Yesterday, my husband and I visited Dodo Pizza on Said Baraka Street — an area once considered one of the most prestigious in Tashkent, now turning into a gastronomic hub. The pizzeria is located in a central part of the city, with heavy foot traffic. On the surface, everything suggested a good experience — but unfortunately, it turned out to be mixed.
Service and order
We were pleasantly surprised by the service. The staff was polite, friendly, and helpful, without being intrusive. We placed our order at the counter — before the pizza was prepared, which is standard for this type of venue. There’s a screen in the dining area showing the order status, from “In Progress” to “Ready.” Everything went quickly and smoothly.
We ordered one medium-sized signature pizza and two cups of bagged tea. The total was 111,000 UZS (approximately $8.70 USD based on the Central Bank exchange rate at the time). At first glance, the price seemed average — but with caveats.
Taste and ingredients of the Dodo Pizza
We chose the Dodo signature pizza, which, according to the description, includes:
turkey ham, beef, pepperoni, mozzarella, tomatoes, mushrooms, bell pepper, red onion, garlic, and tomato sauce.
It sounded promising, but the taste was disappointing. The dough was excellent — thin, elastic, and pleasantly crisp. But everything else fell short.
The flavor was dominated by tomato paste, leaving a lingering and overpowering taste in the mouth. It felt like eating bread with paste, rather than a meat and vegetable pizza.
My husband noted that the tomatoes overwhelmed everything else — he couldn’t taste anything beyond that. In my opinion, the problem was the tomato paste baked into the pizza, which drowned out all the other flavors. Despite the promised ingredients like beef, pepperoni, and mozzarella, nothing stood out.
Atmosphere
The interior and color palette were pleasant, but the overall atmosphere was far from ideal.
First, there was a strange smell in the café — hard to describe, but definitely not fresh or food-related. It felt more like a household odor, which is quite unpleasant for a food venue.
Second, we were the only guests in the dining area. Only couriers came in to pick up orders. Perhaps we came at a bad time, but the combination of an empty hall, odd smell, and silence felt unsettling.
Third, the cleaning staff started mopping right under our table while we were eating, which was both uncomfortable and disrespectful.
Also, the pizza was served on a sheet of paper on a tray, with no plates in sight. Perhaps we were supposed to find them ourselves, but the self-service system felt incomplete.
And finally — there was a sign on the wall saying “We see everything”, located near a surveillance camera. While it’s likely for security, the phrasing was unsettling, especially in an empty room.
Conclusion
Dodo Pizza on Said Baraka is not the best choice for dining in. The pizza is edible, but the taste is unimpressive. The staff is friendly, but the overall atmosphere and presentation feel lacking and poorly thought out.
Overall rating: 3 out of 5
+ polite staff
+ fast preparation
– mediocre taste (tomato paste overpowered everything)
– poor presentation
– strange smell and empty hall
– uncomfortable atmosphere
Price: 111,000 UZS ≈ $8.70 USD — slightly above average for Tashkent, given the quality.