8 Tasty Places to Eat in Bukhara (Restaurants & What to Order)

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Post overview: This guide contains my favorite restaurants in Bukhara. It will tell you what I ate there, how to make a reservation, and where to find them.

Before diving into the details, I also give an overview of what to eat in Bukhara, from traditional foods to local variations of Uzbek favorites.

Sometimes I hold off on deciding where to eat when I travel to a new place because I can tell more about a restaurant’s vibe when I see it with my own eyes. That was kind of what happened on my first trip to Bukhara earlier this year.

I first visited in winter, and I knew getting into places wasn’t going to be a challenge, given that I was one of maybe three tourists strolling around Bukhara’s historic center. I did a bit more planning on my other two trips, as I knew I wanted to write a restaurant guide to the city… and here we are!

Below, you’ll find some tasty places to eat in Bukhara. Not all of these restaurants in Bukhara are created equal. Some of these are extremely touristy and cater to foreigners. Another one on here is outside the center and is a very local spot. But I enjoyed the food at all of them.

In the guide, I give an overview of the restaurant scene in Bukhara, as well as some dishes to consider ordering when you’re visiting the Silk Road city. I also tell you what I ordered at each place. I often order the same thing when traveling because I make dish-specific guides, but I did venture out at a couple of these places.

If you have any questions about where to eat in Bukhara, let me know in the comments. Also, if you have any recommendations for food in Bukhara, please let me know your picks for my future trips! Thanks!

Where to Eat in Bukhara Overview

I was definitely more excited about Bukhara’s food scene on my first trip than my follow-up trips. I spent so much time in Uzbekistan this year that I think I have eaten enough plov for a lifetime (words I NEVER thought would come out of my mouth).

Plov and laghman are my default dishes in Central Asia, and being in the nation with Central Asia’s best plov didn’t make things easier.

Anyway, Bukhara is home to a lot of restaurants, many of which are in the old town. Since I am writing guides for people who only have a couple of days and are unlikely to venture outside the historic center, I focus my efforts on gathering recommendations there.

But you will find places outside the old town that are also tasty (many just don’t have English menus and may be more of a challenge for a traveler who is a rookie to the region).

Service in Uzbekistan leaves something to be desired, but I did find service in Bukhara to be much better than in Khiva, for example. Just be patient, as Uzbekistan is still finding its feet with increased tourism in recent years.

Another thing worth mentioning is that it is best to make reservations in Bukhara, especially if you are visiting during the high season. You can usually do this by sending WhatsApp messages to the restaurant or stopping a few days before. Few restaurants have an online booking system.

If you want to check out my favorite coffee shops, teahouses, and cafes in Bukhara, click here instead.

Foods to Try in Bukhara

I find that Bukhara’s food scene is not as talked about as Khiva’s or Samarkand’s. But it is good, and there are a few dishes I recommend getting when visiting:

• Bukharan plov: also called Oshi Sofi on menus; Bukhara plov is tasty and not overly sweet like other regional variations
• Bakhsh: a green rice and meat dish that comes from the Bukharan Jewish community (the green typically comes from herbs)
• Balaza: a Bukharan soup with chickpeas, meat, and veggies; not on most menus, but I did find it at Xon Atlas and Chinor, which are in this guide
• Bichak: a pocket pastry filled with herbs or meat/pumpkin (found often in Bukhara and Samarkand); usually made in tandir; can get at Old Bukhara, Joy, and Zolotaya Buhara
• Vaguri: a crispy fried lamb chop that is from Bukhara; usually served with onions and herbs
• Shashlik: pretty famous across all of Uzbekistan but very common here
• Olot samsa: a thin-layered pastry filled with dry meat cooked in a tandir; originates from the Olot area of Bukhara (to the south), so it is commonly seen across the city
• Kayish: this dish (also written as qayish) is a noodle dish with black-eyed peas that is ancient and rarely found on menus in Bukhara and is eaten in homes; only saw it at Xon Atlas and Joy Chaikhana Lounge
• Bukharan Jizz: a local variation of a famous Uzbek dish made from meat and onions, etc; can try at Old Bukhara or Chorbaxosa (not on this guide, but I will visit there next trip)

Here’s the thing: I never found bakhsh on any menus across Bukhara. Not for lack of trying… so if you have a place you were able to eat it at, please let me know so I can try it next time (pending the herbs are cilantro and not dill).

My Favorite Restaurants in Bukhara, Uzbekistan

1. Ayvan Restaurant

This absolutely stunning restaurant is located at the Lyabi House Hotel in the center of Bukhara. I went here two times throughout my trips (mostly for the aesthetic). The building that Ayvan Restaurant is located in goes back to 1886, when a wealthy merchant named Mirza Davud constructed it in the heart of the city. It is considered to be a key piece of Bukharan Jewish heritage in the city.

Today, you’ll find the restaurant open year-round with an inside area and an outdoor terrace. The terrace was only open for visiting on my first trip (it was winter), but I had a chance to dine on it on my third trip when the weather was warmer.

Ayvan has a large menu made up mostly of international dishes. You’ll find everything from grilled chicken breast to salmon farfalle. But I did find a local dish that they called ‘Meat Buxara’ on the menu that I ordered for 120,000 UZS. It was flavorful. On my second trip to Ayvan, I ordered a salad as I was trying to recover from excessive plov intake.

While I think Ayvan is a beautiful spot to visit, I would probably only recommend having lunch there, especially if you want to try Uzbek cuisine. They do, however, serve Bukharan plov at lunch daily from 12pm to 4pm. It is 55,000 UZS for a plate of it.

You can find Ayvan Restaurant at N. Khusainov 7 in Bukhara. They are open daily from 8am to 11pm. You can send them a message on WhatsApp to make a reservation here.

2. Xon Atlas

If you’re looking for traditional Bukharan dishes in a place that seems to be overlooked by most tourists, Xon Atlas is a good place to check out. I ate there with my friend during the high season for lunch and there was no one there. It was 42C that day, so fair enough.

Xon Atlas has a few dining areas inside, as well as a nice terrace that has views of the Kalan Minaret. The thing I liked most about the restaurant is that you could try very unique dishes there. We ordered balaza (50,000 UZS), kayish (65,000 UZS), and a vitamin salad (40,000 UZS), and all were very tasty.

You can find Xon Atlas at Halim Ibodov Kochasi 8. They are open daily from 11am to 11pm. You can send them a message on WhatsApp to make a reservation here.

3. Minorai Kalon Restaurant & Terrace

Want to check out the restaurant with the best view in Bukhara? Minorai Kalon Restaurant & Terrace is it. While the restaurant didn’t have my favorite menu in Bukhara, it was perfectly suited to the hotel it was in.

It is imperative to make a reservation here as soon as you can. The views at dusk are perfect. I made a reservation for 7pm on WhatsApp (late May), and it turned out to be the perfect time to see the sun set over the Kalan Mosque and other famous landmarks in Bukhara. Just make sure you ask to be on the terrace.

Anyway, I ordered grilled vegetables (52,000 UZS), vaguri (148,000 UZS), and a tomato/cucumber salad (38,000 UZS). All was delicious.

Beware that everyone eating up here is here for the same thing: the views. You will likely get people around your table to take photos of the views if you’re seated in a good spot (I was). If you don’t want that, you might want to opt for a different restaurant in Bukhara.

You can find Minorai Kalon Restaurant at Halim Ibodov Kochasi 11 in Bukhara. They are open daily from 5pm to midnight. You can send them a message on WhatsApp to make a reservation here.

4. Chinor

I was exploring Bukhara outside the UNESCO center when I saw a restaurant called Chinor on my map. It has good reviews, so I decided to check it out.

This is a super local place and there were no foreigners inside. Smoking was allowed (they said it wasn’t but given that the person next to me was smoking… so yea), and the place seems to specialize in shashlik. But I opted for balaza (37,000 UZS) and an olot samsa (12,000 UZS). I enjoyed both a lot!

If you want to visit somewhere that is where the locals eat, head here! It is off a small residential street and felt quite lively for being wedged between buildings. Everyone was so nice and welcoming to me from the moment I walked in.

You can find Chinor here (I can’t get a good address on it, so this links to its exact location). Multiple places have this name, so make sure you visit the right place. They are open daily from 8am to 11pm. It may be best to take a taxi out this way with Yandex Go.

5. Joy Chaikhana Lounge

Joy Chaikhana Lounge is one of the best-rated restaurants in Bukhara’s center and a must for those visiting who want a tasty meal in a beautiful setting.

You can order everything from balaza to mastava to dimlama here. I opted for the vaguri (listed as Bukhara fried lamb on the menu for 50,000 UZS) and it was tasty. I also ordered a side of saffron rice (25,000 UZS).

You can find Joy at Sarafon 2 in Bukhara. They have terraces and dining rooms on both sides of the alley. You can make a reservation with them in person, on WhatsApp at +998 88 183 02 00, or via Telegram here. They are open daily from 11am to 11pm.

6. Zolotaya Buhara

Zolotaya Buhara (Golden Bukhara) is a popular restaurant in the center of Bukhara that is touristy, but tasty. It has a colorful interior and serves everything from plov to vaguri to bichak. I ordered a plov (55,000 UZS), bread (6,000 UZS), and achichuk (37,000 UZS) there, and it was all pretty delicious. 

You can find Zolotaya Buhara at Haqiqat Street 171 in Bukhara. They are open daily from 11am to midnight (but open at 2pm on Sundays). You can send them a message on WhatsApp to make a reservation here.

7. Old Bukhara

I have to be honest, I would never have eaten at Old Bukhara if it was not already reserved for me on a group tour on my second visit to Bukhara.

But I am glad I went there because the setting was beautiful, despite being so crowded with tourists that it was mildly overwhelming. But if you want a reliable restaurant that has an English menu and staff that is very good in English, Old Bukhara is an adequate pick.

I was with a group of people when I went here and we ordered vaguri (190,000 UZS for the portion we ordered) and three salads, along with some bread. They also have Bukharan jizz, which is something perhaps worth trying, as I didn’t see it on too many menus across the city.

You can find Old Bukhara at Samarkand Street 3 in Bukhara. They are open daily from 12pm to midnight (with a break from 4pm to 5:30pm). To make a reservation, you can give them a call at +998 90 185 70 77 or visit and make one for a later date.

8. Olot Samsa near Chor Bakr

Out of the city near Chor Bakr are a few places that specialize in olot samsas and shashlik. I heard about these places from multiple locals and was so excited to try them, but I was running late to get to my train to Samarkand that I had to skip them.

But I felt compelled to put it on here so hopefully someone can dedicate a little extra time when visiting the Bukharan necropolis.

The spots are located on the M37 just as you make the turn to Chor Bakr. You can get dropped off here or picked up here by Yandex for your journey back to the city.

FAQ About Eating Out in Bukhara

What food is Bukhara known for?

Some dishes that Bukhara is known for are Bukharan plov, vaguri (crispy fried lamb), balaza (a chickpea and meat soup), kayish (a noodle dish with tomato sauce and black-eyed peas), olot samsa (a flat samsa made in a tandir), bakhsh (a green rice dish associated with the Jewish community), and bichak (a pocket pastry stuffed with herbs or pumpkin).

You will also find shashlik and grilled vegetables ubiquitously across most menus.

Does Bukhara have vegetarian and vegan options?

While many dishes in Uzbekistan are meat-based, you will find so many salads and vegetables across menus. Every menu has at least 3-4 salads on it, so if you’re okay foregoing some of the traditional Uzbek dishes in exchange for a salad, you should be fine.

The vegetables in Uzbekistan are extremely high-quality, so it should be delicious from a flavor perspective.

How much does it cost to eat out in Bukhara?

It depends on what you’re going to order when visiting Bukhara. If you simply order a main dish, a salad, and a drink at a restaurant, you will likely pay under $10, even in the center of town.

But there are places that are more expensive, and plenty of places that are cheaper. The further you venture out from Bukhara’s historic center, the more affordable the food gets.

Do restaurants in Bukhara serve alcohol?

Yes, many places in the city center or even outside of it serve alcohol. I would note that you may not see the same availability during Ramadan or other Islamic holidays or holiday periods.

Do you need to book reservations in advance?

Yes, I would book reservations in advance for most places on this guide. I listed how to do so under each restaurant. The places I would really prioritize would be anywhere I mentioned that has a good view, like Minorai Kalon Restaurant & Terrace.

Do you have any suggestions for restaurants in Bukhara that I left off this guide? Please let me know, as I would love to add them to my list for when I return. Thanks!