50. St. Petersburg Food #4 - Russian Restaurant Etiquette
I've tried numerous restaurants on Rubinshteyna Ulitsa, and also been to many others on or near the western half of Nevsky Prospekt while I'm out seeing the sights. I've also tried a variety of others scattered around the city center north and south of Nevsky as well as on the Petrograd side. Almost always for dinner on the weekends, and rarely for lunch. No matter the location or the cuisine, they all have many things in common.
Here are some of my observations about my experiences at Russian restaurants, plus some advice about how things work here:
01) The typical price for a full meal at nicer restaurants is 1000-1500 rubles (USD $18-$27). More or less equivalent to what I would expect to pay for an entree, appetizer, and drink in most cities in the United States.
02) Most staff speak at least a little bit of English, and everyone understands my small Russian vocabulary & pronunciation.
03) Just like in the United States, many restaurants try to send solo diners to the bar. I usually don't like eating at a bar so I'll request a table if the place isn't too full.
04) Most restaurants have an English menu available. Sometimes they bring it to you automatically, other times one must ask for it. Some menus are written in both English and Russian.
05) Tap water is unheard of - if you want to drink water, then you must order bottled water.
06) Bread is not complimentary as it is in the United States. At least half the time, the waiter or waitress is surprised when I decline the offer of bread. I get the impression that they think I forgot to order it.
07) Entrees do not generally come with a side dish as in the USA. If you want a "garnish" then you should order it separately.
08) Waiters usually ask whether you will be paying by cash or credit card before you've even seen the bill. That's because everyone uses hand held credit card machines that they bring to the table; they don't disappear with your card in the back room like most places do in the US. This may be due to the ubiquity of "chip and PIN" bank cards that require the customer to enter their code to authorize payment.
09) A tip is not necessarily expected during lunchtime. A tip of 5-10% is normal for dinner if the service was good.
10) Tips must be left on the table in cash; it's not possible to pay them via credit card or bank card.
Here are some of my observations about my experiences at Russian restaurants, plus some advice about how things work here:
01) The typical price for a full meal at nicer restaurants is 1000-1500 rubles (USD $18-$27). More or less equivalent to what I would expect to pay for an entree, appetizer, and drink in most cities in the United States.
02) Most staff speak at least a little bit of English, and everyone understands my small Russian vocabulary & pronunciation.
03) Just like in the United States, many restaurants try to send solo diners to the bar. I usually don't like eating at a bar so I'll request a table if the place isn't too full.
04) Most restaurants have an English menu available. Sometimes they bring it to you automatically, other times one must ask for it. Some menus are written in both English and Russian.
05) Tap water is unheard of - if you want to drink water, then you must order bottled water.
06) Bread is not complimentary as it is in the United States. At least half the time, the waiter or waitress is surprised when I decline the offer of bread. I get the impression that they think I forgot to order it.
07) Entrees do not generally come with a side dish as in the USA. If you want a "garnish" then you should order it separately.
08) Waiters usually ask whether you will be paying by cash or credit card before you've even seen the bill. That's because everyone uses hand held credit card machines that they bring to the table; they don't disappear with your card in the back room like most places do in the US. This may be due to the ubiquity of "chip and PIN" bank cards that require the customer to enter their code to authorize payment.
09) A tip is not necessarily expected during lunchtime. A tip of 5-10% is normal for dinner if the service was good.
10) Tips must be left on the table in cash; it's not possible to pay them via credit card or bank card.
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