The best restaurants Bichkek

This is one of the oldest meeting places for expatriates in Bishkek, who come here in the morning to enjoy their breakfast while leafing through the newspaper. It's a good place to eat or have a drink (wide choice of whiskies and beers). Dishes are expensive, but the meat is of good quality and the service impeccable. Take advantage of the soothing setting inside or the pleasant covered terrace around the corner to spend a little more time than it takes to empty a plate: you'll almost feel like you're in Kyrgyzstan!

Red dominates, between the posts of the portals and the evocative lanterns of Chinese temples. Inside, there is a Zen spirit with incense sticks, Buddha effigies and large, well-spaced tables where one can sit comfortably for a Chinese meal and where only the music, which unfortunately oscillates between old eighties standards and elevator music, can be heard. Let's hope it will be fixed, because for the rest, this is the best address in Bishkek for lovers of fried noodles, fried ravioli and spicy meats!

It's more of a cafeteria than a restaurant, but the salads, soups, sandwiches and paninis are so good you almost forget it. You order at the counter and then sit at the table or in comfortable armchairs on the reading lounge side. Wi-Fi, small smoking area, no alcohol. Jovial atmosphere and clientele essentially students. It's perfect for snacking, reading, logging on and you end up spending more time than you need in this nice place. The most popular places, on the sofa or in an armchair, are unfortunately rare!

This gigantic tchaikhana is housed in a beautiful traditional house in the city centre. Plastic tables and chairs in the courtyards or under the yurt or takhtan under the wrought roof, make your choice! The menu offers a wide variety of nomadic dishes (laghman, kazan kebab, manty...) but it is especially for the chachlyks that the establishment is frequented. At lunchtime, the place becomes a veritable anthill where the waiters seem to be as numerous as the customers. But curiously, the wait is always desperately long.

Still the best pizzas in Bishkek, in a room beautifully decorated with New York photographs (the name of the restaurant is itself a tribute to the big apple) and still as popular as ever with students and young couples in Bishkek. Rates have increased a little in recent years with the success of the establishment, but that is still correct and the portions are generous. Ideal to have fun without breaking the bank. The menu also includes salads and pasta dishes as well as burgers, but the latter are frankly nothing special.

The small terrace on the street, a few steps from the presidential palace, is nothing exceptional, but offers a good view of the busiest area of the city. Inside, a small effort has been made to rejuvenate the decor and style, but the whole remains a little sad and the service is still haphazard. Despite this, the food is good and plentiful, and the price remains modest. There's a good choice of pastas and pizzas, as well as a few mixed dishes (with a small selection of meats and fish). A great way to eat "almost Italian" for less!

The main attraction is the small terrace, decorated with beautiful black-and-white photos, where you can enjoy a Cibirskaya on draught, and where major sporting events are usually broadcast on a giant screen for expatriates. The basement features a lounge atmosphere and a maze of dimly lit rooms and private lounges (minimum consumption 3,000 soms). There are no big surprises on the menu, but the portions are generous and the meat of good quality. You can also order some rather successful cocktails.