Georgian: Khachapuri and Vino (2 minutes away)

  • Price range: ₽₽

This chain of Georgian restaurants took over the city several years ago and doesn’t seem to be backing up. When my friends or relatives visit St. Petersburg, I often take them there as a tried-and-tested place with reasonable prices and a restaurant-level service. Their must-tries include, of course, khachapuri, khinkali, and Georgian fizzy drinks. To score the best deal, come here during lunch hours from 11 am to 4 pm.

Buryat: Buuza Room (2 minutes away)

  • Price range: ₽₽

A staple of the cuisine of the Buryat people, descendants of tribal Mongols from Siberia, buuz is a steamed dumpling filled with pork or beef. Carefully following the authentic recipe, the cafe offers only one type of buuz but a variety of sweet or savory fillings – a perfect comfort food to fight the autumn frost and blues. 

European: Zoom (4 minutes away)

  • Price range: ₽₽

Zoom perfectly matches the aesthetics of a cafe in my head – cozy and peaceful, with a bunch of eye-catching details like books and board games. Every guest gets a piece of paper and crayons to unleash their inner child. On the menu, you’ll find all kinds of pasta, soups, and salads, both classics and unusual fusions. A specialty worth mentioning is the lemon tart with cream, famous for its extravagant presentation.

Asian: Malatan (4 minutes away)

  • Price range: ₽₽

A calling card of the restaurant is in its name: malatang is a type of Chinese street food, a build-your-own soup. Get a pot of hot broth as a basis and add ingredients to your liking, be it seafood, meat, chicken, vegetables, meatballs, mushrooms, or herbs. So, in a matter of minutes, you get a meal ready to be savored. Be careful with the level of spiciness, as the name of one of the key ingredients, mala sauce, literally means “spicy and numbing.”

Indian: Laor (12 minutes away)

  • Price range: ₽₽

Literally a hidden gem, this basement eatery on the quiet Prachechny Lane is usually discovered through friendly advice. So, let us be that friend of yours! There’re many things to enjoy about this location, from the golden-framed TV streaming Bollywood movies to an extensive vegetarian menu of Indian-style dishes. For your first visit, a safe choice would be thali – a meal made up of small portions of various dishes and the exquisite spiced drink of masala chai. Not only is it hearty, but it also puts you in the picture of the local cuisine in one go.