JUZ чайхана — Restaurant in Almaty

Juz Chaykhana in Almaty makes a great first impression. The atmosphere at Juz definitely deserves gold stars as does the visual presentation of the food. The interiors are warm and charming, with a cozy, inviting vibe. The menu is well-presented, complete with photos and English translations, a definite plus for international diners. It all sets the scene for what you would hope is a comforting Central Asian culinary experience. We visited Juz for dinner and ordered a few somethings. With regards to pricing it is in the high mid-range.

We began with the chicken noodle soup, which looked homey and promising but felt quite salty and seasoned rather than nourishing.

The crispy eggplant salad arrived looking colourful and fresh, but it missed the mark in both temperature and texture. Instead of the crisp, slightly caramelised bite we anticipated, it was cold and limp, closer to a stir-fry that had cooled off a while back.

The Uzbek plov was unfortunately on the heavy side not in a rich, satisfying way, but in an overly oily, slightly one-note kind of way - again cool not hot like you would expect of a hot dish fresh off the kitchen stove. The flavours were muted and the overall execution didn’t capture the aromatic, hearty essence of this traditional dish.

That said, service was kind and accommodating. Our server made a sincere effort to communicate despite the language barrier (with help from Google Translate, as is common in Almaty) and presentation-wise, the dishes looked beautiful and definitely camera-ready. I would definitely give Juz another try and recommend...

The mutton shashlik here is absolutely to die for – tender, flavorful, and cooked to perfection! I was fortunate to visit during the Navroz celebrations, which made the experience even more special. The warm hospitality, amazing service, and even the thoughtful gesture of helping us capture a family photo made it truly memorable. A place where great food meets heartfelt experiences –...

Perfect restaurant, pleasant and helpful service. Beautiful and original interior full of interesting elements. Food excellent and very tasty. Toilets of a high standard, a very nice surprise. Western-style restaurant. If I visit Almaty again, I will...