Fodor's Expert Review Russian Vodka Room No.1

Discreet and genteel, this spacious one-room venue could come straight out of one of Chekhov's stories and is the perfect place to try various vodkas and home-brewed liqueurs. Alcoholic sampling requires sustenance, and a menu offers many traditional choices, with an emphasis on fish dishes. A starter group platter features four types of smoked fish—including omul (cisco, a kind of whitefish) from Lake Baikal and sig, a whitefish from Russia's far east. A memorable main course is fried pike-perch from Lake Ladoga, served with mashed potatoes.