I prefer making my short articles here as thematic as possible. For that end, for the next six weeks, I will go over some of the finest eateries of Astana in a very categorical way. We will start by looking west, beyond the Caspian Sea, which is what “the West” is for those of us over here. From Mexican burritos to Georgian khachapuri, let us now take a look at what one can enjoy in Kazakhstan’s relatively new and shiny capital city.
Daredzhani – http://abr.kz/restaurant/daredzhani
Georgian food is ubiquitous in post-Soviet states. In Russia, it is still more or less regarded as a high-end cuisine, where restaurants serving it are often on the pricier side. I would not say that this is the case here in Astana. They are certainly all around, but the prices are often mid-range. One of the better Georgian restaurants is called Daredzhani, and even there you can be full for less than 10 USD per person, possibly for less. Their interior decoration is beautiful, there are apparently live music at night, and servers are some of the most professional. The food surely tastes good too, which should go without saying.
Granada – https://go.2gis.com/2tued3
Georgian food is not only tasty, but it is also pretty vegetarian-friendly. Given that I am a pescetarian living in the middle of a steppe, which is just a nicer way of saying desert, vegetarian-friendly menus are some of my greatest allies. That is why I visited quite a few of these establishments over time, though not all were great. This one is quite decent. It is like a simpler, humbler, and cheaper version of Daredzhani, though I have to say I really adore their mushroom dip, which is really just some fried mushrooms with cream that you can dip your khachapuri in for those especially decadent dinners.
Ocean Basket – https://oceanbasket.kz
Ocean Basket, as its name “hints” at, specializes in seafood. Though it is a bit too much to say that their seafood is fresh given our distance from any sizeable body of water, that does not stop them from claiming that it is. My experience there was quite poor, with poor service, poorer food quality, and even poorer payment in the form of waiting for a waiter for 20 minutes despite calling up to six of them, essentially becoming the true “waiter” myself… All my friends seem to love this place, and I understand that if things worked out better, if the food came correctly the first time, and if when it was corrected it was hot, and if the service was faster, I would go back to give it another go. But now that I found a lot of decent spots to eat at, I do not think that I will risk it anytime soon. With that being said, they likely have the biggest seafood menu in town, and it should be a nice change even for those who came to Kazakhstan just to eat horse meat every day.
Deraliye – https://go.2gis.com/ien1h
There are a few Turkish restaurants and cafes in Astana, as well as a few teahouses, but only one Ottoman Turkish restaurant. This is not surprising given how rare Ottoman Turkish restaurants are even in Turkey. This is likely for the best, because that older cuisine has very few fans today, at least in Turkey. Since Ottoman Turks utilized a lot of fruits in their cooking, some meals can be on the sweeter side, a big no-no in today’s gastronomically conservative society. Nevertheless, the simple cheese pide I had here was amazing, cheesy and crispy at the same time. Their Turkish tea is pretty good too, though I cannot say the same thing about their rice pudding, which is something I am snobby about.
Istanbul – https://go.2gis.com/sw6zlw
Though Deraliye has its charms, Istanbul is the better Turkish food spot to eat in Astana, for a couple of reasons. Most importantly, for me, the ambiance here is just much more Turkish. Songs are Turkish, looks are Turkish, it is just homier. This is shown once again with their food as well, which is more authentic than the one found in Deraliye. Pide in both places had a Kazakh twist, a most welcome one, but the salads and rice pudding here are on par with Turkey, if not better for the former. Service is great though the food comes a bit too slow for my taste. Menu is extensive; however it does offer little to vegetarians, but then again, this is the case with Deraliye as well. In short, certainly visit it for some decent Turkish food!
Burritos – https://go.2gis.com/f0oy5
I chanced upon this gem of a place, and am I glad that I did! Their service can certainly be improved as they seem to be out of most items that they have on the menu even when they just opened shop on a Saturday, but they actually make some decent burritos, which was not expected at all. The rice could be more flavourful, but the shrimp as an option inside your burrito is already a way to steal my heart. Though their fries are alright at best, their excellent horchata is a must drink. This is certainly, one of those (somewhat few) spots that I will be going back to.
Shoreditch – https://go.2gis.com/0xt4v
This just might be the best spot in town to eat, well for me that is. It is on the expensive side, but that also means it has much better service, which is not a guarantee in most other places. Their menu is not too extensive, and that is for the best. What they do, they do superb. And they serve some rare dishes. For example, you will likely not find a better falafel elsewhere in Central Asia, and you most certainly will not find many other French onion soup selling spots as well. For any special occasion, this is the place to go.
