Let us continue our journey into the expansive (but not so expensive) world of business lunch deals in Nizhny Novgorod. This week, we will be covering some of the more “modern” or as some of them put it, “European” cuisines in town. In all honesty, labelling the following restaurants in one way or another is difficult, as they hardly are a fit for a single group that “brings” them all together. In a way, they are all here because they do not fit well with the rest of my more “properly themed” reviews of Nizhny’s restaurants that offer business lunches. Do read on to find out these outliers that defy any labels!
Gagawa – https://yandex.com/maps/-/CCUOILCY~C
I will start this list with a somewhat unfair selection of mine, Gagawa. This fine establishment is, in essence, the Russian subsidiary of the Turkish fast-casual restaurant chain called Tavuk Dünyası (literally meaning “the World of Chicken”). This is food that I am used to from back home. It is also the only place in the whole town (that I know about) that sells some Turkish lentil soup, which I simply adore. It is difficult to judge this place on its face value for me, it simply offers some “extras” that are not available elsewhere. Unfortunately, Gagawa is certainly not cheap, for a soup, a drink, and their “trademarked” chicken/pasta/salad combo (the sauce that is used with the chicken is picked by the patron), you will pay at least 550 roubles. It is not wildly expensive, especially compared to prices “back home” but compared to its “counterparts” here on this list and beyond, it is expensive. Nevertheless, with its saucy pasta, fresh salad, and juicy chicken, as well as that wonderful lentil soup, you cannot go wrong with some Gagawa in your life.
Roberto – https://yandex.com/maps/-/CCUOILGRsD
If you want a wonderful service coupled with some tasty treats, you need to visit Roberto. Some of the friendliest people in town seem to work here, and some of the tastiest Italian food can be enjoyed here as well. Their menu is extensive, and not cutting any corners there is always a good sign for a business lunch. They have fresh pita bread that makes everything taste better, quite decent soups, and a plethora of dishes that are either Italian or at least inspired by Italian cuisine. It was especially most welcome to see that they just left a huge cup of parmesan for us to use when they served our seafood pasta. They were attentive, cooked well, and are decently priced at a bit less than 450 roubles per person. It is a must go place in town, and I will be back here with friends as much as I can despite its less-than-ideal location.
Barents – https://yandex.com/maps/-/CCUOILSoSC
Barents is a very hit and miss sort of place with a serious problem with its service. Not only is it slow, for two out of the three times we were there we got the impression that the waiters either hated their lives or hated us for being there, and it is not good either way… Food quality changed drastically as well, with the only fallback always being their sushi, which is what really separates this seafood restaurant from the rest. Among the salads, there is always an option to get four pieces of sushi, and in all cases, those were the finest part of the whole meal. Soups were often on point too, but nothing to really write home about. Main dishes are most certainly the biggest let down, and portion sizes of some seafood can be comical depending on the dish that you opt for and the day of the week. For slight over 400 roubles, you would certainly expect a better service, and a bit higher quality main so I suppose unless you are not really into sushi like I am, you can skip this spot in favour of others on this list.
Skoba – https://yandex.com/maps/-/CCUOILWyPC
Skoba, is a dream come true. Just imagine the perfect restaurant: a creative menu (yes, even for their business lunch deal), a decent design, a friendly service, and some tasty dishes. Skoba has it all, and more, like robots! Though I am still uncertain how robots play into all of this success, Skoba is a testament to the simple fact that as long as enough love is poured into a project, it will be successful. For less than 400 roubles you can have an amazing experience in this fine establishment. Their salads were all amazing, and quite different than your everyday olivier by introducing ingredients such as potato crisps and grapes into the mix. The soup was on point too, despite drinking my fair share of chicken soup in town, this one was simply a few steps ahead of the next competition. The main dish hit all the right tones as well. Going from Barents’ literally four pieces of mussels in its supposedly white wine sauced spaghetti (that we had a day earlier) to an entire stew made from white fish and calamari was impressive to say the least. Everything was perfect here, likely the best business lunch spot in town. Do not even put it on your list, just go there first.
