Popular Uzbek Restaurant Nargis Expands to Park Slope

Uzbek food, similar to Turkish cuisine with kebabs, rice, and dumplings, is more easily found in Brooklyn’s outer reaches — something Nargis Cafe chef-owner Boris Bangiev will change next week with the opening of his Park Slope expansion Nargis Bar & Grill.

Bangiev has been serving an Uzbek menu in Sheepshead Bay for nearly a decade, drawing so many people from all five boroughs that he felt enough demand for a second, more accessible location.

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“The uniqueness of the cuisine — there’s nothing like that in Park Slope or anywhere in downtown Brooklyn,” he says.

Indeed, Uzbek is generally sequestered to Rego Park and Brighton Beach, with a few exceptions, notably one small spot in all of Manhattan. The cuisine is marked by Turkish flavors with Central Asian influences, resulting in dishes like meat kebabs, manti (pumpkin dumplings), plov (rice pilaf), and lagman (hand-pulled noodle soup).

At Nargis Bar & Grill, Bangiev will grill lamb, chicken, and beef kebabs over wood coals, alongside his versions of the above foods, and more. The full menu is below. The space is segmented into three areas, one with a bar that seats 16, a dining room for 75, and a 45-seat outdoor patio with a water fountain that will open later this year. All decor is straight from Uzbekistan.

Nargis Bar & Grill opens Tuesday, September 5 for dinner with limited hours. Eventually full hours will be Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.