St Petersburg
This tiny, family-run hideaway offers an intimate atmosphere and delectable food. Try classic recipes such as beef in plum and nut sauce or foil-baked…
Must-see restaurants in Russia
Northern European Russia
This rustic-effect nostalgia restaurant serves top-notch food such as duck in apple sauce, draniki (potato fritters) and goose with a honey crust. The…
Moscow
With a reputation as a bohemian hang-out, this place specialises in modern Moroccan cuisine. Prominently on the menu are four types of tajine (slow-cooked…
Moscow
The two upper floors of Tsvetnoy Central Market shopping mall are filled with refined delis and cafes, some of them outstandingly good. Little snacks…
Black Sea Coast
This popular restaurant serves generous portions of Caucasian dishes, including kharcho, the spicy Georgian soup that inspired its unusual name ('Huh?…
St Petersburg
A hip little gastrobar with warm ambiance, tables made of converted sewing machines, and a record player providing the tunes. Stop in for creative market…
Black Sea Coast
Located high atop Roza Peak, the aptly named 'Altitude 2320' is the perfect place to kick back after skiing and snowboarding. The floor to ceiling windows…
Moscow
A mishmash of cuisines found across Russia, this restaurant by Novikov Group sits right next to the Kremlin. It serves a variety of dishes from Russian,…
Black Sea Coast
Tucked away in the far southern corner of the seaside promenade, this classy restaurant offers a good wine list and plenty of local seafood choices,…
Moscow
Yes, it's expensive – but it’s also a sophisticated setting, done up as an understated Baku courtyard, adorned with jars of pickled lemons and blooming…
St Petersburg
Delightfully off the beaten path, Paninaro is a gem set inside one of the Petrogradky's most striking apartment buildings (don't miss the murals up top –…
Moscow
Newly minted, this old-style cafeteria offers a nostalgic recreation of dining in post-Stalinist Russia. The food is good – and cheap for such a fancy…
Moscow
Fresh out of Canada, this is the kind of vegetarian restaurant that people pour into not for lifestyle reasons, but because the modern, postethnic food…
Moscow
This sweet, child-friendly deli serves salads, soups, and cakes styled as Cornish pasties, as well as smoothies and lemonade. The honey latte might be a…
St Petersburg
Just what St Petersburg needs: a well-organised, central and inviting cafeteria run by the city's most successful restaurant group. Here you'll find an…
St Petersburg
You could spend the better part of a day here. Ground floor is a waiter-service cafe where it's difficult to avoid being tempted by the cake and dessert…
St Petersburg
On the top floor of the Olympic Plaza shopping complex, Gastronomika is the go-to spot for a wide-ranging menu of pizzas, barbecue brisket, Asian noodle…
Moscow
Pretend that the Boulevard Ring is the Grand Canal. Imagine the cars ensconced in traffic are really gondolas, and the billboard-plastered facade of the…
St Petersburg
Set on the rooftop of a business centre, this trendy spot serves up modern Italian food, from pasta and pizza to rabbit served with cabbage and osso bucco…
St Petersburg
Named after its owners, this new restaurant splits its menu between inventive dishes made with local products, such as fish from Murmansk and deer from…
St Petersburg
On the fourth floor of the posh Galeria shopping center, Baklazhan is yet another success from the Ginza chain. The stylish setting, piping hot khachapuri…
Moscow
If you want a foretaste of your future Trans-Eurasian adventure, come here to sample food hailing from all cultures affiliated with Mongolia – Buryat,…
St Petersburg
A prime location, comfortable setting and friendly staff at Vinny Shkaf (meaning ‘wine closet’) make it a great meeting place for that first drink of the…
St Petersburg
This stylish Italian-run restaurant on one side of the charming Kryukov Canal offers a full menu of traditional Italian cooking, from its large meat…
St Petersburg
Finally, somewhere decent to enjoy bagels! This sunny little cafe is popular with a young, well-read crowd, and has a great location overlooking the…
St Petersburg
This vegetarian charmer lives up to its green-minded name, with zesty fresh salads, vegie curries and ingredient-rich soups, plus a menu that takes in…
St Petersburg
The most central branch of this minichain that brings a high-class polish to the self-serve canteen concept, with many dishes cooked freshly on the spot…
St Petersburg
Currently the best place for meat lovers on the happening ul Rubinshteyna, this Texas BBQ restaurant offers a range of meat dishes from its famous brisket…
St Petersburg
The refreshingly brief menu keeps things uncomplicated in the kitchen, allowing the cooks to just focus on quality ingredients and deliver tasty meals…
St Petersburg
One of St Petersburg's few kosher restaurants, Le'chaim whips up carefully prepared Jewish and European dishes. Start off with forshmak (an appetizer made…
Moscow
This semisecret place draws a crowd of windsurfers, among whom it still goes by the owner's name – Slavik's. A refuge for California dreamers washed onto…
Moscow
This place has the same overpriced but appetising fare as other outlets of the ubiquitous chain, but the fabulous 'grand cafe' interior makes this one a…
St Petersburg
Sip your drink at the 13m-long bar that runs down to a double-storey restaurant at the rear. This sophisticated place keeps long hours and covers many…
St Petersburg
Despite the laughable wax figure of a barely recognisable Pushkin with a quill in his hand at the entrance, ‘Peter’s City’ is a classy German restaurant…
St Petersburg
This place is all about new Russian cuisine. It uses only local and regional ingredients (partly from their own farm in Moscow region) for preparing…
St Petersburg
To fully take in the contemporary art collection at Erarta will take several hours, so it's handy that the museum's restaurant is a pretty good one that's…
Moscow
Exposed brick walls, wood and wicker furniture and muted tones ensure that the focus of the Dzhondzholi dining room is the open kitchen, where the chefs…
St Petersburg
Something of an expat favourite, the Idiot is a charming place that has been serving up high-quality Russian fare for years now. The friendly basement…
St Petersburg
This charming, welcoming place is the restaurant of the Russian Vodka Museum, but it’s good enough to be a destination in its own right. The interior…
St Petersburg
‘Happiness’ comes in several forms here: a multiroomed venue full of cosy nooks and crannies to huddle up in, an expansive Italian menu, delicious…
