Cavtat
Not just the best place on Cavtat's seafront strip, Bugenvila is one of the culinary trendsetters of the Dalmatian coast. Local ingredients are showcased…
Must-see restaurants in Eastern Europe
Presnya
The entire menu at Stolle is excellent, but the pirozhki (savoury pies) are irresistible. A ‘stolle’ is a traditional Saxon Christmas cake: the selection…
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik's glitziest restaurant offers fine dining at its best, with flavoursome, beautifully presented, creative cuisine, an impressive wine list and…
Kyiv
A perpetually long queue moves with lightning speed towards a window where two women hand out pieces of fried dough enclosing a mouth-watering sausage…
Dubrovnik
This breezy bistro aligns its menu with the seasons and has a reputation for exceptional homemade bread, pasta and risotto, alongside the likes of steaks,…
Kharkiv
If you've been to Lviv, this is one of those – ‘emotional restaurants’ – again. Hungry? Get some theatre for starters. To come in, you'll first have to…
Vladivostok
This fantastic treasure is hidden away in an extremely unlikely location amid a hilltop housing estate. Run by the charming Olga Gurskaya, who also uses…
Mavrovo National Park
The owner of Tutto is a founding member of North Macedonia's Slow Food organisation, and his enthusiasm for local produce is infused in the restaurant…
Belgrade
Belgrade's best foodie bang for the buck is this newcomer clandestinely occupying a 1st-floor apartment south of the old train station. Courses from the…
St Petersburg
Shabby chic has never looked so good as it does at this cafe-bar dedicated to the poet Joseph Brodsky (the name is a pun on buterbrod, the Russian word…
Ohrid
Of the three terrace restaurants by the water at Kaneo, this one is the best – the atmosphere is right, the food is fantastic and the service professional…
Bay of Kotor
Wherever you're staying and whatever you're doing, make a stop at Ribarsko Selo a priority. Less a mere eatery than an all-encompassing experience, this…
Pristina
Soma is a local institution among the young, and nearly all visitors to Pristina end up here at some point. The shady garden hums with activity at…
Northern Montenegro
Don't be put off by the alarming intergalactic-castle exterior; this is possibly the best restaurant in Montenegro's north. Inside, its elegant decor sets…
Tallinn
It's worth the trek out to the far side of Pirita to reach this top-notch waterside restaurant, which consistently backs up its elevated reputation…
Berat
In the pretty village-like cobbled streets of the kalaja (fortress), Onufri is the closest you'll get to a homestyle Albanian feast without actually…
St Petersburg
This much-feted, eclectic and original restaurant has got it all just right. The venue itself is a lot of fun to nose around, with multiple small rooms,…
Skopje
Skopje's best beef kebabs, accompanied by seasoned grilled bread, peppers and a little raw onion, are served at this classic Čaršija place. The terrace is…
Belgrade
An unremarkable houseboat moored far enough from the city centre that few people know about it (or ever see it!), this undeniably simple restoran …
The Carpathians
Tea, porridge, real English breakfasts – if you're from Blighty you'll love this tranquil retreat with its boutique interior, impeccably polite, English…
Old Town
This restaurant-bar is truly a multisensory adventure. Housed in a French-style villa built in 1872 and once used as a pharmacy, its interior is a wacky…
Tirana
With its lace window-curtains and tubs of flowering plants, this might look like a simple French bistrot and indeed, the food leans heavily on Gallic…
Chişinău
It's well worth the short taxi ride north of the centre to Chişinău's only Gagauzian restaurant. Gagauzian food has Turkic, Romanian and Russian…
Adriatic Coast
Located on the steep road leading to Stari Bar's main gate (the restaurant's name means 'cobblestone'), this wonderful little eatery manages to be…
St Petersburg
Boasting a minimalist Scandinavian design scheme, Duo Gastrobar wows diners with its outstanding cooking that showcases quality ingredients with global…
Pristina
This atmospheric place might be Pristina's best-kept secret. Wooden doors open to a traditional stone-walled dining room where tables are brimming with…
Vilnius
Traditional market stalls mingle effortlessly with on-trend cafes at Halės Turgavietė, one of the city's oldest food markets, staffed by Russian traders…
St Petersburg
A breath of fresh air just off Liteyny pr, Schengen represents local aspirations to the wider world. The wide-ranging menu is packed with temptations,…
Adriatic Coast
'If it ain't broke, why fix it?' seems to be the adage adhered to by the owners of Zago, one of Pržno's first restaurants, and still one of its best. The…
The Carpathians
Quite understandably the backdrop to many souvenir photos, this large, ornate log cabin built in the 1950s serves pretty decent food. The menu includes…
Zagreb
This earthy-toned spot by star chef Ana Ugarkoviċ is all about small plates, with influences cherry-picked from across the Mediterranean, the Middle East…
Tirana
Uka Farm was founded in 1996 by former Minister of Agriculture Rexhep Uka, who started organic cultivation of agricultural products on a small plot of…
Novi Sad
There are likely better Serbian-style pljeskavica (hamburgers) in Novi Sad, but there certainly aren't better American-style burgers, and the beauty of…
Serbia
While this property is perfect for rustic repose, it's the traditional Vojvodinian-style feasting and the activities that draw the crowds. Work in the…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
It's a blessing when one of the most revered Georgian eateries in town is also one of the cheapest. The object of worship here is khinkali – large, meat…
Cluj-Napoca
Transylvanian cuisine just like Granny made it, in an untouristed part of Cluj. Settle in beneath the vine-covered trellis outdoors and agonise between…
Budva
A good grill (roštilj) is easy to find in meat-loving Montenegro, but if you're looking for one that's great, get your carnivorous self to Parma post…
Transylvania
Feast like a medieval noble in this stone-floored restaurant, where walls are slung with guild regalia and lights twinkle beneath low-slung beams. Bring a…
Mineral Water Spas
Moscow's Novikov group ups the dining standards in Kislovodsk with this new three-part venture. An excellent bakery-cafe and burger bar (both decorated…
Irkutsk
Arguably the best eating addition in the 130 Kvartal, this retro restaurant serves up a 100% Soviet-era menu (think upmarket pelmeni, okroshka, shchi,…
