Leningrad was never a fine-dining destination, but St. Petersburg is becoming one in its democratic resurgence. Almost overnight, hundreds of new restaurants have sprung up. Russian cuisine is enjoying a domestic renaissance. The cuisines of neighboring Georgia and Azerbaijan are spicier than Russian or U.S. cooking (though not as spicy as, say, Mexico's), and are well worth trying.

Fast-food restaurants are now plentiful throughout St. Petersburg, especially in the city center and along Moscow Prospekt. McDonald's—once a novelty—is all over town, and KFCs are moving in, too. You can get a good meal at one of the Carroll's (a Finnish hamburger chain) as well as at one of the German-owned Grillmasters (hamburgers, pizzas, salads, a variety of meat dishes and cakes).

Beware of buying food and drink from street vendors and from the kiosks around Metro stations, as the quality and hygiene standards are both questionable. There have been many reports of people becoming seriously ill after eating food from street stands. Also avoid the restaurant at the Moscow train station unless you are absolutely famished, as the staff is notorious for ripping off tourists.

When eating out, be aware that many restaurants do not have everything that's listed on the menu. Do specify chisti stol (clean table) or you may find your table laden with expensive appetizers you didn't order and don't want. Waiters may try to slip you an extra salad, drink or plate of bread. Don't be shy about sending it back. And keep in mind that mistakes in figuring the tab—innocent or otherwise—are not infrequent. Don't be afraid to question any discrepancies you notice. The smoke level in restaurants can be a problem—Russians frequently smoke between courses, and a no-smoking section is not always available.

Reservations are a good idea at most restaurants. Credit cards are now widely accepted, particularly Visa. (American Express is only rarely usable.) But do double check before you order: Even restaurants displaying credit card signs may refuse your card—sometimes because of a temporary technical problem. You never know for certain what a restaurant's policy is going to be, so bring along plenty of rubles.

Below is a sampling of restaurants in town. Expect to pay within these general guidelines, based on the cost of dinner for one, not including drinks, tax or tip: $ = less than US$10; $$ = US$10-$20; $$$ = US$21-$40; $$$$ = US$41-$60; and $$$$$ = more than US$60.

FAVORITE RESTAURANTS

Academia—Typical European menu with some Russian embellishments. Live music and nightclub. Open daily noon-5 am. $$$$. Most major credit cards. Near the Palace Bridge. Birhevoi Proezd 2, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-327-8940 or 812-327-8942.

California Grill—Western-level service and food: barbecue, quesadillas, margaritas and terrific New York steaks. The famed 50-ruble meal is accompanied by fries, a Coke and a dish of ice cream. English spoken. Daily noon-midnight. $$. Most major credit cards. Nevsky Prospekt 176, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-274-2422.

City Restaurant—A student hangout with excellent European food and drinks at equally excellent prices. Wednesdays are official student nights: jazz and discounts on beer. On Saturdays, it's dance night with live music. $. Most major credit cards. Moika Reka Naberezhnaya 20, 2nd Floor, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-314-1037.

Dvorianskoe Gnezdo—Probably the best restaurant in town, this restaurant is located in the tea pavilion of the Yusupovsky Palace, formerly the home of one of the city's richest families. It's also the scene of the murder (by poisoning, stabbing and drowning) of the mad Siberian monk Rasputin. The Dvorianskoe Gnezdo is exquisitely decorated, expensive and serves wonderful food—oysters flown in fresh every day, for example, among many other delicacies. A cup of Royal Coffee is brewed at your table in a giant contraption of gold, glass tubes and Bunsen burners. There's also a very reasonable set lunch for US$35 a person. Daily noon-midnight. Reservations required. $$$$. Most major credit cards. Not far from the Mariinsky Theater. Ulitsa Dekabristov 21, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-312-3205.

Europa Restaurant—Located in the Grand Hotel Europe, the Europa is exquisite and expensive. Evenings the restaurant hosts live jazz or ballet performances. The Sunday jazz brunch is possibly the best on the planet—mounds of caviar, delicacies, champagne, entrees, desserts and fresh cheeses, all for US$45. Make a reservation and go! Breakfast 7-10:30 am, dinner 7 pm-midnight, Sunday brunch noon-3 pm. Reservations required. $$$. Most major credit cards. Mikhailovskaya Ulitsa 1-7, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-329-6000.

Federico Fellini—Decorators have re-created the film sets of Fellini's films in five dining rooms, and cooks prepare the favorite dishes of his stars. And the music? Soundtracks, of course (with a live classical singer Wednesday, Friday and Saturday). Open daily noon-1 am. $$. No credit cards. Malaya Koniushennaya 4/2, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-311-5078.

Tapas Bar—Television sets show only MTV all over this restaurant (outside seating available) with an otherwise Spanish-Portuguese atmosphere. Try the paella. Live music every night. Half price noon-6 pm. Open daily 11 am-5 am. $-$$. No credit cards. Nevsky Prospekt 53, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-113-1453.

Winter Garden—You can easily imagine yourself a member of the old Russian aristocracy as you listen to the harp music in the lavish dining room of the historic Astoria Hotel. The specialty is duck's breast with stewed savoy cabbage. For Sunday brunch (unlimited champagne and wine), the music changes to live jazz. The Winter Garden is also famous for its afternoon teas: hot sandwiches and many desserts. Open daily 10 am-11:30 pm; Sunday brunch noon-3:30 pm. $$$$-$$$$$. Most major credit cards. Bolshaya Morskaya Ulitsa 39, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-210-5815.

LOCAL AND REGIONAL SPECIALTIES

1001 Nights—Good Uzbek food, spicy and hot, in an exotic setting. A great taste of central Asia. $$. Cash only. Millionaya Ulitsa 21-6, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-312-2265.

1913—This cozy restaurant behind the Mariinsky Palace is one of the better-kept secrets of St. Petersburg. Elegant, yet affordable, with a giant menu and giant portions. Traditional Russian cuisine, plus some European samplings and lots of pasta and fish. Daily noon-1 am. $$. Most major credit cards. Voznesensky Prospekt 13, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-315-5148.

The Idiot—Another great place a few minutes' walk from St. Isaac's Ploshchad, The Idiot (named for Dostoyevsky's novel) is a vegetarian cafe, but not self-consciously so. They have great Russian fare—beet and potato salads, blini and pelmeni, mixed in with such Western goodies as garden salads, sweets and enormous cups of cappuccino. The cafe doubles as a used-book store. It's a favorite haunt of U.S. expatriates, who meet to play chess and backgammon, watch movies on a VCR and lounge about. Try the weekend breakfast specials. $$. Cash only. Naberezhnaya Reki Moika 82, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-315-1675.

Kalinka—Time-honored Russian cuisine, old-Russian hospitality, Russian folk music. (In other words, very Russian in general.) Open daily 1-11 pm. $$$. No credit cards. Syezdovskaya Linia 9, Vassilevsky Ostrov, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-323-3718.

Senat Bar—A huge imported-beer menu and a mishmash of Russian-, German- and American-style entrees make this a popular place. An evening walk to this restaurant from Nevsky Prospekt takes you past St. Isaac's Cathedral. Open daily 11 am-5 am. $$. Most major credit cards. Galernaya Ulitsa 1, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-314-9253.

Tandoor—A place popular with expats and knowledgeable Russians, this Indian restaurant provides fresh fare, attentive service and an intimate atmosphere. Open noon-11 pm. $$$. Most major credit cards. Between the Admiralty and St. Isaac's. Voznesensky Prospekt 2, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-312-3886.

U Petrovicha—True Russian specialties, such as elk, suckling pig and rabbit, in a cozy atmosphere. Daily noon-midnight. $$. Most major credit cards. Sredneokhtinsky Prospekt 44, St. Petersburg. Phone 812-227-2135.

ASIAN

Arirang—A terrific Korean restaurant, with a Korean cook from Seoul and karaoke every night. The dishes are still sizzling when they get to your table. $$$. Rubles only. Sovetskaya Ulitsa 8, phone 274-0466.

Chopstix—This is a fine Chinese restaurant, even by international standards. $$$. Most major credit cards. In the Grand Hotel Europe, Ulitsa Mikhailov 1/7, phone 329-6000.

FRENCH

Le Bistro Francaise—A decent, very comfortable French restaurant, under French management, with cozy atmosphere, friendly service and quality fare. The interior is welcoming and understated. Located down the street from the Senat Bar. $$$. Galernaya Ulitsa 20, phone 315-2465.

ITALIAN (INCLUDING PIZZERIAS)

Mama Roma—Wonderful Italian dishes, including pasta and seafood. Also a salad bar. The downside: long waits for your food and then for the check. If you have kids with you, a Sunday morning at Mama Roma would be perfect (if you don't have kids with you, you might want to steer clear): clowns, competitions, prizes and souvenirs, along with a special children's menu. $$$. Most major credit cards accepted. Open daily 10 am-2 am. Karavannaya Ulitsa 3/35, phone 314-0347.

MEXICAN

La Cucaracha—The first authentic Tex-Mex cantina in St. Petersburg—much fun and affordable. Sunday-Thursday noon-1 am, Friday and Saturday noon-5 am. $. Rubles only. Naberezhnaya Fontanka 39, phone 110-4006.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCES

Luna—Traditional Russian dishes, along with French, English and German cuisines—Luna is eclectic indeed. Open nightly 6 pm-6 am. $$$. Most major credit cards. Voznesensky Prospekt 46, phone 310-1616.

Sadko's—With its strange and casual mix of American and Russian cuisine, this place draws an interesting mix of ostentatious "New Russians," foreign businessmen and expats. The food is overpriced, but the Swedish beer on tap is satisfying. A good jazz band entertains during lunch on Sunday. Open daily noon-2 am. $$$. Most major credit cards. At the Grand Hotel Europe, Mikhailovsky Ulitsa 1, phone 329-6000.