Simferopol Restaurants

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We arrived to the Simferopol' railway station approximately one hour prior to our train's departure. It was about 1.30 in the afternoon. We had already known that there was no restaurant in our train. Therefore it was necessary to have dinner before we get the train. We understood that some time we had to wait for dish preparing in a restaurant. Therefore we chose for a dinner a small cafe which was directly on a platform sideways from the station and had some food ready.

Stewed meat with potato, tomatoes, garlic and onions, prepared in a clay pot quite suited us as a snack to a bottle of local vodka. Five portions of meat cost us about 100 grivnas ($20). A bottle of vodka and a liter of juice cost 25 grivnas ($5). Being full and slightly drunk we have gone to a train.

The English speaking waiter was Viktor. I was priveleged to be served by him on 25 August 2006. However he told me that he was retiring on 31 August 2006 "to go home and read some more English books". The old Soviet style Moskva Hotel restaurant is being closed on 1 November 2006 so this fantastic Soviet period piece restaurant will be no more!

While there are a few decent lunchtime restaurants downtown in the pedestrian shopping area, this cafe is head-and-shoulders above all the other eateries. The interior reminds you of a chic cafe in Paris and is decorated very nicely. The location, in my mind, is what really makes this place top-notch. It is located right across the street from the best movie theater in town and the Circus (live events). In the evenings, there is no better place to take a date or just kill some time than here. One word of warning though - on the menu there is an apple cake dessert that they list as a "house specialty". While it is presented very well, with ice cream and artistic chocolate decoration, the cake itself was very dry and did not have very much apple taste to it. Everything else was quite fantastic.

Favorite Dish: The grilled chicken dinner

This place serves a wide variety of coffee and tea drinks. However, their breakfast menu is fairly limited and you can just ignore the street signs about the full, fixed-price breakfast. You can find better.

Word is that this is the hangout for the journalistic crown in Simferopol. The cafe has both inside and outside seating as well as some live music in the evenings. The "retro" tag is there to remind you of perhaps some kind of cafe life in Paris a hundred years ago. Lots of choices on the menu and reasonably priced. Find a warm summer evening and make use of the outdoor tables.

Favorite Dish: The chicken pizza, personally sized of course. My dining partner swears by the mineral water "Mirgorodska", which you can order here.

While technically the other top restaurant in town (along with Chistiye Prudy), this one has the possibility to rise above all others if you prefer fine French food. Your bill could also rise, if you order some of the rarer dishes (certain kinds of seafood, rabbit, etc.). It has a very nice atmosphere and I'm sure they get their share of high rollers on business lunches during the week. While my tastes don't run too far in the French direction, if you are a fan of the cuisine, this place is definitely for you.

Favorite Dish: Although it sounds a little weird, I liked their Jambalaya. I'm used to ordering it in Creole places here in the states, but they do it up right with the best ingredients.

This is perhaps one of two "high-priced" restaurants in town and you will absolutely need a reservation in the evenings and on weekends. Also be aware that their main dining area is used for a lot of wedding parties on Fridays and Saturdays. The service is absolutely perfect and the food is fantastic. Even a 5, 6, or 7 course meal here will only dent your wallet for $20 or less. If you are in Simferopol be sure to take time out to sample the best of what the city has to offer. Play your cards right and you might be rubbing elbows with local government officials and rich businessmen.

Favorite Dish: While it's only a precursor to the main course, the borshch here is simply fantastic. Be sure to order a bowl if you get the chance!

The Chinese food here is quite good, although you may be hard pressed to find too many of the choices you are familiar with back in the States. The dark sauces have more of a thicker consistency and overall I found the food to be a bit saltier than back home, but keep in mind they cook to the Ukrainian taste. I enjoyed the Kung Pao chicken (Gung Bao) and sweet and sour pork. Won't find too many beef dishes, but that's normal in this area. They have a ton of different kinds of teas.

Favorite Dish: The "taste of Buddha" tea, on a cold fall evening.