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Fat Frier
The original branch of this citywide chain is a great place for late-night dining.
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Fidelio Café
Pressed white linens and serious scrubbed waitstaff lend an upscale atmosphere to this surprisingly affordable café. The menu is not extensive, but what the café does, it does well: crispy pizzas and pastas with various tomato- and cream-based sauces. The three-course business lunch is a steal.
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Garçon Restaurant
While most French restaurants in town are painfully upscale, this gorgeous little bistro is both smart and unpretentious, and prices are reasonable given the excellent standard of the cooking. The interior is quaint yet romantic, but on a summer evening you can't beat the lovely outdoor patio overlooking the Griboedov Canal. Incidentally, the patio opens early on Sunday, making this an excellent choice for brunch.
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Gin No Taki
In a city awash with wannabe Japanese restaurants, this large and lively operation is one of the most authentic, with a wide range of sushi, sashimi, kebabs, tempura and bento box lunches. Unnervingly, the entire staff greets you very loudly in Japanese as you walk in the door. That exuberance aside, Gin No Taki makes for an excellent Japanese dining experience. Should you be inspired by the cooking, there is a Japanese grocery store next door.
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Il Patio
Patio Pizza was one of the first post-Soviet restaurants to gain widespread popularity for its tasty pizza and extensive salad bar, all at prices that were manageable for Olga and Ivan Russian. Branches quickly spread around Moscow, and then across the country. Now this tried-and-true favourite has gone slightly upscale, with a new, more Italian name, and a new, more stylish look. Wood-oven pizzas and fresh salad bars are still the highlights of the menu.
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Il Patio
There are not too many places to eat at the far end of Nevsky pr. Fortunately, Russia's favourite pizza place comes through for hungry travellers who want to grab lunch after visiting the monastery.
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Imbir
Effortlessly cool, Imbir combines ornate tsarist décor with contemporary design to brilliant effect. With a great atmosphere, it's always full of a hip local crowd who come here for dark coffee and creative cooking, all of which is reasonably priced. The staff aims to please, which is a welcome change of pace from the typically cooler-than-thou attitude at trendy places.
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Kafe Tbilisi
This place is a St Petersburg institution. A Georgian restaurant coming to you charmingly from Soviet central planning, Kafe Tbilisi remains a beloved institution to many residents of the city, clunky 1970s style and dark decor notwithstanding. Don't miss their khachapuri (cheese bread).
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Kalinka Malinka
Kitsch but charming, this long-standing folkloric restaurant is in a basement on pl Iskusstv (Arts Sq). It specialises in country cooking, just as the peasants used to prepare, and the interior resembles a cosy country house. So try hot, homemade solyanka or rabbit à la Russe for a great introduction to unembellished Russian cuisine. Live folk music will accompany your evening meal.
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Karavan
Despite the kitschy décor (epitomised by the camel in the corner), Karavan is a superb Central Asian restaurant with a lovely location overlooking the Fontanka River. Open grills line the dining room, giving an optimum view (and scent) of the kebabs that are on the menu. The grilled meats and vegetables are guaranteed to make your mouth water, while the wine list offers some excellent and unusual complements. Service is attentive and efficient.
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Kavkaz
Another long-standing favourite, Kavkaz means 'Caucasus' and features excellent Georgian fare. It's a casual affair: the basement digs are not so impressive to look at, but the portions are generous and the food - served on large wooden platters - is consistently delectable. This is the place to experience the legendary Georgian hospitality (and shashlyk and wine etc).
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Kilikia
An excellent option for the late-night munchies, Kilikia is famous for its shashlyk, which sates the appetite of the post-clubbing crowd. Otherwise, it's a popular spot for St Petersburg's Armenian community, which should tell you something about the authentic and delicious food. Live music plays most nights.
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Korovabar
In case you could not tell from the Holstein décor, korova means 'cow'. And this so-called cow-bar milks this theme for all its worth. Cow hides hang from the ceilings and adorn the booths. Yet somehow, it works: the place is way more hip than it is hokey. The sophisticated menu features an excellent selection of steaks, among other things, and an incredible wine list. And if all that black and white has you longing for greener pastures, take a seat on the pleasant porch.
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La Strada
The atrium-style dining room, accented with tile floors, streetlights and mural-painted walls, evokes la dolce vita . And somehow, the otherwise Soviet-looking buildings that are visible through the glass ceiling are rendered more romantic in this context. It's an exceedingly pleasant atmosphere to feast on fresh pasta and delectable pizza - not too trendy and certainly not too cheap, but so satisfying.
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Le Paris
Sumptuous yet understated, this French restaurant sits just across the Moyka River from the Yusupov Palace. The three rooms include the main wood-panelled dining room and a smaller, simpler wine and cheese tasting room. No matter where you choose to indulge, you will not be disappointed by the excellent French fare and wine list. Apparently, this class act is a favourite with city governor Valentina Matvienko among other local dignitaries. Reservations recommended.
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Lechaim
Hidden away beneath the Grand Choral Synagogue, this classy kosher restaurant is the city's best place for traditional Jewish cooking. You'll probably have the place to yourself, which detracts a bit from the otherwise authentic atmosphere.
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Les Amis De Jean-Jacques
You can't beat this delightful wine bar for eating and drinking like they do in Paris. The menu boasts excellent, affordable bistro fare, including breakfast (served all day on weekends), as well as a huge selection of French wines. The cosy, comfortable interior and the sidewalk seating are equally inviting, so take a seat and pour yourself a glass of Bordeaux.
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Lya Rus
Another kitschy Russian country house, this is a sweet place to sample hearty peasant soups and sip vodka while you watch traditional Russian song and dance. Typical for this type of place, the décor is folksy and the food is filling.
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Mama Roma
Reliable Italian fare from decent pizza to risotto and pasta, not to mention an excellent breakfast.
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Mama Roma
Mama's menu is almost too long, as it's hard to choose between the grilled meats and fish, the hardy homemade pastas drowning in delicious sauces and the crispy thin pizzas topped with your favourite meats and cheeses. The latter is the hands-down favourite, because it is so affordable, but all of Mama Roma's offerings are fresh and delicious and prepared to order.
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Matrosskaya Tishina
Generally accepted by all to be the city's finest seafood restaurant, this place is often completely full. The curious metallic maritime design complements the excellent menu of grilled, baked and fried fish. You can even pick which trout or perch you want to end up on your plate.
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Molokhovets' Dream
Inspired by the cookbook of Elena Molokhovets, the Russian Martha Stewart, the menu here covers all the classics from borscht to beef stroganoff, as well as some more exotic fare. Start with berry kissel, a delicious sweet soup of brambles and wine, and don't bypass the speciality, koulibiaca, a golden pastry pie of fish or rabbit.
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Na Zdorovye
Na Zdorovye means 'To your health', the generic Russian toast that is emitted before clinking glasses and throwing back a shot. Indeed, this playful restaurant is as good a place as any to indulge in that long-standing tradition. Drawing on both pre- and post-revolutionary folklore, Na Zdorovye promises that you can still eat like 'the tsars and the Soviet dictators'. But it is mostly old Russian recipes that have been recreated here, including veal stuffed with cherries and trout in almond sauce. It's definitely a place to try some more unusual Russian dishes in a very Russian setting.
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Nep
Unlike most communist-theme restaurants in the city, NEP celebrates the early 1920s, a period of entrepreneurial activity and relative liberalism under Lenin's New Economic Policy. The restaurant's hip 1920s style evokes a kind of vaudevillian luxury, as does the delicious Russian menu. Live music and cabaret plays from from Wednesday to Sunday.
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New Island
The list of diners on this smartest of boat restaurants is dizzying - George W Bush, Jacques Chirac and the Queen of Spain have all dined here, while Putin is a regular. These heavies come for the sumptuous décor and beautifully presented international menu, not to mention the fantastic city views from the two-hour cruise. Reservations required.
