Hotel Madonna’s on-site eatery, Restaurant Madonna, is a paradise of international cuisines of gourmet quality at the lowest prices.

In my previous article about Hotel Madonna, I talked about how “royal” the vibe is, from the kingly bedrooms to the golden bathrooms. There’s so much to talk about with this hidden gem of Almaty that I simply had to make a dedicated article reviewing Restaurant Madonna, the hotel’s on-site food palace! From delicious tender steaks to authentic Kazakh dishes, I explore the depths of this brilliant menu of international cuisine.

A Royal Vibe

Just like the hotel, Restaurant Madonna delivers that royal vibe that has you feeling more important than you probably are! A pyramid-like structure with neon colors and a Greek-style pantheon building on top really helps accentuate the international cuisine that this restaurant specializes in. Complete with the golden Hotel Madonna logo with the crown (again, symbolizing royalty) and the two flamingos posing as a love heart, Restaurant Madonna perfectly captures an atmosphere of both royalty and romance.

Fish Swim Under Your Feet!

It can be a little nerve-wracking dining on top of live fish swimming under your feet! Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it, though I couldn’t help but imagine what would happen if the floor gave way! In any case, the ground was very tough, durable, and multi-layered, which gave me plenty of peace of mind, particularly when some of these fish looked to be the size of a small shark!

Grand, Yet Nostalgic

As an Australian of Lebanese descent, the furniture at Restaurant Madonna strongly resembled the Arabian style of tables and chairs you would find at my grandmother’s house in Sydney. In fact, the restaurant is multi-levelled with balcony seating and more secluded areas featuring vintage portraits and authentic paintings (again, nostalgic grandma house vibes!). As you can see from the photo, not the entire floor has fish swimming underneath, so you can decide for yourself what kind of company you’ll be dining with.

Unbelievable Prices

When you consider that 1 USD is equivalent to 470 KZT (Kazakhstani Tenge), suddenly these 4-digit prices look like an absolute bargain! A massive tomahawk steak with a side of vegetables is just 8000 KZT (17 USD) while a thick rump steak with grilled vegetables comes in at 5800 KZT (12 USD). Considering the size and quality of these dishes are coming in at the price of a kebab from a local store you’d find in the West, I’d call Restaurant Madonna a massive steal! Where I come from, you’d be lucky to find steaks this size for less than 50 AUD (35 USD).

Delicious International Cuisine

Whether you’re craving a delicious cheesy pizza or a big plate of skewered lamb kafta, Restaurant Madonna has you covered! While Turkish food is quite common and popular in Kazakhstan, Italian cuisine is a little harder to come by. In fact, Kazakh food is surprisingly difficult to find too, as the country is quite multicultural in its restaurant and food industries. Of course, there is also the fact that Kazakh cuisine often overlaps with the likes of Turkish and Mongolian cuisine, typically involving meat skewers, pastries, and dumplings, as often found in Central Asian nomadic culture.

A Kingly Banquet!

Truly one of the most kingly feasts I’ve ever had. Big, hearty dishes stacked with meat, whole veggies, and thick doughy pastries and pizza; I still think about dinner with mum at Restaurant Madonna to this day. I particularly liked the wooden chopping boards that the steaks were served on, and there was a little pile of coarse salt on the side so you could sprinkle some over your food, Salt Bae style.

Delicious Kazakh Samsa!

It’s not all pizzas and steaks; after all, we are in Kazakhstan! I decided not to be a completely clueless tourist and actually ordered a Kazakh dish known as Samsa. This local delicacy features a baked pastry with meat and vegetable filling and is a popular dish across Central Asia. This crispy delight is even better with the chili tomato dipping sauce it comes with, and I absolutely loved the Aladdin lamp-like serving jug!