City Guides
St Petersburg
Restaurants
Restaurants
St Petersburg
With the influx of new investors and highly trained chefs in the post Soviet era, bland Soviet versions of traditional dishes (both imperial and peasant) have been banished to the dustbin of history, to be replaced by fabulously expensive eateries frequented by oligarchs, and growing numbers of more affordable restaurants and chains catering to the growing Russian middle classes.
Restaurants range from cosy cafe-bistros to lavish multi-roomed halls more befitting of royalty, and menus have expanded far beyond traditional Russian and 'near abroad' (former Soviet states) cuisine. Sushi has become a major St Petersburg fad and there are restaurants serving Mexican, German, Italian, Japanese, French, and Asian food to local foodies.
We have selected some of the best restaurants in St Petersburg, which we have listed under five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. These restaurants are listed alphabetically within four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over US$80)
$$$ (US$50 to US$80)
$$ (US$30 to US$50)
$ (under US$30)
The prices quoted here are for a three-course meal and for a bottle of house wine or equivalent, including VAT and a compulsory 10% service charge, unless otherwise stated.
Gastronomic
Dvorianskoye Gnezdo (Noble Nest)
Located in a former tea house in the grounds of the Yosupov Palace, Noble Nest combines excellent cuisine with elegant service and a truly sophisticated ambience. There are two distinct menus - one Russian, one French. Tantalise your taste buds with delicacies such as stuffed venison steaks and baked pheasant. The sense of dining in the opulent era of the Tsars extends to the attentive servers in white gloves, but smart dress - including a shirt and tie for men - is essential.
Dekabristov ulitsa 21
Tel: (812) 312 0911.
Price: $$$$
L'Europe
As you might expect from St Petersburg's grandest hotel, this elegant restaurant has an opulent interior, with a stunning stained-glass ceiling. The creative Russian menu (with French flourishes) offers well-prepared sturgeon, caviar and pheasant, and there is an elaborate Sunday jazz brunch. Prices reflect the high quality of the food and the surroundings.
Mikhailovskaya ulitsa 1/7
Tel: (828) 329 6000.
Price: $$$$
Business
The Old Customs House
Tucked behind the Kunstkamera museum, this restaurant has catered to heads of state and royalty. Built as a customs house, the 18th-century building has an impressive exterior, but manages to retain a certain cosiness inside with vaulted ceilings and wood floors. The sophisticated menu is based on upscale French cuisine with Russian flourishes.
Tamozhenny pereulok 1
Tel: (812) 327 8980.
Price: $$$$
Trendy
Imbir Cafe
Lavishly decorated with botanical prints and Tsarist trim, this trendy club-cum-restaurant manages to be cool without feeling snooty or intimidating. The name means 'ginger' and the menu features some interesting Asian and Middle Eastern fusion dishes, as well as modern Russian cooking. DJs begin spinning early every evening, and keep at it until early in the morning (usually about 0200). There's a 30% discount off menu prices on weekday afternoons.
Zagorodny prospekt 15
Tel: (812) 713 3215.
Price: $-$$$
Magrib
Part restaurant, part cafe, and part nightclub, this happening spot near the southeast end of Nevsky Prospekt is a popular hangout for the young and trendy. Vaulted ceilings, mosaic tiling and rich red walls create the illusion of dining in a sultan's palace and the menu features plenty of Caucasus-style grilled meats and Armenian dolma, as well as Russian staples. The excellent cocktail menu and adjacent dance club (an additional charge applies) make this an excellent hang-out late into the evening.
Nevsky prospekt 84
Tel: (812) 275 7620.
Price: $$-$$$
Sukawati
Authentic-tasting Asian food is hard to find in St Petersburg, but Sukawati fills the gap with an innovative menu of Japanese and Indonesian fusion dishes, served in a sleek modern dining room decked out with Lombok-style furniture. The business brunch is particularly good value.
Kazanskaya ulitsa 8
Tel: (812) 312 0540.
Price: $$
Budget
Blini Domik
The humble pancake is elevated to new heights in Russia and Blini Domik is a great place to try this Russian staple. This little hole in the wall serves various soups and salads, but the blini is king - try them with smetana (sour cream), fruit fillings or savoury toppings.
Kolokolnaya ulitsa 8
Tel: (812) 315 9915.
Price: $
Coffee House
St Petersburg is peppered with branches of this popular coffeeshop chain - there are several just on Nevsky prospekt. Some branches offer Wi-Fi access and all offer good coffee, cakes and patisserie items and good-value set breakfasts and business lunches. The rival chain Shokoladnitsa (Chocolate Girl) offers similar drinks and food at slightly higher prices.
Bolshaya Konyushennaya ulitsa 13
Tel: (812) 571 2630.
Website: www.coffeehouse.ru
Price: $
Shinok
This Ukrainian themed restaurant fills the belly with tasty vareniki (dumplings stuffed with soft farmer's cheese), blini (pancakes), meats, salads and glasses of gorilka - a homemade vodka. It's good hearty food and you'll be served by staff in mock-up national costumes at rough-hewn tables and chairs.
Zagorodny prospekt 13
Tel: (812) 571 8262.
Website: www.shinok.ru/eng
Price: $$
Stolle Cafe
This old-fashioned cafe near the Church on Spilled Blood specialises in just one item - stolle, the traditional Russian pie, stuffed with fruit or savoury fillings. The crowds of eager regulars are a good indication of the skills of the house bakers. There's a branch on Vasilevsky Island.
Konyushennya pereulok 1/6
Tel: (812) 312 1862.
Website: www.stolle.ru
Price: $
Yolki-Palki
This Moscow chain is a favourite with locals for its low prices, homestyle Russian cooking and endless buffet of salads, roasted potatoes, soups, fish and more, served in a chintzy Russian village-themed dining room. The menu features all the Russian standards - grilled meats on the skewer, cutlets, blini (pancakes), and pelmeni (Siberian meat-filled dumplings). There are several branches around town, as well as this one on Nevsky prospekt, and all are open late, though not always 24 hours as advertised outside.
Nevsky prospect 88
Tel: (812) 273 1594.
Website: www.elki-palki.ru
Price: $
Personal Recommendations
Bistro Garçon
French food is all the rage in St Petersburg, but Bistro Garçon is one of the few restaurants to recreate the ambiance of a real French bistro. A perfect choice for a romantic dinner, the restaurant is hidden away on the Griboedova canal near the grand Kazan Cathedral. The menu is delightfully authentic and the atmosphere relaxed and uncontrived.
Naberezhnaya Kanala Griboedova 25
Tel: (812) 570 0348.
Website: www.garcon.ru
Price: $$-$$$
The Idiot
Inspired by the Dostoevsky novel, The Idiot is a rare vegetarian choice in St Petersburg, but patrons are just as excited by the quirky décor. Set in a moody basement, the four rooms are decorated with eclectic antique furniture and oil paintings, and bookshelves are stacked with Russian and English books. Many locals come here to while away an afternoon playing chess and backgammon. It's easy to miss the entrance - look out for the stairs leading down off naberezhnaya reki Moyki.
Naberezhnaya reki Moyki 82
Tel: (812) 315 1675.
Price: $$-$$$
Kavkaz
This cosy Georgian cafe serves the flavourful fare of the Caucasus - meats grilled on the spit, hot cheese breads, rich and filling stews, garlicky dips, and more. Clay bowls of fresh herbs, garlic and spices are placed on the table so you can pep up your meal as you see fit. This is a small, hole-in-the-wall kind of place so reservations are advised.
Karavannaya ulitsa 18
Tel: (812) 312 1665.
Price: $-$$
Tours of St Petersburg
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The Florida Aquarium in Tampa Bay - Starting from £12.13 per person
Evening Dance Cruise - Starting from £14.89 per person
With the influx of new investors and highly trained chefs in the post Soviet era, bland Soviet versions of traditional dishes (both imperial and peasant) have been banished to the dustbin of history, to be replaced by fabulously expensive eateries frequented by oligarchs, and growing numbers of more affordable restaurants and chains catering to the growing Russian middle classes.
Restaurants range from cosy cafe-bistros to lavish multi-roomed halls more befitting of royalty, and menus have expanded far beyond traditional Russian and 'near abroad' (former Soviet states) cuisine. Sushi has become a major St Petersburg fad and there are restaurants serving Mexican, German, Italian, Japanese, French, and Asian food to local foodies.
We have selected some of the best restaurants in St Petersburg, which we have listed under five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. These restaurants are listed alphabetically within four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over US$80)
$$$ (US$50 to US$80)
$$ (US$30 to US$50)
$ (under US$30)
The prices quoted here are for a three-course meal and for a bottle of house wine or equivalent, including VAT and a compulsory 10% service charge, unless otherwise stated.
Restaurants range from cosy cafe-bistros to lavish multi-roomed halls more befitting of royalty, and menus have expanded far beyond traditional Russian and 'near abroad' (former Soviet states) cuisine. Sushi has become a major St Petersburg fad and there are restaurants serving Mexican, German, Italian, Japanese, French, and Asian food to local foodies.
We have selected some of the best restaurants in St Petersburg, which we have listed under five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. These restaurants are listed alphabetically within four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over US$80)
$$$ (US$50 to US$80)
$$ (US$30 to US$50)
$ (under US$30)
The prices quoted here are for a three-course meal and for a bottle of house wine or equivalent, including VAT and a compulsory 10% service charge, unless otherwise stated.
Gastronomic
Dvorianskoye Gnezdo (Noble Nest)
Located in a former tea house in the grounds of the Yosupov Palace, Noble Nest combines excellent cuisine with elegant service and a truly sophisticated ambience. There are two distinct menus - one Russian, one French. Tantalise your taste buds with delicacies such as stuffed venison steaks and baked pheasant. The sense of dining in the opulent era of the Tsars extends to the attentive servers in white gloves, but smart dress - including a shirt and tie for men - is essential.
Dekabristov ulitsa 21
Tel: (812) 312 0911.
Price: $$$$
Located in a former tea house in the grounds of the Yosupov Palace, Noble Nest combines excellent cuisine with elegant service and a truly sophisticated ambience. There are two distinct menus - one Russian, one French. Tantalise your taste buds with delicacies such as stuffed venison steaks and baked pheasant. The sense of dining in the opulent era of the Tsars extends to the attentive servers in white gloves, but smart dress - including a shirt and tie for men - is essential.
Dekabristov ulitsa 21
Tel: (812) 312 0911.
Price: $$$$
L'Europe
As you might expect from St Petersburg's grandest hotel, this elegant restaurant has an opulent interior, with a stunning stained-glass ceiling. The creative Russian menu (with French flourishes) offers well-prepared sturgeon, caviar and pheasant, and there is an elaborate Sunday jazz brunch. Prices reflect the high quality of the food and the surroundings.
Mikhailovskaya ulitsa 1/7
Tel: (828) 329 6000.
Price: $$$$
As you might expect from St Petersburg's grandest hotel, this elegant restaurant has an opulent interior, with a stunning stained-glass ceiling. The creative Russian menu (with French flourishes) offers well-prepared sturgeon, caviar and pheasant, and there is an elaborate Sunday jazz brunch. Prices reflect the high quality of the food and the surroundings.
Mikhailovskaya ulitsa 1/7
Tel: (828) 329 6000.
Price: $$$$
Business
The Old Customs House
Tucked behind the Kunstkamera museum, this restaurant has catered to heads of state and royalty. Built as a customs house, the 18th-century building has an impressive exterior, but manages to retain a certain cosiness inside with vaulted ceilings and wood floors. The sophisticated menu is based on upscale French cuisine with Russian flourishes.
Tamozhenny pereulok 1
Tel: (812) 327 8980.
Price: $$$$
Tucked behind the Kunstkamera museum, this restaurant has catered to heads of state and royalty. Built as a customs house, the 18th-century building has an impressive exterior, but manages to retain a certain cosiness inside with vaulted ceilings and wood floors. The sophisticated menu is based on upscale French cuisine with Russian flourishes.
Tamozhenny pereulok 1
Tel: (812) 327 8980.
Price: $$$$
Trendy
Imbir Cafe
Lavishly decorated with botanical prints and Tsarist trim, this trendy club-cum-restaurant manages to be cool without feeling snooty or intimidating. The name means 'ginger' and the menu features some interesting Asian and Middle Eastern fusion dishes, as well as modern Russian cooking. DJs begin spinning early every evening, and keep at it until early in the morning (usually about 0200). There's a 30% discount off menu prices on weekday afternoons.
Zagorodny prospekt 15
Tel: (812) 713 3215.
Price: $-$$$
Lavishly decorated with botanical prints and Tsarist trim, this trendy club-cum-restaurant manages to be cool without feeling snooty or intimidating. The name means 'ginger' and the menu features some interesting Asian and Middle Eastern fusion dishes, as well as modern Russian cooking. DJs begin spinning early every evening, and keep at it until early in the morning (usually about 0200). There's a 30% discount off menu prices on weekday afternoons.
Zagorodny prospekt 15
Tel: (812) 713 3215.
Price: $-$$$
Magrib
Part restaurant, part cafe, and part nightclub, this happening spot near the southeast end of Nevsky Prospekt is a popular hangout for the young and trendy. Vaulted ceilings, mosaic tiling and rich red walls create the illusion of dining in a sultan's palace and the menu features plenty of Caucasus-style grilled meats and Armenian dolma, as well as Russian staples. The excellent cocktail menu and adjacent dance club (an additional charge applies) make this an excellent hang-out late into the evening.
Nevsky prospekt 84
Tel: (812) 275 7620.
Price: $$-$$$
Part restaurant, part cafe, and part nightclub, this happening spot near the southeast end of Nevsky Prospekt is a popular hangout for the young and trendy. Vaulted ceilings, mosaic tiling and rich red walls create the illusion of dining in a sultan's palace and the menu features plenty of Caucasus-style grilled meats and Armenian dolma, as well as Russian staples. The excellent cocktail menu and adjacent dance club (an additional charge applies) make this an excellent hang-out late into the evening.
Nevsky prospekt 84
Tel: (812) 275 7620.
Price: $$-$$$
Sukawati
Authentic-tasting Asian food is hard to find in St Petersburg, but Sukawati fills the gap with an innovative menu of Japanese and Indonesian fusion dishes, served in a sleek modern dining room decked out with Lombok-style furniture. The business brunch is particularly good value.
Kazanskaya ulitsa 8
Tel: (812) 312 0540.
Price: $$
Authentic-tasting Asian food is hard to find in St Petersburg, but Sukawati fills the gap with an innovative menu of Japanese and Indonesian fusion dishes, served in a sleek modern dining room decked out with Lombok-style furniture. The business brunch is particularly good value.
Kazanskaya ulitsa 8
Tel: (812) 312 0540.
Price: $$
Budget
Blini Domik
The humble pancake is elevated to new heights in Russia and Blini Domik is a great place to try this Russian staple. This little hole in the wall serves various soups and salads, but the blini is king - try them with smetana (sour cream), fruit fillings or savoury toppings.
Kolokolnaya ulitsa 8
Tel: (812) 315 9915.
Price: $
The humble pancake is elevated to new heights in Russia and Blini Domik is a great place to try this Russian staple. This little hole in the wall serves various soups and salads, but the blini is king - try them with smetana (sour cream), fruit fillings or savoury toppings.
Kolokolnaya ulitsa 8
Tel: (812) 315 9915.
Price: $
Coffee House
St Petersburg is peppered with branches of this popular coffeeshop chain - there are several just on Nevsky prospekt. Some branches offer Wi-Fi access and all offer good coffee, cakes and patisserie items and good-value set breakfasts and business lunches. The rival chain Shokoladnitsa (Chocolate Girl) offers similar drinks and food at slightly higher prices.
Bolshaya Konyushennaya ulitsa 13
Tel: (812) 571 2630.
Website: www.coffeehouse.ru
Price: $
St Petersburg is peppered with branches of this popular coffeeshop chain - there are several just on Nevsky prospekt. Some branches offer Wi-Fi access and all offer good coffee, cakes and patisserie items and good-value set breakfasts and business lunches. The rival chain Shokoladnitsa (Chocolate Girl) offers similar drinks and food at slightly higher prices.
Bolshaya Konyushennaya ulitsa 13
Tel: (812) 571 2630.
Website: www.coffeehouse.ru
Price: $
Shinok
This Ukrainian themed restaurant fills the belly with tasty vareniki (dumplings stuffed with soft farmer's cheese), blini (pancakes), meats, salads and glasses of gorilka - a homemade vodka. It's good hearty food and you'll be served by staff in mock-up national costumes at rough-hewn tables and chairs.
Zagorodny prospekt 13
Tel: (812) 571 8262.
Website: www.shinok.ru/eng
Price: $$
This Ukrainian themed restaurant fills the belly with tasty vareniki (dumplings stuffed with soft farmer's cheese), blini (pancakes), meats, salads and glasses of gorilka - a homemade vodka. It's good hearty food and you'll be served by staff in mock-up national costumes at rough-hewn tables and chairs.
Zagorodny prospekt 13
Tel: (812) 571 8262.
Website: www.shinok.ru/eng
Price: $$
Stolle Cafe
This old-fashioned cafe near the Church on Spilled Blood specialises in just one item - stolle, the traditional Russian pie, stuffed with fruit or savoury fillings. The crowds of eager regulars are a good indication of the skills of the house bakers. There's a branch on Vasilevsky Island.
Konyushennya pereulok 1/6
Tel: (812) 312 1862.
Website: www.stolle.ru
Price: $
This old-fashioned cafe near the Church on Spilled Blood specialises in just one item - stolle, the traditional Russian pie, stuffed with fruit or savoury fillings. The crowds of eager regulars are a good indication of the skills of the house bakers. There's a branch on Vasilevsky Island.
Konyushennya pereulok 1/6
Tel: (812) 312 1862.
Website: www.stolle.ru
Price: $
Yolki-Palki
This Moscow chain is a favourite with locals for its low prices, homestyle Russian cooking and endless buffet of salads, roasted potatoes, soups, fish and more, served in a chintzy Russian village-themed dining room. The menu features all the Russian standards - grilled meats on the skewer, cutlets, blini (pancakes), and pelmeni (Siberian meat-filled dumplings). There are several branches around town, as well as this one on Nevsky prospekt, and all are open late, though not always 24 hours as advertised outside.
Nevsky prospect 88
Tel: (812) 273 1594.
Website: www.elki-palki.ru
Price: $
This Moscow chain is a favourite with locals for its low prices, homestyle Russian cooking and endless buffet of salads, roasted potatoes, soups, fish and more, served in a chintzy Russian village-themed dining room. The menu features all the Russian standards - grilled meats on the skewer, cutlets, blini (pancakes), and pelmeni (Siberian meat-filled dumplings). There are several branches around town, as well as this one on Nevsky prospekt, and all are open late, though not always 24 hours as advertised outside.
Nevsky prospect 88
Tel: (812) 273 1594.
Website: www.elki-palki.ru
Price: $
Personal Recommendations
Bistro Garçon
French food is all the rage in St Petersburg, but Bistro Garçon is one of the few restaurants to recreate the ambiance of a real French bistro. A perfect choice for a romantic dinner, the restaurant is hidden away on the Griboedova canal near the grand Kazan Cathedral. The menu is delightfully authentic and the atmosphere relaxed and uncontrived.
Naberezhnaya Kanala Griboedova 25
Tel: (812) 570 0348.
Website: www.garcon.ru
Price: $$-$$$
French food is all the rage in St Petersburg, but Bistro Garçon is one of the few restaurants to recreate the ambiance of a real French bistro. A perfect choice for a romantic dinner, the restaurant is hidden away on the Griboedova canal near the grand Kazan Cathedral. The menu is delightfully authentic and the atmosphere relaxed and uncontrived.
Naberezhnaya Kanala Griboedova 25
Tel: (812) 570 0348.
Website: www.garcon.ru
Price: $$-$$$
The Idiot
Inspired by the Dostoevsky novel, The Idiot is a rare vegetarian choice in St Petersburg, but patrons are just as excited by the quirky décor. Set in a moody basement, the four rooms are decorated with eclectic antique furniture and oil paintings, and bookshelves are stacked with Russian and English books. Many locals come here to while away an afternoon playing chess and backgammon. It's easy to miss the entrance - look out for the stairs leading down off naberezhnaya reki Moyki.
Naberezhnaya reki Moyki 82
Tel: (812) 315 1675.
Price: $$-$$$
Inspired by the Dostoevsky novel, The Idiot is a rare vegetarian choice in St Petersburg, but patrons are just as excited by the quirky décor. Set in a moody basement, the four rooms are decorated with eclectic antique furniture and oil paintings, and bookshelves are stacked with Russian and English books. Many locals come here to while away an afternoon playing chess and backgammon. It's easy to miss the entrance - look out for the stairs leading down off naberezhnaya reki Moyki.
Naberezhnaya reki Moyki 82
Tel: (812) 315 1675.
Price: $$-$$$
Kavkaz
This cosy Georgian cafe serves the flavourful fare of the Caucasus - meats grilled on the spit, hot cheese breads, rich and filling stews, garlicky dips, and more. Clay bowls of fresh herbs, garlic and spices are placed on the table so you can pep up your meal as you see fit. This is a small, hole-in-the-wall kind of place so reservations are advised.
Karavannaya ulitsa 18
Tel: (812) 312 1665.
Price: $-$$
This cosy Georgian cafe serves the flavourful fare of the Caucasus - meats grilled on the spit, hot cheese breads, rich and filling stews, garlicky dips, and more. Clay bowls of fresh herbs, garlic and spices are placed on the table so you can pep up your meal as you see fit. This is a small, hole-in-the-wall kind of place so reservations are advised.
Karavannaya ulitsa 18
Tel: (812) 312 1665.
Price: $-$$
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