If you want to try authentic Uzbek Pilaf (Plov) and don’t want to spend too much money, Joni Osh is the place to go.
Because it’s quite absurd for restaurants to be closed during Ramadan in such a touristy city. This business owner has created a separate space and welcomes guests in the open section.
The pilaf, as you might expect, is legendary. I also recommend ordering the sour ayran (yogurt drink) and similar side dishes that come with it. If you like, you can order some extra meat to go with your pilaf.
Don’t expect much in terms of atmosphere from this restaurant—the goal here is to experience the delicious Uzbek pilaf, which you can see being cooked right before your eyes in the cauldron behind the glass.
One suggestion for the owner: you should keep the restrooms cleaner.
Other than that, I highly recommend it. Finding a decent restaurant in Samarkand can be quite challenging.
Also, keep in mind that Uzbek Pilaf is a bit oily. If you’re not used to it, it might upset your stomach. That’s why I recommend drinking sour grape pickle juice or ayran after eating the pilaf to aid digestion.
The location is spot on. Enjoy your meal in advance!
Abror Valihanov
Level 4 Local Expert
November 10, 2024
I visited this place for the first time during Ramadan in 2022, everything was awesome: portions were huge and plov was delicious. Strange thing is one has to order plov in person and take it to the table:) and only then waitresses bring the rest.
Now the sad part, visited on the 9th of November 2024. One still has to take his to the table himself, but the portion got significantly smaller (also less meat), I left the place hungry and the price is quite high if you compare it to other plov places in Samarkand. I must admit, plov is still delicious
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Suhrob Nosirov
Level 2 Local Expert
March 28
They are completely scam national cusine!
Even though,we ordered plov for 3 people,2 people had barely enough to eat. But the chef regretted that the dish was big but it wasn't!
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Nodir Khalilov
Level 11 Local Expert
May 20, 2024
Joni Osh prepares some of the best Samarkand pilaf in the city. The pilaf is rich in flavor, using high-quality ingredients and expert cooking techniques. Each bite reflects the authentic culinary traditions of Samarkand, making it a must-try for both locals and visitors.
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Шухрат Иршашев
Level 11 Local Expert
December 25, 2024
Good plov but very very very expensive. Oshqand much better and cheaper and place also gorgeous. Recoment u go to oshqand .
Lijun ZHOU
Level 3 Local Expert
October 8, 2024
Just had the plov there, they charged me 70000 for only one portion, twice the ordinary price. Very dishonest and unfair. To foreigners, it's all right to charge a bit more, but twice? It's really unacceptable.
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Dilnoza Fatullayeva
Level 2 Local Expert
April 14
Joni osh number one in the Samarkand👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Abbos Sattorov
Level 5 Local Expert
November 27, 2024
Good service
Famous for its palov
Afzal Yodgorov
Level 10 Local Expert
April 16, 2024
Amazing plov prepared by super chefs! Every time I am in Samarkand I do my best to go and try their plov.
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Maureen Kimball
Level 4 Local Expert
April 14
Best!!!
Анна Яшина
Level 10 Local Expert
May 10, 2023
Local cafe with tasty pilaf, fair prices and authentic atmosphere. Service is very fast, we came here 2 times and really enjoyed our lunch .
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Muhammadumar M.
Level 4 Local Expert
October 28, 2024
delicious
Sergey Lukyanchenko
Level 2 Local Expert
April 8, 2024
Super!
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Ravshan Mustafoev
Level 3 Local Expert
February 20, 2024
Super osh
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Shavkat Akbarov
Level 8 Local Expert
April 9
Joni Osh is a good place to serve Samarkand pilaf. The taste is generally decent, the portions are generous, and the atmosphere is cozy. But something is still missing. Sometimes pilaf is over—dried or vice versa - too greasy, there is no stability. The service is normal, but without much attention to detail. In general, you can go in, especially if you are nearby, but you can't call it the best pilaf in the city yet.
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Петр Катаев
Level 15 Local Expert
March 6
The best pilaf we've ever eaten. A portion for one is to overeat from the belly. But it's impossible to stop! This is some kind of gastronomic orgasm!
And even the atmosphere and atmosphere of the Soviet dining room does not spoil the feeling. :)
But the pickle salads, which are given before pilaf, remained misunderstood.
Another distinctive feature of Uzbek catering is that you eat first, then you pay.
To sum up: this is the place to visit and try the pilaf from Joni Osh. :)
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Татьяна
Level 9 Local Expert
November 5, 2024
Very tasty pilaf! We came to Dzhoni Osh on the recommendation of local residents. It is interesting to watch how they prepare for serving. Pilaf dishes are in hot water. Before ordering, they take out the right-sized dish, wipe it thoroughly with a towel, then apply pilaf. The offer of salads and snacks for pilaf is interesting: they bring a round tray on which there are pickles, salads and offer to choose something. I recommend definitely visiting if you find yourself in Samarkand!
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Артур Омурбеков
Level 11 Local Expert
October 18, 2024
I haven't been to Samarkand for a long time. This year I made a tourist trip and was glad to see this magnificent historical city of Uzbekistan again. I learned about the famous and rumored most delicious pilaf already in the city. I decided to try it and made sure that this is really the most delicious pilaf in Samarkand! A cozy place (in the center there is a small fountain that gives an additional flavor), an open kitchen, polite sociable staff. By the way, this is a chain and several establishments. You need to order on a first-come, first-served basis, as there are a lot of people who want to taste pilaf (especially tourists). You can ask oshpaz (the chef) what kind of serving option you need and additions. For example, more chili peppers or carrots. In Uzbekistan, yellow carrots are mainly used in pilaf, which I think decorates this dish. The portions are just huge, one serving is enough for two. I have not tried such a gorgeous pilaf yet, although I understand pilaf and cook it myself according to the canon, so to speak. And what a wonderful compote is served and awesome tortillas! I strongly recommend visiting Joni Osh and eating the most delicious pilaf in your life) if you are in Samarkand.
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Фируз Ашуров
Level 10 Local Expert
September 19, 2024
I recently visited a wonderful place where pilaf is cooked. The atmosphere here is very cozy and traditional, which creates a special mood.
The meat was tender, just like butter — it was easily cut with a knife. The rice was also perfectly cooked: crumbly, fragrant and with a wonderful taste. However, they added a bone with veins, which slightly spoiled the impression.
And, of course, the price of pilaf turned out to be quite high, which also surprised me a little. But overall, it was a delicious and memorable dish!
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Андрей Давыдов
Level 8 Local Expert
April 11
We came here specially on the advice of a local taxi driver to taste Samarkand pilaf (pilaf is different in each region of Uzbekistan). It was delicious. The place itself is very atmospheric, pilaf is cooked in a large cauldron right in front of you. One of the must-see places in the gastronomic aspect.
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Андрей Шишканов
Level 5 Local Expert
April 26
Delicious pilaf, but there are nuances... They put a lot of toppings on your table (salmon, pickled vegetables, cherry juice, etc.) that you don't order, and most likely you won't eat half of them. As a result, additives to pilaf for the price of the pilaf itself, the price is not budget-friendly. The most interesting thing is that it is not clear whether it is possible to refuse additives or not, while I was ordering pilaf on the 1st floor, my wife said a girl came up with a large tray, unloaded everything in silence and left...
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Jasur E
Level 10 Local Expert
April 23
Delicious pilaf! In Samarkand !
You can say a lot of praiseworthy words , but there still won 't be enough praises !
One of the best traditional pilaf in the city of Samarkand is Zhoni osh!
I recommend it!
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Елизавета Надуткина
Level 12 Local Expert
February 21
Pilaf is like pilaf, like everywhere else in Uzbekistan. So we took the pilaf, my husband says one portion, please, they persuaded him to take two, since there are two of us, that we would not eat enough. Nevertheless, he insisted on his own and they gave us one serving, took the salad that was brought to us on a tray, and said payment would be at the end. Okay, we ate, went to pay, and the woman counts us as 2 servings, 198,000 soums, the husband says it's so expensive, she tells him, well, you have 2 servings of pilaf, salad, tea. In general, they talked for another 10 minutes about whether we had exactly 1 serving. If you don't remember anything from anyone, then write it down at least on a piece of paper, not even talking about checks, which of course you don't. I didn't like the service, the pilaf was nothing special, it seemed more expensive than in other places, but we still didn't understand how much it costs, since they didn't give us a receipt. We may even have been deceived, since we are tourists. I don't really understand why everyone praises this institution. It didn't work out for us
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Юлия Теренина
Level 9 Local Expert
November 18, 2024
A very atmospheric place! Clean, beautiful, delicious. This restaurant left a very good impression. We will recommend it to our friends.
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Сергей Щербаков
Level 7 Local Expert
March 6
Johnny Osh. The pilaf is excellent, worth a visit and a taste. One of the best pilaf centers in Samarkand, if not the best! From the cons, queues and service, from the pros for tourists, you can see how they cook and put pilaf.
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daros90
Level 17 Local Expert
November 2, 2024
Not a restaurant! The queue for pilaf! Self-service! But the pilaf is stunning and the prices are just more than pleasant!!!
Very tasty 🤤
I recommend
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Vangelis Baris
Level 8 Local Expert
November 12, 2024
Very tasty. 2 servings for 2 adults and a child is just the thing.
I highly recommend salty and some kind of milk drink with herbs.
In general, I recommend it!!!
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Ксения К.
Level 6 Local Expert
April 17
I fell for the reviews and persuaded my husband from the other side of the city to come here.
I really shouldn't have, I didn't like it at all, I couldn't even eat half a plate - the pilaf tasted like fish to my taste. It was as if fish were fried in oil first, then pilaf was cooked there.
My husband did not feel this, but according to him, "it is far from the best pilaf in his life."
The compote wasn't delicious either.
The only one I liked was kefir.
They paid almost 200 thousand soums for a plate of pilaf, 2 salads, flatbread, compote and kefir.
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Андрей М.
Level 4 Local Expert
April 22
Excellent pilaf, large portion, 4 people.
The pilaf is delicious! Beef meat, without chicken, if that's important to someone.
We went in closer to closing, salad, kefir, tea, flatbread and pilaf came out 140k soums.
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Н К
Level 15 Local Expert
February 25, 2024
The legendary place of Samarkand. Delicious pilaf, charismatic scalding. It may not look very appetizing, but you have to taste it. The service is fast, with a very long queue in autumn and spring, you can still have a quick lunch. The average check for 3 people is about $ 15 for more than a year. Pilaf, pie, salads, pickles, anzur piez, tortillas, tea. If you are in Samarkand, be sure to try pilaf here. It is necessary to come by 12, at 2 there will already be empty cauldrons.
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Глеб
Level 4 Local Expert
April 20
This is the most delicious pilaf in Samarkand!!!
I have never seen such large portions in all of Uzbekistan!! And as usual, very affordable prices!!!
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Михаил П.
Level 7 Local Expert
September 27, 2024
The locals unanimously recommended this place, and not the number one pilaf center, where they planned to go. We ordered on the advice of half a serving per person (there were 8 of us). They brought 2 huge plates and cutlery for 8 people. In the photo, a plate for two full servings (or 4 half servings).There was enough pilaf for everyone. Additionally, salads and tortillas were ordered.Not everyone can handle a full portion of pilaf. The pilaf was very tasty. It is very interesting to watch how it is put on a plate when ordering. We were served quickly, and there were no problems finding a place either. The place itself looks like a diner, a lot of locals.
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Михаил
Level 5 Local Expert
November 3, 2024
We expected a lot from this place and pilaf. It looks like a dining room where people come in for a snack. The pilaf is medium. The price is high. In Bukhara, in a cafe, pilaf turned out to be much tastier
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Виктория Волкова
Level 3 Local Expert
August 8, 2024
A great place. Cozy, attentive staff, and most importantly PILAF! You will be treated according to your preferences. The master who prepares the pilaf is a credit. I recommend.
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Ozoda Yunusova
Level 5 Local Expert
April 12
We got there by chance, the most popular place we found on the Internet was different, but since it was closed there, we found this place on the map, it turns out it was also popular, there were a lot of people and there was a long queue for the swim. The pilaf was really delicious, my husband and I were satisfied.
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Кирилл
Level 15 Local Expert
April 5
Very tasty pilaf
Snacks are great
Sorry, I'm out of tomato juice.
It's very crowded around 1 p.m., everyone is going to lunch
Another sour vinegar, not like in Tashkent
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Илья Г.
Level 4 Local Expert
April 19
It was the most delicious pilaf of all that I tried in Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent. It tasted better than any of the most expensive restaurants
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Muradullaeva G.
Level 6 Local Expert
December 6, 2024
The best pilaf of our city!
Everything is always delicious!
At the checkout, they treat you to a candy very nice 😊
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Margo Margozhan
Level 3 Local Expert
April 21
If you want pilaf, then it is here that it is served and cooked correctly! As soon as they brought it, while I was pulling up a chair and taking off my sweater, my son had already swallowed almost a quarter. The meat is delicious and there is enough of it, the rice is cooked perfectly! Try the mountain onion especially! He's a fire!!!
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Всеволод С.
Level 14 Local Expert
March 29
On the first day of arrival in Samarkand, at our request, the guide brought us, and together we tasted pilaf, which, according to the locals, is the best! Locals willingly visit it. I liked it! I recommend it!!!
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Николай Алянчиков
Level 15 Local Expert
March 23
Probably the best pilaf in Samarkand. Delicious! Good portions. You need to come in advance - there are a lot of people who want to eat.
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Пётр Рожков
Level 18 Local Expert
September 17, 2024
On the advice of a local Samarkand taxi driver, we came to this cafe to try real Samarkand pilaf, but the rice in the pilaf was undercooked and as a result, my family and I did not like the pilaf, which cannot be said about the compote and salad that were on top.I tried Samarkand pilaf in St. Petersburg from the Boot of oshpaz, that was a real belly feast.The table came across number 21 and stood on some kind of sheet of iron, covering unknown things.I hope I got to the wrong place at the wrong time.Good luck to the owners of this place and have a good successful trade.
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александра яшина
Level 19 Local Expert
September 10, 2024
The lunch place of the locals. Amazing pilaf. Very clean, the waitress girls help with the selection and will always help. I highly recommend it.
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Егор Андреев
Level 9 Local Expert
April 7
If you want to try delicious Samarkand pilaf, then you are welcome here. At first glance, the portions are larger, but it won't be difficult to eat them. You can eat from 50-90 thousand soums (which is a reasonable price)
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ZAFAR NORBOYEV
Level 5 Local Expert
November 18, 2024
I came here specially from Tashkent to try this pilaf.
Very tasty!
The queue is big, but the pilaf is served quickly
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Роман Е.
Level 20 Local Expert
February 16, 2024
Samarkand pilaf is cooked here. A colorful place where you can record a video of pilaf and stuffing being put into dishes from a huge cauldron.
Delicious food plus a good show for the tourist.
The portions are huge. A lot of locals. You will need to stand in line for pilaf.
Tourists will love it here!
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Анастасия Клименко
Level 12 Local Expert
March 25, 2024
Delicious pilaf. Portions are pleasing. A variety of salads. The institution is focused on pilaf. Fast service, regardless of the number of people. Polite staff. The products are fresh and of high quality. Not expensive
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Данила Кан
Level 12 Local Expert
March 19
The pilaf center, where locals go, says a lot about the taste of pilaf in a good way. Huge portions, you can take half a portion of pilaf and salad per person. Overeat!
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александр гизетдинов
Level 17 Local Expert
March 18
Everything is very tasty and satisfying. The portions are large. The prices are affordable. Several halls.
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Julie Vinogradova
Level 13 Local Expert
November 30, 2024
Very tasty meat, we took a shish kebab of beef and lamb. Melts in your mouth. Everything is fast, service👍👍