Where to Eat in Samarkand: 4 Restaurants for Plov, Manti and Shashlik

Samarkand is where TravelBliss is based, and food here follows a simple rhythm: plov at lunch, a long dinner in the evening and bread from the bazaar at every meal. For the sights, see our Samarkand destination page. This guide picks four restaurants that are well known, easy to reach by taxi from the Registan, and still open as of October 2026 — two for plov and two for dinner.

Key facts

• Four places: Samarqand Osh Markazi No. 1 and Oshqand for plov, Karimbek and Platan for dinner.
• Samarkand plov: cooked in layers; the rice, yellow carrots and meat are served with the meat on top.
• Plov is a lunch dish: go before about 13:00; plov centres can sell out in the early afternoon.
• Dinner: larger restaurants have live music in the evenings; book at busy times.
• Bread: Samarkand non, a round tandir bread, comes with every meal and is sold at Siyob Bazaar.
• Diet: meat-heavy cooking; salads, pumpkin and vegetable dishes are easier to find at dinner restaurants than at plov centres.

How we chose these restaurants

We kept only places that have recent reviews dated 2025–2026 on at least two independent platforms and that are known to locals as well as visitors. Several cafés near the Registan were left out because we could not confirm them as reliably. We do not print opening hours or prices because they change. None of these restaurants pays for a mention, and none is a partner of TravelBliss.

Samarqand Osh Markazi No. 1 (Plov Centre No. 1)

Samarqand Osh Markazi No. 1 — in Russian Tsentr Plova No. 1 — is a plain, canteen-style plov centre on Ibn Sino street that has served plov since 2009. It is a short taxi ride from the main sights.

What to order: Samarkand plov, which here comes in two versions — one cooked with linseed oil (zig'ir yog'i), a local tradition, and one with lamb. Add a tomato and onion salad and green tea.

Good to know: it is a simple lunch place, open for plov only. It gets crowded after noon, and the plov sells out, so arrive before about 13:00.

Oshqand

Oshqand, on Zarafshon avenue, is a newer plov centre, opened in 2024. There is no real menu: you order plov, and salads come round on a trolley.

What to order: Samarkand plov with salads, chalop (a cold soup of yogurt, cucumber and herbs) and tea. Half and children's portions are available.

Good to know: the lunchtime plov is usually gone by mid-afternoon, and there is a separate evening batch. Little English is spoken, so pointing at what the next table is eating works well.

Karimbek

Karimbek, on Gagarin street, is a large national restaurant on two levels with oriental decor. In the evenings there is live music and dancing, and it often hosts family celebrations, so expect a lively, loud room. It is a separate business from the restaurant of the same name in Tashkent.

What to order: shashlik and kebabs, including the long skewer the restaurant is known for, manti — steamed or fried — lagman noodles, plov and aubergine rolls.

Good to know: book ahead at busy times. The menu is mostly in Russian, and service can be slow on banquet nights; go for the food and the atmosphere rather than a quiet talk.

Platan

Platan, on Pushkin street in the Russian-era part of the city, is an upmarket restaurant with a summer terrace and garden. The menu mixes Uzbek and European dishes, and there is live music in the evenings.

What to order: plov and manti for the classics, or a steak from the Josper charcoal oven; the cheesecake is a favourite with reviewers.

Good to know: this is the most expensive of the four. Cards are accepted and the restaurant takes reservations; some dishes can sell out late in the evening.

Which one to choose

• A classic Samarkand lunch: Samarqand Osh Markazi No. 1.
• Plov with less of a rush, or plov in the evening: Oshqand.
• Shashlik and a lively evening with music: Karimbek.
• A quieter dinner in a garden: Platan.

Practical tips

• Plov before 13:00: later, the choice gets smaller or the kazan is empty.
• Use a taxi or ride-hailing app: all four are outside the Registan pedestrian area; show the driver the name in Uzbek or Russian.
• Book dinner in spring and autumn: these are the busiest seasons, and evenings at Karimbek and Platan fill up.
• Ask before you order: whether cards are accepted and whether a service charge applies.
• Carry some cash in som: for taxis, the bazaar and small cafés.
• Buy bread at Siyob Bazaar: next to Bibi-Khanym Mosque, it is the easiest place to see Samarkand non in quantity.

Plan it with TravelBliss

On our Samarkand city tour, your guide can plan the route around a plov lunch. To cook the dishes yourself, join the Samarkand plov cooking class with a local family — our guide to the cooking class explains how it works. For other cities, see where to eat in Tashkent and Bukhara. Prices depend on the number of travellers and the season — see the tour page or contact us.