Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Catherine Palace. Swedish chef Eric Viedgård conjures culinary magic with his sea-
sonally changing menu in an elegant contemporary space with heritage touches.
RUSSIAN
SSIAN
19TH CENTURY RESTAURANT €€
R400-600)
Admire the owner's impressive collection of miniature bottles of alcohol at
the entrance, before choosing one of four differently decorated dining rooms in which
to eat a traditional Russian meal.
RUSSIAN
SSIAN
PODVORYE €€
satz, traditional Russian log cabin is a short walk in the direction back towards
Pushkin from Pavlovsk station. Podvorye dishes up huge portions of delicious Russi-
an food with a side order of live Russian music and dancing. Apparently, President
Putin is a regular here.
RUSSIAN
SSIAN
ADMIRALTY €€
R400-800)
Housed in the old brick Admiralty building overlooking the Great Pond in
Catherine Park, this atmospheric restaurant serves traditional and tasty Russian food.
The tower-like building does not have a lot of room, and is often used for wedding
banquets, so reservations are recommended.
Gatchina Гатчина
Explore
The furthest flung of the imperial palaces surrounding St Petersburg, Gatchina is
rather different from the rest on many counts. First of all, it's in the middle of a busy
town, meaning that it doesn't feel grandly isolated like so many tsarist boltholes. Se-
condly, the extensive landscaped grounds are all public, meaning that you're more
likely to encounter picnicking locals than tour groups as you walk around. That said,
Gatchina's grounds are perhaps the most beautiful of all the imperial parks and the re-
stored palace, complete with its dark and dramatic history, is a fascinating place to ex-
