St. Petersburg Restaurants

St. Petersburg Restaurant Reviews

The new restaurants and cafés of the burgeoning scene stand in sharp contrast to the traditional, sometimes uninspired, Russian-style eateries of the former Soviet Union. Although it's certainly worth experiencing Russian-style dining, know that you have plenty of options.

Hotels often house excellent restaurants and foreign chefs which have become an integral part of the city's culinary scene. At the restaurants of the Grand Hotel Europe, the Astoria and the Radisson SAS Royal you will find top-notch service, food, and often good views. Most leading hotels and finer restaurants offer tempting three-course or generous buffet business lunches for 250R-370R. They are normally advertised or reviewed in dining sections of the St. Petersburg Times and St. Petersburg In Your Pocket, and are worth checking out.

Homey and jovial budget eateries serving quick, substantial, and good meals for under 250R have mushroomed around the city. Stands selling Russian blini, the hearty Russian cousin of the French crepe, are everywhere and make a great pit stop.

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. 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.