Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
late 19th century and are really more European than Russian. Berries, mushrooms, various
kinds of sour cream and yogurt, fresh garden vegetables, and herbs like dill and coriander
are common in home cooking. Bread (a staple of the Russian diet under communism) is
often served as an automatic side order in restaurants.
In recent years, franchise restaurants (both locally based and Western) have sprouted
up all over Russia. You'll see Subway, Pizza Hut, KFC, McDonald's, and more. Russian
chains such as Teremok and Chainaya Lozhka are very popular with locals, serve authentic
food, and can be very convenient time-savers during a day of sightseeing.
Russian beer is good. It goes without saying that there are many vodkas to choose from.
Russians like to drink inexpensive sparkling wine that's still called
Sovyetskoye sham-
panskoye
(Soviet champagne). Try
kvas,
a fizzy, fairly sweet, grain-based beverage that is
marketed as non-alcoholic (but often has a very small, almost negligible alcohol content)
and
mors
(berry juice). In Russia, always drink bottled water, which is available widely in
shops.
Speedy Chain Restaurants
Teremok
(Теремок) is a chain with branches literally all over town. It's is quick and con-
venient for those who don't speak Russian, handy for families, and lets you share and
try lots of different dishes. Though sometimes derided as “Russian fast food,” it actually
serves a perfectly healthy array of Russian standards at very affordable prices. Choose
borscht,
ukha
(fish soup),
pelmeni
(dumplings), sweet or savory
bliny
(crepes), or
kasha
(buckwheat groats) prepared in various ways.
Kvas
and
mors
(berry juice) are on the drinks
menu. It's the setting which is fast-foody, complete with orange uniforms for the staff,
plastic trays filled at the sales counter, and trash bins for your paper plates and napkins.
Expect somewhat brisk service, and if you don't see the English menu brochure, ask for
it (75-150-R main courses; Bolshaya Morskaya Ulitsa 11, Nevsky Prospekt 60, and Vladi-
mirsky Prospekt 3 are three of many locations; all open daily at least 10:00-23:00).
