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Ekaterinburg Restaurants and Cafes.
Restaurants.
CCCP.
A great restaurant full of Soviet-era kitsch. Quite a classy place, but not over-priced, itÕs well worth a visit. CCCPÕs menu features a mix of Russian, European and, strangely enough, Japanese meals.
Main courses cost 350-400 rubles ($13-$15) while salads and soups are about 200 rubles ($7.40). The meals are very tasty and there are some original offerings on the menu. The interior is quite subdued, though stylish, and is livened up by the cool Soviet memorabilia along the walls. Waiters will be eager to offer you their English menu but probably wonÕt understand you when you order from it so you might have to translate the English meal names back into Russian. CCCP has live music or comedy shows on some nights.
Address: Pervomaiskaya Ul., #27. Tel: 350-5246. Website: www.cccp-r.ru. Open 24 hours.
Monetny Dvor.
Monetny Dvor is a German/Russian joint with the obligatory German sausages and beer snacks accounting for a large portion of the menu.
Housed in an authentic old workshop, the restaurant has an atmospheric and cozy interior. The summer veranda has a view onto the Iset, which is no more than a trickle of water in this area of town, and the Historical Square. But thereÕs so much noise in the area that itÕs not all that nice outside. Good-looking waitresses whose appearances are enhanced by their German costumes provide attentive service. Food is fairly cheap at about $10 for a main course and beer starting at $2.50 for the local brew. Credit cards accepted.
Address: Gorkogo Ul., #4. Tel: 371-2475. Open 11:00-0:00.
Zen.
What a delightful surprise this Chinese restaurant is. Zen has a cool interior and chilled-out atmosphere, enhanced by the fountain in the middle of the restaurant.
The prices are so low and the meals so tasty that they can be forgiven for doing the standard Russian thing and including a sushi menu. A main course costs about 250 rubles ($9.20) and an average bill only comes to about 500 rubles ($18.50). The meals are actually spicy, which is generally unheard of in Chinese restaurants in Russia, and they give little, complimentary snacks. On the downside it took an unbearably long time for the meal to come and they brought the wrong thing. But everything else was so good that this can be forgiven.
Address: Dekabristov Ul., #14. Tel: 254-7041. Open 12:00-0:00.
Uralskiye Pelmeny.
This quaint restaurant serves Russian, Georgian and Uzbek cuisine.
Not sure what they were trying to represent with the interior which is punctuated by oversized flowers, uncomfortable, wooden furniture and decrepit brick walls.
Maybe itÕs meant to be a cross between the three nationalities. At any rate, itÕs interesting enough to catch your attention. The Georgian and Uzbek meals are done in a separate part of the restaurant with waiters and table cloths and all those other things. The Russian food is served cafeteria style, something like Mu-Mu, where you choose the dishes you want from a smorgasbord, and pay at the end of the buffet. The Russian food is nothing special but it fills, the ingredients are fresh and itÕs cheap ø you can load up your tray for less than $10. The Georgian and Uzbek side of the restaurant has some tastier offerings for slightly higher prices.
Address: Prospekt Lenina, #69/1. Tel: 350-7150. Open 11:00-23:00.
MammaÕs Biscuit House.
Great as a late-night refuge, as a cheap restaurant, or for a coffee and cake pick-me up at
any time of day or night. MammaÕs Biscuit House is a wonderful place with over 100 different cakes available at an average price of 100 rubles ($3.70). The milkshakes are great and the coffees are respectable for the 70 ruble ($2.60) price tag. The also do main courses of European extraction for 150-200 rubles ($5.50-$7.40). Moreover there are breakfasts for just 65 rubles ($2.40) and business lunches for 120 rubles ($4.40).With a wonderful location right in the center on one of EkaterinburgÕs main streets, MammaÕs Biscuit House is convenient as well. ThereÕs nothing special about the interior or atmosphere but the service is quite efficient and the decor is nice enough.
Address: Prospekt Lenina, #26. Tel: 371-0012. Open 24 hours.
Bars.
GordonÕs Scottish Music Pub.
A great place to go for a drink. GordonÕs has a very authentic pub atmosphere.
ItÕs a lively place but at the same time itÕs an easy-going establishment where itÕs possible to relax. ItÕs not uncommon to see the carefree clientele take to the dance floor even on a quiet night. On the downside GordonÕs is overpriced. Beers are all around 180 rubles ($6.60) since theyÕre all imported varieties, while spirits cost about 200 rubles ($7.40). The food is overpriced as well with an unjustifiable average of about 500 rubles ($18.50) for a main course. The pub validates its name by hosting live music on Friday and Saturday nights and playing pop songs accompanied by music videos on a large screen on other nights. GordonÕs seems rather proud of the rather unsurprising claim that it is Ōthe first Scottish pub in Ekaterinburg.Ķ The barmen wear kilts.
Address: Krasnoarmeiskaya Ul., #1. Tel: 355-4535. Open 12:00-2:00.
Old Dublin Irish Pub.
The Old Dublin Irish Pub has a slightly more audacious claim to fame than GordonÕs: Ōthe first and only Irish pub in the Urals.Ķ It seems to be the major hang-out for foreigners in Ekaterinburg though the actual number of foreigners present is quite low. Tables are crammed in so the pub can get quite crowded. Televisions above the bar broadcast sport and overall it has a genuine, cozy atmosphere. Beer is expensive as there are no local options. The cheapest on offer is Heineken at 149 rubles ($5.50) while Guinness costs 197 rubles ($7.30). Spirits cost between 150 and 200 rubles ($5.50-$7.40) although vodka is cheaper. Cocktails average about 150 rubles ($5.50). There is a decent business lunch on offer from 12pm-4pm daily for 185 rubles ($6.80). Otherwise mains cost between 250 ($9.20) and 690 rubles ($25.50) with an average of about 350 rubles ($13).
Address: Khokhryakova Ul., #23. Tel: 376-5173. Website: www.olddublin.ru.
The Rosy Jane English Pub.
ItÕs probably wrong to be listing so many foreign-themed places in Ekaterinburg, but it
wouldnÕt be fair to include the Scottish and Irish varieties and leave out the English one. So whatÕs the difference? This one is open 24 hours, except for a Ōtechnical breakĶ from 4am-6am. And they have great English breakfasts for about $5. They call themselves a whisky bar as well as a pub and have 150 sorts of whisky to back it up. In the beer stakes there are 8 beers on tap plus 9 English ales, but again there are no local varieties so prices are high. Meals are around the $15 mark for main courses. There is live music on Friday nights.
Address: Prospekt Lenina, #34. Tel: 371-0607. Open 24 hours, more or less.
Tinkoff.
Similar to its brethren in various other Russian cities, although EkaterinburgÕs Tinkoff
distinguishes itself by its large stage, huge seating area and upstairs balcony level with even more tables. It also features one of the more impressive brewery displays of the Tinkoff restaurants with the kegs flaunted behind glass on the balcony level. Otherwise youÕre looking at the usual Tinkoff deal of seven regular micro-brewed beers (129r - $4.60) plus the special seasonally inspired beer (169r - $6). There are European and Japanese menus with an average main course costing 500-600r (around $20). The three course plus beer business lunch is, as always, good value at 249 rubles ($9.20). The Ekaterinburg outlet sometimes hosts some decent bands.
Address: Krasnoarmeiskaya Ul., #64. Tel: 378-4008. Website: www.tinkoff.ru. Open 12:00-2:00.
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