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Stroganoff Yard

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sararevell
sararevell
First Reviewer
3 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
Review
3
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Editor Pick

The Stroganov Yard Restaurant

  • August 6, 2007
  • Rated 3 of 5 by sararevell from London, United Kingdom
The Stroganov Yard Restaurant

Being in the auspicious location of the courtyard of the Stroganov Palace we thought what a better place to try some Chicken Kiev? Okay so we weren’t in Kiev but it was Easter Sunday and after a long day of walking, it sounded like a tasty meal.

Just off Nevsky Prospekt, I got the feeling that any pretense this restaurant affected to being high-class was just that: a facade. We had a fine time there but slow service and a lackluster buffet bar were indications that operations at the Stroganov Yard Restaurant were in need of an overhaul.

The courtyard restaurant is actually a tall marquee tent with a large operational fountain and spiral staircase in its centre. Wicker chairs and round tables comprise the dining area while low lounge chairs help make up a bar area of sorts. Overall I got the acute feeling of what it must be like to crash an expensive wedding reception.

We passed on the dinner buffet, which was on the far side of the marquee. I didn’t get a good view but I had a suspicion that the food had been sitting out for a good part of the day. We picked dishes from a mostly Russian menu although they offered a few pasta and pizza dishes for anyone looking for something more familiar. I started with their borscht topped with a dollop of sour cream and my husband tried their creamy salmon soup. Both soups were pretty good although my borscht was a little more watery than I’d been used to elsewhere. The Chicken Kiev was served with french fries and béchamel sauce. It wasn’t bad but lacked any particular culinary flair that would have made it fit for royalty, or a glowing review at the least.

We washed it down with some Nevskoe beer as a jazz trio set up in a nearby corner. Despite the true cheesiness of this small band, we felt compelled to stay and watch them for a while, firstly we had little choice because we had a long wait for our cheque, and secondly, the keyboard player looked so sad and morose we wanted to stay and see if he would ever break into a smile. (He didn’t.)

The restaurant is also known for its collection of tableside telephones, which enable you to dial up fellow diners at a numbered table. We only spied a handful of the phones and none of them were in use. I wondered if they got a better work out late at night and if it was an effective way to find a date.

Before we left, our cheery server brought us a couple of brightly coloured hard-boiled eggs in celebration of Easter and perhaps by way of an apology for the slow service. Not that we had minded in the end as it had been an entertaining way to spend the evening, and fairly inexpensive at $13 per head.

From journal St. Petersburg in all its Faded Glory

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