The sign outside proclaims that the place is Russian. But if you consider that the city of Samarkand is one of the largest cities of Uzbekistan, you won't be surprised to note that the restaurant has strong Middle Eastern influences, and these influences are reflected in the murals and the menu. My friend and I came in mid-afternoon so we were pretty much the only people there. We ordered eggplant salad, cabbage salad, and kababs; all were quite tasty and filling, especially with the samples of the dense Uzbek lepeshka bread the friendly hostess gave us. A really nice Russian lager complemented the fine meal. I'll definitely be back; I need to try the more mainstream-Russian dishes next time. read more