Eat · Chorsu Bazaar & Old City
Plov and samsa near Chorsu bazaar
Walk-in plov and oven-baked samsa at the bazaar canteens; go before 13:00 — plov is a lunch dish and stalls can run out; pick the busiest counter.
- Plov before 13:00
- Shared tables
- Cash only
- Order: Plov and samsa at the bazaar
- Walk-in window: before 12:00
- Queue risk: 12:00–13:30
- Halal
- Menu with prices on Voykit
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 9Land borders between Central Asian states open and shut w…Small guesthouses in the Old City may have no night deskChorsu bazaar and the Old City lanes are crowded and uneven
- Central Asia ↗Keep every hotel registration slip or its e-registration record until you leave Uzbekistan and Tajikistan; border officers can ask for proof of where you slept and fine gaps.
- Central Asia ↗Land borders between Central Asian states open and shut with politics and demarcation deals; confirm the exact post is open to foreigners the week you cross.
- Uzbekistan ↗Check entry rules on the official e-visa portal only; many nationalities enter without a visa for a limited stay, others need an e-visa. Lookalike sites charge extra.
- Uzbekistan ↗Foreign visitors are registered by hotels; keep any registration slip you are given and ask for one if you stay in a private home.
- Uzbekistan ↗Carry Uzbek soʻm in small notes; bazaars, taxis and small cafés are cash-first, and cards are accepted mainly in hotels and larger shops.
- Tashkent Region ↗Jun–Aug in Tashkent is 35–40 °C by day: do outdoor sights before 11:00 and after 17:00.
- Tashkent ↗Small guesthouses in the Old City may have no night desk: send your flight number and ask for the door code or a night staff member before you fly.
- Tashkent ↗Chorsu bazaar and the Old City lanes are crowded and uneven: large suitcases go from the car to the door, never into the market.
- Tashkent ↗The metro is open to photography in most stations; do not photograph turnstiles, guards or military staff, and follow any sign in the station.
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Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, when you can walk in, what to order
Go now?
Open?
Usually 08:00–15:00Usually 8:00 AM–3:00 PM
Typical hours: check on the day.
Busy this hour
Estimate by hour below
Easiest walk-in
before 12:00
Reservations
Walk-in, no reservation
Paying
Bring cash
Per person
UZS 40,000–90,0002026 estimate · check
Walk-in windows
Tip
Format
A walk-in lunch is only planned as primary when your arrival lands outside the “impossible” window.
Your first order
- Plov, one portionoshAsk for the beef or lamb and the chickpeas.UZS 35,000–70,000
- Samsa, onesomsaEat hot from the tandoor.UZS 8,000–15,000
- Fresh non breadnonBought hot from the bakers.UZS 5,000–15,000
Menus and prices change; the board on the day wins.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
How to order, tip and pay, allergies, and booking
How to order
- Sit at a shared table; bread and tea are usually on the house.
- Go before 13:00: plov is a lunch dish and the cauldron can run out by 14:00.
Tipping
Sit-down restaurants: about 10–15%, close to US habits.
Allergies and diets
- AskVegetarian · Salads, bread and vegetable soups; most main dishes use meat or meat stock. · say: “Men go'sht yemayman. Sabzavot bormi?”
- AskVegan · Bread, tomato-cucumber salad, fruit and nuts; ask about butter and stock.
- YesHalal · Meat is halal by default in Uzbekistan; pork is rare (check). · say: “Halol go'sht?”
- AskGluten-free · Bread, noodles and dumplings contain wheat; plain grilled meat and salad are safer.
- AskNut allergy · Nuts and sesame appear in sweets and breads; show a written card in Russian or Uzbek.
- Not on fileAllergy · Show a written allergy card in Uzbek or Russian; cross-contact is high at grills and bakeries. · say: “Menda ___ ga allergiya bor.”
Paying
Bring cash
- Pay at the counter or to the server; agree the price first.
- No service charge at canteens; round up if service was good.
- Cash in som; a few canteens take cards.
Booking
- Booking
- Walk-in, no reservation
- Reservations
- Not taken
- Note
- Walk-in.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where this place is, how to get there, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
How to order here, in full
How to order here
The order of play at the counter or table, what to say, how much to order and how to pay.
- 1Sit at a shared table; bread and tea are usually on the house.
- 2Go before 13:00: plov is a lunch dish and the cauldron can run out by 14:00.Go before 13:00: plov is a lunch dish and the cauldron can run out by 2:00 PM.
No shared language? Tap dishes in the order builder below and show the waiter the full-screen list in the local script. For a printed menu, translate a photo of it.
What to say
| In English | Say or show | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Hello (formal) | Assalomu alaykum | ah-sah-LOH-moo ah-LAY-koom |
| Hi | Salom | sah-LOHM |
| Thank you | Rahmat | rakh-MAHT |
Portions and sharing
- Point at the cauldron and hold up a finger for the number of portions; the server weighs or scoops.
Extras, condiments and what costs extra
- Extra portions or salads: A plate placed on the table may be added to the bill — Ask 'qancha?' and check the total.
Paying and tipping
Sit-down restaurants: about 10–15%, close to US habits.
- Pay at the counter or to the server; agree the price first.
- No service charge at canteens; round up if service was good.
- Cash in som; a few canteens take cards.
- Tipping: Bargain politely at bazaars, not in shops; 10% at a restaurant is welcome.
At the table
- Eat plov with the right hand or a spoon; leave a little on the plate to show you are full.
- Plov sells out by early afternoon: eat it at lunch, not dinner.
- Check bazaar prices per kilo before they weigh.
- Tea is often free with a meal; ask for choy.
- Pork is rare outside Russian or international restaurants; vegetarians eat well from bread, salads, vegetable samsa and soups, but stocks are usually meat-based.
Price and paying
- Typical spend
- UZS 40,000–90,000 per person for plov, samsa and tea
Paying, diet and allergies
Paying
Cash in som is accepted everywhere.
Larger venues; small stalls are cash only.
Not applicable.
Local wallets such as Payme and Click work at some venues; foreign QR wallets do not (check).
Diet and allergies
Yes means there is something for you; ask means possible with care; no means go elsewhere.
- Vegetarianask
Salads, bread and vegetable soups; most main dishes use meat or meat stock.
Show: Men go'sht yemayman. Sabzavot bormi?
- Veganask
Bread, tomato-cucumber salad, fruit and nuts; ask about butter and stock.
- Halalyes
Meat is halal by default in Uzbekistan; pork is rare (check).
Show: Halol go'sht?
- Gluten-freeask
Bread, noodles and dumplings contain wheat; plain grilled meat and salad are safer.
- Nut allergyask
Nuts and sesame appear in sweets and breads; show a written card in Russian or Uzbek.
- Allergynot on file
Show a written allergy card in Uzbek or Russian; cross-contact is high at grills and bakeries.
Show: Menda ___ ga allergiya bor.
What is in the dishes
- Plov, one portionoshbeef
- Fresh non breadnonwheat
Read from the menu names and notes; recipes vary and cross-contact is not tested. Check with the kitchen.
Who it suits, booking and the kitchen
Who it suits, booking, closures
- How to book
- No table bookings; walk in and sit at a shared table.
- How far ahead
- Not needed
- No-show / cancel fee
- Not applicable
- Dress code
- None. Modest clothes are wise for the bazaar.
| When | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Late afternoon | check before you go | Plov often sells out by 14:00.Plov often sells out by 2:00 PM. |
| Holidays | check before you go | Some canteens close on Navruz and Eid. |
Show the kitchen
Tap a need to get a large screen you can hold up to staff. The wording is the guide’s; a helper who reads the language should confirm it if your allergy is serious.
Hour by hour, with queue times
Quietest listed hour: 08:00 (quiet).
- 08:00quietlittle or no wait
- 09:00quietlittle or no wait
- 10:00lightlittle or no wait
- 11:00heavyexpect a line
- 12:00packedexpect a long linePeak
- 13:00packedexpect a long linePeak
- 14:00heavyexpect a line
- 15:00lightlittle or no waitCauldrons run low
- 16:00quietlittle or no wait
- 17:00quietlittle or no wait
Desk estimate of crowd on a weekday; weekends and public holidays run one level higher. Not live data. No line length is on file, so waits are in words.
Comfort, facts and cons
Hygiene and comfort
- Seating
- Tables and stools
- Kids
- kids' menu: no · stroller: poor · Order plov and bread for children; avoid the peak hour
- Access
- step-free: partial · Level at the bazaar edge; tight aisles
Hygiene
- Eat where turnover is fast and dishes are served hot.
- Wash your hands or use gel before eating; many stalls have no sink.
- Ice and raw salads in street stalls can upset a stomach: prefer cooked food and peeled fruit.
Facts
- Reservations
- Not taken — Walk-in.
- Capabilities
- food
- Getting there
- Chorsu bazaar · ~3 min walk
Cons
- Crowded at lunch.
- Prices are per portion; agree the price first.
- Hygiene varies between stalls.
Dish glossary
| On the menu | What it is | Order it how |
|---|---|---|
| Osh / plov | Rice cooked with carrot, meat and spices. | By the portion; ask for 'bitta osh' (one portion). |
| Somsa | Baked pastry with meat or pumpkin. | Ask for hot ones from the tandoor. |
| Non | Round tandoor bread. | Usually served with the meal. |
| Choy | Tea. | Green (kok choy) or black (qora choy). |
| Achichuk | Tomato and onion salad. | Ask for it beside plov. |
Price check
- locals pay
- A portion of plov costs UZS 35,000–70,000 for everyone at canteens; bazaar stalls do not change the price for foreigners in general.
- tourist price
- Tourist-facing places near the sights may charge two to three times more (2026 estimate).
- rule
- No service charge at canteens; round up if service was good.
| Extra on the table | Typical charge | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Extra portions or salads | A plate placed on the table may be added to the bill | Ask 'qancha?' and check the total. |
Deep dive
Questions, alternatives, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
Is it clean?
Standards vary; pick a busy counter with hot food and use hand gel.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
What time should I go for plov?
Before 13:00; the cauldron can be empty by 14:00.Before 1:00 PM; the cauldron can be empty by 2:00 PM.
How much is a portion of plov?
About UZS 35,000–70,000 (2026 estimate).
Is it safe to eat here?
Yes if the food is hot and the turnover is fast; choose the busiest counter.
Can I pay by card?
Rarely; bring som.
Is there a vegetarian option?
Limited: salads, bread and vegetable samsa.
If it is closed or full
Nearby alternatives
If it is closed or the line is too long
All places to eat in Tashkent, with filters →
Used as a seated rest node in Tashkent in 4 days.
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage — Tashkent (eat)
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Source: Price per person
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Prices are 2026 estimates from the menu or the price line on file. Check on the day.
Source: Opening hours
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Source: Best time
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The easiest walk-in window or the quietest hour in this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.