Thanks to everyone who recomended The Plov restaurant. Was there and really enjoyed it.
Was there yesterday. Plov was really tasty
Many people recommended the restaurants Joy and Zolotaya Bukhara (Golden Bukhara). With the same average bill, Joy was a level above in every way – portion sizes, taste, service, and atmosphere.
We didn’t end up making it to Joy – they were fully booked, and we hadn’t made a reservation.
So, across the street from Joy there’s this little outdoor place in a courtyard called Art. We had a really nice time there.
And they’ve got this adorable bird in a cage that sings beautifully 😊
Joy restaurant was quite good
as well as 'Chinor'
if anyone would be interested in trying Jewish plov in Bukhara, here are the details. I didn't try myself, so can't comment or advise.
We spent a few days in Bukhara and I wanted to share some food recommendations and quick reviews:
Chinor on Kayum Murtazaev Street (near Piridastgir, School #21) – really a great spot. Tasty, fast, and inexpensive.
Magistral – a café with super tasty plov. A local taxi driver recommended it. We got there around noon – it was both breakfast and lunch for us, and we were really happy with it. You can find the address on Yandex. The bill was about 40,000 sum ($3) per person.
Delfin Cafe – they serve only fried fish. No menu. That day they had fried white amur and pike perch fillet, tomato sauce, and salad. Very budget-friendly and delicious. Again, you can find it on Yandex.
'Coffee' Café in the old city – across the street from Chalet – turned out to be quite nice. Good service, tasty food.
The famous Joy was just average in our opinion. They served reheated shashlik, which was really disappointing. Salads, compote, and manty were good. But the Bukhara-style stewed beef portion was small. Overall, we just didn’t get the hype. The places I listed above were all much tastier.
We used taxis to get around everywhere. Each ride took no more than 15 minutes one way.
In Bukhara, I totally recommend Sevinch Café. I went there on my first day – and ended up eating there all three days. I didn’t even bother having breakfast at the hotel.
The variety of dishes is huge. Both sweet and savory pastries – absolutely delicious, I couldn’t get enough. Prices are very reasonable too.
Now I’m in Khiva – everything’s more expensive here, and yeah, the food’s good, but just not the same.
Had lunch today at The Plov – the place is great. Really liked the Bukhara-style plov – lots of meat and no gristle.
trying Jewish plov in Bukhara
Yeah, we were there. It was interesting. Jewish plov baksh in the Jewish quarter of Bukhara – also known as green plov. It’s made without carrots.
It’s the traditional plov of Bukharan Jews, whose mahalla (neighborhood) is actually located right in the center of Bukhara’s old city.
There’s also Bukharan plov called oshi sofiy, where all the ingredients are boiled rather than fried. You can find this type in many restaurants around the city.
Make sure to ask specifically for this kind of plov, because these two versions – baksh and oshi sofiy – are really only made in Bukhara.
Green plov (baksh) is usually made by special order – you won’t find it on the regular menu in restaurants.
We just left from there. It’s an open terrace with a view of the city. It’s a bit chilly, but there are plenty of heat lamps, as you can see in the video, and they also gave me a blanket. The restaurant is called Joy. The prices, like everywhere in Uzbekistan, are more than reasonable — compared to Moscow, it’s cheap. A portion of plov is about $4–5. For a restaurant in the center with good interior and service, that’s really not expensive.
By the way, service and music were not included in the bill. I can’t say anything about alcohol — I didn’t drink and didn’t look at the menu — but I think, like in all decent places, there is a selection. They were definitely opening wine for the neighboring tables.