Eating in Saint Petersburg: Mid-range

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• 1,001 Nights (Тысяча и одна ночь), ул. Миллионная, 21. noon-23:00 daily, live music & belly dancing F-Su 20:00-23:00. This would be but an ordinary undistinguished Uzbek restaurant, were it not within one block of the Winter Palace. Given location, the place is spectacular in that it maintains decent service and very good food. 300-500 rubles.

• Acquarel, (next to the Birzhevoy bridge), ☎ +7 (812) 320-8600. Right on the water, this restaurant offers Italian food alongside a French/Asian fusion menu. Friendly people, delightful atmosphere, and a wonderful view, Acquarel is a wonderful and delicious dinner option or even a great place to relax and get a drink in their lounge chairs.

• Cafe Old Tbilisi (кафе Старый Тбилиси), В.О. 4-я линия, 5 (near the Vasilieostrovskaya metro station). 11:00-23:00 daily. You'll probably be the only foreign visitor to this small unassuming place on Vasilievsky Island, but the great Georgian food is absolutely worth the short metro trip. The quality for the price here is just outstanding. 650 rubles.

• Caravan-Sarai (Караван-Сарай), ул. Некрасова, 1, ☎ +7 (812) 272-7153. In a city with plenty of Uzbek food, this may outshine the competition. Not for the service or the decor, but for the very long menu of top-notch Uzbek cooking. 400-600 rubles.

• Gin-no Taki (Гин-но Таки), пр. Чернышевского, 17. 11:00-06:00 daily. A very reasonably priced Japanese chain restaurant just across the street from the Chernyshevskaya metro station. The interior is very stylish, even if the fashion shows on the TVs are a bit much, and you can control your service with the aid of a call button. The food is good, but the sodas might be even better—free refills! It's also a very solid choice for a place to unwind late-night after a wild night. 150-400 rubles.

• Gastronom (ресторан Гастроном), наб. реки Мойки, д. 7 (close to Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood; вход с Марсового поля), ☎ (812) 314-3849 (info@gastronom.su), www.gastronom.su. Sun-Thu: 12PM-12AM; Fri, Sat: 12PM-3AM. Excellent desserts (Tiramissu is really great); good reviews for dinner. Wide selection of international fare: Thai, Italian, Russian, steaks. Rare place with 5 varieties of Caesar salad. Outdoor terrace is comfortable for a baby stroller, but closes before late Sept. Simple salads average at 200, sophisticated salads 300-400. Most soups are at 200. Pasta 300-400. Mains average at 350-400..

• Jan Jak (Жан-Жак Руссо), Ул. Марата д.10 (very close to Moskovsky vokzal), ☎ +7(812)315-49-03. Decent lower-end French cuisine. Nothing-special breakfasts: either omlet or croissant or kasha.

• Kafe Ket, 22 Ul. Stremyannaya. In a country where only 1% of the population is reported to eat out in a restaurant more than once a year, Kafe Ket is a wonderful alternative to the pushy alternatives which have no place in the city other than to cater for the culinary whims of busloads of foreign tourists. This little restaurant serves probably the nicest Georgian food, menu in English.

• Kafe Tbilisi, Sytninskaya ul, 10 (Metro Gorkovskaya behind the market), ☎ +7 (812) 232-9391. Georgian food. The dishes prepared in pots are excellent.

• The Idiot (Идиот), 82, Moika Emb, ☎ +7 (812) 315-1675. Named after the Dostoyevsky novel, and offering a wide variety of very tasty vegan, vegetarian, and seafood dishes at prices higher than what you'd expect. All served in a very cozy and attractive cellar stocked with books, ex-pats, and intellectuals.

• Montana Saloon, 20, Kirochnaya str. or 19, Izmailovsky pr. American cuisine, wonderful steaks (best in S-Petersburg), good wine and pleasant atmosphere. A bit expensive (the best steak costs 850 rubles), but it is worth it.

• Fasol na Gorokhovoy (Фасоль на Гороховой). Until 1am; kitchen closes at 11:30pm. Artictic minimalism interior; creative fusion cuisine. Avg bill: 1000rub per person (3 courses).

• Harbin, ул. Жуковского, 34/2. 12:30-23:30 daily. Chinese in Saint Petersburg is often better than in most parts of Europe. This restaurant is cozy and overcrowded (show up early or late if you want to ensure that you get a table), and has an extraordinarily long and complex menu. If you don't have a native speaker with you, it's a must to bring a food dictionary, since otherwise you'll have no idea what you are ordering! 800 rubles.

• Giuseppe Park (Парк Джузеппе), 2B Canal Griboyedova (just next to Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood and Russian Museum), ☎ (812) 571-7309; (812) 973-0943, www.park-restaurant.ru. 11am-1am. One of the rare cases when a prominent location doesn't a tourist trap nor exorbitant prices. Excellent Italian food in a white nearly-luxury setting. In peak hours, choose easier-to-cook dishes to minimize risk of mistake. Great gaspacho, "quatro formagio" pizza. Good for a late breakfast as well (although no breakfast-time menu: only omlets, 170rub). Heated outdoor terrace open until at least end of Sep. No wifi, for reason: it's a place to eat :) Average bill per person: 1500 rub (3 courses, no alcohol).

• Mama Roma, www.mamaroma.ru. A chain of Italian restaurants; free wifi. Malaya Konyushennaya, 4/2: outdoor terrace is open heated until at least end of Sep; terrace perfect with toddler: spacious enough for baby strollers; has children-safe wide couches.

• Oliva (Олива), 31 Bolshaya Morskaya ul.. Kitchen closes at 11:30pm. Greek restaurant with a genuine Greek chef; popular with expats.

• Oriental Express (restaurant/buffet) (Восточный Экспресс), ul. Marata 21 (close to Moskovsky train station), orient-express.spb.ru. Tourists-oriented and doesn't hide it, the place has a good selection of traditional Russian dishes. Buffet and restaurant share the same building and kitchen and have few common dishes, but are otherwise very distant from each other (at least in prices). Restaurant: pozharskie cutlets are really great. Free wifi (ask waiter for instructions). Restaurant: salads 220..310; soups 210..340; mains: 310-540. Buffet: salads 80, soups 80-130, mains 130-190.

• Tepló (Тепло), B. Morskaya, 45 (close to Isaakiyevsky cathedral), ☎ (812) 570 19 74, v-teple.ru. Mon-Thu, Sun 9am-12am, Fri-Sat 1pm-1am. Great value for money. Very charming and personal. Fireplace in winter and courtyard with umbrellas and flowers in summer. Pleasant, cheerful and positive staff, including waitresses that much resembles Snow Whites. Lunch set menu from 1pm. Equally great for breakfast (from 9am, Mon-Fri only) with omlets, pancakes, a weekly rotation of kashas and fritters. Free wifi (ask waiter for instructions); childrens playroom; separate non/smokers; outdoor terrace open until at least end of Sep (no gas heaters). Same owners as a nearby Zoom Cafe. Dinner: average bill per person: 1000rub (three courses, no alcohol). Breakfasts: omlet 110, kashas 80, tea 90.

• Traveling Sack for a Pregnant Spy (Саквояж для беременной шпионки), ул. Б. Конюшенная, 17 (close to Kazansky cathedral), ☎ +7 (812) 570-06-37. M-F 11am-01am, kitchen closes at 11:30pm; Sa-Su noon-02am. A very fun Russian restaurant, that would be worth visiting as a gallery of weird spy-kitsch, but the food is also decent. No wifi. Average bill per person, no alcohol: 800 rubles.

• Vostochny Ugolok (Восточный уголок), Гороховая ул., 52 (close to Isaakievsky cathedral), ☎ (812) 713-57-47 (ooo-dvit@mail.ru). 24 hours. Good-quality Caucasian cuisine in a vivid interior. Excellent shahlyki and manty. Average bill per person (3 courses): 1000 rub.

• Zazhigalka (Зажигалка), Невский проспект, дом 74 (Nevsky Prospekt 74) (Opposite McDonald's (Rubinshteyna Street), next to Red Tower Chinese Restaurant. Walking distance from Anichkov Bridge over Fontanka River), ☎ (812) 272-24057, zazhigalka.net. 24 hours. Located just opposite McDonald's (the one near ul. Rubinshteyna), this restobar is open 24 hours a day. They serve business lunch from 12-5 PM with 3 options. Choose the 250 RUB one, it includes salad, soup, main meal, garnish (a.k.a side dish), berry drink, and bread. The 200 RUB option doesn't include soup and the 150 RUB doesn't include main course/garnish. Food was very good. Looked classy and tasted great. Very great cool, lounge feel atmosphere. Menus have English translation and several staffs can speak English. Great service too. Business lunch - 250 RUB.

• Zoom, Gorohovaja str. 22 (close to Isaakiyevsky cathedral), ☎ (812)448-5001, www.cafezoom.ru. Until 24; last order until 22:30. Same owners as Tepló. About 1000rub per person (three courses, no alcohol).