Ayvan — Restaurant in Bukhara City

The very first thing I noticed at Ayvan — and what immediately impressed me — was the exceptional service from the restaurant manager. He was gracious, welcoming, and delivered service with a level of refinement and polish that set the tone for the entire experience. From the outset, it felt like a fine dining establishment. The atmosphere reinforced this impression: the dining room is adorned with colorful, intricate tilework that evokes a mihrab (the niche inside a mosque indicating the direction of prayer to Mecca), paired with crisp white tablecloths and neatly arranged silverware. Dining here truly feels like eating inside a mosque or even a madrassa, surrounded by elegant and traditional Uzbek architecture.

The menu was surprisingly extensive and well-organized, featuring multiple sections: a full bar menu, a dedicated coffee and dessert list, and a comprehensive main menu with appetizers, soups, and entrees — offering a wide range of proteins, including seafood, fish, chicken, beef, and lamb. I dined here on more than one occasion and will remark on the food I ordered:

The seafood soup was deeply satisfying — a generous, steaming bowl filled with fish, shrimp, and even a mussel, all steeped in a rich, fish-forward broth that was both rustic and refined.

On a subsequent visit, I tried the chicken soup, which featured impossibly thin noodles that gave it a wonderful mouthfeel. The beef tongue was also well-executed, nicely complemented by a sharp horseradish sauce.

The whole seabass was beautifully presented but unfortunately overcooked and a bit dry.

The lamb shoulder was served tender and nestled among a vibrant medley of root vegetables. The portion was generous. While a few pieces were still a bit tough due to connective tissue, most were tender and flavorful enough to enjoy fully.

The restaurant also offers freshly squeezed juices. I ordered two orange juices — they were that good. The manager even brought over a bucket of fresh ice so I could enjoy them perfectly chilled, a small but thoughtful gesture that summed up the attentive service throughout the meal.

Note that during dinner hours, the restaurant gets very busy, and service can become frustratingly slow. Servers may be absent for extended periods, often leaving diners to get up and flag someone down...

I've just spent three hours (by myself!) having a most enjoyable time. Multiple courses. First: to answer some of the comments from other diners. Inside seating is NON-SMOKING! Service is excellent (in English). Piano music as of 7pm. (I was here from 5pm to 8pm on a Monday evening in mid-November.) Yes, it costs more than your usual Uzbek restaurant, but compared to Western pricing, it's a great value. (There is a 20% service charge -tip- which admittedly is high by Central Asian standards, but at least some of it is actually going to the servers!) My selections: 1) Aperitif. "Alice" cocktail. I ordered this because it was the one cocktail which I was not familiar with. A very nice stand-alone cocktail to start. 57000 Som. (About $6 with tip) 2) Soup. "Soup of sea." Just terrific! One of the best ever. Presented with the seafood in a bowl and then the soup is poured around the seafood at your table. I paired this with a Dry Martini. Soup: $11. Martini: $7. 3) Fish course. "Fillet of Pike Perch with Vegetables." Again, wonderful! Paired with Uzumfermer (Uzbek - TASHKENT - winery) Sotelli (dry white wine blend). Fish: $10. Wine (glass): $5.50. 4) Meat course. Unfortunately, the "Lamb tongues in creamy sauce" was not available, so I had the "Bon fillet with creamy mushroom sauce" paired with a red wine (Merry Tash - Tashkent). Superb. Perfect preparation: red in the middle, melt in your mouth. Terrific sauce. Meat: $9. Wine: $8. 5) Dessert. "Chocolate Fondant." Paired with another glass of Merry Tash. Again, perfect. And just the right size. (Not like in the U.S. where desserts are ridiculously oversized and overpriced.) Dessert: $4. 6) Digestif/Coffee. Cognac: "Toshkent XO"/ Coffee: Double Espresso. A fine end to an admittedly self-indulgent meal. (Who would've thought that Uzbeks could come up with a fine cognac?!) The espresso had a somewhat thin "la crema", but at least it was present (unlike too many times in an overpriced American "fine dining" locale). Cognac: $2. Coffee: $2.50. ...

I can say this is probably the best meal I have eaten in Uzbekistan and also the only meal that is non local cuisine. The moment I stepped into the restaurant I was awed by the architechture and the design. I didn't make a reservation so I was made to wait a while before a table was available. I didn't get to sit anywhere indoors or close to it, was just sitting near the glass door which was the entrance between the hotel and the restaurant. There was eventually 2 more tables which were empty but a lot of people actually walked in and they didn't want to sit in the area probably its darker and not as comfortable. I didn't know what to eat so I asked the waiter to recommend me some of the dishes. They were quite nice like they recommended 2 soups and 2 mains so I could pick the one I preferred. Eventually ordered the Soup of the Sea and the Fettucine and I have to say I liked it a lot. I was already quite full but then decided not to leave without dessert so was recommended the Chocolate Fondant. I have to say it was a great ending to the meal. Food was really good though sitting near the glass door would probably be a bit dark with just a small lamp on the table, but I was totally fine so long I was able to dine there. Service could be better though, the waiters were not attentive enough when I called out for them, not sure if was because the area I sat was dark, but even if they came and responded to me, they failed to return again with what I needed. Like I asked twice for the menu to order the dessert and like 4 times for the bill. Price is a bit on the expensive side but I would say the quality is worth what...