Zamoskvorechie
A showcase of the city's ongoing gentrification, this giant Soviet-era farmers market is now largely about deli food cooked and served in myriad little…
Must-see restaurants in Eastern Europe
Moscow
The affable and chatty owners of this place travel the world and experiment with the menu a lot, turning burgers, pizzas and pasta into artfully…
Moscow
Welcome to the Russian Portlandia – all the food here is organic and hails from little farms where you can rest assured all the lambs and chickens lived a…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
The vast majority of Georgian restaurants focus on the most popular, tried-and-true fare, such as shashlyk (meat kebabs) and khinkali (dumplings). This…
Zamoskvorechie
Georgian restaurants in Moscow tend to be either expensive or tacky. This small family-run place is neither. Come with friends and order a selection of…
Vilnius
Helmed by renowned chef Matas Paulinas, this is one of Lithuania's most memorable dining experiences. The pared-down decor contrasts vividly with the…
The Urals
When Russians first crossed the Urals, they were a tribe of porridge-eaters, but through the encounter with Asian tribes they found something that changed…
Eastern Siberia
With its imaginative Asian-themed menu, this ain't your usual hotel restaurant. Turkish pea and quinoa salads provide relief to those suffering under…
Krasnoyarsk
This gem is two in one – a wine bar and an Arctic-themed restaurant that upgrades traditional Siberian staples to near-Michelin levels. Nelma stroganina …
Arbat & Khamovniki
Moscow's Georgian restaurants are all very tasty, but this one is also tasteful. You'll be charmed from the moment you enter the courtyard, where live…
Irkutsk
Take your taste buds to the Mongolian steppe for some yurt-size portions of mutton, lamb and steak as well as filling soups and buuzy dumplings, sluiced…
Zamoskvorechie
A neat cluster of fir trees on a busy street hides a Nordic gem that deserves a saga to glorify its many virtues. This is not an ‘ethnic’ restaurant, but…
Presnya
The tsarina of haute-russe dining, offering an exquisite blend of Russian and French cuisines. Service and food are done to perfection. The lovely 19th…
The Urals
If you're happy to splash out you'll find spectacular northern Russian cuisine served here, with wild game and local fish dishes highly recommended. There…
Kvarner
At slow-food pioneer Nenad Kukurin's wonderful hotel-restaurant there's no menu, so you need to be prepared to place your trust in the staff. Tell them…
Old Town
Leib (Estonian black bread) is a thing of great beauty and quiet national pride, and you'll find a peerless rendition here: dense, moist, almost fruity in…
Lviv
Here's how you compress your Lviv cultural studies into one evening out. Start with Jewish forschmak (herring pate), eased down by Ukrainian nalyvky …
Kyiv
Spotykach shed its retro-Soviet theme in 2014 and adopted a Ukraininan revolutionary theme, with pictures of Taras Shevchenko and Bohdan Khelmytsky (and…
Kyiv
Sneak away from the busy uzviz into this beautiful old wooden house with sliding-glass doors overlooking a lush ravine out back. Kanapa serves modern…
St Petersburg
Attached to a renovated banya (public baths) complex, this is currently the place to sample nostalgic Russian fare at affordable prices. Everything is…
Belgrade
Among Belgrade's slim offerings for vegetarians, here's a gem right in the city centre. Mayka serves up worldly vegetarian specialities in a Serbian way…
Odesa
Once an itinerant tribe, congregating here and there for irregular jamborees, Odesa foodies now have a rather palatial indoors base. The two-storey…
Kyiv
Hidden in a 'secret bunker' under maidan Nezalezhnosti, this is both a nationalist shrine and one of Kyiv's best restaurants. Everything – from the…
Kyiv
One of Bakhchysaray's best restaurants, Musafir relocated to Kyiv in May 2015. The unmistakable scent of Crimean cooking wafts from the kitchen, where a…
Novi Sad
This character-filled, snug little nook serves up the finest vegetarian and pescatarian meals in northern Serbia. Organic, locally sourced ingredients?…
Belgrade
The fact that this family business has existed for over a century in Belgrade’s competitive bakery market is quite an achievement. The Serbian tradition…
Kyiv
Kyiv's best Italian restaurant has been around seemingly forever, churning out legendary homemade pasta and risotto in a whitewashed cellar smack next to…
Belgrade
Šaran (meaning 'carp') is rightfully renowned as Zemun's best quayside fish restaurant for its exceptional fish dishes, professional service and welcoming…
Bay of Kotor
This rustic former mill masquerades as a humble konoba (simple family-run establishment), but they doth protest too much: this is one of Montenegro’s best…
Kyiv
This is modern Georgian cuisine at its finest. Try the fork-whipped egg-and-butter khachapuri (cheese bread) and a shoulder of lamb or charcoal-grilled…
Odesa
Few Ukrainian restaurants have truly authentic settings, but the art nouveau dining room of this Italianesque palazzo (once a stock exchange, now the…
Bucharest
Located in a restored, eclectic 1880s villa on posh Calea Victoriei, this is the top fine-dining locale in Bucharest thanks to chef Paul Oppenkamp and his…
Belgrade
Little wonder locals and visitors have long been singing the praises of this gem: it's one of the most interesting dining experiences in Belgrade. Tuck…
Arbat & Khamovniki
A unique opportunity to sample Siberian cuisine (rare, that is, for those of us who don't frequent Siberia). The menu highlights game meat, regional…
St Petersburg
Despite a totally nondescript appearance from the street, this restaurant’s charming interior perfectly recalls that of a 19th-century dacha and makes for…
Lviv
For a bit of tranquil, understated elegance amid the tourist bustle of pl Rynok, head to this oh-so-central European cafe within the town hall. Order from…
Lviv
Lviv's best vegetarian eatery has a relaxing, spacious dining room where you can tuck into meat-free, vegan and raw food. In the upstairs chill-out area,…
Split
This cosy, rustic tavern, in an alleyway minutes from the seafront, specialises in well-prepared seafood – as epitomised in its perfectly cooked fish…
Belgrade
This cheerful and always busy gelato shop sells some of Belgrade's best and boasts some wacky flavours (gorgonzola, peanut butter and chocolate-covered…
Bucharest
Despite a decidedly touristy-leaning atmosphere, with peasant-girl hostesses and sporadic traditional song-and-dance numbers, Bucharest’s oldest beerhouse…
