Belarusian & Slavonic food
The position of a venue in the list below roughly corresponds with the it’s distance from the city centre, the definition of the city centre being that part of Prospekt Nezavismosti that runs from Ploshad Nezavisimosti (Independence Square) to Ploshad Octyabrskoy (October Square).
Pechki Lavochki (Печки Лавочки)
Prospekt Nezavisimosti 22 (Проспект Независимости 22)
08:00-24:00 daily
A Belarusian restaurant with a rural theme, it’s all geared up for foreign visitors and most of them leave with a full stomach and a smile on their face. A good place to sample Draniiki potato pancakes and Solyanka, a modern, meaty soup with lemon and olives. English language menu. Recommended.
Mirski Zamak (Мирский Замак)
Gorodskoy Val 8 (Городской Вал 8)
12:00-24:00 Sun-Thurs, 12:00-02:00 Fri, Sat
Filling meaty Belarusian dishes in comfortable surroundings just off Prospekt Nezavisimosti and arguably the best Belarusian food in town. The ‘Old Belarusian Cusine’ dishes are recommended. My personal favourite is ‘zharentka in a pot’, pork and potatoes served in a ceramic pot with a bread lid. The restaurant takes it’s name from Mir Castle. English language menu. Recommended.
Hotel Oktyabrskaya
Engelsa 13 (Энгельса 13)
12:00-16:00 daily
Every lunchtime you can enjoy a classic Soviet canteen menu in the classic Soviet décor of this city centre hotel at very proletarian prices. Have a pork cutlet with milky mash and gherkins washed down with a glass of kompot for as little as 6,000br.
Gostini Dvor (Гостиный Двор)
Sovetskaya 17 (Советская 17)
12:00-24:00 daily
The grandest surroundings in Minsk and some of the grandest prices too can be found in this spotless medieval cellar restaurant down a staircase near the Red Church on Independence Square. The food and the service is fantastic but if you don’t speak Russian you’ll need to be aware that the English language menu doesn’t have any prices. The waitress told me that they don’t have any plans to change this policy.
Kulinariya (Кулинария)
Internatsionalnaya 11 (Интернациональная 11)
09:00-21:00 daily
This superb little shop offers good quality Belarusian food to eat in or take- home. If you’re in a hurry or on a budget you can have a tasty, filling meal here in no time and for only a few roubles. Note that they charge extra for the plastic plates and cutlery that they’ll serve your meal with and there are signs in Russian asking you to put these in the bin when you’ve finished. Recommended.
Pan Xmelo (Пан Хмелю)
Internatsionalnaya 11 (Интернациональная 11)
12:00-02:00 daily
Good food in formal surroundings. Not exactly the place to let your hair down but certainly the place to go if you want a romantic meal and a good selection of fish dishes. English language menu.
Grunwald (Грюнвальд)
Karl Marksa 19 (Карла Маркса 19)
12:00-24:00 daily
In Summer there is an outdoor seating area in this quiet city centre street. In winter move inside to its small restaurant with a decent menu of local specialities including the popular Myaso po Frantsuzki or French-style meat, which is grilled pork covered in tomatoes and melted cheese. The dearest place to eat on Karl Marx Street but one of the best.
Minski Brovar (Минский Бровар)
Kiseleva 30 (Киселева 30)
12:00-17:00, 18:00-23:00 daily
A restaurant in a brewery. Fresh beer and great value filling food mean that this place is always a good option. The menu is only in Russian and the staff don’t speak a word of English but after a couple of beers you’ll be fluent.
Stari Gorod (Старый Город)
Bogdonovicha 19 (Богдановича 19)
12:00-24:00 daily
Traditional Belarusian food in the old town, with a nice terraced area open in summer. A decent menu and reasonable prices. Only some of the menu is in English.
Gurman (Гурман)
Kommunisticheskaya 7 (Коммунистическая 7)
08:00-23:00 daily
Pelmeni (Slavonic ravioli served with a choice of garnish) was always this restaurant’s speciality and they still have a separate pelmeni menu. However they have branched out to such an extent that they now serve six types of curry, making this a rare outlet for Indian cuisine in the city. It’s a friendly place, popular with senior figures in the media, in a quiet area behind the ballet & opera theatre. Prices are higher than average but it’s usually worth it. Also a good choice for breakfast. English language menu. Recommended.
Staroe Ruslo (Старое Русло)
Ulyanovskaya 7 (Ульяновская 7)
12:00-23:00 daily
Minsk’s other micro-brewery, the home of Beaver beer, is very under-rated. Maybe it’s the rather drab looking building and the location on a patch of wasteland 200 metres from the Dynamo Stadium. Once inside however it’s a splendid place with three brews, including a dark, to sample and an excellent menu that includes most Belarusian favourites. English language menu.
Lido (Лидо)
Prospekt Nezavisimosti 49 (Проспект Независимости 49)
11:00-23:00 daily
Part of a Latvian chain, this self-service café, full of cosy corners, is always packed at lunchtimes and early evenings. There’s masses of food to choose from so it’s best to have a little browse first. On Ploshad Yakub Kolas.
Rakovski Brovar (Раковский Бровар)
Vitebskaya 10 (Витебская 10)
12:00-24:00 daily
A Minsk institution. Some of the best beer in town can be found at this vast restaurant / micro-brewery hidden away in a street behind the Nemiga shopping centre. The first floor is split into dining areas with different themes and there’s a mezzanine floor upstairs plus an outside area in summer. It’s usually busy here and in the evenings there’s always a good atmosphere. The extensive menu includes plenty of Belarusian favourites. Certainly not the cheapest place in town but well worth a visit. English language menu. Recommended.
Maksi Bis (Макси Бис)
Prospekt Pobediteley 1 (Проспект Победителей 1)
8:00-23:00 daily
This self-service café, popular with locals at lunchtime, offers cheap Belarusian food in simple, bright surroundings. The tasty dishes are often as good as anything you’ll find in a pricey restaurant.
Traktir na Parkovoy (Трактир на Парковой)
Prospekt Pobediteley 11 (Проспект Победителей 11)
12:00-24:00 daily
This could and should be one of the best venues in town. A Belarusian restaurant with a rural theme running throughout, it offers such delights as potato dumplings with pork and mushrooms, boiled tongue and lots of shashlik. Foreigners visitors are drawn to it. My personal experience however is that on three visits spanning 11 years the staff have consistently been the worst in town with little interest in their customers. English language menu.
Prospekt (Просрект)
Prospekt Pobediteley 17 (Проспект Победителей 17)
11:00-17:30, 18:00-23:00 daily
An authentic Soviet state-subsidised canteen in the heart of the city. It’s self-service so you can point at what you want. Food is served behind the wall at the rear of the canteen and the entrance is on the right hand side. Here you can have a soup, salad, main course and desert for as little as 8,000br.
U Fontana (У Фонтана)
Prospekt Pobediteley 23 (Проспект Победителей 23)
12:00-23:00 daily from May-October
Not to be confused with the hotel of the same name, this summer bar has a series of cosy wooden drinking areas around a fountain. They also cook shashlik here for 5,000br per 100 grams and have regular live music. Admission is 2-3,000br depending on the day of the week. The toilets aren’t free either, unless you can slip into the adjacent building, where there are toilets on each floor.
Spadchina (Спадчина)
Prospekt Pobediteley 23 (Проспект Победителей 23)
12:00-24:00 Sun-Thurs, 12:00-01:00 Fri, Sat
Through the doors, up the stairs, along the corridor with some nice scenes of Minsk in the 1950s and eventually you arrive at Spadchina. More of a banqueting hall than a restaurant, and popular for weddings, it nevertheless has plenty of decent Belarusian food at reasonable prices and the best table cloths in town.
Sem komnat (Семь Комнат)
Prospekt Masherova 19 (Проспект Машерова 19)
12:00-01:00 daily
The Seven Rooms is a cosy and relaxing place to dine with plenty of sofas accompanied by other more formal eating areas. The extensive menu is in English but the translations are pretty woeful. If you’re drinking vodka then go for the Belarusian Bulbash brand which costs a fraction of the price of the imported brands.
Chumatski Shlyah (Чумацкий Шлях)
Myasnikova 34 (Мясникова 34)
12:00-24:00 daily
Decked out in a style that represents oldy-worldy rural Ukraine, this place offers plenty of traditional Slavonic dishes at reasonable prices although the English translations are a bit hit and miss.
Matilda (Матилда)
Kalinina 7 (Калинина 7)
11:00-23:00 daily
A summer evening spent in the garden at Matilda is one of the best dining experiences in Minsk. The garden is dotted with cosy wooden dining areas, there’s an excellent menu and the prices are more than reasonable. It’s about ten minutes walk from Park Cheluskintsev metro station. Take the road to the right of the statue of Mr Kalinin. Recommended.
Evro Pit (Евро Пит)
Prospekt Nezavisimosti 76 (Проспект Независимости 76)
09:00-23:00 daily
Behind the gaudy blue and yellow façade is a simple café selling Belarusian-style pizza. The menu on the counter contains pictures of the eight or so pizzas that they do and none will cost more than 8,000br. Like the Skazochni Zamak opposite, this place is popular with students and families on low incomes.
Skazochni Zamak (Сказочный Замок)
Prospekt Nezavisimosti 83 (Проспект Независимости 83)
09:00-22:00 daily
Fighting it out with Evro Pit opposite in the Belarusian-style pizza stakes (small, chunky and covered in mayo) this place has a more Soviet feel to it and therefore offers greater street cred.
Leo
Prospekt Nezavisimosti 84a (Проспект Независимости 84a)
12:00-16:00, 17:00-24:00 daily
One of Prospekt Nezavisimosti’s ugliest buildings is home to this Soviet-era restaurant and popular wedding venue. Unless you’re running for shelter from rain there’s no reason why you would want to choose these rather desolate surroundings over the shashlik fest at Park Cheluskintsev next door.
Stolovaya 27 (Столовая 27)
Prospekt Nezavisimosti 87 (Проспект Независимости 87)
10:00-18:00
The name translates as Canteen No.27. It’s a no frills state run eatery offering filling four course meals for as little as 8,000br. Pick up a tray, join the queue and point at what you want if you can’t speak Russian. Perfect if you’re on a tight budget. These places exist to feed the masses and the fare on offer is the same as you’ll find in any factory canteen.
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