran¨
ARAB $$$
(www.caravangroup.uz; 69 Abdulla Kahhor Lane
Vi; mains 20,000-35,000S;
h
noon-midnight;
nWvE
)
There's a gorgeous, stylish feel to
this charming teahouse aimed at foreigners
and well-off locals. It's part of the ubiquitous
Caravan group, and its menu runs from
shish kebabs and salads to delicious curries
such as lamb and chicken biriyani.
Il¨Perfetto¨
iTALiAN $$$
(Shevchenko 30; 15,000-30,000S;
h
10am-11pm;
W
;
m
Ming oriq/oybek)
Its air-conditioned in-
terior lives up to the name on a hot Tashkent
day, although you can eat al fresco in the
shade on the street outside as well. This new
location for a popular Italian place boasts an
open-plan kitchen, friendly staff and a menu
covering classic Italian dishes from pasta
and salad to risotto. Takeaway is available.
The¨Rooms¨
iNTeRNATioNAL $$$
(Amir Timur 33; mains 30,000-40,000S;
h
6pm-
midnight;
vE
;
m
oybek)
There are many
rooms at this swanky place, and you can
choose your 'environment' as much as your
cuisine - so you can sit in the boudoir and
eat Japanese food, or enjoy European dishes
with a shisha in the Moroccan themed room.
Amaretto¨
iTALiAN $$$
(
%
215 55 57; Shota Rustaveli ko'chasi; mains 15,000-
40,000S;
vE
;
m
oybek)
The mouth-watering
