The best bars and cafés Uzbekistan

Very recommendable for its restaurant part, the Irish pub is no less recommendable for its pub side, especially on concert nights. Beer is pretty cheap, half the price of the new lounge. Unfortunately, we will have to make do with local or Russian beers, unless the situation improves in terms of import permits, and the same goes for whiskies. In short, an Irish pub which has only the name but a great potential. Very popular with Tashkent expats and lively on match nights.

This chain appeared in 2019 and had some setbacks before finally opening in a brand new location near Amur Timur Square. A good place to stop during a visit of the city in front of a good coffee or a nice pastry. There is a good choice, the products are good and the service is warm and we appreciate the comfortable sofas and the space. We find all the quality of service and welcome that characterized the first Black Bear shops: a rarity in Uzbekistan. A second address has opened at 46 Shota Roustavéli street.

A pretty establishment with softened lights where you come to dine with your family or have a drink with friends in the first part of the evening. Cuisine with a fusion food spirit with a strong Central Asian and Middle Eastern inspiration, cocktails, large choice of alcohol. Also some vegetarian dishes. The atmosphere is calm, lulled by jazz or sou beats, but sometimes the atmosphere comes alive with the more frenetic rhythms of techno music on some nights. If you're not in the mood for dancing, then you can migrate to the pleasant terrace.

In an atmosphere of mud bricks and old Hollywood movie posters, wealthy young Tashkentois come here to eat or drink a drink while listening to Russian music or attending major sporting events. Unlike the after-hours addresses open in Tashkent, here you will find reasonable rates and a more calm and good-natured atmosphere, resolutely student-friendly and relaxed. Cocktails are well catered for, as are the European dishes on offer in the evening. A good downtown drop-off point.

It is in this young and trendy café that you can taste delicious cappuccinos and other lattes, while chatting on the terrace or surfing the web. The golden youth of Tashkent likes to meet here with friends. We also recommend fresh fruit juices. It's rather quiet and it's perfect for an early evening, even if the atmosphere is a little pinchy. Lovers of more popular atmosphere will pass by, but this kind of address is still rare enough in Tashkent to be presented.

This bookstore-café is a pioneer of its kind in Tashkent. During the day, you can come and enjoy this beautiful, well-lit room to drink an espresso or a cappuccino, sip a fruit juice or a lemonade, while biting into a piece of cake accompanied by its fetish novel. It's all the trendy and cultural student intelligentsia that comes here, on the terrace or among the books. Regular events, concerts and debates are organized in the evenings. The menu also offers some good club sandwiches and other snacks for salty food lovers.

This bar is a good place to go for a coffee during the day, in a modern and warm place. The decoration seeks to recreate a western atmosphere with large windows, exposed bricks and a slightly licked design. Even if it's not quite like that, the effort is there! Come and have a drink in the evening: the cocktails are not too bad and you can sip a beer quietly while smoking a hookah. It is also possible to have lunch or dinner, with a menu that offers salads, pizzas and cream cakes.

Located next to the Khadia Khoji Mosque, this establishment is an old socialization place for the old (male) people of the district. At the same time tchaikhana, a traditional social centre and meeting place, people come here to drink tea, chat or play chess. Time seems to have stopped there, in the heart of the labyrinth of the old town. Take the opportunity to visit the mosque opposite, whose courtyard is a small Garden of Eden, in the shade of the vines.

Opposite the Narbutabay Madrassah, on the other side of the parking lot, you will find young (and old) people in front of a soda stand. This is gazvoda, which is literally translated as sparkling water. Produced from liquefied honey, this soft drink will make you happy to endure the hot days in Kokand. Sit on the small shady bench or stand at the counter and cool your throat with this 100% natural sweet drink. Served only in spring and summer, it is believed to have many virtues.

This address is mostly frequented by European tourists but it is pleasant, at the foot of the Bibi Khanum mosque. You can drink cardamom coffee with sweets or a traditional green tea. On the terrace under the iwan, we know that the prices are overpriced, but the place is appreciated. You can also have lunch or dinner there: the cuisine is of quality and simple. You will find classic Uzbek and Russian dishes such as borscht. An option in the old town that is not given for what it is, but can be a pleasant relief.

The Wishbone café was started by Gertrud. Although she was ready to leave her native Germany for Bukhara, Gertrud was not ready to give up a good cup of coffee and a homemade German cake. So she recreated what she sorely missed: it became the Wishbone café. Here you can drink espresso, real espresso, prepared in a real espresso machine and taste homemade cakes reminiscent of our neighbours across the Rhine: Apfelstrudel, cheesecake or rather Käsekuchen but also walnut cake, chocolate cake or plum tart.

For a Bukhara spice tea, ginger tea or cardamom coffee in a pleasant and relaxing setting. The Silk Road Spices Tea House is popular with tourists: the tea menu is wide and of high quality and the establishment is a perfect stopover for tea time. It is possible to dine by ordering 24 hours in advance. The plov of Bukhara is skillfully concocted there, don't hesitate to come back for lunch or dinner, upon reservation.

The café of the El Merosi theatre is a pretty little haven of peace where the black and white photographs and the white and pastel colours are particularly soothing and warm. Excellent espressos are prepared here, there is a good choice of teas and fresh pastries follow one another throughout the day. Try the walnut cake: a real marvel! There is also a good selection of locally made chocolates of excellent quality. The atmosphere is calm and cosy, but of course comes alive during the performances.

A real English pub atmosphere for a business clientele. But it's a good address to drink a beer or a glass of alcohol that will change vodka. To eat, count at least $ 20, not always justified. Service is a bit brodersingers, rates out of proportion, but if you like luxury…

Small bistro pleasantly decorated with black and white photos and musical instruments. Despite its name, there is little blues here: the soundtrack is more often Uzbek or Russian, outside of live concerts. The menu offers some snacks and good pizzas for dinner. It is one of the oldest local nightlife addresses: the people of Samarkand still go there in the evening and as the room is very small, if you want to have dinner it is sometimes good to book in advance. Small terrace at the back if you prefer to sit outdoors.

Lovers of local experiences, here is an address that will delight you. On the one hand you can taste the Samarkand beer brewed (with the help of the Czech Republic) right next door: the Pulsar, a pilsner that is up to 10°. Everything else is also local: the slow service, the customers as greedy as warm, the menu in Uzbek where not much is available in the kitchen... You will be bored stiff if you go alone, but it can become a fun experience if you are with friends. You can also taste some Samarkand wines.

A trendy address in Samarkand, dedicated to the rather affluent youth who like to treat themselves in the evening to steak planchas drizzled with pints of beer. It is nevertheless very relaxed, quiet during the day and a little more lively in the evening (occasional concerts, check out the Facebook page). More than for meals, we recommend the place for a coffee, a refreshment or a cocktail at the end of the day, we appreciate the comfortable armchairs, the volumes and the attention paid to the decoration, halfway between traditional materials and touches of modernity.