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…
Must-see restaurants in Volga Region
Kazan
The 'Tatar Farmstead' is located adjacent to the Old Tatar Settlement and plays on traditional themes, both in the restaurant's decor and menu. There's a…
Astrakhan
This is the ideal spot to sample the diverse cuisines of the Caspian Sea region. Choose from traditional Azeri, Persian, Kazakh and Russian dishes,…
Volga Region
This traditional restaurant serves a mix of mains and grills, drawing on Russian and Ukrainian influences. Excellent salads and soups (including a filling…
Volga Region
The ‘Old Flat’ is a total delight: a rabbit warren of tiny rooms all done up in peak Soviet-era kitsch. In keeping with the theme, the eclectic menu draws…
Nizhny Novgorod
Pyatkin makes you feel like a merchant back in his mansion after a great trading day at the fair. The menu is full of Volga fish specialities; it brews…
Volgograd
This centrally located upscale cafe is an ideal choice for lunch or dinner. Wood-fired pizzas, gourmet salads and a long list of soups as well as meat and…
Volga Region
A charming spot to sample the Central Asian cuisines of the former Soviet Union, including Uzbek, Tajik and Kazakh national dishes. There are big plates…
Nizhny Novgorod
This literary cafe with antique furnishings, stucco ceiling and the feel of a living room is part of a Nizhny Novgorod project called ‘Eda i Kultura’ …
Kazan
The hushed, overly formal setting and mandatory coat check lend a faint whiff of tourist trap, but don't let that dissuade you. The menu is filled with…
Volga Region
Traditional no-frills, self-serve cafeteria offering very good and reasonably priced Russian and Kalmyk dishes. The location is in the centre, just off…
Astrakhan
This hipster-inspired coffee and sandwich spot is an ideal quick lunch option, and just a short walk from the main entrance to the kremlin. Choose from a…
Kazan
Fusion food done very well as standard European meals are reinvented with aromatic fruits and local spices – think Italian mozzarella salad with persimmon…
Volga Region
Good Italian soups, pizzas, pastas and mains served in a cosy cellar.
Volgograd
Cosy, welcoming steakhouse, situated at the front of a theatre building on central pl Pavshikh Bortsov. Choose from a mouthwatering list of grilled steaks…
Nizhny Novgorod
Just what Nizhny Novgorod needed to pull it into the 21st century: a trendy, artisanal burger bar that's a nice break from Russian sit-down meals. Get in…
Kazan
‘Bachelor’s Shelter’ is a spotlessly white oasis of style with surrealist glass painting and coat hangers shaped like wild garlic flowers. International…
Volga Region
This artisanal burger bar sticks out like a sore thumb amid the communist-era, industrialised landscape of Tolyatti, yet the burgers (and fries) are…
Volga Region
A pleasing Russian take on an American diner, chock full of cheery 1950s references and a menu that's strong on soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches. The…
Nizhny Novgorod
Upstairs from the Dirizhabl bookshop with generic but tasty Italian dishes in an informal, quirky atmosphere. There's a nice range of salads and pastas,…
Kazan
This central, self-serve canteen offers both delicious Russian and Tatar foods at reasonable prices, and is a perfect lunch or quick-bite option. Go for…
Volga Region
The beer revolution has come slowly to Ulyanovsk, and this popular Czech restaurant features relatively rare but very good Czech brands such as Klášter…
Volga Region
This is a rustic, Saratovian cafe-restaurant themed on ‘Red Count’ Alexey Tolstoy’s version of Pinocchio. The menu is filled with Russian standards, such…
Volga Region
Located inside the 'Ural' cinema and bowling complex, a couple of blocks south of central ul Lenina, Gurman is arguably the best midrange place in town…
Nizhny Novgorod
This one-trick pony does its one thing exceedingly well: making fresh-baked pastries that are stuffed with meat, mushrooms or fruit. Make your selection…
Volgograd
This large, bustling Italian place has neorustic decor and a large menu offering straight-up-and-down Italian pizza, pasta and meat dishes complemented by…
Astrakhan
The inauspicious entrance gives way to the convivial, neorustic ‘Beer House’ pub upstairs that serves a competent range of salads and hot snacks …
Astrakhan
Among the pubs in Astrakhan, this one generally serves the best food, with an extensive menu that spans Russian Volga classics such as fish, pub classics…
Volga Region
Great spot for coffee or lunch, right on the main intersection of ul Lenina and ul Pushkina. Order at the counter and choose from two daily soups and…
Volga Region
Beer brewed on the premises, sausages and other hearty fare are on the food and drinks menu here. Servings are not large, though – the Caucasian lamb…
Volga Region
Stalls full of fresh fruit and veggies, and lots of fresh and smoked fish, as well as breads, meats and cheeses. Even if you're not buying, come here just…
Volgograd
Situated on the ground floor of Hotel Volgograd, this is the city’s most popular spot to sip a cappuccino and scope out the scene. Part of the premises is…
Kazan
One of Kazan's longest-running Italian restaurants is also one of the best, and close to the kremlin if you feel like a formal meal between sights or in…
Nizhny Novgorod
This upmarket all-rounder is a restaurant during the day and evening, a cafe at any time, and has well-known DJs some nights. The views across the Volga…
Volga Region
This cellar restaurant is highly recommended for its Russian cuisine, including its pelmeni (Russian-style ravioli). There’s live Russian folk music on…
Volgograd
This very good Georgian restaurant has a family atmosphere and serves homemade wine from Georgia. It does a tasty lamb ketsi with vegetables (baked in an…
Astrakhan
Decorated in the style of a Russian cottage, Izba is one of Astrakhan's best traditional restaurants, serving well-prepared classic cuisine popular with…
Nizhny Novgorod
Set among a row of lesser restaurants, the ‘Happy Godmother’ merrily serves hearty borsch and other Ukrainian fare in kitsch but welcoming surroundings.
Volgograd
Basement beer cellar and restaurant that draws a business-lunch crowd, but it’s more fun in the evening, when live music is staged.
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…
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