Lots of tourists and businessmen come to Minsk every day for different purposes such as work, travel and leisure. Lunches with business partners, late evening dinners, dates with beautiful ladies – day schedule for guests of our city.
If you just walk around the city center, your eyes will meet 100+ different cafes, bars, pubs and restaurants. The only one problem you might face, while choosing a place to eat in downtown is: there are just too many places to choose from. Minsk is outstanding for being international (including different countries’ cuisines). So, to get started choose the type of food you want to eat.
We will give you some useful tips for choosing a place to have dinner.
1. Local food
If you are at your first time traveler to Belarus, you for sure have to taste Belarusian cuisine. You could easily break the stereotype that all Belarusian dishes are made of potatoes. One of the best places of that type is Expedition (that actually, has come to us from Russia). But in Belarus it has got our traditional color – at the same time, you can find Russian northern and Belarusian dishes on the menu. Nice, cozy and extraordinary place with a warm atmosphere and smiling personnel. Other Belarusian restaurants in the downtown – Talaka, Kamianitsa, Radzivilovski, Syabri are also good places to dine.
2. Italian cuisine
Lately, “Italian fever” can be noticed in our country, it means fashion for “everything a-la italiano”: restaurants of Italian cuisine, cafes with Italian names and pizza-houses. Almost in every menu of the restaurants downtown, you will see Italian dishes on the menu. But people say that “only Italian can cook original Italian food,because it’s an Art, it’s in the blood!” That’s why there are only 3 places with original Italian food in Minsk - Falcone, Poyuschie Fontany and Grand Cafe, but if you are not able to afford an extremely expensive bill it’s better to choose something simpler. News Café, for instance, is a very accurate place with really well-done Italian dishes and pleasant atmosphere.
3. Asian food
The eastern cuisine became very popular here lately. I can give you a guarantee, that you will not be disappointed by visiting such places as Taj and Dzhomalungma. Very traditional eastern atmosphere, music and interior bring you on a tour to some eastern country for an hour. And chicken curry with rice in Taj is, without any doubt, the best Indian dish you can try in Minsk.
4. Georgia and Armenia
There are some other unique places in Minsk that I would like to tell you about. Not long ago, near the Victory square, a new restaurant of Georgian cuisine was opened. The first thing you notice when you enter the restaurant is that interior is very traditional and all the tables are in a way isolated, so you can feel yourself in privacy. You can enjoy wonderful voice, singing Georgian songs, drink original Georgian wine and try real kebab. Don’t be shy to order special Georgian dishes, a kind waiter, wearing Georgian costume, will help you and explain how to taste it. Armenian cuisine and the best meat dishes in Minsk you will certainly find in Hutorok restaurant. It is a little far from the city center, but trust me, it’s worth taking a taxi and go there. You can even find Uzbekistan restaurant Bukhara here. Your eyes will meet very bright colors of interior and the atmosphere of fun. But make sure you will not start to have a headache!
5. French!
And, of course, don’t forget to impress your guests or business partners, inviting them to a very unique place – small Paris right in the heart of Minsk, named La Dame De Pique. It is a really outstanding and elite place, with very classical and rich interior design, French music and extremely delicious unusual food.
To make a short summary, we would like to say that in Minsk, everyone can find something for his own taste, or to open something completely new. Just make sure, that you have a very nice company with you and ... that you have ordered the table! Bon appétit!
By Ina Oiestad
