The most expensive meal of the trip was at a nice looking cafe type that served Russian cuisine. They like to source local ingredients and impressively pay credit to them throughout the menu. The English-speaking staff were pleasant.
I had my first taste of honey wine/beer, which was quite sweet, very nice, and not beer-ish at all (great for me).
- Borsch (with beef from Ksenia Petukhova with green onion & sour cream) 650rub - sweet with soft beef;
- Haunch of Deer (with red & black ashberry) 1050rub - I ordered rare and it was served largely medium or more. I didn't really feel like complaining, but was overcooked for my liking. Strangely also my friend ordered the same and received a bigger piece that was more medium-rare. Moderate game flavour. Ok overall. Probably should have sent it back...;
- Zander steak from 'LavkaLavka' fisherman (with chatney from vegetables) - excellent fish like cod. Good strong flaking texture held well.
There were oddly no sides or salads to pick and the mains didn't come with much either.
Dessert was a traditional 8-layer honey cake, two sorbets of blackberry and beetroot (great) and a strange herby sorrel on a fennel crumb.
The food was ok overall. For the price, I much prefer the simpler foods of Georgian. Modern Russian isn't really my thing.