Going to St Petersburg next month on vacation. Will be there for 10 days; looking for good food in/around the area, emphasizing regional cusine. Prices not a huge issue, but we're interested in substance over style.
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May 07, 2008 02:47AM
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Not that many replies so far ! :-)
I am going as well to St Pete in June. If you hear about any good (really good) places to dine, pls let me know! It seems quite hard to find outstanding places to eat over there (and I do not refer to 5star hotels).
thanks in advance.
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It's been a few years since I lived in Russia so I can't make specific recommendations, but I will say that if you see American-style prices (especially near tourist attractions) or buffets, or if you don't hear much Russian from the diners, walk away. Those restaurants are fine (and maybe some of the ritzy ones are good), but they usually cater to tourists and you won't often get spectacular local cuisine there (not the stuff that you can't find elsewhere, anyway). I had more regrettable meals that way when I was showing around American friends who were scared of the hole-in-the-wall places and street food.
I've heard that it's gotten more expensive since then, but that the good food is still usually the cheaper food.
Also, don't drink the water, make sure your tea water is thoroughly boiled, and bring giardia meds with you.
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Hi - my brother and sister-in-law are taking my mum to St. Petersburg in September this year, so I too would appreciate if any restaurant recommendations could be given. As my s-i-l is a vegetarian, any recommendations where good vegetarian food may be available would also help. Cheers
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I'd check out a guide book, honestly, for the most recent information if you're not getting many repsonses here. Lonely Planet has always been my favourite series.
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sfumato is right, you should avoid the really expensive places and avoid the places where you hear no Russian.
The Stolle pie shops are terrific- they make traditional Russian pies with a huge variety of fillings (lots are veggie-friendly). There are several around town.
Kilikia Armenian restaurant is very good. they serve Armenian as well as pizza. I had some sort of soup with greens that was amazing. And around the corner from it is a total hole-in-the-wall Chinese place that's good and very cheap with nice Chinese waitresses.
For the love of all that is good and holy, skip the Idiot, which was a funky, cheap vegeterian place about ten years ago and now is overpriced and expat-oriented.
Definitely have some Georgian food while you're there. Lagidze on Ulitsa Belinskogo is good. I'm not sure if any English is spoken there or not.
Check out the St. Petersburg In Your Pocket guide for up-to-date restaurant info. Much better than Lonely Planet.
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Many thanks for the info.
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I second Lagizde whole-heartedly! I don't remember if there's any English spoken either, but the only words you need are "shashlik" (shish-kebab with wonderful vinegary salads), "khachipuri" (Georgian cheese bread), and "pivo" (beer).
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We're leaving for an Eastern European tour (Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Belarus) in just a few days. Please share your St. Petersburg experiences. Thanks!
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