Where to Eat in Nizhny Novgorod and Save Money?

Sometimes the request is simple: to have it tasty and affordable. Here are the best family restaurants, monocafes and bars where you can eat without serious damage to your wallet.

One of the first Nizhny Novgorod monocafes, with an intuitive menu featuring various burger options: classic, vegetarian and even without buns. Salut is also an important urban attraction: parties and festivals are held in nearby located Sverdlova square in summer, where popular musicians perform, and vinyl fans can always appreciate a small showcase with records.

Seledka&Coffee is already a local legend and one of the reasons why Rozhdestvenskaya is considered the main bar street of Nizhny Novgorod. If there is a free place there, choose quiche, roast beef salad, pasta or an upside-down cake — you will not lose! While waiting for an order, you can indulge in a little nostalgia about the Seledka newspaper, after which the bar was named.

The legendary family cafe with European cuisine occupies the third floor of the bookstore on the city’s main pedestrian street. Its undisputable hits: colorful pasta, classic pizza and cheesecake, the recipe of which has not changed since its opening in 2007. Here's a tip: the cafe is always full, so if you want to celebrate some date here, it's better to book a table a couple of weeks in advance.

Students, lovebirds, families with kids, and tourists all love this crumpet shop with intimate, democratic, and aesthetically pleasing vibe. The main position of menu here is a hot crumpet served in two versions: classic version with topping and version with fillings, for example, pate with pickle, "Snickers" filling or orange with cream cheese. Plus, you can always get some information about anticipated city events, buy cute souvenirs, attend a creative workshop or a mini exhibition.

Without exaggeration, this is the iconic oriental cuisine catering in the Leninsky district. Uzbek plov, Uighur lagman, kazan-kebab, baklava and tandoor pitas — whatever you choose from the menu, you will get delicious and affordable meal!

An old-timer of Nizhny Novgorod gastronomy, it was a favorite place for creative community in the noughties. The traditional serving on cast-iron pans and in cans has still been preserved here. Such unusual items as veal brains and bull eggs, remain the same recipe and very affordable price.

The signature dish in the Noot is prepared according to the original recipe: falafel turns out to be crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside; sesame seed sauce is used instead of the traditional tahini sauce. Other items on the menu, such as forshmak, hummus, and bubblech, will especially appeal to guests familiar with Israeli cuisine.

Hand-made noodles are served in boxes based on the constructor format: you can create your own dish choosing from different fillings, sauces and toppings. This format is simple and safe, and you can take tender Belgian waffles for dessert. Look around the place: since its foundation, Sovok has been supporting local artists by organizing small exhibitions.

A new key player has appeared on the gastronomic map of the city's vegetarian establishments — this craft bar, which also is used as a cultural space. Familiar vegan positions as pasta with vegetable meatballs, a roll with seitan or falafel will appeal to everyone, and time will fly by unnoticed at a card or a board game.

An establishment inspired by the aesthetics of European ruin bars: raw brickwork, vintage furniture and art help to recreate a similar atmosphere. A fun fact: for just a thousand rubles, you can take a whole pot of mussels, which is enough for several people!

The old trend for shawarma has remained in the past, but "Shawarma na Srednom" keeps its popularity so much so that it often turns out to be a mandatory item on the tourist's checklist. This is an example of a good price-quality ratio: smoky meat and lots of sauce; in addition to the classic version, there is an option with cheese pita. Shawarma is very filling as expected, and it is not for nothing that it is called "the shawarma"!

People come from all over the city for pastries from this snack bar, where the spirit of Soviet catering has been preserved. The menu is classic, and the recipe is homemade: pirogi (pies) with cabbage, liver, fish and the legendary pickles, and there are also belyashi (small pie with meat) and pelmeni (dumplings), so you won’t be able to leave this place hungry.

The architectural monument of the early XIX century designed by Augustine Betancourt himself is now home to a restaurant with menu inspired by Russian cuisine recipes. Items such as hot pies with filling, salo (smoked pork back fat) from Sormovsky market or golden-brown blinis (thin pancakes) will cost you 300 rubles max.

This cafe specializes in pelmeni and vareniki (kinds of dumplings); there are really many options here: pelmeni with carbonara or burger flavor, pelmeni made of black dough with salmon filling, and vareniki with potato are considered undisputable hits.

Get acquainted with the hospitality, flavor and traditional cuisine of Armenia: be sure to try tolma (minced meat wrapped in grape leaves), tjvzhik (a dish of beef or lamb liver), or lula-kebab cooked over an open fire. It is perfect for a large group of friends or a long-awaited family celebration.