Dinner and Cocktails at Samarkand London

I’m so excited to share my recent visit to Samarkand London, a Londons first Uzbekistani restaurant located on Charlotte Street. To be honest this is the first time that I have had Uzbekistani food and I was really excited to experience what Samarkand had to offer.

The Samarkand alongside the delicious food offers mezzanine style bar that boasts over 40 different types of vodka. I was so grateful to meet Fabio who explained that all of their vodkas are infused at the bar and signature cocktails are inspired by the Silk Road. For those who didn’t know, Samarkand is the second largest city in Uzbekistan located on the Silk Road famous for being ancient trade route between China and Mediterranean. Samarkand used to be known as the center of science and astronomy which is present in restaurant interiors. Fabio also explained that Samarkand is a part of D1 International Cocktail Exchange and has partnered up with Butler (Kowloon – Hong Kong) to exchange the signature cocktails in both venues to offer guests a chance to experience something international in a local context. The signature cocktail Akkum Dessert served both at Samarkand and Kowloon, the cocktail blends D1 Potato Vodka, Pu-her tea- infused Americano Cochi, Campari, Tuaca and Prosecco, served over ice flavored with Aperol which has been cold drip percolated through the desert sage. Quite strong but refreshing is a perfect start or an end to your meal.

The food on the other had was quite delicious and slightly different to my usual go-to meals. As a meat lover, I opted for meaty options that consisted of beef and lamb. To start we ordered Shurpa, a hearty, and clear lamb broth with potato, carrot, chickpeas and Manti, traditional Uzbek hand-made dumplings, beef and lamb of course. For the mains, we decided to share and opted for Plov which is the Uzbekistani national dish. The recipe has been passed from generation to generation and consists of Beef short rib slowly cooked together with hand cut carrots, onions, chickpeas, barberries and rice. Garnished with pomegranate and spring onions. We also added Chicken Tabaka, the pan fried marinated baby chicken. The mix of sweet and savory ingredients and tenderness of slow cooked meat really brought the taste of the food to another level.

Topped with amazing service, Samarkand is a perfect location if you are on a hunt for a new dining experiencing in London. Everything from interiors to the fact that the same cocktail you are savoring is savored by someone in Hong Kong potentially at the same time will make you fall in love with the venue even more.

Have a great week everyone.

Tania xxx