Zokir Osh

Zokir Osh is in the south of the city on Sadriddin Ayni Street, about 1.8 km south of the Registan and 400 m from Fedya Shashlik No. 1. Locals know it well: at lunchtime a free table is hard to find, and nearly everyone eating here is from Samarkand. There is a separate hall for women.

Plov is the only dish. Samarkand plov with chickpeas and raisins comes with a vegetable salad, flatbread and tea, and there are ayran and kompot to drink. You collect your plate at the kazan with a special ticket, which is also how you settle the bill. Portions are large — one is usually enough for two.

It opens at 11:00 and stays open until the plov runs out, usually by 13:00. The queue moves quickly, but latecomers may go without.