St. Petersburg Restaurants

The new restaurants and cafés of the burgeoning St. Petersburg scene stand in sharp contrast to the traditional, sometimes uninspired, Russian-style eateries of the former Soviet Union. Of course, the old-style restaurants can still be found in abundance—the places that insist on bottles of vodka on every table, the synthesizer-accompanied singer droning Russian chansons, and long, often pricey meals in settings designed to evoke the luxury of the Imperial past. Although it's certainly worth experiencing Russian-style dining during your stay—and discovering the French underpinnings of Russian cuisine that become apparent at some of the finer establishments—know that you have plenty of options, and you don't have to pay an exorbitant price to eat well.

At the new breed of Russian eateries, you almost feel you could be anywhere in Europe. Although originality is still rare, the food is often reasonably priced and almost always good. Old habits die hard, however, so even when the chef ventures into new territory, say, with Asian-influenced dishes, you tend to still find traditional standbys like borscht on the same menu.

Hotels often house excellent restaurants and foreign chefs, who used to be a rarity even in top-flight hotels, have become an integral part of the city's culinary scene. The Grand Hotel Europe is filled to the brim with reliable places, including Chinese and Western restaurants, as well as the elegant L'Europe, in a category all its own. At the restaurants of the Astoria and Radisson SAS Royal you will find top-notch service, some imaginative chefs, and often good views. Most leading hotels and finer restaurants offer tempting three-course or generous buffet business lunches for $10-$15. They are normally advertised or reviewed in dining sections of The St. Petersburg Times and St. Petersburg In Your Pocket, and are a fantastic value, so be sure to check them out.

It's not necessary to plan ahead if you want to land a table in a nice establishment on weekdays, but it's generally a good idea to reserve ahead for weekend dining or for a large party. Ask your hotel or tour guide for help making a reservation. Note that few restaurants in St. Petersburg have no-smoking sections; in fact, some places have cigarettes listed on the menu. Most restaurants stop serving food around 11 PM or midnight, although more and more 24-hour cafés are opening.

Homey and jovial little budget eateries serving quick, substantial, and good meals for under $10 have mushroomed around the city. You can opt for a Russian pancake cafeteria, an authentic Italian pizzeria, a Greek taverna, or a lively Caucasian inn. What has also boomed across the city are stands selling Russian bliny, the hearty Russian cousin of the French crepe. The dish seems easy to make but it's actually even easier to ruin, so to avoid a pale, bland, glutinous mass with an indiscernible filling, our advice is to stick to the best purveyor, Teremok.

Fodor's selection of reviews is a sampling of old-era restaurants that have managed to maintain a high level of quality, new places of international standards, eateries that cater to tourists and expats, and a few bargain, off-the-beaten-path spots. It's cause to rejoice that it's no longer possible to enumerate all of the good dining spots in the city. At one time the only place to find a decent espresso was at one of the city's upscale hotels. The situation has changed drastically, with numerous true Western-style coffee shops opening up all over the city.

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