51 Best Restaurants in St. Petersburg, Russia

Dining alcoves that line the mezzanine of a former redbrick textile factory on the Neva are an atmospheric setting for a meal of inspired cuisine accompanied by mellow jazz and lounge music. Portions of expertly prepared sushi and other Asian delights are big enough to share and the cocktails are perfectly calibrated.

The breathtaking surroundings—there's an art-nouveau stained-glass roof, shining parquet floors, and private balconies—are fit for a tsar, as are the prices. The mouthwatering menu includes some dishes inspired by authentic royal recipes, among them beef filet with a bacon and mustard champagne sauce. The chef's tasting menu gets off to a memorable start with a pair of eggshells filled with truffle flavored scrambled egg topped with Osetra caviar. Reserve well ahead, especially in summer.

A refined restaurant with prerevolutionary flair has a tantalizing menu based on a famous 19th-century cookbook, A Gift to Young Housewives, by Yelena Molokhovets. Cooking is elaborate and highly traditional here, along the lines of baked venison fillet in lingonberry and juniper sauce, pan-fried foie gras with orange-flovored brioche, or Astrakhan sturgeon braised in champagne. Waiters show deference to the guests, serving them in a pleasantly ceremonial, but not genuine, manner. With only six tables, this dining experience is as intimate as it is expensive.

Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse's Russian outpost has shaken up the city's dining scene with its haute-cuisine interpretation of French classics. Using the best and freshest local produce—as well as specialty items flown in from abroad—the kitchen prepares satisfying and deceptively straightforward variations of such classics as oven-baked duck breast and seared beef fillet. Like the menu, the dining room manages to be ultra-fashionable while staying relaxed and comfortable at the same time.

Spacious, with soft lighting and earth tones, the surroundings are at once stylish and traditional, and as straightforward as the name, which means "restaurant" in Russian. The menu of traditional classics is as nonfussy as the decor; try the sterlet (sturgeon) baked in fragrant herbs with horseradish sauce, veal with mashed potatoes and chanterelles, or the house-made pelmeni (dumplings) filled with lamb, beef, or potatoes and dill. A long, wooden table at the entrance supports a wide selection of house-made flavored vodkas in rustic glass decanters.

Inside an opulent mansion connected to the Taleon Imperial Hotel you'll find the usual array of fun for the bodyguard-protected high-society set (cigars and cognac are much in evidence) in a glittering setting, with marble fireplaces and gilded ceilings. The menu is laden with hearty Russian classics with European inspiration, including caviar, consommé with fois gras ravioli, and sea bass with truffle risotto.

It seems as if you could touch the cupola of the Kazan cathedral from the open-air terrace of this stylish and glamorous "place to be seen." The fusion cuisine shows heavy Asian influences, with such dishes as Peking-style roasted duck on the menu. Excellent service complements the fine food and memorable views.

This large, bustling, and brightly lit dining room where oil paintings commemorate various Romanovs seems to be lifted right off the pages of War and Peace, and the dining experience is truly royal. A meal might begin with the classic Russian appetizer of layers of herring enclosing a beet vinaigrette and move on to beef Stroganoff or a Pozharskaya cutlet, served with sizzling hot potatoes, made in a copper pan. Despite the grandeur, the atmosphere is pleasantly relaxed and the service is anything but intimidating.

The name evokes the last days of Imperial Russia, and the era is celebrated in low-key, comfortably elegant surroundings where a menu offers a huge selection of Russian favorites served in huge portions. The emphasis is on game and fish; an excellent and traditional meal might begin with mushroom soup or borscht, followed by sturgeon or salmon.

At this soothing place to take a break with a good view of Nevsky prospekt, you can enjoy coffee, ice cream, and scrumptious cakes, or a whole range of traditional Russian and European dishes. Out of the Russian menu try borscht (beetroot soup) with sour cream or pickled herring and mushrooms. In summer Abrikosov offers an open terrace.

A meal atop the Kempinski Hotel is literally head and shoulders above any other dining experience in St. Petersburg, thanks to a breathtaking, 360-degree panorama. The menu fuses French classics with traditional Russian classics, such as beef Stroganoff. For dessert, there's the coupe Romanoff, an artfully presented concoction of strawberries, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream. Bellevue welcomes those who just want to stop in for coffee or a drink and take in a view that includes the golden spire of the Admiralty, the top of the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, the roof of the Hermitage, and the dome of St. Isaac's Cathedral.

You can enjoy a pot of tea or a glass of champagne, served with bowls of strawberries, in this lovely mezzanine café. You can also order unique chocolates made at the hotel's own factory. Take a peek at the art-nouveau lobby, furnished with stained-glass windows and antique furnishings.

Nevsky prospekt is St. Petersburg's version of a Parisian boulevard, and this comfortable, Parisian-style bistro fits right in. From the first bite of baguette you'll be transported, and the seasonably changing menu is full of soups, mussels, quiches, and other bistro favorites. With fluffy omelets, buttery croissants, and good strong coffee, the breakfast here is one of the best in the city.

A youngish bohemian crowd flocks to this café furnished in pastel greens and creams and famous for its airy meringues—the Bizet, with chopped almonds and garnished with fresh raspberries, is especially popular. Some good soups and about a dozen salads are also available.

This haven for vegetarians and those seeking lighter dishes serves excellent soups, pastas, sandwiches, and dips. The airy dining room, done in shades of green, has an abundance of potted plants and is nonsmoking; the only alcohol permitted is beer.

The location, on the second floor of the Dom Knigi bookstore, is one of the best people-watching spots in St. Petersburg, and the food is a notch above that usually on offer in cafés. The menu includes traditional Russian dishes, including pelmeni (meat dumplings) and borscht, as well as lighter and sweeter fare, such as sandwiches and quiches and cakes and ice cream.

The stuffed camel, Turkish carpets, and sizzling kebabs prepared in the middle of the room create an exotic ambiance in which to enjoy what many aficionados consider to be the best Middle Eastern food in St. Petersburg. Whatever the variety of kebab you choose, begin a meal with kutab, a lightly fried pocket of dough filled with shrimp, pumpkin, or cheese.

Distinguishable by its white and orange teaspoon logo, this is an extremely cheap and cheerful counter-service blini chain with locations all over downtown. You may be put off by the plastic cutlery and the lackadaisical service, but the blini are authentic and filling, and they provide a great cheap meal when you are in a hurry. The two-course business lunch is also a good deal and very popular.

Wicker furniture, handwoven napkins, and a birdcage with canaries and finches add to the flavor of an early-20th-century Russian country house, and the menu also lovingly re-creates Russian recipes of yesteryear. Emerging from the family-run kitchen are such carefully prepared dishes as roasted venison with warm fruit, Spanish garlic, and port wine sauce and Caspian sturgeon fillet with salmon roe, leek cream, and morel mushroom sauce. Libations include a nice selection of fruit liqueurs.

Starbucks clones have sprung up on almost every corner in St. Petersburg, and many belong to the Coffeehouse chain. At any you can grab a good and inexpensive lunch with soup, salad, and coffee or tea, and a full range of reasonably well-made coffee drink is available.

More than 40 kinds of pizza are prepared by Italian cooks who know what they're doing. The house-made focaccia is also delicious, and other dishes worth looking out for are the osso buco (veal shank), seafood risotto, and any of the pastas. Though this cheerful place is always busy, service is friendly and prompt.

One of the city's few Armenian restaurants is calm and simply decorated, and nicely located along a quiet stretch of the Fontanka around the corner from the Alexandrinsky Theatre. Every element of the dining experience—from the food to the table linens—has been lovingly crafted: the kufta (stone-ground veal sirloin) and stuffed quail are authentic and delicious. Every night, except Sunday, live folk music adds to the atmosphere.

Politicians, businesspeople, and television personalities are regulars at one of the city's busiest and most fashionable venues, where the two large, charmingly cluttered dining rooms are almost always packed. Whether it's a straightforward lasagna or more elegant fare, such as risotto with cuttlefish ink, everything the Italian chef sends out of the kitchen is delicious. The wine list is extensive.

Behind an unassuming facade down a quiet side street off Nevsky prospekt is this warm and comforting room that might transport you to Italy or the South of France, as will the cuisine. Updated versions of classic Mediterranean dishes include some inventive, simply prepared fish dishes, such as tuna with pesto and scallops with figs. The menu varies, as the chef selects from what's freshest at the market.

This favorite for relaxed weekend lunches is especially popular in warm weather, when outdoor tables overlook the Field of Mars. The main dining room is done in French farmhouse style, with chunky wooden tables and soft cushions; walls lined with dusty wine bottles; and a long table along one wall groaning under mounds of cheese, freshly baked bread, and fruit. Salads come in generous sizes and can easily replace a main course; Italian and Russian dishes predominate.

Wine lovers can choose from a huge list of French and Italian vintages, then select a bottle from the adjacent shop. Or, they can settle into the sleek and fashionably eclectic surroundings for an inventive and flavorful meal in which duck with rosemary and honey might be accompanied by black rice with a cappuccino of Mediterranean herbs and an extremely elegant take on borscht.

A favorite among St. Petersburg expatriates, this restaurant serves hearty vegetarian Russian food, good seafood, and nice Italian coffee. The background music leans heavily on Charles Aznavour, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald. Add occasional art exhibits, chess and backgammon sets, and a small library, and you have several excuses to linger.

One of the city's best Italian restaurants serves deliciously fresh food, including a Caprese salad with buffalo mozzarella. Everything—from the fresh arugula salad with shrimp to the mushroom risotto, duck confit, and a stellar tiramisu—stands out. Downstairs at the wine bar, Probka, you can order wines by the glass from the well-chosen list and have an authentic Caesar salad.

Mirrored walls, red and mahogany furnishings, and tables topped with paper provide an authentic bistro ambience, a perfect setting for a classic French meal of onion soup, steak and bordelaise sauce, and crème brûlée. Fine wines are available by the glass, and attentive servers will help you with your choice. Seating is limited to only 25 people, so it's advisable to come early for dinner or take advantage of the excellent lunch, served from noon to 4 pm.

A haven for local Armenians, and named after an ancient region in modern-day Turkey, this restaurant serves sizzling beef stew and a tempting variety of expertly cooked kebabs in sprawling, dimly lit rooms. The seemingly endless menu may confuse the uninitiated, but the staff is ready to help. A bargain-priced, three-course business lunch is popular with locals and budget-minded travelers.