Fodor's Expert Review Staraya Ploshchad

Photographs of candelabra-filled imperial-era restaurants greet you in the foyer, and candlestick sconces and red velvet festoon the walls. Deferential white-shirted waiters serve Continental, Russian, and vaguely Asian cuisine, with such classics as salade Olivier (a mayonnaise-dressed salad of meat, potatoes, and lettuce) and a sumptuous crab gratin. The hot cherry pie here is a highly memorable dessert.