The most interesting restaurants, cafes, and bars in Bishkek where you certainly should go. Let’s go!
Every self-respecting traveler is well aware that food is a very important part of any trip, regardless of the country you are visiting or planning to visit.
There are people, who always visit a new country dreaming of exploring all of the main historic and cultural sights, climbing the highest mountains, but then just end up spending the majority of the trip eating.
And there are people, who feel a little guilty for stopping for a while to have a drink or enjoy a meal, thinking that it is cutting their exploration time.
Even so, one should remember that eating is just as much of an important part of the travel experience as wandering around museums or visiting historic landmarks. And to be honest, sometimes eating is the best part of traveling!
Speaking of food, a quote by Anthony Bourdain, an American chef, writer, documentary traveler and TV host, who is known to many for programs that have studied international culture and cuisine, comes to mind:
“Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.”
Quotha! Food is an experience, not just eating energy. And in order for your gastronomic experience in Kyrgyzstan, namely in its capital, Bishkek, to be unforgettable, we offer you a small guide to places where you can eat tasty food.
Before we start “taking” you to places to eat, it is worth noting that in Bishkek you can eat expensively, moderately and cheaply. But the cheap options are mostly known only to local residents and you can hardly find the menu in English there.
As for the places where you can eat expensively – there are more than enough of them in Bishkek. But we will focus on the most popular ones.
Ethno-Complex Supara – a place where you will not just try
Kyrgyz cuisine, but also completely plunge into the ethnic atmosphere. You will taste the national dishes sitting in the hall, fully furnished in the Kyrgyz style. If you still don’t know how do “Ejigey”, “Badyrak”, “Kymyz”, and “Byjy-Jorgom” taste, then this place is perfect for you to try them!
Be prepared for the fact that you will be amazed by the abundance of dishes prepared from different types of meat. If you are a meat lover, we strongly advise you not to miss the chance to try meat cooked on hot stones.
Traditional food in Kyrgyzstan certainly will not leave anyone indifferent, but one should not mistakenly assume that in Kyrgyzstan people are not familiar with other national cuisines of the world.
La Maison is one of the proofs that the cuisine in Kyrgyzstan is diverse. It is a truly unique place to dine in a French environment. Here you will enjoy exquisite French cuisine, good music, and wine. What else do you need for happiness?
Baan Baan Thai Cafe – Thai cafe, which is hard to find the first time, but if you managed to find it – congratulations, you are now in one of the most exotic places in Bishkek. Exotic this place can be called just because almost all products come directly from Thailand.
The owner of this place believes that every capital of any country needs variety, including culinary diversity. Therefore, if you are suddenly tired of varied Kyrgyz cuisine, you can always visit Baan Baan Thai Cafe and enjoy the amazing green curry, “Khao soi”, or “Tom Yam”.
Interestingly, the phrase “Baan Baan” in Thai means “a cozy warm home.” Indeed, visiting this place, you will feel at home.
Do not forget that no matter how expensive the food in these places is, it most likely will still be cheaper than food in any European country or in the USA.
If you want to eat cheaper, but still tasty – then, in this case, you will undoubtedly find a suitable place in Bishkek. Here are a few of them:
Bublik – this place can be described in three words: simple, inexpensive, and tasty.
Why simple? Because the menu does not consist of any intricate dishes, the ingredients of each are known to all of us. There is an ordinary home cooking, which is eaten not only in Kyrgyzstan, but also abroad, these are various omelets, sausages, and bagels. And, of course, coffee.
As for the price-quality ratio, it is relatively inexpensive but very, very tasty. This institution has several branches in the city and each is easy to find.
Dodo Pizza. As you already understood, this is a pizzeria. Here you can eat cheaply, but you will remain impressed with the tastes and variety of pizza. The pizzeria is located in several locations around the city, but if you don’t like to eat outside, you can always order a pizza at home.
They have in the menu not the pizza only, but also delicious universal dishes, which were invented by the chef of that very kitchen.
And of course, there is a place where every person who visits Bishkek for the first time must go. It can be said that if you visited Bishkek, but did not visit this place, then you simply did not try the real “taste” of the city. This place is Faiza.
Faiza is a place where you can taste the national dishes of all nationalities living in Kyrgyzstan. The main focus here is on Eastern cuisine since it is the most popular in Kyrgyzstan and throughout Central Asia.
The peculiarity of this place is that it has a rich history. The café Faiza opened back in 1998, and since then it has been delighting not only the residents of Bishkek but also the guests of this city from all around the world.
We are all people, we all love to eat. But only a few people will refuse a cooling mug of beer in addition to delicious food, is not that true?
For people who equally value both food and drinks, there are just perfect places in Bishkek. The most favorite places of visitors are Save the Ales and Blonder Pub.
Save The Ales – the first thing you need to know about this place is that it is located in the same courtyard with Baan Baan Thai, which we have already mentioned above, so if you found Baan Baan Thai, then you found Save The Ales, too!
Delicious handcraft beer, live music, and a relaxed atmosphere. It’s all about Save The Ales.
The No Name Bar is the very place where people come, knowing in advance that they will meet there their friends, and maybe strangers, who will eventually turn out to be very interesting and tolerant interlocutors with their own history and a different outlook. Complementing this chic conversation can serve as food and drinks, which are peculiarly written on the menu. In such a place, you will always have something new waiting for you, from dating to discovery in your life.
This is how we “took” you to places in Bishkek, where you can eat sometimes expensively, sometimes cheaply, but always tasty!
We ask you not to forget that even though our guide is based on the feedbacks of many visitors, it is subjective. We suggest you visit these places by yourself and leave your most unique review. See you and enjoy your meal.
Photos from sources: tripadvisor.ru , cafe.kg .