slonik's Profile
Caviar & Vodka Tasting Experience in Moscow or St. Petersburg
Hi,
Caviar and vodka tasting sound like the kind of optional activities you could well be offered as part of your cruise.
If not, you could do some tasting in the vodka museum in Moscow http://www.vodkamuseum.ru/english/tavern/. It's near the Izmailovo market which is a good place to go for souveniers. Alternatively pick a traditional Russian drinking hole and sample their menu, eg the Ryumochnaya by the Conservatoire in Moscow http://mnweekly.ru/lifestyle/20090521/55377331.html
For caviar, the best, black caviar is extortionally expensive in restaurants, so I would suggest you DIY a tasting by visiting a supermarket and then finding a nice picnic spot. Get one tiny jar of black sturgeon caviar (2000 roubles and up), a jar/tin of red salmon caviar (200 roubles up) from behind the counter and then pick an assortiment of cheaper other caviar from the shelves.
Is Cafe Pushkin (Moscow) really that expensive?
Cafe Pushkin can easily be very expensive, but it does not have to be. A pot of tea is just 40 roubles for example, or a little over $1 at current exchange rates. Some main courses, including Russian dumplings (pelmeni) cost under $20, and the portions are pretty generous. So with a main course, a soft drink (or may be even a beer) and a tea, you can get away with $25 a head and still enjoy the decor, setting, very polite service etc. Of course you have to be careful - some dishes, especially those including caviar, are very expensive, and wine starts from around $10 a glass and sharply goes upwards (wine generally is very expensive in Russian restaurants). For a 3 course meal with some alcohol, I would allow $100 per person or more.
I am also told they do good value set lunches on week days, but am not sure of the prices.
pubs/bars in three locations [London]
In Holborn, I'd definitely vote for Princess Louise - it's run by the same company as Citi of Yorke, but has amazing art deco decor. There's no music so the noise shouldn't be an issue. http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/19/194/Princess_Louise/Holborn
Also, for a change from the pubs, there is a nice Polish bar just behind Holborn tube. http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/28/2827/Bar_Polska/Holborn
And if money really is no issue, the Chancery itself has a gorgeously glamorous bar called Pearl.
review on recent Bristol and London visit (long)
Sounds like you ended up at Hix Oyster and Chop House which has only recently opened. http://www.restaurantsetcltd.co.uk/ I agree that it's a bit pricey, as not nearly as good as the places greedygirl mentions.
London during the holidays - where to go? So many places closed! Please help...
Time Out published a list of restaurants opened on Christmas day in its last issue http://www.timeout.com/london/christmas/features/3836/London_restaurants_open_on_Christmas_Day_2007.html
I would probably recommend booking. Looking down the list, there are some pretty big name places open (eg Gordon Ramsay's Maze). I haven't been to a lot of the places mentioned, but of the ones I have been to would recommend Little Bay. It has very eccentric decor and a nice atmosphere.
