Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
6
•
Galina's Flat
(Moscow;
&
495/921-
6038;
galinas.flat@mtu-net.ru): As the
name suggests, guests here are staying in
Galina's apartment, renovated rooms in
a historic quarter of the capital, with
basic services and a friendly environ-
ment allowing a more intimate peek at
Russian life. See p. 105.
•
Kristoff
(St. Petersburg;
&
812/571-
6643
): This tidy hotel offers a glimpse
of Russian life that bigger hotels can't,
since it occupies two floors of an apart-
ment building. It's in a charming, lively
neighborhood most tourists don't see,
but isn't far from the main sights. See
p. 228.
4
BEST DINING EXPERIENCES
•
Best Aristocratic Atmosphere:
Plunge
into the refined opulence of 19th-cen-
tury Russia at
Cafe Pushkin
(Moscow;
26a Tverskoi Bulvar;
&
495/229-
5590
) as you spear a bite of suckling pig
or sip fine tea from a silver samovar. It
opened in 2000, but the three-story
restaurant's careful design and popular-
ity make it seem like an imperial-era
landmark. See p. 121.
•
Best Comfort Food:
One of the most
reliable, reasonable Russian menus in
Moscow is at the basement restaurant/
bar
Uncle Vanya
(Moscow; 16 Pyat-
nitskaya;
&
495/232-1448
). Literary
and musical memorabilia line the walls,
and the placemats teach you the Rus-
sian alphabet. Favorites are the buck-
wheat kasha and their dumplings
(
pelmeni
or
vareniki
) with meat, potato,
or berry fillings. See p. 129.
•
Best Fusion:
Leading restaurateur
Anton Novikov has capitalized on Rus-
sia's growing obsession with Asian cui-
sine without surrendering to it at
Vanil
(Moscow; 1 Ostozhenka;
&
495/202-
3341
). The menu is relentlessly fresh; a
recent option was a soup of duck livers
and oysters. The soaring ceilings and
massive chandeliers seem built to the
scale of the staggering Christ the Savior
Cathedral across the street. See p. 130.
•
Best Fresh Fish:
The spare stone arches
of St. Petersburg's
Restoran
(St. Peters-
burg; 2 Tamozhenny Pereulok;
&
812/
327-8979
) evoke another era, but its
elegant lines and innovative chef keep
things thoroughly modern. The unob-
trusive salad bar offers marinated Rus-
sian specialties. The fish is so fresh you
can forget any fears and indulge. See
p. 244.
•
Best Georgian Fare:
The generous cui-
sine of Georgia, in the herb- and sheep-
covered Caucasus Mountains, is best
sampled at
Genatsvale
(Moscow; 12/1
Ostozhenka;
&
495/202-0445
).
Exposed wood and lace curtains pro-
vide the perfect home-style setting for
cheese-filled
khachapuri
loaves or lamb
marinated in pomegranate juice. Geor-
gia's southern climes also inspire spicy
vegetable dishes sorely lacking in Rus-
sian cuisine. The same family runs
Mama Zoya
and another Genatsvale
locale. St. Petersburg too has plenty of
Georgian restaurants. See p. 130.
•
Best Literary Dive:
Just a small street-
light above the entrance marks the
bohemian vegetarian basement cafe
Idiot
(St. Petersburg; 82 Moika Canal;
&
812/315-1675
), named after a
Fyodor Dostoyevsky novel. Mulled
wine warms visitors in the winter
months; lightly fermented
kvas
cools
you in July. Pick a book in English from
the cafe's eclectic library to peruse while
you sip. See p. 244.
•
Best Kitschy Theme Dining:
Three
elaborate and pricy Moscow restaurants
plumb the stereotypes and cuisines of
Russia's neighbors.
Shinok
(Moscow; 2
Ulitsa 1905 Goda;
&
495/255-0888
),
a Ukrainian farm with a chicken coop,
1
