Emirhan Restaurant — Restaurant in Samarkand City

Saw the positive reviews hence decided to try. The food is no doubt delicious however our experience was soiled by the following which is clearly the DUTY MANAGER/ SERVICE staff who lacks fundamental basic training in manners, skill and service: Tried to make a reservation but was told that the dining hall doesn't accept any and whilst the terrace did, it was booked for a private event. This is fine until we arrived and heard that there are reservations made for the dining hall. Upon arrival- no clear system for waiting. Firstly the lady at the door did not even look welcoming- before I could ask for a table, she immediately said the restaurant was full. I asked how long was the wait as noticed few people hanging around outside, she then said 30 mins and just ignored me. After a few mins she then shut the entrance of the restaurant door and left us hanging. It was only when more people started coming and stood behind us that she consulted a colleague, after much discussion it turned out they had a table for 2 afterall. And the wait was no more than 10 mins. Had to ask 4 different servers before we finally got any spice/ serviettes on our desk. Each walked off and never returned. Server who served my tea literally dumped the teapot on the table- spilled it but didn't notice nor cleaned up the spill. Finally a clear observation- guests were brought to tables even before tables were cleared or tables organised. In one instance there was a large group of 14 pax with some within the group having left. In order to make space for group of 4 pax, the other end of the table was split but arranged in such a way where it was impossible for the guests to fit into the chairs of the table (there was no space between the table/ chairs with the other table). The group of 4 pax left without sitting down. Conclusion: unless one wants to be treated poorly, this was a tick in the box for the food...

They should be ashamed to open this restaurant with such a service! We’ve been here 3 times, the first one was lunch and the restaurant was empty so the waiter had time to serve us. It ‘s very near our hotel, so we thought it’s quite convenient to do the 2nd. This time the waiter forgot our welcome tea which they served us at the first. Until we mentioned about it and the restau was not busy at all. So we decided to stop going as we stayed in Samarkand for 8 days. Tonight is our last night and we don’t want to go anywhere far. So we think it is ok to visit them again for dinner. This time is the worst! No welcome tea while the near-by table who come after us got it. The waiters seem to ignore us. We tried to understand the situation that there ‘s a big group on the same floor. We asked for the welcome tea and they seem to be annoyed by the asking and bring us a cold one! We order wok , beef and also chicken. Wok comes first and beef after 20 minuits which-is fine but the chicken comes 40 minuits after wok! We try to call the waiter to ask why this happen and they seem to be busy with somebody else. One waiter grabs the attention and go to check the chicken for us. And it takes a while till we can’t stand anymore. I ask the manager who speak a little english and the answer is that in the menu said we have to wait 20-50mins for food! It’s understandable about what written in the menu but normally in nice restau which the price this high, the waiter should have warn us if we have to wait that long for any special menu which takes time. And this is a simple chicken dish! Anyway we pay the bill only what we ate and left. So beware of this restaurant if you are tourist and Asian! They try to offer us a free meal but we insist to pay only what we ate. Actually i fon’t want to give any star to it but the food is fine, a bit over-priced but fine and the atmosphere is ok but strongly not...

I had such a wonderful dining experience at Emirhan yesterday!

We started off with the Samsa, which was incredibly fresh, flaky, and perfectly crispy—one of the best I’ve had! For my main, I ordered the Fried Dumplings (Ishliky), a traditional Uzbek dish. They were delightfully crunchy on the outside with a savory meat filling that was packed with flavor. I also tried the Kleftiko (slow-cooked lamb shank), and it was absolutely melt-in-your-mouth tender. The lamb fell off the bone and paired beautifully with the creamy mashed potatoes—comfort food at its finest.

The overall quality of the food was exceptional. My mum really enjoyed her Vegetable Wok, which was vibrant and full of flavor, and my brother loved his steak, cooked exactly how he likes it. We couldn’t resist the desserts either—we each got something different and ended up sharing everything because it was all so good! The cheesecake was rich and creamy, and the baklava was perfectly sweet and nutty.

The atmosphere at Emirhan is elegant, calm, and modern. We were seated downstairs, which was quieter and more relaxed—perfect for conversation—while the upstairs had lively music and dancers for those looking for more of an upbeat vibe.

What really made our night extra special was the exceptional service. Our server, Shukhrat, was so warm and attentive. He made us feel truly welcomed and took great care of us throughout the evening. He even got along wonderfully with our little one, which meant a lot to us.

Thank you to the team at Emirhan, and especially to Shukhrat, for a memorable evening. We’ll definitely be...