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 Russia
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
St Petersburg
Boasting a minimalist Scandinavian design scheme, Duo Gastrobar wows diners with its outstanding cooking that showcases quality ingredients with global…
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,…
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…
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,…
Western European Russia
This nostalgic cafe recalls the days of the USSR, not with kitsch propaganda posters, but with cosy nooks, antiques, black-and-white TVs flickering on the…
St Petersburg
An old-fashioned elegance prevails at Severyanin, one of the top choices for Russian cuisine near Sennaya pl. Amid vintage wallpaper, mirrored armoires…
Veliky Novgorod
Attached to the Alkon Distillery, Zavod is a chic and cosy restaurant with exposed brick, an open fire and great food. Go for the homemade pelmeni filled…
Volga Region
This warm, welcoming restaurant offers authentic Georgian food and wine to an adoring public. Evening reservations are a must. Here's the place to sample…
Novosibirsk
The Puppen Haus (Puppet House), which specialises in refined traditional Siberian dishes, is both eccentric and divine. It consists of numerous little…
Kaliningrad
Named after the character from Gogol's Dead Souls who's an obsessive collector, this cellar restaurant resembles your friends' living room, with no space…
St Petersburg
Anton Abrezov is the talented exec chef behind this Scandi-cool meets Russian locavore restaurant where you can sample dishes such as a delicious corned…
Suzdal
There are so many things to like about this place: eclectic decor of rustic antiques and warm wood; outside terrace tables offering river views; hearty…
Western European Russia
Housed in a historic building, and done up like a wealthy merchant's home, Garmoshka is the fanciest night out in town. The atmospheric tone is…
Kaliningrad
This restaurant, whose name means 'coals', is all about things cooked over the eponymous ugli, with steaks being the speciality. The chef does other meaty…
Moscow
Moscow's most venerated and erudite restaurateur Alexander Rappoport shares his love for regional French cuisine in this classy and expensive place on…
Vyborg
The terrace overlooking the castle and town is an ideal spot to enjoy some traditional Russian dishes like venison with berry sauce. The chef cures his…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
Ignore the fact that the waiting staff are dressed as Mao's soldiers; this is the place to try outstanding Cantonese fare in an atmosphere echoing that of…
Murmansk
Don't let yourself be blinded by the in-your-face lime-green and neon-orange decor – this cafe serves some of the most imaginative food in town. Feast on…
Kaliningrad Region
Even if you're not staying at the Mayakovski Hotel, be sure to plan a meal here. The pretty outdoor terrace has a nice view over the pool and lies within…
