We had one experience in a Soviet cafe, when arriving into St. Petersburg at 0755am and needing to bide time with luggage until check-in at 1400pm. Other than a (very very) long cafe break for coffee and smoothies, this restaurant just before the embankment Moika had a genial atmosphere in an underground cavern.
- Pelmeni - chicken dumplings were ok. Sour cream added;
- Buckwheat was very nice. Onions, slightly sweet. Bit of texture remaining. Not mushy. Much better than that I made at home...;
- Mutton fillet braised with eggplants & celery 590rub - mutton, peppers, eggplant, all stirfried and nice and tender. The sauce had a slight sweetness I couldn't place.