Vladivostok
This very pleasant and good value stolovaya draws a crowd of regulars with its tasty Russian dishes, home brew and funky interior. There's an on-site bar,…
Must-see restaurants in Russia
Western European Russia
With a menu catering to all tastes and a central-square location, Bashnya is a good choice for lunch and coffee while sightseeing in Staraya Russa. Choose…
Golden Ring
This is a simple Georgian eatery that makes khachapuri cheese pies, khinkali (dumplings) and tolma (stuffed vine leaves) like they do it back home. When…
Tomsk
A trippy, yellow vegetarian and glutton-free cafe decorated like a circus with kites and glass mobiles. The menu features food with hard-to-get (in…
Vladivostok
A mix of old-timers and students line up for above-average stolovaya fare and appealing ambiance – complete with Anglo rock on the stereo, vintage posters…
Western European Russia
Kitsch! Glorious kitsch! Even if peasant-on-acid decor isn't your thing, you'll still enjoy the fast-food offerings from this chain. The front and side…
Tomsk
Fantastic cafe – bright and cheery with an exciting menu of international food, fresh salads, great coffee and a wide tea selection. The Belgian waffles…
Western European Russia
Yes it's a chain but, given the limited choice in Yelets, this branch, with an outdoor terrace overlooking pl Lenina, is not a bad option for generic but…
Western Siberia
This humorously named restaurant and bar is popular for its business lunches and, in the evenings, with the young of Tyumen for its hookah pipes and laid…
Sergiev Posad
A bright basement restaurant with an inexpensive and wide-ranging menu of pizza, European and Asian mains and sushi rolls (English-language menu available…
Sochi
A long-time Sochi favourite, White Nights is famous for its khinkali (Georgian dumplings). The service is often lacklustre and the atmosphere is bland,…
Yekaterinburg
As well as dumplings, Stolle specialises in sweet and savoury Russian pirozhki (pies), which you can buy by weight at the counter for takeaway or enjoy…
Astrakhan
For famous Astrakhan watermelons and other fresh fruit and vegetables as well as meats, bread and cheese, try this market in the Kryusha neighbourhood…
Altai
This sky-blue open-air cafe and yurt serves traditional and tasty Altai and Central Asian dishes that will start to make Mongolia seem awfully close. It's…
Around St Petersburg
This cafe in the orangery is a fine choice for lunch. It gets busy, though, so you may have to queue for a spot. It has a cafeteria-style counter where…
Western Siberia
Traditional Russian food served in a rustic setting by waitresses dressed as peasants. The chain is named after a 1972 Soviet road film. It's next to a…
Eastern Siberia
This grill restaurant is reputed to be the most decent eatery in Sayanogorsk. It's about 800m from the bus station – walk north on ul Yarygina and turn…
Volgograd
A cosy cafe that offers everything you might want, be it a large meal or a light snack, tea, coffee or one of the many alcoholic beverages on the menu. It…
Western European Russia
A belt-loosening range of sausage dishes, sauerkraut and potato-everything is served by costumed waitresses to a soundtrack of jaunty German tunes. Wash…
Northern European Russia
Open to nonguests, this friendly hotel cafe serves inexpensive, tasty dishes from filled bliny (wheat pancakes) and grilled fish to hearty solyanka (a…
Astrakhan
Locals will tell you that Yamato is not the best of the Japanese crop in Astrakhan, but its location certainly is – right on the waterfront. It does a…
St Petersburg
Marked by a sign in Chinese characters only, this combined Chinese grocery and cafe on the building's 2nd floor is a good spot to fill up on cheap and…
Volga Region
This is a good-value chain restaurant with rustic decor and relatively simple menu selections, such as pelmeni (Russian-style ravioli), pork and fried…
Irkutsk
Supermarkets are surprisingly rare in central Irkutsk so this centrally located, open-all-hours store is a godsend. Stocks a lot of ready-to-eat meals …
St Petersburg
The food isn't the tastiest vegetarian fare you'll find in the city, but this self-proclaimed 'philosophical cafe' is a pleasant enough spot for a meal…
Western European Russia
There's something for everyone at this imaginatively designed complex: underground bakery cafe, beer house, well-stocked wine-and-cheese cellar, and the…
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
This sprawling indoor market is a great spot for smoked fish, bread, cheese, vegetables and other fare, including lots of nonfood items. It's a good place…
St Petersburg
Come here for a good-value, light bite, such as its various kapsalon dishes (a Dutch-style meal in a tin bowl). The potato pancakes are excellent and…
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
This simple cafeteria in the centre of the city is a great option for a cheap meal while wandering around the old town. There's lots of choice and you don…
St Petersburg
This deceptively large place is a serious burger joint that remains affordable and comfortable. A great place for a pit stop around the hectic pl…
Khabarovsk
A smart cafe favoured by Khabarovsk's upper middle class with a pricey menu of slick international dishes by day (fajitas, sautéed squid, smoked duck…
Golden Ring
This new casual fast-food joint in the centre of town cooks up fresh shawarma (grilled meat and salad wrapped in flat bread), burgers and fries. Save room…
Sochi
Come to this colourful market for fresh fruit and vegetables. Some local specialities include fresh pomegranate juice (in season) and churchkhela (nuts on…
St Petersburg
For those on a budget, this bargain-basement bakery cafe is ideal for a cheap lunch. The pie fillings are almost identical to those of more upmarket cafes…
The Urals
Owner-baker Katarina makes some of the best bread in town and her specialty is unleavened bread. You’ll also find spices, honey and the shop’s own line of…
St Petersburg
This cosy pie shop and cafe was the first in this now nationwide chain. Aptly enough for a cafe that sells Saxon-style pies, it’s located in the heart of…
Western European Russia
This appealing, upmarket cafe-lounge serves up excellent salads, pastas and meat dishes such as shashlyk and pork fillets, plus some vegetarian options,…
Northern European Russia
This buzzing cafe opposite the Fine Arts Museum is decorated with apple motifs, and is popular with families for its tasty pastries, pancakes, cakes, as…
Altai
This blossoming travel-themed Siberian chain is a welcome addition to Gorno-Altaisk's staid food scene. Well-priced breakfasts, the best coffee in the…
Murmansk
This popular cafe hums to a soundtrack of electronic music and does great breakfasts of coffee and porridge or pastries. It also sells backpacks, if yours…
