5 Best Restaurants in Bishkek for Vegetarians

Even for meat eaters, Central Asian cuisine is heavy on the meat!

Local Kyrgyz food centres around some form of carb with some form of meat (usually horse or beef), and when you venture away from the cities, vegetarians will struggle; there is no doubt about it.

But in the bigger cities – Bishkek, Osh, Karakol – you’ll find some vegetarian versions of classic dishes as well as other cuisines that are more veg friendly.

After having spent about ten days in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, these are our favourite five restaurants in Bishkek for vegetarians (yep, finding five was in itself a mammoth task!).

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1. Navat

📍114/1 Togolok Moldo St.

It’s the only traditional Kyrgyz place on this list because generally Kyrgyz food is not veg friendly, but this spot has some options for you!

Inside, it’s dead fancy with traditional décor and a colourful mismatched patterns on all the furniture, extravagant lamps, and carpets on the ceiling.

The menu is extensive and there are some veg options here that you might not be able to get unless you headed to Karakol (the vegetarian traveller’s haven!).

Veg options are marked on the menu with a green leaf.

Navat does a vegetarian lagman (traditional saucy noodle dish), kattama (similar to a Keralan paratha), a huge variety of salads including one with crispy aubergine in a chilli sauce, and a local dessert of chak chak (which is deep-fried dough mixed with condensed milk, raisins and walnuts.

Oh, and if you haven’t been brave enough to try the kumyz from a street vendor yet, you can order yourself some fermented horse milk here too!

There are Navat branches in Osh, Almaty, and Nur-Sultan too.

2. Save the Ales

📍 193 Tynystanov St.

Save the Ales a female-run brewery and restaurant that was an absolute lifesaver! We went back twice.

There is a microbrewery with an outdoor pub garden area and a restaurant.

Find local beers, and even a cider (which I was so shocked to find in Central Asia!), veg ramen, tacos, summer rolls, tofu noodle dishes, falafel, burgers.

The food is tasty, the cider is tasty, and the place feels really nice and welcoming.

3. Istanbul Restaurant

📍 89 Gorky St.

This spot serves delicious Turkish food, and the restaurant itself has a beautiful outside seating area.

The hummus is rich and buttery, and grab yourself a puffy sesame bread to mop it all up. Maybe order the spiced potatoes and some tabbouleh too.

Honestly, you could go to town here ordering lots of a small vegetarian plates and everything will be tasty!

4. Cooksoo

📍 71 Kiev St.

There is a significant South Korean influence in Central Asia, which is reflected in its food scene, particularly in the cities.

Cooksoo is a great South Korean restaurant located close to Ala-Too Square that serves ramens, vegetarian kimbap, tteokbokki, and salads.

5. Greenbowl

📍 209/2 Tynystanov St.

Greenbowl is a small restaurant that serves up a large variety of salad bowls, and there are vegetarian and vegan options that have tofu and mushrooms.

A fresh salad makes a nice contrast from the heavy and carby traditional foods.

6. Osh Bazaar (Bonus!)

Struggling with the vegetarian restaurant options and just want to cook something yourself?

Head to Osh Bazaar to find rows upon rows of vendors selling fresh produce. If you’re there in the summer, the melons are particularly special!

What else is there to do in Bishkek?

Bishkek isn’t really known for its ‘things to do’, but if you’re into architecture, this is THE city to explore.

The Soviet modernist architecture all over Bishkek is really interesting (or some might say ugly!), but you could easily spend a day exploring the city, its quirky buildings, and Soviet mosaics.

Oh, and if you fancy some proper traditional Kyrgyz food that also happens to be vegetarian, this Kyrgyz veg foodie guide will help you out with all the tastiest stuff and the best places to find it around the country.

Where to Stay in Bishkek

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