Pyshechnaya is the quintessential Soviet-era snack bar — a narrow room serving hot pyshki (ring doughnuts fried in oil) with coffee or tea for next to nothing. There are several of these in Novosibirsk; the ones on and near Krasniy Prospekt are the most central and the most unchanged. The format is always the same: a glass counter, a queue, gruff service, and pyshki so cheap the price barely registers.
Go for breakfast or mid-morning when the doughnuts are fresh and the coffee — thick, slightly burnt — is still hot. It is the cheapest and most specifically Siberian way to start a day in the city. The regulars are a mix of pensioners, construction workers, and curious tourists who have found the same café guides. No English spoken; no menu needed.