Navat — Restaurant in Almaty

This is a great place to sample Kazakhstani specialties. Navat's menu is incredibly extensive, and you'll definitely have a hard time choosing. You're sure to find something to suit your taste. First, I tried the manti soup, which was delicious with its tomato sauce. I also tried the samsa, dough balls, and çibörek-style pastries. The samsa was very good, the dough balls a bit sweeter than the savory ones we eat in Türkiye, so I can't say I particularly enjoyed them. The çibörek was good, but again, a bit different from what I've seen in Türkiye. For the main course, I had Uzbek pilaf with boiled meat. The combination of pilaf and meat was quite good; it was a delicious. The plate also included two small pieces of a sausage called kazy, made from horse meat. It was my first time tasting horse meat, but it wasn't bad; it felt like a very muscular meat. And they say that Kazakh meat is generally very delicious here. We decided to try the shashlik. It was terrible; I didn't like it at all. The meat had been overheated, dried out, lost its juiciness, and was completely flavorless. We left the plate alone. Afterwards, we were informed that due to a problem in the kitchen, they had to cook the shashlik on an electric grill, so they told our Kazakh friend next to us that it was bad. This should have been mentioned before ordering. Since we were there, we decided to try the manti, which was also quite good. While I can't think of anything else to replace the Turkish manti, I have to say it was quite good. I would have liked more, but unfortunately, I only had one. I also enjoyed the fruit sherbets we ordered as drinks. The service is generally average in Kazakhstan; there's nothing too fast going on, and the waiters were attentive. The interior has an authentic feel, nicely designed, and a spacious atmosphere. I was told it's usually crowded, but although we didn't have any trouble finding a seat, you might have to wait for a table to become available. The price-performance ratio is good for a stylish establishment, but I think the price is a bit above the Kazakh average. I was pleased with this place. If you're looking for local, authentic flavors in a stylish setting, it's a good choice. Finally, for those who are wondering what Navat means. Navat is a traditional Uzbek sweet consisting of crystallized sugar, like Akide...

We had visited this place on 19th June 2024 evening for dinner. Had seen very good rating, so decided to try it & we were really disappointed. Very bad service & staff is not trained in customer service at all. First of all we were lost when we entered the restaurant because there is no one to assist you as to where to sit. It took us a while to realize that we have to choose a seat & be seated ourselves.

Next the wait for someone to give us a menu was long. I had to ask the next table waiter to give us one, but she just spoke to the assigned waiter on the microphone. Then our waiter arrived & gave us the welcome drink & the menu and just disappeared. The menu is fully in their local language, so we had to choose by looking at the pictures. The waiters don’t even assist you with any suggestions probably because they don’t know English. Then we had to wait a long time for someone to come to take our order. A lady who looked like a supervisor called another waiter to take our order. We ordered a salad, 2 main dish & 2 orange juice. Now another long wait for the food to arrive & when it came only the salad & 1 main dish came. Thinking the others will follow, we started having our food. But after a while our initial waiter comes & ask us if everything is ok in sign language as he doesn’t know English. That’s when we realized no more food & juice is coming. Somehow we made him understand we had ordered 2 juice, he got us that. Then we asked to call the waiter who took our order & informed her abt the 2nd main dish, for which she responded that it was being prepared & will take 5 minutes. By this time my husband had finished his dish & we had to wait once more for my dish to arrive. We realized that the waiter had not placed our order for the 2nd dish at all. Finally my dish came & we just had it quickly & left.

I would say the taste of the food is average, we have had far better local food in Almaty. Service is very poor. If any foreigners are visiting this place, please make sure you have a local person with you or you know their language. Felt like we were not welcome there.

A very bad &...

The most immediate reaction you will have when you visit Navat is that it is a massive restaurant. The prices are higher mid-range. They have English menus with photos of food so its extremely helpful for the non-Kazakhs. The decor is vibrant and colourful with traditional Central Asian flair ornate tiles, patterned ceilings, warm lighting and an atmosphere that balances elegance with coziness. There’s a lovely play area for kids, visible from the dining section, which makes it a great option for families who want to enjoy a proper meal while keeping the little ones entertained. The food is in generous portions: In the photos you will see: fried manty- golden and mildly crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside. beef lagman noodles - its flavoursome but the beef was tough to bite into. the eggplant salad was crispy but the ready-made, store bought sweet and sour sauce killed the vibe of that salad. I would recommend that the chef uses a natural home-made sauce or pomegranate molasses to keep the authenticity of this dish. the kunafe is absolutely glorious The staff were kind and helpful, and although service could be a touch quicker at times. Our server was kind and helpful although we did need to use Google Translate which is useful in Kazakhstan generally. Recommendations for management of Navat: regular cleaning of cushions, curtains and carpets. the temperature inside the restaurant is too hot so perhaps reduce the heat or let some air come in from time to time. replace the store bought sweet and sour sauce because it does not do justice to the crispy eggplant salad. Navat is definitely recommended for tourists. Its a friendly restaurant with generous portions of hearty local...