Food · Samarkand · Uzbekistan
What to eat in Samarkand
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Samarkand, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Registan_-_Gusjer.jpg : Gustavo Jeronimo from Aranjuez, Spain derivative work: MrPanyGoff, CC BY 2.0
Quick answer
Start with Samarkand plov, Samarkand bread and Tandir somsa. Plov centres cook one or two huge kazans of plov from late morning and serve until it runs out, often by early afternoon. Plov is a lunch dish; in the evening many places no longer have it, so plan your plov meal for midday.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Samarkand plov
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 4
- Tipping
- Restaurants usually add a service charge of about 10–15%.
- Food experiences
- 3
10 foods to try
Dish
1.Samarkand plov (Samarqand oshi)
Samarkand's version of Uzbekistan's national rice dish is cooked in layers that are not stirred together: rice on the bottom, yellow and orange carrot strips above, and chunks of beef or lamb on top, often with quail eggs, chickpeas or raisins. It is a lunchtime dish cooked in huge kazan cauldrons.
Where: Plov centres and teahouses around the Siab Bazaar and in the new town; go by early afternoon, as many cook one batch a day.
Bakery · Vegetarian
2.Samarkand bread (Samarqand noni)
The city's dense, glossy round loaf has a thick rim and a centre stamped with patterns, baked against the walls of a clay tandir oven. It keeps for days and is famous across Uzbekistan; locals never place it upside down or throw it away.
Where: The bread rows of the Siab Bazaar, or any neighbourhood tandir bakery early in the morning.
Street food
3.Tandir somsa (Somsa)
Flaky pastry triangles filled with minced lamb or beef, onion and lamb fat, baked against the wall of a tandir oven. Pumpkin somsa is a common vegetarian version in autumn.
Where: Bakeries and stalls near the Siab Bazaar and along busy roads in the morning and at lunchtime.
Dish
4.Shashlik
Skewers of lamb, beef, minced meat (lyulya) or liver grilled over charcoal, served with raw onion and vinegar and a round of bread. Lamb with fat cubes between the meat is the classic order.
Where: Open-air grills and chaikhanas across the city, especially in the evening along the new town's main roads.
Dish
5.Lagman
Hand-pulled noodles in a meat-and-vegetable sauce of peppers, tomatoes and garlic, served either as a soup or stir-fried and drier (qovurma lagman). It came to Uzbekistan via the Uyghur kitchen.
Where: Most chaikhanas and casual restaurants; look for cooks stretching the dough in view.
Dish
6.Shurpa
A clear, long-simmered broth with large pieces of lamb on the bone, potato, carrot and chickpeas, sprinkled with herbs. It is a filling choice on cold winter days.
Where: Teahouses and family restaurants, especially at lunchtime.
Dish
7.Manti
Large steamed dumplings filled with chopped lamb and onion, sometimes with pumpkin, served with sour cream or yoghurt.
Where: Chaikhanas and casual restaurants across the city.
Snack · Vegetarian
8.Dried fruit and nuts
The Zarafshan valley produces the apricots, raisins, figs and almonds sold everywhere in Samarkand; sweet roasted apricot kernels and salted dried apricots are local favourites.
Where: The dried-fruit halls of the Siab Bazaar, where sellers let you taste before you buy.
Dessert · Vegetarian
9.Navat and halva
Navat is crystallised grape or sugar syrup in amber chunks, eaten with tea or dissolved in it; halva comes in sesame, nut and flour-based versions. Both are served at the end of meals and at family gatherings.
Where: Sweet stalls in the Siab Bazaar and shops along Tashkent Street.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Green tea (Ko'k choy)
Green tea is drunk with every meal from small bowls called piyola. The host pours a little at a time and refills often; a half-filled bowl is a sign of care rather than stinginess.
Where: Served free or for a small charge in every chaikhana and restaurant.
Food experiences
Lunch at a plov centre
Plov centres cook one or two huge kazans of plov from late morning and serve until it runs out, often by early afternoon. Eat it the local way, with a salad of tomato and onion (achichuk), bread and green tea.
Siab Bazaar tasting walk
A morning at the Siab Bazaar can easily become breakfast: warm bread, dried apricots, almonds, fresh fruit in season and navat with tea, all bought stall by stall in small quantities.
Chaikhana evening
Traditional teahouses with raised platforms (tapchan) covered in cushions are the place for an unhurried evening of shashlik, salads, bread and tea, often outdoors under vines in summer.
Quick bites and street food
- Samarkand bread — The bread rows of the Siab Bazaar, or any neighbourhood tandir bakery early in the morning.
- Tandir somsa — Bakeries and stalls near the Siab Bazaar and along busy roads in the morning and at lunchtime.
- Dried fruit and nuts — The dried-fruit halls of the Siab Bazaar, where sellers let you taste before you buy.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 4 are usually vegetarian: Samarkand bread, Dried fruit and nuts, Navat and halva and Green tea. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Plov is a lunch dish; in the evening many places no longer have it, so plan your plov meal for midday.
- Restaurants commonly add a service charge of about 10–15% to the bill; check before tipping extra.
- Bread is torn by hand and shared; never put a loaf upside down on the table.
- Many menus are in Uzbek and Russian only; photo menus and translation apps help.
- Alcohol is available in many restaurants in the new town, but teahouses in the old town often do not serve it.
Tipping
Restaurants usually add a service charge of about 10–15%. Where it is not included, rounding up or leaving about 10% is appreciated; guides and drivers are commonly tipped at the end of a tour.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Assalomu alaykum | Hello (peace be upon you) |
| Rahmat | Thank you |
| Qancha? | How much? |
| Xayr | Goodbye |
| Mazali | Delicious |
| Spasibo | Thank you (Russian, widely used) |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Samarkand famous for?
Samarkand plov, Samarkand bread, Tandir somsa and Shashlik. Samarkand's version of Uzbekistan's national rice dish is cooked in layers that are not stirred together: rice on the bottom, yellow and orange carrot strips above, and chunks of beef or lamb on top, often with quail eggs, chickpeas or raisins.
+Is Samarkand good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Samarkand bread, Dried fruit and nuts and Navat and halva.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Samarkand?
Restaurants usually add a service charge of about 10–15%. Where it is not included, rounding up or leaving about 10% is appreciated; guides and drivers are commonly tipped at the end of a tour.