2011 is coming to an end, and I must say I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten in as many Eastern European restaurants all in one year as I have in the past 12 (or 14) months! Here is a list of all my reviews, sorted by rating. As a reminder, I usually mention decor and service in my posts, but only the food is being rated.
Unlike most Best of/Worst of lists coming out these days, which concentrate on places that opened or were trendy this year, I just list places that I happened to visit. A few of them did open in 2011, but it’s not that important.
To separate the restaurants that I recommend from the ones that aren’t worth a special visit, I would draw a line around 6.5/10 — although restaurants rated at least 5/10 still offer some decent dishes if you’re in the mood for a particular ethnic cuisine. Any place with food rated below 5/10 is one you should really avoid, no matter what food you’re craving.
Recommended:
| Hospoda | 9/10 |
| Russian Samovar | 8/10 |
| Onegin | 7.5/10 |
| Korzo Haus | 7/10 |
| Chinar on the Island | 7/10 |
| Tbilisi | 6.5/10 |
| Andre’s Café | 6.5/10 |
| Karczma | 6.5/10 |
Not worth a special visit:
| Skovorodka | 6/10 |
| Tatiana Grill | 5.5/10 |
| Volna | 5.5/10 |
| Apsheron | 5.5/10 |
| Koliba | 5/10 |
Avoid:
| Le Soleil | 4.5/10 |
| Vernissage | 4/10 |
2 comments
I just discovered your website and have spent many happy hours literlly submerged in the joys of both your writing and my favorite subject- Eastern European cuisine. I can’t agree with you more on the restaurants that I have tried. I am on the fence about visiting Onegin. I adore Russian comfort food- it does not need to be innovative for me. But there is a level of service that is perfected in many restaurants in Russia nowadays that I do not see here and that can ruin the experience for me. If you are even in the Philadelphia area, you must try an Uzbeki restaurant called Uzbekiston Tandoori. While it is not perfect, it serves food that is carefully prepared without pretention.
Again, many thanks for the hours of enjoyment that your blog has brought. I look forward to your future reviews, recipes and experiences.
Glad you like my posts, Yelena! Speaking of Uzbek restaurants, I’ll be writing something about a place in Paris some time soon.