Georgian food has been popular across Russia for generations — the cuisine is richer and more varied than Russian cooking, and the wine culture is entirely different. Mimino is one of Novosibirsk's better Georgian restaurants, serving the dishes that have made Georgian food a reliable comfort across the former Soviet Union: khinkali (large juicy dumplings eaten by hand, never with a fork), khachapuri in its various regional forms, shashlyk, and the thick walnut-and-herb sauces that define Georgian cooking.
The room is decorated in the Georgian folk style that has become standard for these restaurants across Russia — pastoral murals, dark wood, a certain theatrical cosiness. It is not expensive by any Western standard. The wine list includes Georgian wines, which is worth exploring; Saperavi is the grape to order. Booking ahead is sensible at weekends.