We were lucky enough to touch a legend. Karlygash has stood in Almaty since 1967 — designed by the city’s chief architect, Malgabars Mendykulov — and quickly became the place for ice cream, first dates, and long conversations that stretched until closing time.Now, Karlygash enters a new chapter. We didn’t turn it into a museum or a textbook example of architecture. We simply gave the story a little more air — and a touch of grace.Karlygash is an intimate café with a soul, tucked away from the city’s bustle. A place where the morning begins with soft light falling on wooden panels, and the evening continues with wine in a private room behind a curtain.The café unfolds across three levels. The ground floor features an open hall for 34 guests and a bar counter for six. At the back — a wine room with the cozy feel of a home cellar. Upstairs — a secluded yet connected VIP room for 12. And above it all — the attic, a personal hideaway for four, complete with a mini-bar, books, and vinyl. Finally, the terrace — a green balcony with a panoramic view, seating 33 guests.Each zone in the café sets its own rhythm: unhurried, subtle, imbued with warmth. Karlygash is not about show — it’s about feeling. The lightness of wood, the muted glow, the quiet graphic lines of the furniture, and the living voice of the place itself.