01meat
Beshbarmak
Ет / БесбармақThe festive centrepiece: boiled meat with thin sheets of dough and onion, served with hot sorpa broth. The name means “five fingers”.
ALMATY VISTA/Kazakh cuisine
Kazakh cuisine
What to try in Almaty and Talgar and where it is cooked well: the classic Kazakh table, Uyghur and Central Asian dishes.
What to try
10 dishes worth the trip
02starter
Kazy and shuzhyk
Қазы, шұжықHome-made horse-meat sausage with rib fat, served in thin slices – the most “steppe” of starters.
03meat
Kuyrdak
ҚуырдақLamb or offal fried with onion in a kazan – hearty and very home-style.
04dough
Manty
МәнтіLarge steamed dumplings with chopped meat, onion and sometimes pumpkin – with sour cream or chilli sauce.
05noodles
Lagman
ЛағманHand-pulled noodles with meat and vegetables from Uyghur cuisine – Almaty does it especially well.
06pastry
Tandyr samsa
Тандыр самсаFlaky pastries with meat and onion baked on the walls of a clay oven – a perfect road snack.
07pastry
Baursak
БауырсақPuffy deep-fried dough pieces – no Kazakh table is complete without them, with tea or with meat.
08drink
Kumys and shubat
Қымыз, шұбатFermented mare’s and camel’s milk. If you are not used to it, start with a small bowl.
09snack
Kurt
ҚұртDried salty balls of fermented curd – nomad travel food and a popular edible souvenir.
10sweet
Zhent
ЖентA sweet of roasted crushed millet (tary) with butter, sugar and raisins – with milky tea.
Where to eat
Kazakh cuisine restaurants in Almaty
Selected from city guides and 2GIS. Opening hours and prices change – please check before you go.
Sandyq
₸₸₸Modern Kazakh cuisine and forgotten steppe recipes, an interior full of cultural artefacts. Best restaurant 2026 at the 2GIS Awards.
55 Abylai Khan Ave
Auyl
₸₸₸Open-fire and tandyr cooking in an ethnic interior of felt and wood. Recommended by The New York Times.
586 Kerey-Zhanibek Khandar St
Abay Kok-Tobe
₸₸₸A yurt-shaped hall on Kok-Tobe with a city panorama – pair it with the cable-car ride.
41/2 Omarova St (Kok-Tobe)
Qaimaq
₸₸₸Kazakh, Uzbek and Uyghur cooking in a shady garden in the centre; a large terrace in summer.
46a Abay Ave
Navat chain
₸₸₸Central Asian classics without fuss: lagman, plov, manty, beshbarmak. Easy and affordable.
several locations in the city
Tarih
₸₸₸A creative take on national recipes in the centre; the kids’ menu is designed as a fairy tale.
104 Abylai Khan Ave
Körşi
₸₸₸Modern Kazakh cooking in a calm interior; the horse-meat dishes are worth trying.
83 Dosmukhamedov St
Tary ethno café
₸₸₸A café by the Sandyq team: tary desserts, irimshik and baursak with coffee and tea.
55 Abylai Khan Ave
In Talgar and on the way to the mountains
Small roadside cafés and lagman houses, fresh honey and Aport apples from local farmers – easy to combine with a gorge trip.
Talgar →At the table
A little etiquette
01
Tör – the seat of honour
Guests are seated furthest from the door. Being invited there is a sign of respect.
02
Tea – a little at a time
The bowl is filled only halfway so hot tea can be topped up again and again. When you have had enough, say thanks and cover the bowl with your hand.
03
Hands are fine
Beshbarmak and manty are traditionally eaten by hand; water for washing is offered first.
04
Bread with respect
Flatbread is never placed upside down or thrown away. Meat, including horse, is the base of the cuisine – mention special requests in advance.
Add a Kazakh dinner to your trip
We book a table at a national restaurant and note your wishes: no horse meat, halal, vegetarian.
Want to go?
Send us your dates and group size – we put together a programme and get the exact price from a licensed local partner. The enquiry is free and non-binding.