Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
than for its food, but you can still eat pass-
ably here, though you may be swamped by
tour groups if you're unlucky. The menu is
heavy on Russian classics and you can pre-
order
plov
.
Chinar¨
UZBeK $$
(Bakhowuddin Nakshabandi; mains 5000-10,000S;
h
8am-11pm;
E
)
Occupying a large, newly
built property just a short stroll from Lyabi-
Hauz, this self-styled chaikhana is actually a
full restaurant rather than just a teahouse.
Choose between the upstairs roof terrace
(and check out those majestic heron stat-
ues) or sit downstairs in the main dining
room. The food focuses on Uzbek classics,
with a few Russian and Caucasian dishes.
Bella¨Italia¨
iTALiAN $$
(Bakhowuddin Nakshabandi; mains 8000-18,000S;
h
11am-11pm;
vE
)
There is surprisingly
decent Italian food at this pleasant space
inside a shopping centre. As you'd expect,
there's pizza and pasta and it's a godsend for
vegetarians.
Bolo¨Hauz¨Chaikhana¨
UZBeK $$
(Afrosiab; mains 5000-8000S;
h
9am-8pm)
This
large chaikhana in the park opposite the Ark
is an ideal place for a cheap and simple meal
of Uzbek salads, soups,
plov
or beef noodles.
6
¨Drinking¨&¨Nightlife
For anything rowdier than puppets and cof-
fee you must head southeast of the centre
into the newer part of town, but the night-
clubs here are decidedly provincial (read:
mostly male). The exception is the busy
nightclub in the basement of the Hotel Asia,
a short walk from Lyabi-Hauz.
o
Silk¨Road¨Spices¨
ChAiKhANA
(halim ibodov 5; set tea & sweets 12,000S per
person;
h
9am-7pm)
This boutique teahouse
offers a delightful diversion from all that
sightseeing. It has six spicy varieties of tea
and coffee, served with rich local sweets
such as halva and
nabat
(crystal sugar) in a
cosy, traditional atmosphere.
Cafe¨Gallery¨
CAFe
(Bakhowuddin Nakshabandi;
h
9am-11pm)
This
pioneering, family-run cafe has good coffee
available and well-intended, if rather slow
service. There's a selection of sweet items
available too, and its central location makes
it the best place for a caffeine injection in
town.
Cafe¨Wishbone¨
CAFe
(hakikat 1A;
h
9am-8pm)
A new German-
Uzbek coffee shop where you can get real
coffee and choose from a selection of cakes,
but given its German management, the in-
terior design leaves quite a lot to be desired
and where's the wi-fi? Still, a cappuccino on
the terrace is very welcome.
7
¨Shopping
With many tourist sights overflowing with
vendors, it's not hard to find a souvenir in
Bukhara. They are, of course, of varying
quality.
Tim¨Abdulla¨Khan¨
CARPeTS
(hakikat ko'chasi;
h
9am-6pm)
For carpets, you
couldn't ask for a better shopping atmos-
phere than at the silk-weaving centre in
this late-16th-century building, located near
Taki-Telpak Furushon Bazaar (a
tim
was a
general market). Vendors are not pushy and
will openly inform you on what's handmade
and what's machine-made. You can watch
silk-clothing makers in action here.
Unesco¨Carpet¨Weaving¨Shop¨
CARPeTS
(eshoni Pir 57;
h
9am-5pm Mon-Sat)
This no
longer has anything to do with Unesco
(which helped them launch in 2001), but you
can still observe weavers here hand making
pricey silk carpets and
suzani
with unique
Bukhara designs.
Bukhara¨Artisan¨¨
Development¨Centre¨
hANDiCRAFTS
(Bakhowuddin Nakshabandi ko'chasi;
h
9am-6pm
Mon-Sat)
Here you can watch artisans at
work on a variety of handicrafts including
suzani,
miniature paintings, jewellery boxes
and chess sets.
Shahriston¨Market¨
MARKeT
(hoja Nurabad;
h
7am-6pm)
The virtually
tourist-free Shahriston Market is in a large
courtyard, where locals trade jewellery, car-
pets, clothing and other handicrafts among
themselves and relative bargains can be had
compared to things on sale down the street
in the traveller-oriented covered markets.
8
Information
INTERNET ACCESS
Wi-i can now be found in almost all but the
most basic hotels, though it's often not working
(always check with your own phone or laptop
before you check in if it's important to you), and
