Kokshetau can be considered a mining town. Though there are not any mines within the city perimeters today, that I know of at least, it grew in part thanks to the gold, uranium, and other valuables mined in the region. This must have brought a good range of rich clientele to the region, as this small unassuming city’s dining scene turned out to be one of the best in all of Kazakhstan, admittedly with prices matching those in Astana. Read on to find out all about them!
Tbilisi – https://go.2gis.com/hfbbi
I arrived at Kokshetau on an uneventful Monday evening and headed straight to this Georgian restaurant for a “quick” bite. What started so humbly turned into one of the most memorable nights of my entire Nowruz trip when I got sucked into a beautiful night full of live music and excellent food. It was already pretty cool to be listening to some of my favourite Russian songs as I dined, but I was further surprised by how good the food turned out to be. They even experimented a bit with khinkali filled with mushrooms by putting some extra cream in there for flavour. It worked quite fine, though I prefer the traditional recipe myself. Tbilisi is most certainly a must go if you visit Kokshetau.
Bedduin – https://go.2gis.com/fcb4n
Apparently, good service is synonymous with Kokshetau, because a nearby restaurant called Bedduin managed to provide a similar experience in the next day. They have a huge menu, providing something for everyone, and though my choice of sushi was poorly made, I did manage to pick the best soup they had, I think. It was the best cheese soup I had, and for that alone you need to visit Bedduin. A fair piece of warning though. They do allow people to smoke shisha indoors. Not many people were there at the time so I was not bothered by it, but I can see how it can be an issue with more shishas around.
Bauyrsaq – https://go.2gis.com/q2l8w
Though both Tbilisi and Bedduin were rather upper scale establishments, Bauyrsaq is anything but like that. With that being said, it turned out to be the place where I had the most joy dining out in Kokshetau. The people here were just the sweetest. They altered the menu to the best of their abilities, made sure that all was prepared without meat, and even added some extra spices to the mix just because I asked for it. Their lagman stole the show, it was to die for, but that salad was no pushover as well. They even brought an entire naan free of charge alongside the soup. Water too was provided freely. All of this quality, quantity, and friendliness came to around 6 USD, a bargain if I have ever seen one.
Coffee Boom – https://coffeeboom.kz
I try very hard not to recommend any chain restaurants that I visit, no matter where I go. However, this must be an exception. Coffee Boom was on the ground level of the apartment block I stayed in, and I had limited time for breakfast on my last day in the city, so it came in just the right time and place to save my breakfast. Their Kazakh tea is good and the pancakes with salmon, though an unusual pick for me, also tasted quite fine. Prices are a bit steep, but the service is good, and quality is there. You can certainly give them a go for breakfast, desserts, or even more.
