Tashkent's Best Plov Centers Ranked (2026): Besh Qozon, Central Asian Plov & 5 More

2026-06-06 · 12 min read · Food

There are seven serious plov centers in Tashkent. We ranked all of them in May 2026. The famous one isn't #1. Here's the honest list.

Tashkent is the plov capital of the world. Every neighborhood has a plov spot, every plov spot opens at 11 AM, and every plov spot sells out by 2 PM. This is the honest 2026 ranking of the seven biggest and most-talked-about plov centers in Tashkent — based on three months of actual eating, talking to locals, and standing in queues with kazan-stirrers.

How we ranked them

Rice texture (separate grains, no clumping), meat quality (lamb shoulder vs scrap), carrot ratio (yellow Mirzachul carrots strongly preferred), oil balance (rich but not greasy), value, queue speed, atmosphere, and the all-important 'do locals actually eat here' factor.

#1 — Beshqozon Yangiabad (Yangiabad district)

The locals' answer to the tourist-famous Besh Qozon. Smaller, no parking, no menu in English, plov sold out by 1 PM. The lamb is from Surkhandarya, the rice is Devzira from Fergana, and the carrots are the deep-orange Mirzachul variety. One portion is 35,000 UZS ($3) and feeds you for the day. This is where Tashkent cab drivers eat. Go before noon.

What to order

Tashkent toy oshi (the standard Tashkent wedding plov), plus a side of achchiq-chuchuk salad and a bowl of ayran. Don't ask for tea — order it after the plov, not during.

#2 — Besh Qozon / Central Asian Plov Center (Mirzo Ulugbek, near TV Tower)

The Instagram-famous one. Five enormous open-air kazans, theatrical chefs, viewing platform, tourist-friendly menu. Yes it's touristy. Yes the rice is still genuinely excellent. The lamb is reliable, the carrots are correct, and the experience of watching 200 kg of plov come together is worth the trip once. Prices have risen — now 45,000–55,000 UZS ($3.80–4.70) per portion. Show up at 11:00 AM sharp or queue for 40 minutes.

Tourist hacks

• Go on a weekday, not weekend.
• Order at the kazan, then find your own table — no waitstaff.
• Add a quail egg (perepelka) and kazi slice — only 8,000 UZS extra.
• The upstairs viewing platform is the best free attraction in Tashkent at 10:30 AM.

#3 — Bakhor Choyxona (Chorsu area)

Old-school Tashkent choyxona, the kind your grandfather would have eaten at. Plov is Bukhara-style (rice and meat cooked separately, then combined), with raisins and chickpeas. Slightly sweeter, more aromatic. Portion 30,000 UZS ($2.50). Best paired with their suzma and a pot of green tea.

#4 — Mirzo Ulugbek Plov (university district)

A clean, fast, semi-modern spot popular with students and professors. Reliable Tashkent plov, no surprises. 35,000 UZS. Good if you're staying in the eastern part of the city and don't want to trek across town.

#5 — Sokin Hovli (Chilanzar)

Garden-style choyxona with kazan plov cooked over wood fire — a rarity in central Tashkent. The wood-smoke aroma is real and it changes the plov. Portion 40,000 UZS. Quiet, family-friendly, great for an unhurried Saturday lunch. They also serve excellent shashlik on the side.

#6 — Plov.uz (multiple locations)

A small chain that's grown across Tashkent — clean, fast, English menus, card payments accepted. Plov is solid but not transcendent. Best as a backup when you can't make it to Besh Qozon. 38,000 UZS, served all day (most others sell out by 2 PM).

#7 — Mahalla plov spots (every neighborhood)

Walk through any residential mahalla in Tashkent on a Thursday morning and follow the smoke. Someone is always cooking 50 kg of plov in a courtyard kazan for the next day's wedding or commemoration. If invited (and you almost certainly will be), accept. This is the best plov you will ever eat. Free.

The famous places we DIDN'T include — and why

• Bek (chain) — fine food, totally unmemorable plov.
• Caravan (downtown) — beautiful interior, tourist-priced plov (90,000 UZS) that tastes like 35,000 UZS plov.
• Hotel plov buffets — never. Just never.

2026 plov prices in Tashkent

• Mahalla / hidden local spot — 25,000–35,000 UZS ($2.10–3)
• Mid-tier (Bakhor, Beshqozon Yangiabad) — 30,000–40,000 UZS ($2.50–3.40)
• Famous (Central Asian Plov Center) — 45,000–55,000 UZS ($3.80–4.70)
• Tourist downtown restaurant — 80,000–120,000 UZS ($6.80–10)
• Hotel buffet plov — 150,000+ UZS — overpriced, don't bother

Plov center etiquette

• Lunch only — true plov centers serve from ~11:00 to ~14:00. Once it's gone, it's gone.
• No reservations. Just show up.
• Wash hands first — every plov center has a sink at the entrance. Use it.
• Eat with a spoon, not a fork (a fork separates the grains, which is the opposite of what you want).
• Don't ask for ketchup, mayonnaise, or hot sauce. The plov is the seasoning.
• Tip 5–10% if there's a waiter; otherwise leave a small note on the table.

How to get there

• Besh Qozon / Central Asian Plov Center — Yandex Go from any hotel, 15,000–25,000 UZS, or metro to Bodomzor + 10 min walk.
• Beshqozon Yangiabad — Yandex Go only, 20,000 UZS from city center.
• Bakhor Choyxona — walk from Chorsu metro, 5 minutes.
• Sokin Hovli — Yandex Go from Chilanzar metro, 15,000 UZS.

Final word

If you have one plov lunch in Tashkent: Beshqozon Yangiabad. If you have two: add the Central Asian Plov Center for the show. If you have three: ask a local where their family eats and go there instead — every single time, that answer beats every entry on this list.