Samarkand

We went there last Friday ( 12/9) with out any reservation and we were lucky to get a table for 3 around 9 pm. Maybe, the first seating people would have gone by this time! We saw one or two tables empty on a Friday evening at that point of time.

I really don't know why any decent North Western ( I don't really know what is Afgani in this) restaurant has to copy the Bukhara Style in terms of seating ( low level chairs much to the chagrin of the tall people), an apron, the open tandoor and kitchen in front of you where the white clad cooks toss around the rotis, and also dim lighting. The black warrior like dresses of the waiters adding to the dim lighting gives you a tent atmosphere. We were surprised to get the menu card in a tabloid paper and the bar menu in a bottle ( definitely, not followed in Bukhara! ). The menu, the decor and the waiters prepare you to a wage a war than having a peacefull drinks and meals.

Having settled in the low level chair giving your legs one more fold where it hurts you the most, we ordered some mocktails and the whisky. The whisky is over priced compared to IndiJoe and better priced than Bombay Post ( compared with their BJN Group of Hotels only). The starters, the paneer cooked in Afghan Style? and the kabab with sweet corn were excellent! The paneer was fresh and very tastefully done. The dips and the pickles were just too good!

The waiters were little reluctant to supply the cheese dip and the onions for the second time and only Tony, their supervisor ( or maitre'd?) was very helpful in supplying them.

The main course items were typical default items of the North Western Restuarants, Dal Makhani and Butter Garlic Naan and one more sabji. We did not want to deviate from this protocol.

The food is excellent! One of the best restuarant foods in the last few months! ( I do eat outisde in fancy restaurants at least twice a week). We ended up paying Rs, 4000 for 3 people with whisky taking more than half the bill.

Avoid the mocktails... and go for food! I am a vegetarian, therefore, I can't really say how their Raan tastes which is the signature dish of Bukhara. Next time, I will try their Briyani which was highy rated by another reviewer.

Overall, great food! Will go again definitely.

I'll start with the cons of the place first - (1) Expensive - a meal for 2 consisting of a starter, 1 drink each, a biryani, a dal and a 1 main course dish would cost around Rs. 1200+; (2) Reservations are nearly impossible to get as the place is always packed (should give you a hint on how good it is); (3) While the ambience is great, the low chairs are a pain for tall people.

Now the pros - (1) The food is absolutely divine - starting with the celery sticks, the various chutneys to the kababs, one can have no complaints about the food; (2) the biryani is about the best in town and the consistency in the food is mindblowing - i've been to samarkand about 25 times and have had the biryani each time and i can vouch for the fact that the taste hardly ever changes; (3) The starters are very very good - while most people do tend to believe it is only a non-vegetarian eater's paradise, the veg food here is excellent too! The dal makhani is about the best you will find.

Recommended Menu - Start with any of the following starters - seekh kababs, galawati kabab, chandni kabab or paneer tikka. For the main course, always book an order for a biryani before hand as they tend to run out of it at times. Order the dal makhni, the mutton biryani, chicken kurcharan or nalli ka salan.

this the place for non-veg lovers, it has a twirl of afgani blend as expected it to be. nice shorbas and starters are awesome, tandoori food is yammy over all it rocks unlike one of the reviewer said why would anyone go to a mughlai restaurant and expect it to taste like south indian :!

The ambience is brilliant. With low log tables, lower chairs, high ceiling it gives u a caravan like feeling. It is scene setting at it's best. The portion are relatively large. Menu has a lot of variety. The starters are classics with a unique twist. The Briyanis are alright but have too much going on. The breads are over priced but this isn't a budget resturant it is almost a high end one. The food is well flavoured but isn't spicy and doesn't really suit the typical South Indian palate. The desserts though are in a class of their own and are a real pleasure!

Neat ambiance. Awesome food. Perfect Service. This place is just perfect for non-vegetarians. Their starters are tasty and quite wholesome. In fact, one might even be finished with the food with just the starters. The "Sabut chooza" is the pick of the lot from starters for me and many of my friends. In main course, the mutton biriyani is pretty good. Their main course dishes pale slightly in comparison with their starters counterparts though.
Meal for 2 will cost anywhere between Rs 900 and Rs 1000 + taxes. Despite being slightly heavy on pocket, it is quite worth the money for the kind of experience offered.