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…
Must-see restaurants in Russia
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…
Arbat & Khamovniki
Rukkola offers perfectly crispy, artfully topped thin-crust pizza that you'd be happy to eat in Napoli, let alone Moscow. A stylish interior, friendly…
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…
Presnya
In a prime location on the Boulevard Ring, this friendly wine bar welcomes everybody wanting a glass of wine, a bite to eat, some music and a few smiles…
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…
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…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
With a slightly austere interior, Avocado has a diverse menu drawing on cuisines from around the world. Meatless versions of soups and salads, pasta and…
Arbat & Khamovniki
Subtle, it is not. Bedecked with fake trees and flowing fountains, this restaurant conjures up the Caucasian countryside, leaving little to the…
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…
Arbat & Khamovniki
Stop in for a quick bite along the old Arbat. Enjoy fresh (and healthy!) salads and sandwiches, premade and ready to take out to the outdoor seating.
Yaroslavl
'Podbelka' is how Yaroslavl's first Soviet pelmennaya (dumpling cafeteria), which occupied these premises in the 1920s, was colloquially known to the…
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…
Golden Ring
With a burger called 'Tear Your Face', you know this is a place that takes meat seriously: the speciality is grilled steaks in a variety of cuts. Wash it…
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…
St Petersburg
Vinostudia is a serious and passionately run enoteca (wine bar). All wine is available by the glass (R150 to R700) and the staff are knowledgeable and…
St Petersburg
If you're travelling with young children they will love this branch of the Ginza Project–run chain for its colourful, fun design that includes a children…
Meshchansky & Basmanny
This outrageously themed restaurant takes diners beyond the Polar circle, capturing the adventure and excitement of Siberia. With a helicopter in the…
St Petersburg
Classic dishes, with creative twists, from Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo (hence the SinToHo name) are served in the Four Seasons' luxurious and…
St Petersburg
Charming Entrée comes in two parts: the cafe-cum-deli to the right has a chessboard floor, rustic decor, delicious éclairs and sandwiches and, for some…
Yaroslavl
A large menu of tasty, artfully presented Russian favourites – such as Olivier salad, 'Herring in a Fur Coat', pelmeni dumplings, local perch and rabbit…
Tomsk
Named after a popular Soviet TV serial, this is the place to sample Siberian specialities like stroganina (frozen raw chyr, a white fish common in Arctic…
St Petersburg
Beef lovers can indulge their habit at this 12,000-sq-metre restaurant, the city’s biggest. Thanks to clever design, though, it doesn’t feel…
St Petersburg
Despite the somewhat kitschy decor, Karavan is a superb Central Asian restaurant with a lovely location overlooking the Fontanka River. Open grills line…
Zamoskvorechie
The name, which translates as 'a very homey cafe', is also its motto. This is as close as it gets to the kind of food Russians eat at home, which…
St Petersburg
This buzzing, two-story space on Nevsky has wide-ranging appeal, with six different food counters, behind which prep staff stand at the ready to whip up…
Irkutsk
It’s pretty obvious from the outside that Figaro is no ordinary Siberian eatery. The glass-fronted dining space peppered with works of art and graced with…
St Petersburg
It's all about glass at the rooftop restaurant of the Gazprom building. This impressive place definitely has the best views in town and you can almost…
Ulan-Ude
This high-perched Uzbek restaurant has a triangular cushion-scattered dining space, trendy oriental fabrics and a menu of exotic plov, grilled meats and…
Presnya
After making a name for himself at AQ Kitchen, chef Adrian Quetglas decided to mix things up at AQ Chicken. At once quirky and classy, the new place…
Russian Caucasus
The most interesting thing about this place is the building itself, which is a giant sculpture of the head of local hero Sosruko with an outstretched arm…
Moscow
Sip a cappuccino in view of the Kremlin. Munch on lunch while the crowds line up at Lenin’s Mausoleum. Enjoy an afternoon aperitif while admiring St Basil…
