3 Best Restaurants in Sochi, Russia

Excellent food in an attractive setting (dim lights and modern decor) attract a trendy clientele to this high-end Japanese restaurant. The sceney restaurant serves an extensive menu of the usual Asian fare, including sushi rolls, sashimi, noodles, dumplings, teriyaki, and yakitori. The drink menu includes wines, sake and whiskey from Japan and other countries, as well as Cognac, rum, tequila, and vodka. Expect large crowds at nights and on weekends; be sure to book a table in advance.

During Soviet times, this cafe (the name means "Lazy" in Russian) served as the set for the famous restaurant scene in the Russian classic Diamond Arm, where the drunk hero performs a song about rabbits. Today it is a hangout for local elites, as well as hip young people with MacBooks. Waiters dressed in silk pajamas serve Russian and international dishes such as blinis, barbecued meats, risottos, sandwiches, and burgers. The restaurant is open 24 hours a day.

If you are in the mood for something a little exotic—say, Russian food with a hunting lodge flair—this is the place for you. Bear ragout, deer zharkoe (meat and potato stew), boar ribs, and grilled quail are just some of the wild dishes on this upscale restaurant's menu. Vodolei, made to look like a cave, is part of the Fort Evrika hotel complex in the Krasnaya Polyana Ski Resort.