Chaikhana Jalal-Abad

Bishkek


The faceted facade evokes an archetypal Central Asian teahouse with carved wooden columns, tapchan (bedlike platform) and octagonal lattice-work pavilions. The main restaurant interior has far less character, but produces a fine selection of well-priced local, Kazakh and southern Kyrgyz dishes. Outside of meal times, which get busy, it's also a relaxing place to sit around and drink tea.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bishkek attractions

1. White House

0.23 MILES

The seat of government in Kyrgyzstan, the sidewalk out front of this Stalinist Modern construction is also the site of regular protests organised by local…

2. Sadykov Sculpture Museum

0.27 MILES

Worth a quick look for the variety of sculptures (both working models and finished versions) of famous Kyrgyz and fabled legends, though it's a small…

3. Panfilov Park

0.36 MILES

Packed with amusements and carnival rides, this city-centre park is particularly pleasant and popular with local families on summer weekends.

4. Gallery M

0.39 MILES

This one-room gallery hosts rotating thematic exhibitions of works primarily by local artists. Much of it is for sale, and there is a handful of applied…

5. Ala-Too Square

0.4 MILES

Surveyed by a triumphant statue of Айкол Манас (Mighty Manas), Bishkek's nominal centre is architecturally neobrutalist in style but has a photogenic…

6. Lenin Statue

0.47 MILES

Having once dominated Ala-Too Square, Vladimir Ilyich turned his back on the mountains in 2003 and now lurks behind the National Historical Museum.

7. Art Group 705

0.58 MILES

Well-curated irregular exhibitions on a wide variety of themes and a grungy hipster-chic space make this a great stop for art seekers. Go through the gate…

8. Statue of Kurmanjan Datka

0.58 MILES

Dedicated to the 'Queen of the Alay', this 19th-century stateswoman and tribal leader was famous in Kyrgyzstan long before being featured in a 2014 film…