Sofra Restaurant — Restaurant in Khiva

AVOID. Especially if you're a tourist!

A pretentious and snobby place. Several rude staff members. I initially got told the restaurant was full and batted away. Said I had a reservation and got told no. Had to use translate and then managed to get seated. Handed us one menu for a table of three and walked off. Their English menu was via QR code online but still had no descriptions so you're relying on the pictures solely. If you're aiming to appeal to a more high-end clientele then do it properly.

Food was fine, some nice choices like the burger and others are expensive for what they are like their salads. For a steakhouse, to arrive and order and then be told there's no steak or any bbq items is pretty rubbish. We didn't arrive at the end of the night either so this was surprising and incredibly disappointing.

I accidentally broke a tea glass because the table was so cramped with excessive tableware that hadn't been removed, came to find out I'd been charged for it at the end. Not the end of the world, but because few waiters could speak English I couldn't explain to them the issues with the table. With professional high end eateries, they also tend to absorb very low cost items like this. Again, this place masquerades as something it isn't.

Icing on the cake? We were asked if we would like a terrace table. Turns out we were then also charged 24000 sum for that with no notice because there was also music. This was nice but incredibly loud. We also then had a 20% service charge on top!

Save your money. Spend it with an authentic eatery instead with actual service. If you're a tourist, you'll be treated differently here. A poor way to end our time in Khiva.

Full review to come on @nadseatsworld...

I visited this place based on the positive reviews, but unfortunately, the service was a major disappointment. When I entered, there were three women and two men at the entrance—none of them greeted me or even acknowledged my presence. I didn’t take it personally and simply sat down at an empty table.

Just as I was settling in, a staff member came over and told me the table was reserved. However, there was no sign or indication of a reservation on the table. No alternative seating was offered, no apology was made—nothing.

This kind of attitude clearly shows a lack of respect for customers. One particular staff member, a blue-eyed girl, looked at me with a strange expression and bluntly said "Reserved," which honestly gave the impression that they were being selective with their guests.

The place might look nice, but without proper service and hospitality, it doesn’t mean much. After this experience, I have no intention of returning. I’ve traveled to many countries and cities, but I’ve never encountered such...

Disappointed and Won’t Be Returning

I had high hopes for Sofra Khiva, but my recent visit was a complete letdown. The service was extremely poor — food arrived before the salad, which came awkwardly after we were halfway through our main course. It felt rushed and disorganized.

The menu is surprisingly weak for a place that looks so polished. Popular and basic items like Strawberry Mojito and even coffee were not available. Seriously? A restaurant without coffee?

The Doner Kebab was terrible — it smelled odd and had zero flavor. And don’t even get me started on the ice cream. Instead of serving real chocolate ice cream, they just dumped a cheap, fake Nutella-style sauce on top of bland scoops. Absolutely unacceptable.

It’s clear that the management prioritizes crowd volume over quality service or food experience. No attention to detail, no consistency, and absolutely no sense of hospitality.

I will not be coming back. If you care about taste, service, or even just basic dining standards,...