You eat at Bukhara for Indian cuisine in Cape Town CBD, where the kitchen has been turning out tandoori dishes and curries since 1995. The dining room mixes traditional elements with modern touches, and the open kitchen lets you watch the chefs at work. The menu leans heavily on tandoori — chicken, lamb chops, mushrooms stuffed with paneer — and curries like lamb rogan josh and chicken lababdar. Communal dining is an option if you want to share plates.

The bar pours drinks to go with the food, and the staff can guide you through pairings. The place draws both locals and visitors, some of whom have been coming for decades. The tandoori lamb chops and palak papdi chaat — crispy spinach with chickpeas and tamarind — get mentioned often. Desserts include mango sorbet and shahi tukda, a bread pudding with saffron and cardamom custard.

Bukhara sits on Burg Street in the city center. The building is easy to miss from the street, but once inside, the space opens up around the kitchen. The restaurant takes reservations, and tables for larger groups may require a set menu.