Kalinka restaurant's rustic facade is inviting on a rainy, slushy St Petersburg evening, much as the village kabak (tavern) of Russian provincial life in winter days of yore must have been a comforting refuge from the elements, not to speak of wild beasts lurking in the forests.
Unlike many of the city's eateries, you could not pass by Kalinka easily.
Big, old fashioned lanterns adorn the solid brick exterior and stained glass windows depict Russian brown bears, deers and eagles resembling some old Russian city's coat of arms. Be prepared for a little shock immediately on entering the small foyer. We were startled to meet the cold-blooded gaze of a WOLF reclining by the door. No cause for panic -- he's stuffed.
Venturing further, we were greeted by a wardrobe attendant in a smart red tunic. Alongside him was a life-size china Russian Borzaya dog sporting a flamboyant hat in the style of the Hussar cavalry.
To enter the main dining area you make your way through a bar which is reminiscent of an old Russian kabak, with the TV set being the only modern touch. The dining room is decorated in the style of a palata, the living apartment of the Russian nobility. There was so much to take in that we just took a deep breath and relaxed. Panoramic paintings representing heroes of Russian folklore leave no doubt that the founders of the restaurant wished to bring visitors back into the Russia of a bygone era.
The low ceiling is graced with colorful paintings on Russian fairy tale themes and the wooden walls are beautifully carved. While dining you are entertained by a Russian folk ensemble singing popular folk songs including, of course, Kalinka (kalinka is the diminutive name for a snowball tree).
We were seated at a table for four where mini loaves of warm white bread with butter balls and parsley were served immediately. Kalinka's menu offers authentic Russian fare. The range of drinks includes seemingly forgotten beverages like Sbiten ($2), a blend of tea with wine and cloves served cold and Klukvenny Kvas ($2), a malt drink with cranberry juice.
The idea of our evening was to select the most Russian of Russian dishes. If you have spent any time in Russia you learn that one of the tried and true ways to warm up is to down a shot of vodka. Having warmed up, we were more than ready to choose from the extensive menu.
Our budget, however, dictated that we restrain ourselves. Cold starters included black caviar with butter and lemon ($11), smoked eel ($13), gammon stuffed with walnuts ($8) and blinchiki (pancakes) with salmon ($9).
Hot starters to tempt your taste buds were a pancake nest with caviar and smetana (sour cream) for $15, baked tongue "Subiz" ($7) and pancakes Alaska with crab filling ($10). Soups on offer were Shchi Boyarski (Boyar's cabbage soup) for $6, solyanka myasnaya (boullion with assorted meats) for $9 and Ukha a la Monastirski (fish soup a la Monastery) for $10.
We chose to begin with a salad rus ($6), a platter of sliced apple, carrot, cabbage, golden and red peppers and cucumber garnished with cranberries. It came with a little jug of smetana (sour cream). It was healthy and light though perhaps a tad too simple.
Our main course of sturgeon a la Moscow ($19) was a superb-tasting and generous sturgeon steak baked with mushrooms and potatoes in a cream sauce, topped with cheese and olives. Other options from the excellent selection of fish dishes were: stuffed lobster ($38), fillet of king calamari ($30) and rainbow trout steamed with wine and walnut sauce ($18). Meat choices were pelmeni a la Sibir ($9) and a range of beef and pork steaks.
The wine section was rather limited with just a few varieties of red and white wine available. We enjoyed the full sweet taste of the Georgian red Alazanskaya Dolina for $2 (100 gm).
Cappuccinos and our desserts of Slavonic pancakes ($5) (pancakes with fruit filling and whipped cream), and apricots with walnut filling ($5) brought our meal to a pleasant close.
If you are visiting St Petersburg, or entertaing visitors to the city, Kalinka is a great place for a taste of bona fide Russian cuisine. However, the standard of service did not quite match the gorgeous surroundings and good food.