Russia Travel Resources >


|
|
Russia Travel Guide - Dining and Drinking You are here: About > Travel > Eastern Europe for Visitors > Russia-Belarus-Ukraine > Russia Travel Resources > Travel Essentials - Russia > Russia Travel Guide - Dining and Drinking Travel Go Eastern Europe Essentials Best of Eastern Europe Map of Central/Eastern Europe Photo Gallery Country Profiles Discount Travel Websites Articles & Resources Planning Your Trip Ways to Travel What to Do in East Europe Maps for Eastern Europe Czech-SlovakTravel Hungary Travel Poland Travel Russia-Belarus-Ukraine Romania-Moldova Travel Baltic Travel Balkan Travel Culture and Holidays Photo Galleries East Europe Travel and Language Books Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Eastern Europe for Visitors newsletter! See Online Courses Search Eastern Europe for Visitors Stay up to date! Email to a friend Print this page Suggested Reading All Travel Guides Russia Travel Guide Profile of Russia Most Popular First Christmas Tree Europe map Best of Eastern Europe Croatia Naturism and Nudism Discount Travel Websites What's Hot Krakow Photo Gallery Profiles of Eastern Europe Moscow City Profile Czech Republic Photo Gallery - Charles Bridge and castle Sofia's Religous Buildings Related Topics Hotels / Resorts / Inns European History Architecture Air Travel Europe for Visitors Dining and Drinking - Russia From Apply Now , Your Guide to Eastern Europe for Visitors . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Russia Travel Guide One of the pleasures of travel is reveling in the food and drink of the local cuisine. Russia has plenty to offer in this respect, whether you opt for traditional Russian fare or meals representative of other CIS countries.
What Not to Eat
You can eat well in Russia at any budget. However, because some people get sick when they travel and eat unaccustomed food, this situation can happen in Russia also. So, because you don't want to spend time being miserable in your hotel room from a stomach problem, it's wise to be careful, just to be on the safe side. Some suggestions:
Don't drink tap water. Drink only bottled water. It comes with or without gas. When you order bottled water at restaurants, make sure the waiter brings you an unsealed bottle (not an open bottle that could have been filled with tap water). Of course, if you order water with gas, you won't have this possibility.
Brush your teeth with bottled water, not tap water.
Avoid salad bars (vegetables washed with tap water).
If you buy fruit, wash it with bottled water, not tap water. You get the picture with tap water.
If you order a coffee or tea, be aware you might be drinking tap water, but it's boiled.
Avoid food from sidewalk stands.
Enjoy all thoroughly cooked food.
I should note that I have broken all the suggestions above throughout Eastern Europe and not suffered consequences. I love going to cafes for coffee and eating ice cream from sidewalk vendors. But again, you may opt for the safest route than take a chance spending your precious visit too sick to enjoy it.
Restaurants
Moscow and St. Petersburg have a proliferation of well-known chains, including McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Burger King and TGI Fridays. But try to sample other food, as both Moscow and St. Petersburg can offer so much more. Check the English language newspapers such as the Moscow Times for listings of restaurants.
For restaurants in Moscow and St. Petersburg, also see these lists:
List of all types of restaurants in Moscow, from the Moscow City website
St. Petersburg restaurants Almost 500 restaurants listed.
Fodor's picks for Moscow restaurants
Fodor's picks for St. Peterburg's restaurants
Cuisine
Russian cuisine does wonderful things with meat, cabbage, potatoes, and dough (both bread and pastry). Well-known dishes include :
borsch (beet soup)
pelmeni (boiled dough pockets filled with meat)
beef roll (finely chopped meat and spices rolled in fine pastry)
chicken kiev
draniki (potato pancakes)
golubtsy (cabbage rolls filled with meat and rice, covered in a tomato broth)
There are many other dishes, with beef, pork, poultry and fish, as well as potato salad, pickled vegetables, mushrooms, caviar, and wonderful dark bread.
Don't forget dessert: bliny, ponchiki (doughnuts), kulich (rum cake) and ice cream.
Payment
In top restaurants you will likely be able to pay with credit cards. At smaller cafes and restaurants, you will probably have to pay with rubles.
Drinking in Russia
We'll get to the vodka later but first, know that Russians love to drink tea (chai). With samovars boiling away in offices and train compartments and lots of other places too, Russians drink tea all day long.
Vodka is a popular drink, and comes plain but also flavored: lemon, cranberry, herbs. It's hard to keep up with a Russian drinker so you may not want to try.
Beer (pivo) is also popular. Russian brands include Tinkov pilsner , Baltika, Stepan Rizan, Nevskoye, Klinskoye, and Tolstiyak. A low-alcohol beer is called kvas.
Russia also produces wine, with three million acres of vineyards. Russian wines aren't for everyone, as they can tend to have concentrated fruity flavors and some are rather sweet. While you're in Russia, you may want to try the wine of former Soviet republics, such as Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine. Popular white wines are the Anapa Riesling, Tsinandali, and Gourdzhuani. Reds are Saperavi and Mukuzani.
Tipping
Tipping has not yet become an expected norm in restaurants around Russia, although at better restaurants and cafes, you will find that patrons will do so. However, a normal rate has not been really established yet, so many people leave between five and ten percent, or more depending on the service. At not so fancy restaurants or cafes, you can round up the bill. Some restaurants will add service to your bill, so check first before you tip, and feel free not to tip at all if you believe the service doesn't deserve it. If there is a cloakroom where you need to leave your coat, there may be a sign telling you the amount to release your belongings. Otherwise, leave a few rubles or a dollar. Russia Travel Guide Index
Profile of Russia
City Profile: Moscow
City Profile: St. Petersburg
Before You Go
Need to Know
Money Matters
Intercity Travel
City Transit
Driving
Health and Safety
Lodging
Dining and Drinking
Communications
Shopping
Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About New Video iPod - Review POLL: Must-Have Gadgets VIDEO: Portable Gaming VIDEO: Choosing a TV Hugh Hefner's Life What's Hot Krakow Photo Gallery Profiles of Eastern Europe Moscow City Profile Czech Republic Photo Gallery - Charles Bridge and castle Sofia's Religous Buildings
golf vacations to Scotland,
Scotland Golf Ireland Golf British Open Golf Vacation Packages Pebble Beach Golf Ryder Cup Augusta National Masters Golf Tournament. [-SITEMAP-] WHY CHOOSE SGH GOLF? SGH Golf offers the finest golf vacations to Scotland, Ireland, Spain, the Masters Golf Tournament, British Open, Ryder Cup, Pebble Beach Golf Courses, and more! Please look through our website, as we are confident you will find a golf vacation destination to fulfill your dreams. SGH Golf will customize your vacation, sales meeting, or incentive trip to meet your specific needs. Whether you are planning to travel alone, with a few friends, or in a large group, SGH Golf will arrange your vacation and give you the special attention to detail you deserve. This individual attention has continually attracted people to SGH Golf for over 20 years and keeps them coming back! Why choose SGH Golf? Our courteous staff has many years of experience in the golf travel industry and it is our pleasure to assist you with your golf vacation plans. We take pride in our work as it provides our clients with memories to last a lifetime. We realize that you, the customer, are our most important asset. 100% customer satisfaction is our goal. Give us a call when you are ready to start planning and the rest is easy! Golf Scotland, Ireland golf, golf St. Andrews, Augusta National Masters Golf Tournament, Pebble Beach golf vacations, Ryder Cup packages and the British Open Golf Tournament are just some of the destinations and tournaments SGH Golf can arrange for you. We also arrange all trips to Scotland, Ireland, England, Spain, Portugal, The Masters Tournament, PGA Ryder Cup, British Open, US Open, Las Vegas, Pebble Beach, Palm Springs, Scottsdale, Arizona, Florida, Hilton Head, Charleston, and Mexico, just to name a few. Just imagine taking a golf vacation package or trip to some of the following courses all listed in the top 100 courses in the world. Scotland: St. Andrews Old Course, Muirfield, Royal Dornoch, Turnberry Ailsa, Carnoustie, Royal Troon, Kingsbarns, Loch Lomond, and Cruden Bay. Ireland: Royal County Down, Ballybunion Old Course, Royal Portrush, Portmarnock, and Lahinch. England: Royal St. Georges, Royal Birkdale, Sunningdale Old Course, Woodhall Spa, Royal Liverpool, Ganton, Wentworth, and Walton Heath. Spain: El Saler, Valderrama, and Sotogrande. Portugal: San Lorenzo. Alternatively, how about a golf vacation package in the US playing some of the top 100 courses such as: Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, TPC at Sawgrass, Shadow Creek, Spyglass Hill, Harbour Town, and Kiawah Island. We encourage you to experience all that this great game can offer, be it teeing off at St Andrews Old Course or watching the final match at the Ryder Cup. Take it from us, a one week golf vacation package will make for a lifetime of memories!! Intl. Offices: Glasgow, Scotland. Dublin, Ireland. Marbella, Spain. USA: South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, Arizona, Colorado Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions © 2006 SGH Golf Inc. - 9403 Kenwood Road, Suite C110 - Cincinnati, Ohio 45242-9921 - Tel: 1.800.284.8884
Spain Travelogues for Spain
Spain Travel Pictures | Spain Travel Photos Spain Travel resources, links and information for Spain. Click on the thumbnails to read stories and see travel pictures. Book your hotel Book a hotel in Spain Book a hostel Book Youth hostels in Spain Fly your way! Book your flight to Spain online - saving 40% or more! Other countries: Andorra Austria Bulgaria Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Italy Liechtenstein Lithuania Malta Monaco Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Sweden Switzerland The Netherlands Turkey United Kingdom Vatican City More than just paella and corrida de toros, Spain to me is mainly a country of fast pace in the cities and slow pace in the villages. Madrid is top of the list where it comes to night life. Barcelona boasts an authentic city centre, art in its architecture. And the South houses the most Arabian influence of Europe. Stories and pictures: Barcelona Madrid Plazas Madrid Decorations Madrid Parks Gaudí Rambla Barceloneta New Year 2002 Rastro flea market Sagrada Familia San Antonio de la Florida Montjuïc Paseo de la Castellana 11 March Girona Eixample Aranjuez Latina Sant Pere Useful travel links: Book your hotel in Spain Weather Lonely Planet Learn Spanish in Spain Travelogues for Spain Currency exchange Many more links on Spain ! Suggest a site Go directly to: Africa Asia Europe North America Oceania South America Join our mailinglist: If you want to be updated about developments at Around the World in 80 Clicks, subscribe! Your E-mail address: Travel Forum Join others in discussions on Europe Also on this site: read and sign the guestbook send us your suggestions ! send this site to a friend read about the background of this site publications on this site meet new friends for travel, dating or just fun! Around the World in 80 Clicks All rights reserved - www.traveladventures.org - 1999-2005 Share your comments
Vacation Package Offers New
Northwest Airlines Promotions & Products Current Promotions " Fare Promotions WorldPerks Travel Offers WorldPerks Partner Offers Vacation Package Offers New Routes nwa.com Direct via RSS NWA Products " Business Services " Biz Perks Event Travel " Welcome to nwa.com. Please log in to access your account information. Logout of WorldPerks-- Add RSS Feeds Vacation Package Offers Whether it's a weekend escape or a two-week adventure, at NWA WorldVacations, we make your vacation planning easy. Plan your next custom vacation package online with NWA WorldVacations: Create a package to meet your needs. Reserve your airfare, car, hotel and activities all in one place. Earn WorldPerks Bonus Miles with the purchase of air and hotel packages. Check out these great WorldVacation Offers: Hit the Slopes with NWA WorldVacations Ski Packages Celebrate the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong from $1054 Lower rates with Alamo and National SkyTeam Europe Pass--the best way to visit Europe View all WorldVacations Offers CyberSaver Packages make spontaneous weekend getaways affordable and easy! We combine our own last-minute flight deals with discounted hotels, cars, and more from the industry's leading travel suppliers, resulting in tremendous savings. Book your CyberSaver Package anywhere between 14 days and 3 hours prior to departure and enjoy your getaway! Get Away This Weekend For Under $300 with CyberSaver Packages View All CyberSaver Packages Need ideas? Sun & Beach Under $300 Romance Top Sellers International Food & Wine CyberSaver Packages Terms and Conditions Prices shown are roundtrip in USD for one adult based on double occupancy and include all applicable taxes and fees. We have set aside an adequate number of rooms and aircraft seats, but they may go quickly. Prices may change. The price listed on the site is the most current. The only price changes you may experience from those listed on the site will be from options that you decide to change, such as your travel dates, number of travelers, departure city, and your choice of flight, hotels or other items. Rest assured that the total price of your travel package will be updated and displayed to you prior to purchase. Also, remember that you may incur other charges while traveling that are not included in the package price, such as hotel extra-person or extra-bed charges, resort fees, gratuities, hotel energy surcharges, parking fees, telephone fees, room service, movies, mini-bar, or rental car insurance, gasoline, and other incidentals. All packages have limited availability. Text Only Version Add RSS Feeds © Northwest Airlines 2005
Travel Guide
Guatemala Travel Information | Lonely Planet Destination Guide worldguide | shop | thorn tree forum | travel services | travel ticker | theme guides | on the road | postcards | travel links : Explore Guatemala Guatemala Guatemala gives you a double-flavour shot of central America. At a Glance Fast Facts WORLDGUIDE Introduction Background Info See Image Gallery Transport Money RELATED Thorn Tree Forum Postcards Travel Links View Map Click here Feature Attraction Semuc Champey Semuc Champey is famed for its great natural limestone bridge, 300m (990ft) long, on top of which is a stepped series of pools with cool, flowing river ... more Despite its turmoil, travellers flock to Guatemala because it offers Central America in concentrated form: its volcanoes are the highest and most active, its Mayan ruins the most impressive, its earthquakes the most devastating and its history of repression decidedly world-class. Hurricane damage/Safety Issues for Foreigners In the wake of Hurricane Stan, which caused severe flooding and wiped out entire villages, Guatemala is now facing a severe food shortage. Travellers are advised to research the current situation before planning trips across the country. Travel in Guatemala is generally safe, but a relatively high level of violent crimes are committed against foreigners. Vehicle-jackings are almost an everyday occurrence, especially in Guatemala City. Intercity travel after sunset should be avoided. SPONSORED LINKS Enquire Accomodation Reviews Find Lonely Planet author reviewed places to stay * Required Fields Country * Please select Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Canada China Cuba Czech Republic Denmark Egypt England Estonia Finland France Germany Hungary Iceland India Ireland Israel & the Palestinian Territories Italy Japan Malaysia Mexico Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Poland Portugal Russia Scotland South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden Taiwan Thailand Turkey USA United Arab Emirates Vietnam City * Please select Travel Services · Flights · Hostels · Hotels · Travel Insurance More Services › Disclaimer: We've tried to make theinformation on this web site as accurate as possible, but it isprovided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injuryor inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information.You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety,customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before youtravel. text & images © lonely planet 2005 about us | privacy | feedback | advertising FAQs worldguide | shop | thorn tree forum | travel services | travel ticker | theme guides | on the road | postcards | travel links