Chapter 8. Lesson 8

«Щи да каша, пища наша» "A loaf of bread, a jug of wine..." If only it were that simple! Food: how to get it, how to cook it and finally, how to eat it, has occupied the thoughts of Russians in everything from classic works of literature to everyday life. Open Gogol's famous novel «Мёртвые души» Dead Souls to almost any page, and you'll be greeted with detailed descriptions of all kinds of culinary delights as experienced by the intrepid Chichikov. And this is just one example! Even the casual reader of Russian literature or the viewer of Russian painting will find that food has played an integral part in Russian life down through the years, across class lines and in and out of the arts.

As you read in the previous lesson, shopping for food in the Soviet period was, more often than not, an adventure. The same could be said for a night out at а ресторан restaurant. Just as good-quality housing was in short supply, good restaurants were few and far between in those days. And the best ones were simply off limits to the common folk.

Not so any more! Moscow and St. Petersburg alike now boast a large number of restaurants which cater to nearly every cuisine and taste imaginable. As with stores, some of these are foreign-owned, some are joint ventures and still others belong wholly to Russians. In any case, you will find that together with variety comes unpredictability: high-priced isn't always a guarantee of high-quality; high-quality one day does not guarantee it the next... And service? The same holds true: sometimes you're lucky, and sometimes you're not. The Russians themselves are painfully aware of the reputation their service has acquired over the years and many establishments are trying hard to emulate what they consider a Western standard of good service. They've even gone so far as to state in their help-wanted ads that "anyone having prior experience in Soviet restaurants need not apply".

It is a good idea to keep in mind that, for many Russians, a night out in a restaurant is an event, and there is little reason to rush. What we might perceive as slow service is simply the staff's understanding that, if you're out to enjoy yourself, why hurry? If you are in a hurry, on the other hand, you'd best tell your официант waiter or официантка waitress that ahead of time.

As in most restaurants in this country, reservations are encouraged at Moscow and St. Petersburg establishments. It's now possible, and quite easy to pick up the phone and call for reservations by saying:

When you get to the restaurant, tell the швейцар doorman that you have a reservation by saying:

In most hotels you'll find in addition to the ресторан буфеты snack bars on some floors; pretty handy when all you want is a cup of coffee or tea and a sandwich. You'll also find кафе cafe or ночной бар night bar which caters to the late-night crowd and serves alcoholic and other beverages, coffee and snacks. The night bars will often have some kind of "show", either in the form of live entertainment or recorded music.

If you're staying in hotels, regardless of whether they're in Moscow, St. Petersburg or elsewhere, you'll find that завтрак breakfast is usually included in your room charge. In many of the tourist hotels, this is in the form of a шведский стол breakfast buffet which might include cheese, sausages and bread for sandwiches; some sort of salad, каша hot cereal, fried eggs, fruits, mineral water, juice, coffee and tea. Of course, if you're travelling first-class, there'll be room service as well.

Keep in mind that most Russians like to have обед dinner, a big meal in the middle of the day. In a restaurant, this will likely include appetizers, soup and a main course. Ужин supper, the evening meal is lighter and soups are usually not offered in restaurants then. However, you'll always find exceptions to this "rule".

What follows is a list of restaurants in Moscow and St. Petersburg. We don't guarantee that any or all of these establishments will still be operating when you get there, and we can't vouch for their quality as well!

Приятного аппетита!