Food · Almaty · Kazakhstan
What to eat in Almaty
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Almaty, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Dauren Nabijan, CC0
Quick answer
Start with Beshbarmak, Lagman and Plov. Walk the meat, dairy and dried-fruit halls of the Green Bazaar, tasting kazy, kurt, honey and Korean salads before choosing a picnic for the mountains. Many restaurants add a service charge of around 10–15%; check the bill before tipping extra.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Beshbarmak
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 6
- Tipping
- Restaurants often include a service charge; if not, about 10% is customary for good…
- Food experiences
- 4
12 foods to try
Dish
1.Beshbarmak
Kazakhstan's national dish: boiled horse meat or mutton served over sheets of flat noodles with onion broth. Its name means 'five fingers', as it was traditionally eaten by hand.
Where: Kazakh restaurants in the centre; it is also served at family celebrations.
Dish
2.Lagman
Hand-pulled Uyghur noodles topped with stir-fried beef or lamb, peppers, tomato and garlic, either as a soup or fried (guiru lagman). It is one of the most popular everyday meals in Almaty.
Where: Uyghur cafés across the city, especially near the Green Bazaar.
Dish
3.Plov
Rice cooked in a large kazan with lamb or beef, carrots, onions and cumin, sometimes with chickpeas and raisins. Lunch canteens often serve it from a huge pot.
Where: Central Asian cafés and canteens; often at its best at lunchtime.
Dish
4.Manti
Large steamed dumplings filled with minced lamb or beef, onion and sometimes pumpkin, served with sour cream or chilli. Pumpkin-only versions are available in some cafés.
Where: Kazakh and Uyghur restaurants and canteens across Almaty.
Street food
5.Samsa
Flaky triangular pastries baked in a tandoor-style oven and filled with lamb, beef or pumpkin. A quick, cheap snack.
Where: Bakeries, street stalls and the Green Bazaar.
Dish
6.Kazy
Horse-meat sausage, cured or boiled and sliced thin, served as a cold appetiser at celebrations. It is rich and slightly sweet.
Where: Sold by weight at the Green Bazaar and served at Kazakh restaurants.
Bakery · Vegetarian
7.Baursak
Small puffs of fried dough served with tea, honey and jam at every Kazakh meal and celebration.
Where: Kazakh restaurants and bakeries; a bowl often arrives with the tea.
Snack · Vegetarian
8.Kurt
Hard, salty balls of dried fermented milk, a nomadic snack that keeps for months. They are an acquired taste, from mild to very sour.
Where: Dairy stalls at the Green Bazaar, where vendors let you taste several kinds.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Kumis
Fermented mare's milk, mildly alcoholic and sour, drunk for health in summer. Shubat, fermented camel's milk, is its thicker relative.
Where: Dairy stalls at the Green Bazaar and some Kazakh restaurants, mostly from spring to autumn.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Kazakh tea
Strong black tea served with milk or cream from a samovar or teapot, poured in small bowls (kese) and constantly refilled. Covering the bowl with your hand signals you have had enough.
Where: Every Kazakh restaurant and home.
Dish · Vegetarian
11.Korean carrot salad (Morkovcha)
Shredded carrot marinated in vinegar, garlic, coriander and chilli, created by the Koryo-saram, Koreans deported to Central Asia in 1937. It is a staple side dish across Kazakhstan.
Where: The Korean salad section of the Green Bazaar and supermarket deli counters.
Snack · Vegetarian
12.Almaty apples (Aport)
The wild apple forests of the Tian Shan foothills are considered the ancestors of the domestic apple, and Almaty's name is linked to apples. The large aport variety is the city's famous apple.
Where: Fruit stalls at the Green Bazaar in late summer and autumn.
Food experiences
Green Bazaar tasting
Walk the meat, dairy and dried-fruit halls of the Green Bazaar, tasting kazy, kurt, honey and Korean salads before choosing a picnic for the mountains.
Kazakh dastarkhan dinner
Order a shared table of beshbarmak, kazy, baursak and tea at a Kazakh restaurant to experience the hospitality spread called the dastarkhan.
Uyghur lunch
Uyghur cafés serve the city's best lagman and manti at low prices; watch the cooks pull noodles by hand in the open kitchens.
Mountain lunch at Shymbulak
Restaurants at the Shymbulak resort serve plov and shashlik with views of the peaks, a classic after skiing or hiking.
Quick bites and street food
- Samsa — Bakeries, street stalls and the Green Bazaar.
- Baursak — Kazakh restaurants and bakeries; a bowl often arrives with the tea.
- Kurt — Dairy stalls at the Green Bazaar, where vendors let you taste several kinds.
- Almaty apples — Fruit stalls at the Green Bazaar in late summer and autumn.
Vegetarian options
Of the 12 foods in this guide, 6 are usually vegetarian: Baursak, Kurt, Kumis, Kazakh tea, Korean carrot salad and Almaty apples. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Many restaurants add a service charge of around 10–15%; check the bill before tipping extra.
- Lunch set menus (biznes-lanch) on weekdays offer two or three courses for much less than dinner.
- Menus are often in Russian and Kazakh; translation apps and picture menus help.
- Horse meat is common in Kazakh cuisine; ask if you prefer lamb or beef.
- Food delivery apps work well in Almaty if you want to eat in after a mountain day.
Tipping
Restaurants often include a service charge; if not, about 10% is customary for good service. Taxi fares through apps do not need tips, and rounding up is enough elsewhere.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sälemetsiz be | Hello (formal, Kazakh) |
| Rakhmet | Thank you (Kazakh) |
| Sau bolyñyz | Goodbye (Kazakh) |
| Spasibo | Thank you (Russian) |
| Skolko stoit? | How much is it? (Russian) |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Almaty famous for?
Beshbarmak, Lagman, Plov and Manti. Kazakhstan's national dish: boiled horse meat or mutton served over sheets of flat noodles with onion broth.
+Is Almaty good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Baursak, Kurt and Kumis.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Almaty?
Restaurants often include a service charge; if not, about 10% is customary for good service. Taxi fares through apps do not need tips, and rounding up is enough elsewhere.