Guide of Saint Petersburg, Russia

Saint Petersburg Eating And Drinking, Russia

Traditional Russian cuisine, and in particular that of Saint Petersburg, is varied and rich. Ingredients range from cereals in the form of grains and flour (wheat, graham, rye, oats and millet), bread, pasta and sweets, to domesticated and game meats; from cabbages and beets to mushrooms and wild berries; from saltwater and freshwater fish to caviar and the sauces descended from the large presence of French cooks in the court of the Czars, to traditional Russian sauces based on mustard and horseradish.

In St. Petersburg, there are restaurants of all types and for all pocketbooks. In addition to Russian cuisine, there is no lack of international restaurants, pizzerias, classic fast food chains and also those of Russian fast food. Visitors must also try restaurants offering cuisine from the regions of Russia such as Georgia and Armenia.

Russian menus always include zakuski (antipastos) based on ikra (caviar), smoked fish with vegetables and stolichnaja, Russian salad; piervyj (soup) in variants with the cabbage, fresh cream and beets (borscht), or with fish (ukha). The soljanka is always a soup of meat or of fish flavored with cucumber and olives. Other soups are rassolnik with poultry giblets and rice or orzo and okroska, served cold with cooked and raw vegetables and meat. The votroj is the main dish (second course); this is also offered in different variations based on vegetables. Among these are golubtsy, cabbage wraps with sour cream; pelmeni or varieniki, ravioli of fresh pasta stuffed with meat or cheese; still with soljanka offered as a main dish. Among the sweets not to be missed are pirozki filled with jam, and blinciki, little filled crepes and offerings also in savory versions.

The kiosks on the street corners offer saslik, stuffed potatoes and blinciki. Everything is accompanied by the essential vodka.