20 Best Places to Eat in Turkmenistan: The Ultimate Culinary & Dining Guide

Turkmen cuisine is a savory Central Asian tradition centered around tender mutton, slow-cooked rice plov, wood-baked flatbreads, fresh dairy products, and sweet desert melons. Influenced by centuries of nomadic life in the Karakum Desert, dining in Turkmenistan is hearty, rich, and deeply hospitable.

Must-Try Traditional Dishes

Plov (Palaw): The national dish—fragrant rice simmered with tender mutton, yellow carrots, onions, and aromatic spices cooked in a cast-iron cauldron (kazan).
Shashlik: Succulent skewers of marinated lamb, beef, or chicken grilled over red-hot desert saxaul wood embers.
Chorba (Çorba): A rich mutton and vegetable soup seasoned with dill, tomatoes, chickpeas, and potatoes.
Ishlekli: Traditional Turkmen shepherd's pie—dough stuffed with minced lamb and onions, traditionally baked buried in hot sand and embers.
Fitchi: Baked round meat pies filled with spiced minced mutton and garlic, popular as hot street food snacks.

20 Best Places to Eat in Turkmenistan

1. Restaurant Altyn Yyldyz

Cuisine: Fine Dining Turkmen & International
Location: Yyldyz Hotel, Ashgabat
Must-Try Dish: Royal Lamb Plov & Grilled Caspian Sea Bass
About the Place: Perched on the top floor of the luxury Yyldyz Hotel, offering 360-degree panoramic views over Ashgabat's illuminated white marble skyline.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Altyn Yyldyz

2. Minara Restaurant

Cuisine: Traditional Turkmen & Central Asian
Location: Central Ashgabat
Must-Try Dish: Turkmen Mutton Shashlik & Ishlekli
About the Place: A popular, elegant venue in Ashgabat decorated with woven Turkmen carpets, serving authentic local meat dishes and fresh flatbreads.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Minara Restaurant

3. Gulistan Russian Bazaar Food Stalls

Cuisine: Street Food & Local Delicacies
Location: Gulistan Bazaar, Ashgabat
Must-Try Dish: Hot Fresh Fitchi & Turkmen Melons
About the Place: Bustling indoor bazaar stalls serving piping hot meat pies (fitchi), fresh flatbreads, camel milk (chal), and seasonal melons.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Gulistan Food Stalls

4. Restaurant Soltan

Cuisine: Turkish & Central Asian Fusion
Location: Berkarar Mall, Ashgabat
Must-Try Dish: Turkish Mixed Grill &038; Kunefe
About the Place: Located in Ashgabat’s premier shopping complex, serving rich Turkish grills, kebabs, and fresh pastries in a modern atmosphere.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Restaurant Soltan

5. Restaurant Merv

Cuisine: Turkmen Traditional
Location: Mary City Center
Must-Try Dish: Mary-style Mutton Plov & Somsa
About the Place: A long-standing restaurant in Mary city serving authentic regional plov cooked fresh daily for lunch travelers.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Restaurant Merv

6. Zip Cafe & Grill

Cuisine: Casual European & Turkmen Barbecue
Location: Central Ashgabat
Must-Try Dish: Bbq Chicken Skewers & Local Draft Beer
About the Place: A lively, casual restaurant and beer garden in Ashgabat popular for outdoor summer dining and grilled skewers.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Zip Cafe

7. Kopetdag Restaurant

Cuisine: Turkmen & Caucasian Grills
Location: Ashgabat Foothills
Must-Try Dish: Saxaul-grilled Lamb Chops & Fresh Bread
About the Place: Set near the foothills of the Kopetdag mountains, featuring private wooden dining pavilions and mountain views.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Kopetdag Restaurant

8. Awaza Caspian Seafood Restaurant

Cuisine: Caspian Sea Fish & Grill
Location: Awaza Resort Zone, Turkmenbashi
Must-Try Dish: Grilled Caspian Sturgeon & Fish Soup
About the Place: Located on the Awaza beach promenade, serving fresh Caspian Sea catches and seafood platters.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Awaza Seafood Restaurant

9. Erbent Desert Camp Dinner

Cuisine: Nomadic Desert Cuisine
Location: Darvaza / Karakum Desert
Must-Try Dish: Sand-baked Ishlekli & Hot Green Tea
About the Place: Authentic desert campfire dining experience where traditional shepherd meat pies are baked directly under desert hot coals.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Desert Camp Dining

10. Restaurant Ashgabat

Cuisine: European & Central Asian
Location: Downtown Ashgabat
Must-Try Dish: Beef Stroganoff & Traditional Plov
About the Place: A classic dining room in the city center serving a combination of Russian-European cuisine and traditional Turkmen specialties.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Restaurant Ashgabat

11. Chandybil Restaurant

Cuisine: Modern Turkmen & Turkish
Location: Chandybil Avenue, Ashgabat
Must-Try Dish: Spiced Lamb Ribs & Baklava
About the Place: An elegant white marble restaurant venue offering fine service, private dining booths, and central Asian grills.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Chandybil Restaurant

12. Dashoguz Bazaar Dining Halls

Cuisine: Northern Turkmen & Uzbek Regional Eats
Location: Central Bazaar, Dashoguz
Must-Try Dish: Khwarazm-style Mutton Laghman Noodles
About the Place: Authentic market dining halls serving hand-pulled laghman noodles, steamed manty dumplings, and hot green tea.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Dashoguz Bazaar Eats

13. Cafe British Pub Ashgabat

Cuisine: International Pub Food & Grills
Location: Central Ashgabat
Must-Try Dish: Fish and Chips & Grilled Burgers
About the Place: A popular social venue for expatriates and locals, offering European pub meals, live sports broadcasts, and cold draught drinks.
Explore More: Read our full guide to British Pub Ashgabat

14. Turkmenbashi Port Restaurant

Cuisine: Seafood & Russian Specialties
Location: Turkmenbashi Harbor
Must-Try Dish: Smoked Caspian Mullet & Borscht
About the Place: A harborfront restaurant providing harbor views and freshly prepared Caspian fish specialties.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Turkmenbashi Port Restaurant

15. Cafe Paytagt

Cuisine: Coffee, Pastries & Light Eats
Location: Ashgabat City Center
Must-Try Dish: Honey Cake (Medovik) & Espresso
About the Place: A popular modern cafe in Ashgabat ideal for fresh coffee, cakes, sandwiches, and relaxing in air-conditioned comfort.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Cafe Paytagt

16. Nokhur Village Guesthouse Dining

Cuisine: Home-style Mountain Turkmen
Location: Nokhur Village, Kopetdag
Must-Try Dish: Mountain Goat Stew & Fresh Village Butter
About the Place: Authentic village guesthouse dining where local families serve home-cooked stews, fresh mountain herbs, and flatbreads.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Nokhur Village Dining

17. Restaurant Diwan

Cuisine: Fine Dining Turkish & Middle Eastern
Location: Diwan Hotel, Ashgabat
Must-Try Dish: Ottoman Kebab & Pistachio Baklava
About the Place: Upscale hotel dining room offering Middle Eastern cuisine, refined service, and elegant interior decoration.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Restaurant Diwan

18. Turkmenabat Railway Restaurant

Cuisine: Traditional Central Asian
Location: Turkmenabat Station
Must-Try Dish: Hot Mutton Somsa & Milk Tea
About the Place: Historic station hall restaurant serving hot tea, freshly baked somsa pastries, and noodle soups to travelers.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Turkmenabat Railway Restaurant

19. Altyn Asyr Mall Food Court

Cuisine: Fast Food & Central Asian Snacks
Location: Ashgabat Center
Must-Try Dish: Turkmen Doner Kebab & Fresh Juices
About the Place: A modern indoor food court venue serving quick meals, Turkish kebabs, pizzas, and local snacks.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Altyn Asyr Food Court

20. Yyldyz Panorama Bar

Cuisine: Cocktails & Light International Tapas
Location: Yyldyz Hotel, Ashgabat
Must-Try Dish: Signature Lounge Drinks & Cheese Platter
About the Place: An exclusive high-altitude lounge offering evening cocktails, sunset vistas, and panoramic views over Ashgabat.
Explore More: Read our full guide to Yyldyz Panorama Bar

Featured Image

Traditional Turkmen Mutton Plov (Palaw)