Samarkand is Samarkand is Silk Road Uzbek cooking — Samarkand plov (osh), samsa, shashlik, and round Samarkand non bread — from Siyob Bazaar stalls to grand teahouses by the Registan. We've organized 13 restaurants across 4 categories. Each entry includes prices, hours, local tips, and a Google Maps link so you can plan straight from the page.
SamarkandFood Map
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Samarkand Osh Markazi (Plov Center)
Northeast Samarkand (off the tourist center) · Plov & Uzbek Classics
Layered Samarkand plov (osh), lagman, manti and shashlik at osh houses and traditional restaurants — Samarkand Osh Markazi, Platan, Karimbek
Samarkand Osh Markazi (Plov Center)
Samarqand Osh Markazi · Northeast Samarkand (off the tourist center)
1
#1
MUST TRY
Samarkand layered plov UZS 40,000-60,000, with kazy (horse sausage) and quail egg, green tea
The classic Samarkand 'osh markazi' (plov center) — a busy, no-frills hall where huge kazans turn out the city's signature layered plov fresh each morning. Samarkand-style osh keeps the rice, carrots, chickpeas, raisins, and meat in distinct layers rather than mixing them. This is where locals come for lunch, and it can sell out by early afternoon.
$3-6
(UZS 35,000-70,000)
10:00-15:00 approx (until sold out; lunch-focused)
Local tip: Go around noon — the freshest plov is gone by 1-2pm, and the best kazans empty first. It's a canteen, not a fine-dining spot: order at the counter, eat communally, and pair it with green tea, non bread, and an achichuk tomato salad. Bring som cash. A short taxi or Yandex Go ride from the center.
A long-running, reliable favorite among visitors, set around a leafy courtyard shaded by the plane tree (platan) it's named for. The menu spans Uzbek classics — plov, lagman, manti, shashlik — alongside European dishes, with attentive service and an easy atmosphere. A safe, comfortable choice for a sit-down dinner after a day of monuments.
Local tip: The shaded courtyard is the place to sit in warm weather. Stick to the Uzbek classics for the local experience, or order from the European side if you want a break. It's popular with tour groups, so it can get busy in the evening; cards are usually accepted but carry som as backup.
Karimbek Restaurant · City center (University Boulevard area)
3
#3
MUST TRY
Shashlik assortment UZS 25,000-45,000 per skewer, plov, manti UZS 40,000-60,000
A large, lively, long-established restaurant best known for its grilled shashlik and a buzzing evening atmosphere with live music. The kitchen covers the full range of Uzbek classics — plov, manti, lagman, salads — at fair prices, and the scale means it handles big tables and groups easily. A local institution as much as a tourist spot.
Local tip: Come in the evening for the live-music atmosphere, and order an assortment of shashlik — it's the house strength. It's big and can be noisy when busy, so it's better for a sociable dinner than a quiet one. Cards generally accepted; bring som too. A short taxi from the historic center.
A tourist-friendly restaurant in the old town within walking distance of the Registan, serving the full spread of Uzbek classics in a traditional setting with national decor. Convenient for lunch or dinner between sightseeing, with an English-friendly menu and dishes that introduce first-timers to plov, lagman, manti, and grilled meats.
Local tip: Its location near the Registan makes it an easy refuel stop while sightseeing — handy rather than a destination in itself. Prices are a little higher for the convenience, but the classics are solid. Good for travelers who want an English menu. Cards usually accepted; carry som as backup.
Atmospheric teahouses and traditional dining around the Registan, Bibi-Khanym and the old town — Bibikhanum Teahouse, Shokhrukh Nur
Bibikhanum Teahouse
Bibixonim Choyxona · Old town (beside the Bibi-Khanym Mosque & Siyob Bazaar)
5
#1
MUST TRY
Plov, samsa UZS 12,000-18,000, dolma, lagman, pot of green tea UZS 10,000-15,000
An atmospheric teahouse (choyxona) tucked beside the towering Bibi-Khanym Mosque and the Siyob Bazaar, with staff in traditional dress and an outdoor terrace. A relaxed place for plov, samsa, dolma, lagman, and a pot of green tea in a quintessentially Samarkand setting — the kind of leisurely lunch that fits the rhythm of the old town.
Local tip: Its location is the draw — sit on the terrace with the Bibi-Khanym dome looming above between visits to the mosque and the bazaar. Order tea and graze on samsa and salads if you're not after a full meal. A perfect pause in the old-town sightseeing loop. Carry som; cards may not always work.
A solidly traditional Uzbek restaurant near the Registan, valued for keeping things authentic and fairly priced in an area where many places charge a premium for the location. The menu sticks to the classics — plov, shashlik, lagman, manti, and fresh salads — done well, making it a dependable choice in the heart of the monuments.
Local tip: A good-value pick close to the Registan, where surrounding places often inflate prices — come here for honest Uzbek food rather than a tourist markup. The plov and shashlik are the reliable orders. Carry som cash. Convenient before or after the evening light show on the square.
Plov, shashlik UZS 25,000-40,000, manti UZS 45,000, lagman, non bread
A traditional restaurant in the old town serving the Uzbek classics in a national-style setting, popular for lunch on the necropolis-and-mosque sightseeing route. Plov, grilled meats, dumplings, and hand-pulled noodles make up the menu, with a calm atmosphere away from the busiest tourist crush.
Local tip: Handy if you're working through Shah-i-Zinda and the eastern monuments and want a sit-down lunch nearby. Order plov at midday when it's freshest. A quieter alternative to the central tourist restaurants. Bring som cash to be safe; card acceptance varies.
Tandoor samsa, Samarkand non bread, grilled shashlik and seasonal fruit at the Siyob Bazaar and street stalls
Siyob Bazaar food stalls
Siyob Bozori · Old town (next to the Bibi-Khanym Mosque)
8
#1
MUST TRY
Samsa UZS 8,000-15,000, Samarkand non bread UZS 5,000-12,000, halva, dried fruit & nuts
Samarkand's largest and most famous market, right beside the Bibi-Khanym Mosque — a sprawl of stalls selling spices, dried fruit, nuts, sweets, seasonal melons and pomegranates, and stacks of the city's distinctive round non bread. Tandoor samsa baked on the spot, halva, and other snacks make it the cheapest, most authentic eating in town.
$1-6
(UZS 10,000-70,000)
07:00-19:00 (busiest in the morning; quieter on Mon)
Local tip: Buy a still-warm samsa straight from the tandoor and a round of Samarkand non to eat as you wander. Sample dried apricots, raisins, and nuts before buying, and bargain good-naturedly. The melons and pomegranates are superb in late summer and autumn. Cash only, small notes; watch your bag in the crowds.
Samarkand non (round stamped flatbread) UZS 5,000-12,000, fresh from the tandoor
Samarkand's bread is famous across Uzbekistan — a dense, round flatbread stamped with an ornate central pattern (using a chekich stamp) and baked against the wall of a clay tandoor. The bakeries clustered around the Siyob Bazaar turn it out all day, and locals say the city's water and method give it a unique keeping quality. A loaf costs almost nothing and travels well.
$0.50-1.50
(UZS 5,000-15,000)
07:00-19:00 (varies by bakery)
Local tip: Buy it warm, straight from the tandoor, and tear in by hand (don't place it upside down — a small local custom). It's the perfect cheap snack while sightseeing and a classic edible souvenir to take home. A few thousand som per round. Cash only at the market bakeries.
Shashlik · Old town (around the Registan & tourist boulevard)
10
#3
MUST TRY
Lamb shashlik UZS 18,000-30,000 per skewer, minced (lula) kebab, non bread
Open-air grills and small kebab stands around the old town and the pedestrian boulevard fan charcoal over skewers of marinated lamb, beef, and minced lula kebab through the afternoon and evening. The smoke and sizzle are part of the street atmosphere, and a couple of skewers with non bread and raw-onion salad makes a cheap, satisfying meal on the go.
Local tip: Order lamb shashlik by the skewer and add a round of non and sliced onion the local way. Choose a busy stand with high turnover for freshness. Prices are per skewer, so it's easy to keep light or build a full meal. Cash; agree the price per skewer before ordering if it's not posted.
A popular restaurant in the old-town area near the Siyob Bazaar, offering a broader menu than the strictly traditional spots — Uzbek classics alongside Turkish-influenced grills and dishes, in a comfortable, modern-leaning setting. A useful choice when you want a bit more variety or a change from plov-and-shashlik.
Local tip: Good for a mixed grill and a slightly more international menu after a run of traditional meals. Convenient to the old-town monuments. It draws visitors, so it can be busy at dinner; cards generally accepted with som as backup.
Grilled fish or steak from the Josper-style oven, salads, European mains, wine
Platan's European side — the same courtyard restaurant also runs a more international menu, including grilled fish and steaks cooked in a charcoal Josper-style oven, salads, and Western dishes, with wine and a fuller drinks list. A comfortable option for a non-Uzbek dinner without leaving the reliable, leafy setting.
Local tip: If you've had your fill of plov and shashlik, this is the easiest place in town for a Western-style grill and a glass of wine. The Josper-grilled fish and steaks are the standouts on the European side. Reserve in the evening when tour groups arrive. Cards usually accepted.
Universitet xiyoboni kafelar · New town (University Boulevard)
13
#3
MUST TRY
Coffee, cake and pastries, breakfast plates, light international meals
The tree-lined University Boulevard in the Russian-built new town is Samarkand's modern cafe-and-restaurant strip, with espresso bars, bakeries, ice-cream spots, and casual international eateries. It's where younger locals hang out, and the obvious place for proper coffee, a Western-style breakfast, or a light meal when you want a break from heavy Uzbek dishes.
$3-12
(UZS 35,000-150,000)
08:00-23:00 approx (varies by venue)
Local tip: Head here for a real espresso or a cake-and-coffee break — coffee culture is far stronger in the new town than around the monuments. Pleasant for an evening stroll among locals. A short taxi from the historic core. Cards are more widely accepted here than in the old town.
A plov-center lunch + a Bibikhanum teahouse dinner + lagman.
Luxury
$50+/day
A full Uzbek spread + wine at a heritage restaurant (Platan, Karimbek).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about food and restaurants in Samarkand.
What food must I try in Samarkand?
Start with Samarkand-style plov (osh) — rice slow-cooked with lamb, carrots, chickpeas, and raisins, kept in distinct layers and often topped with kazy (horse sausage) and quail egg. Then tandoor-baked samsa (UZS 8,000-15,000), charcoal shashlik skewers (UZS 18,000-40,000), lagman hand-pulled noodles, manti dumplings, and the city's famous stamped round non bread. Finish with halva and green tea. The Siyob Bazaar is the cheapest place to graze on samsa, non, dried fruit, and sweets.
Where do I eat the best plov?
At an osh house (osh markazi) at lunchtime, when it's freshly made in big kazans and locals queue for it. The well-known Samarkand Osh Markazi (plov center), out toward the northeast of town, is the classic spot — but go around noon, because the best plov can sell out by early afternoon. For a more comfortable sit-down version, Platan, Karimbek, and Shokhrukh Nur all do a good plate. Samarkand's layered style sets it apart from the mixed plov elsewhere in Uzbekistan.
Which restaurants are best for visitors?
Platan (leafy courtyard, Uzbek classics plus a European menu) and Karimbek (big, lively, great shashlik and evening live music) are the long-running visitor favorites. Bibikhanum Teahouse, beside the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, is the atmospheric old-town choice for plov, samsa, and tea. Shokhrukh Nur and Old City Restaurant near the Registan are convenient and authentic, and Emirhan adds a more international menu. For the cheapest, most local eating, head straight to the Siyob Bazaar stalls.
Can I eat vegetarian in Samarkand?
It takes effort — Uzbek cuisine is meat-heavy. Reliable options include non bread, the bazaar's superb fresh and dried fruit and nuts, achichuk (tomato-and-onion salad), pumpkin-filled (kadi) samsa, lagman ordered without meat, and dairy like suzma and katyk. Be clear with restaurants, as even vegetable-looking plov is often cooked in meat stock. Strict vegan is harder; self-catering from the Siyob Bazaar is the easiest way to stay meat-free, especially in melon and pomegranate season.
How much does eating out cost?
Very little. Samarkand plov runs UZS 35,000-70,000 ($3-6), samsa UZS 8,000-15,000 ($0.60-1.20) each, a shashlik skewer UZS 18,000-40,000 ($1.50-3), and non bread a few thousand som. A full sit-down meal with drinks at a visitor-friendly restaurant like Platan or Karimbek is UZS 120,000-250,000 ($10-20) per person. Green tea costs almost nothing. Carry plenty of som cash — card acceptance is reliable only at the bigger restaurants and hotels.
Is the food and water safe?
Food is generally safe, especially at busy spots with high turnover like osh houses at lunch and the bazaar stalls — eat freshly cooked, hot food and be cautious with anything left out in summer heat. Do not drink the tap water: buy sealed bottled water (cheap and everywhere) and use it for brushing teeth too, and avoid ice of unknown origin. Peel fruit yourself. Carry basic stomach medication as a precaution, particularly if you're sensitive to new cuisines.
What should I drink, and is alcohol available?
Green tea (kok choy) is the everyday drink, poured generously and central to hospitality. Coffee culture is limited around the monuments but strong on University Boulevard in the new town, where you'll find proper espresso and cafes. Alcohol is legal and available — local wine, brandy (konyak), beer, and vodka are served in many restaurants and sold in shops — though some traditional eateries are dry. Drink respectfully, especially near religious sites, and stick to bottled or canned drinks you've seen opened.
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Jimmy Kong
TripPick founder · Travel content creator
Based in Chiang Mai for 8+ years, with 30+ countries visited across Southeast Asia, Japan, and Europe. Every detail in this guide is primary-source verified as of April 2026, with prices auto-refreshed via live exchange rate APIs. This isn't AI-generated boilerplate — it's written from the perspective of someone who has actually been there.
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