The ground-floor bar of the brutalist Hotel Uzbekistan, an essentially unchanged piece of Soviet hospitality on Amir Timur Square. Heavy wood, dim lighting, and stoic waiters in shabby waistcoats. Order a cold beer or a vodka and watch the lobby traffic.
The bar is rarely full and nobody minds if you sit for an hour over a single drink. A useful pre-dinner stop and the most atmospheric drinking spot in the city.