Tashkent plov is one of the country's most distinctive regional variants: golden yellow from turmeric, generous with chickpeas, often garnished with a strip of horse-sausage (kazy) and a whole quail egg.
Options ranked from most tourist to most local:
1. Central Asian Plov Centre (Tashkent Plov) — Ariza Street near Tashkent TV Tower. - Purpose-built for tourists but genuinely good. - 6–8 giant kazans working simultaneously; viewing gallery lets you watch cooking. - ~35,000 UZS/portion (~$3). - Open 11:00–15:00; sold out most days by 14:00. - English-friendly.
2. Beshqozon — nearby competitor to Plov Centre. - Same setup, similar quality, slightly less crowded.
3. Chorsu Bazaar plov stalls — inside the covered dome and just outside it. - Where locals eat plov. - No English menu; order by pointing at pots. - Cheaper (~20,000 UZS/~$1.50). - Open ~10:00–13:00; empty by 13:30.
4. Small neighbourhood chaikhanas — every Tashkent district has one. - Best if you have a local friend who can recommend a specific place. - Plov at lunchtime only; evenings serve other dishes.
What to order alongside: - Achichuk salad (tomato, onion, cucumber) — resets the palate. - Green tea, not black — traditional pairing. - Non bread. - No soft drinks; the etiquette is water or tea only.
Timing rule: plov is a lunch dish in Tashkent. Restaurants that offer plov "all day" are catering to tourists. The traditional cauldron is fired in the morning and finishes selling around 14:00.
Uzbekistan in photos
A short visual companion to this entry — photographs from our Uzbekistan travel archive.
Related entries
- Food
Tashkent plov: where to eat it
Central Asian Plov Centre (tourist-friendly, giant kazans), Beshqozon (local favourite), or the Chorsu Bazaar cauldrons (cheapest, most authentic). All sell out by 14:00.
- Places
Chorsu Bazaar: Tashkent's beating heart
The largest and oldest market in Uzbekistan, under a blue-tiled Soviet-era dome. Best for spices, plov ingredients and observing local life.
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Uzbek plov: 7 regional styles
At least 60 named variants, but seven main regional schools: Tashkent (yellow, chickpea), Samarkand (layered), Bukhara (no-sear), Fergana (sweet, raisin), Khorezm (green herb), Kashkadarya (pumpkin), and wedding plov (on a massive scale).
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Chaikhana: the Uzbek tea house
The neighbourhood tea house — traditionally the heart of Uzbek male social life, still central in every town. Green tea, sofa-like raised platforms, hours of conversation, and hearty food.
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Uzbek plov cooking class
Yes — half-day cooking classes in Samarkand, Bukhara and Tashkent teach the basic Tashkent-style plov in a home kitchen or restaurant. About $30–60 per person, ends with the meal.
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Afrosiyob high-speed train
Uzbekistan's Spanish-built Talgo bullet trains link Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva at up to 250 km/h. Tashkent-Samarkand takes 2h10, tickets $10–35 depending on class.