Ulaanbaatar

Budget

Budget
$
Cola and Kabab
under $4
10am to 8pm daily
On the Southwest corner of the square in front of the Zanabazar Fine Arts Museum

Two versions of a meat pita bread sandwich, meat grilled Turkish style on a vertical rotisserie, meat with tomato and lettuce and some sauce

Budget
$
Stupa Cafe
under $4 (probably higher now)
10am to 8pm daily
Across the street from the Zanbazar Fine Arts Museum in the center of the city

Vegetarian dishes vary daily, coffee, tea and traditional Mongolian drinks, fresh cakes. There is a large white stupa in the front yard.

Budget
$
 

Throughout Ulaanbaatar are many small Гуанз and Цайны Газар's. Try one of these for cheap Mongolian food. Buuz usually costs from 350 to 400 Togrog. Most universities have a good cafeteria for cheap eats starting from 1800 MNT 1.2 USD ~ 2500 MNT 1.5 USD. Mongolian National University and Mongolian University of Science and Technology both near the North East block from the Parliament Building have good cafeterias. All university cafeterias have nutritionists so at least you know you are getting all the basic nutrients when you eat there.

Budget
$
Gerel Ayalguu Vegetarian
Building 28
88145959
under $3
10am - 7pm; closed Sunday
Go west from the State Department Store to the first traffic light, Hope Dental Clinic is on the NW corner, turn right, it is on the corner of the small street that comes from the east, about 50m north of Peace ave.

Vegetarian, salads & soups

Budget
$
Ba Shu 888
On Peace Avenue adjacent to and east of the State Department Store

A Chinese-Mongolian restaurant. Good sized portions and inexpensive eating.

Budget
$
PYCCKOE bUCTRO UZbYWKA
USD5
10am-8pm
On the Northeast corner of the square in front of the Zanabazar Fine Arts Museum

Small Russian restaurant, various dishes, Piroshki small pies with meat or vegetarian filling.

Midrange

Midrange
$$
American Ger'll
Khan uul district
right across the Peace Bridge on the right

American-style, thick crust pizza. The large pizza will feed 5-6 people for about US$20. They also have an extensive foreign menu, including good coffee drinks. You should get there early, because this place is a favorite among Mongolians and expats alike.

Midrange
$$
City Cafe
State Department Store
across the street from Sukhbaatar Square

Great food and location, wonderful staff. Malaysian/Chinese food.

Midrange
$$
California Restaurant
Энх Тайваны Өргөн Чөлөө
on Seoul Street not far from the State Department store

Extensive foreign and Mongolian menu. Beautifully decorated. It's a bit small, but in the summer there is additional outside seating. Reservations are advised.

Midrange
$$
Millie's Espresso
330338
$10
8am-8pm
West side of the Choijin Lama Monastry

Good selection of American style cafe food with some vegetarian, coffee, Free WiFi. At lunch you will find this place full of Expats enjoying the steak sandwiches and burgers. Also does breakfast.

Midrange
$$
bd's Mongolian BBQ
Sukhbaatar
12pm
Sukhbaatar District, Seoul street – 9, in the right side of Ayanchin Outfitters

The first US franchise restaurant and it offers a lively interactive and celebratory atmosphere. The food is cooked to a very high standard and works as an interactive buffet: diners select ingredients from an open buffet and give it to the grillers who cook it up on a Historical Mongolian Style grill and add a dash of one of the many, tasty chef’s own sauces. All ingredients are sourced locally and the menu reflects the franchise’s BD’s Mongolian Barbeque moniker. Its unlimited “Create Your Own Stir-fry”, features fresh vegetables, meats, sauces and spices. One bowl is approximately $7.50 and all-you-can-eat is approximately $13.50. Check your bill before you pay because guests are charged for all-you-can-eat unless specified otherwise.

Midrange
$$
Nayra Cafe
35-1 Tourist Street
317098
Under $6
8am
2 blocks west of the Government House

Good pizza and sandwiches, good coffee, Free WiFi.

Midrange
$$
Budweiser Bar
Sukhbaatar Square
USD6-10
Across from the NW corner of Suhbaatar Square

Fish and chips, steak, English breakfast.

Midrange
$$
Ko-hyang-shik-dang
6000 MNT ~ 7000 MNT
next to Metro Mall there is a BBQ chicken and facing that second restaurant on your left

Korean food.

Midrange
$$
Chinggis Club
Sukhbaatar St. 10
USD10
10-24
On the street that passes on the west side of Sukhbaatar Square, from Sukhbaatar Square go north past the second traffic light, on your left about 40m north of the intersection.

Co-located with the Chinggis Brewery, German style cooking and beer. Their own locally brewed light and dark beer on tap.

Midrange
$$
Hishig Mongol 2
10th District, 46th Building
70180585
USD6 - 10
On Peace Ave, several km west of the Department store, near the 3rd hospital

A Mongolian restaurant, no foreign language menu or staff, if you want to experience modern Mongolia cuisine this is the place. Roasted Sheep head, roasted ribs, buuz, dried meat soup.

Top end

Top end
$$$
Los Bandidos

Mexican-Indian fusion food sounds terrible until you taste the spicy chicken masala or crispy tacquitos. They are at a new location not far from Sukhbaatar Square. The prices are higher now, but the atmosphere has improved and most mains are still in the $7-10 range.

Top end
$$$
Nomads

Excellent variety and quality for both locals and tourists. Good, clean toilets, an added bonus.

Nobody travels to Mongolia for the food, but Ulaanbaatar has a good range of Western, Asian and Mongolian options. No other city this side of Beijing has close to a comparable selection. Even better, meals here are quite reasonable. You can get perfectly reasonable pizza for $3, even a night out at a fancy French cafe shouldn't pass $20. Consider splurging on a couple good meals here, especially if headed out for a long trek into the country. Be aware that fresh vegetables, especially in winter, are hard to come by and expensive.

Korean solongos khoolnee gazar and Chinese restaurants dominate the city. As Asian restaurants in America tend to tailor their menu to the American palate, so in Ulaanbaatar do the East Asian restaurants tailor their menu to the Central Asian palate.