Food for Happiness, or Where to Find Dopamine

at Frito Café

This bright orange café specializes exclusively in chicken and American-style burgers. Inside the burgers: iceberg lettuce, pickles, and — as in any proper fast food spot — «that signature secret sauce.» The menu features just five burger options and five levels of spiciness. They say the hottest level is nearly impossible to handle, but the «Seoul» (1,990 KZT) with chicken in a Korean sweet-and-spicy sauce, or the more classic «Crispy» (1,890 KZT) with cheese and coleslaw on a brioche bun, are approachable for everyone.

at Lia Bistro

Lia Bistro (part of the Aula Family group), located just steps away from the Botanical Garden, serves simple Italian dishes. However, their classic Bolognese (3,900 KZT) is anything but simple: the dough is mixed, rolled, and cut by hand, the traditional sauce is cooked slowly until the tomatoes and meat fully come together, and the finished dish is topped with a generous amount of Parmesan.

Beyond the classics, the menu also includes more creative options: pappardelle with chicken, ravioli with shrimp and bisque, pasta with duck confit, and even a Big seafood pasta designed to be shared (it serves three to four guests) — the perfect excuse for an Italian-style dinner party.

at Paris Brest Bakery & Patisserie

This bakery and pastry shop near Khan Shatyr has been operating since 2019 and specializes in dough in all its forms. The selection remains consistent, and the raisin and candied fruit snail (1,000 KZT) is one of its signature hits. Made from laminated pastry and soaked in citrus syrup, it has a rich filling: pastry cream, candied fruits, and large rum-soaked raisins.

In addition to pastries, the display features rye tartines, mozzarella baguettes, biscotti, and, of course, the famous «Paris-Brest» dessert that gave the bakery its name.

at Peek-a-boo Café

This Korean café on Nurzhol Boulevard (formerly the Water-Green Boulevard) has been serving ramyeon in oversized bowls for five years. Whether with seafood, chicken, cheese, or vegan toppings, each bowl includes nutritious wakame seaweed.

One standout is the cheese ramyeon with meat (4,100 KZT): wheat noodles in a rich, spiced broth with beef and egg — a true taste of Korea. Beyond classic K-drama-inspired dishes, the menu also features trendy, viral items: mini pancakes with cream cheese and berries, a UFO burger (shaped like a flying saucer), «kiki-tteok» and «kan-gyul» (popular Korean jar desserts), and photogenic mousse desserts shaped like capybaras and hamsters.

at Shate Restaurant

At Shate restaurant near the Triumphal Arch, you can try the legendary Viennese dish tafelspitz (20,000 KZT). It’s a true collagen-rich specialty: marbled beef (shank with marrow bone) is slowly simmered in broth with root vegetables for over eight hours.

The presentation is a show in itself: the dish is brought out on a tray, the broth is poured into bowls, the meat is sliced in front of the guests, and served with apple-horseradish sauce and sour cream.

at Pizza Uno

At Uno Pizza — the younger sibling of the Uno restaurant — you’ll find one of the cheesiest pizzas in the city. It features two types of mozzarella, truffle caciotta, dorblu, and a honey-truffle sauce, priced at 5,600 KZT.

Product quality is a point of pride for the team: the Uno story began with a farm where Holstein cows produce milk used for local cheeses. First came the farm-to-table restaurant Uno, and later — a pizza delivery service with thin crust and fluffy edges.

Photos: restaurant websites and social media; Yandex Maps