Russia - St. Petersburg Dining

Family is going on cruise this summer. We have one night in St. Petersburg and we are going to stay at the Marriott Courtyard, instead of staying on the ship (already got Visas).

Interested in excellent russian dining. Any suggestions?

I suppose that since you are only there one night you would like a nice Russian restaurant. There is one not far from St. Isaac's Cathedral called 1913 Restaurant. It is very good and reasonably priced. They had a violinist and horn player during dinner and if you want great Beef Strogonoff, this is one of the best places. Anyway, the website is www.restaurant-1913.spb.ru. You should make a reservation.

I know a good Georgian place too if you are interested, but if you are only one night there, try this one.

One other thing, the Renaissance (if you are using points or prefer to stay at Marriotts) is a much better located hotel. You can walk to Nevsky Prospect and most of the sights you will be interested in seeing (including St. Isaac's Cathedral and the restaurant I mentioned). The Courtyard is on another island and you will have to take the metro or taxi to get to the things you want to see.

If not, consider the comfort hotel, a very clean and nice place I have stayed at a couple of times (along with the Renaissance), breakfast is included and it is even closer to Nevsky Prospect. You want to maximize your short time there and it is better to be centrally located.

Thank you for your suggestions.

1. We will have a car. We just about always have a car. We had a car in Rome and a car in Manhattan.

2. Since we got the visas from the Courtyard (many less points than the Renaissance) I probably won't change the reservation.

3. Thank you for the suggestion on the restaurant. Yes, we want to try "authentic" Russian food. My family is *very* flexible in eating.

No problem if you have a car, my only suggestion might be, depending on what you are paying for the car, is to hire a car and driver for the day. There may not be a huge difference and you don't have to waste time finding parking. Traffic isn't too bad except sometimes crossing the bridges or driving down Nevsky Prospect during the day, but finding parking around the tourist places may be difficult.

Another suggestion, stop by the Shokolad (Chocolate) place at some point and get a hot chocolate. It is a chain and there is one of them On Nevsky not far from the Winter Palace. If you like chocolate, this is like drinking a melted candy bar! They are open pretty late too.

sbrower if you'd be so kind, can you please outline the steps you went through to get the invitation letter and visa from the courtyard. We are staying there also.

The Marriott phone desk sent us a fax form that we're supposed to fill out and fax back to the hotel. From there it seems a little vauge. Does the hotel fax the tourist invite form back to you?

If not, how'd it work for you? Or did you get yours through your cruise company?

Many thanks!

Joel

They will fax you back the invitation and the other form, they both look similar and are both necessary for the visa application. Keep in mind, if you are traveling to other places or staying other places, you will need from them too as the chain hotels will only give you for the dates of your stay. Other hotels will make them (usually through a third party) for your entire stay.

Be sure to double check all the information including the dates of stay and your passport numbers.

Interested in excellent russian dining. Any suggestions?

In my very humble opinion, "excellent russian dining" is a paradox.

Best food I had in SP was a blini stand called Teremok; there are several locations in the city.

sbrower if you'd be so kind, can you please outline the steps you went through to get the invitation letter and visa from the courtyard. We are staying there also.

The Marriott phone desk sent us a fax form that we're supposed to fill out and fax back to the hotel. From there it seems a little vauge. Does the hotel fax the tourist invite form back to you?

If not, how'd it work for you? Or did you get yours through your cruise company?

Many thanks!

Joel

Sorry for delay in responding, but the other poster is correct. I think I had the response to my fax within 24 hours. There is a link on the hotel site to request the proper forms.

"excellent russian dining" oxymoron. that's why the czars ate imported french chefs and ate french.

I agree, I much rather go to a good Georgian restaurant, but if I were visiting Russia for the first time and only had a night or two, I understand his wanting to try a Russian restaurant.

"excellent russian dining" oxymoron. that's why the czars ate imported french chefs and ate french.
:D They ate what? "FRENCH CHEFS"?

Such canabalism. :D

"excellent russian dining" oxymoron. that's why the czars ate imported french chefs and ate french.

Ahem, there were a lot of other outside influences to Russian cuisine during those times. Most notably Baltic, Swedish and German...And not to forget the Caucasus as an entity, the Tatars and Mongols etc.

There is a true account of an Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch who visited Moscow in the 19th century and his deacon kept a journal. He praised the piety of the Russian people and how pious the Russians are with all their prostrations and long prayers, etc. Then he got to the food and said (this is a true story too), "we (the Arabs) eat better during the Great Fast (Great Lent, when no meat or dairy products are allowed in the Orthodox Church), than the Russians do the rest of the year.

Still true in the 21st century!

Well. everything is debatable.

If one appreciates sour taste a lot like many Russians (Poles, Ukrainians), Scandinavians and Germanic people do, if pickled mushrooms and fish are not considered an acquired taste but a delicacy, if schnapps drunk with a festive meal is part of the culture one is brought up with, if the fish egg season is eagerly avaited every year...

Luckily Jewish emigrants have carried this great culinary tradition to all corners of the Globe. ;) I remember eating a Swedish bar in Asia out of their pickled herring stock with four Japanese mates once...Ah, that was bliss.

My girlfriend and I will be spending a couple days in St. Petersburg in a couple of weeks (can't wait!). We're both Russian speakers and will certainly be looking to try the city's restaurant scene. Are there any places you could recommend? Unfortunately, we're on a budget, so nothing too high end.

One of my favorite St.Petersburg restaurants called Moscow. It is very near the Aurora, on top of an office building. It affords a great view. It's not cheap, but it's certainly far from the most expensive place in town.

One of my favorite St.Petersburg restaurants called Moscow. It is very near the Aurora, on top of an office building. It affords a great view. It's not cheap, but it's certainly far from the most expensive place in town.

I'll second that. The location is a bit awkward, though

There a delicious and inexpensive :"pie" place between the Winter Palace and the Church of the Resurrection. They have various kinds of Pirogi or pies with meat, potatoes, cabbage, fish, mushrooms, and different kinds of berries and fruits, etc. Absolutely delicious. You go up to the counter and choose what you want and take it and sit and eat at one of the table. The earlier you go the better because by the end of the day they sell out of many of the different types.

I just found the card . . . The name is "Stolle" or "штолле" in Russian and the address is Konyoushenny Pereoulok 1/6. There are other locations, but this is walking distance from both the Hermitage and the Church of the Resurrection (on spilt Blood), about a five minute walk from Nevsky Prospect.

Here is the website. www.stolle.ru

ENJOY! We ate there more than once, even thought the budget wasn't too much of an issue. It is just plain delicious!

There a delicious and inexpensive :"pie" place between the Winter Palace and the Church of the Resurrection. They have various kinds of Pirogi or pies with meat, potatoes, cabbage, fish, mushrooms, and different kinds of berries and fruits, etc. Absolutely delicious. You go up to the counter and choose what you want and take it and sit and eat at one of the table. The earlier you go the better because by the end of the day they sell out of many of the different types.

I just found the card . . . The name is "Stolle" or "штолле" in Russian and the address is Konyoushenny Pereoulok 1/6. There are other locations, but this is walking distance from both the Hermitage and the Church of the Resurrection (on spilt Blood), about a five minute walk from Nevsky Prospect.

Here is the website. www.stolle.ru

ENJOY! We ate there more than once, even thought the budget wasn't too much of an issue. It is just plain delicious!

Pies with meat huh? Sounds like my kind of place... So what about that Georgian place? I loooove me some hachapuri.

The best is probably their salmon pie.

The salmon pies are great (pirozhki). The fresh fruit ones are even better! I usually get a half piece of each, dinner and desert!

I have to find the card with the Georgian restaurant we ate at. There is one near the bridge with the four horses on it, just a little of Nevsky. Great soups and of course the grilled meats.

Any additional recommendations? Will be visiting later this month and looking to try cuisines I don't find here in California. ;) If Russian isn't the best cuisine, what are some recommended other cuisines/restaurants? Definitely looking forward to trying some of these other recs (hot chocolate and meat pies? yes!)

Thank you!

You might want to check out this thread for some additional recent recommendations:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/russia/1129420-food-costs-while-travellin.html