Alla Tours and Eating Lunch

[katiebeth]

We will be taking a 2 day tour with Alla Tours in July of this summer while we are in St. Petersburg. We are really looking forward to it.

 

My question is (we do enjoy experiencing local cuisine), but are a little concerned about eating while in St. Petersburg. I am sure Alla uses reptuable restaurants, but certainly do not want to become ill while on our trip.

 

Would love to hear from anyone who has dined while in St. Petersburg regarding your experience.

 

Happy Sailings,

 

Nancy

[cdfev]

We ate in several restaurants in Saint Petersburg in 2005 and had no problems.

 

I suspect that the health standards in Russia are similar to most European countries.

 

We are returning to Saint Petersburg and I can't say that I think that there is much to worry about here

[calmac]

We went with Alla Tours last year on a two day tour. On day 1 we were taken to a "local" restaurant in St P. which had a smallish buffet but nothing very strange on display. On day 2 we were at Peterhof and had lunch at the restaurant there - good selection with some amazing looking (and tasting) desserts.

[dog]

We will be taking a 2 day tour with Alla Tours in July of this summer while we are in St. Petersburg. We are really looking forward to it.

 

My question is (we do enjoy experiencing local cuisine), but are a little concerned about eating while in St. Petersburg. I am sure Alla uses reptuable restaurants, but certainly do not want to become ill while on our trip.

 

Would love to hear from anyone who has dined while in St. Petersburg regarding your experience.

 

Happy Sailings,

 

Nancy

 

Hi Nancy, you have every right to be concerned about the food and drink you have anywhere in the world you travel.

Our governments often advise us on what to be cautious of when we travel.

What we do personally is drink bottled water, stay away from unwashed vegetables and meats that we are not accustomed to eating at home.

[sunraiser]

we ate at McDonald and a Chinese restaurant in 2005. No problem!

[MacThespian]

The reason I asked specifically about St. Petersburg is that there were specific warnings about St. Petersburg in our shore excursion booklet sent to us by Celebrity (specifically about diptheria). I have also read that Russia is on the verge of an epidemic with regards to a strain of TB that does not respond to treatment. There were further warnings with regards to hepatitis and issues with the water.

 

I certainly had no intention to offend anyone. I was not at all offended by your remarks regarding the Sizzler restaurant in New York. I am fully aware that some restaurants are better about complying with safety procedures than others.

 

My purpose was not to imply that somehow the restaurants in the United States are somehow superior. I was just following up on some warnings I had read which were specific to St. Petersburg.

 

Nancy

 

I'd be careful about what I ate, but not alarmist. Most specifically, I'd be careful about raw fruits and vegetables, and tap water. But careful doesn't necessarily mean abstinence.

We'll be eating lunch at a couple of restaurants in St. Petersburg on our cruise this summer. I don't have any concerns about them. Remember, when you tour with Alla (or Denrus, or Red October), they have a reputation to uphold; it doesn't mean that all their choices are perfect, but it does mean you have another layer of "protection" from diseases.

Have you checked the CDC webpages to see if there's anything about health concerns in St. Petersburg?

[katiebeth]

Dear MacThespian,

 

I will check the CDC website and report back if it indicates anything of significance.

 

Do you know the names of the restaurants where you will be dining? We really do enjoy trying the local cuisine it is such a great part of the experience.

 

Based on some warnings that I have read, and the fact that we are traveling with my elderly parents and our two children, I want to be cautious.

 

I may e-mail Alla and ask for her recommendations. I am willing to splurge on a couple of very nice restaurants. (not that it necessarily correlates with superior food safety practices, but would have to believe that the finer establishments are particular).

 

Hope you have a great time on your cruise. We depart Dover on June 30th and are really looking forward to our trip.

 

Happy Sailings,

Nancy

[MacThespian]

Dear MacThespian,

 

I will check the CDC website and report back if it indicates anything of significance.

 

Do you know the names of the restaurants where you will be dining? We really do enjoy trying the local cuisine it is such a great part of the experience.

 

Based on some warnings that I have read, and the fact that we are traveling with my elderly parents and our two children, I want to be cautious.

 

I may e-mail Alla and ask for her recommendations. I am willing to splurge on a couple of very nice restaurants. (not that it necessarily correlates with superior food safety practices, but would have to believe that the finer establishments are particular).

 

Hope you have a great time on your cruise. We depart Dover on June 30th and are really looking forward to our trip.

 

Happy Sailings,

Nancy

 

Hi, Nancy,

 

I wish we were leaving that soon, but we're not even leaving the US until July 31 (we depart Harwich on August 5th).

 

The two restaurants we're eating at are 28 Millions and Stolle. Actually, the latter is sort of a cafeteria, with a variety of sweet and savory pies as its main feature. It was recommended by several people here on Cruise Critic. (I think there are about 3 or 4 of them in St. Petersburg.) It sounded really interesting to me.

 

Good luck, and enjoy your cruise!

 

--David

[Daphna101]

We took Alla last year.

 

Ate at Demidov-a fine city restaurant...great beef with sour cream sauce..and a fresh mushroom and red pepper salad. Of course , we had vodka as well. Before we realized it, we ate the fresh mushroom salad..And lived through it..It was great.

 

Also, we ate at the Russian house..wonderful homey restaurant in the country.

Maria was are guide..Great company to tour with.

Daphna

[kenokids]

We did a tour last Sept. with Alla (we had her for a special evening activity we requested--the casino!) and had Helena for the rest of the two days... we were 6 in the group and had a fabulous time, great food (I can look up the names of the restaurants) but in addition got to sample a local "pie" shop (savory and/or sweet) and local chocolate shop. No worries!

 

Chase in NH

[katiebeth]

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to post. We are so looking forward to touring with Alla Tours. I have read so many good posts about her.

 

Kenokids - We will be a party of six as well. Looking forward to trying some savory and sweet pies. Glad to know you enjoyed your tour with Alla. How did you like the Baltics? My husband has always wanted to visit St. Petersburg. I, on the other hand, have a passion for the Med. However, I am looking forward to seeing the many wonderful ports included on our Baltic itinerary.

 

Daphna 101: See that you are from Alachua ...we are from Tallahassee. It sounds like you had a great time.

 

MacThespian: Thanks so much for sharing the name of the restaurants. You mention that you are sailing out of Harwich in earlier August ...are you doing the Baltics again or a different itinerary?

 

Happy Sailings,

 

Nancy

[MacThespian]

MacThespian: Thanks so much for sharing the name of the restaurants. You mention that you are sailing out of Harwich in earlier August ...are you doing the Baltics again or a different itinerary?

 

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. The restaurants I listed were for our upcoming trip in August. We haven't been there yet.

[katiebeth]

Dear MacThespian,

 

Actually, as I re-read your post, you were clear. I am the one who is a little foggy. The school year is coming to an end and we have been involved in a whirlwind of activities! My head is spinning. We are all looking forward to some "down-time".

 

Anyway, I will be sure to report back, when we return from our trip on July 16th. I will share my experiences with our ports of call and particularly St. Petersburg.

 

I hope you have a wonderful cruise!!

 

Nancy

[skoppit]

re you on Jewel of Seas l2th July by any chance?

[MacThespian]

Dear MacThespian,

 

Actually, as I re-read your post, you were clear. I am the one who is a little foggy. The school year is coming to an end and we have been involved in a whirlwind of activities! My head is spinning. We are all looking forward to some "down-time".

 

Anyway, I will be sure to report back, when we return from our trip on July 16th. I will share my experiences with our ports of call and particularly St. Petersburg.

 

I hope you have a wonderful cruise!!

 

Nancy

 

I'm looking forward to your report!

[hotmike98]

We did a three day tour from Alla last summer (our guide was Julia). We had lunch in St. Petersburg at a restaurant frequented by locals, and the name had something to do witha fairy tale involving a bear and a girl (some sort of variation of Goldilocks). The food was very good. We also went to a restaurant in the country near Pushkin on our trip to Catherine's Palace. This place had several tour busses in the lot (looked like a rustic beer hall inside--we ate outside on the covered "patio"), and appears to be a standard stop for tour groups; again the food was excellent. I don't remember the names of either, but I would bet if you email Alla about them, she would know. Another day, we ate lunch at the snack bar inside the Hermitage. Very simple, but clean and tasty. I also heard from several people that the dining room at the Grand Hotel is quite nice for lunch. It kind of depends on where you are when lunchtime falls, so you should discuss itinerary with Alla.

[Daphna101]

Hey Hotmike..

 

We also ate at the rustic restaurant outside Pushkin..With the dolls on the wall. Food was great there. We had plates of salmon and other russian specialties..and the vodka was free flowing. We bought a babuska doll there that actually comes apart in the middle and it fits on a vodka bottle.

 

Daphna

[hylasgirl]

We have booked with Alla some time ago, and it is great to hear all the great things. Do they have any wine that comes from Russia? Or is it pretty much Vodka? And for everyone that went with Alla, did you buy the guide lunch? The driver? Or just the guide?

 

Thanks

[hotmike98]

We bought lunch for the guide, but the drivers usually bring their own lunch and stay with the vehicle. I recall our guide ordered some sort of local liquer made from berries that was not vodka, but can't recall the name.

[china addict]

DH and I spent 2 days on an Alla tour in St. Petersburg May 30-31, and except for drinking bottled water instead of tap water, I don't think you need to take special precautions. Both restaurants she took us to were immaculately clean and had clean restrooms. The first was near Peterhof and cost $20 pp which Alla added to our tab. The driver brings his own lunch and stays with the car at all times. There were 2 or 3 Alla groups converging on this restaurant at the same time, so the guides ate together and I assume Alla covered their lunch out of the $20 each we paid. Menu was 4 courses with fabulous borscht (sp?) but only so-so stroganoff and included bottled water and coffee/tea. On our day in the heart of St. Petersburg we ate at the Tinkhof Brewery and had a businessman's special lunch for $10 and used our credit card. The 3-course lunch included either bottled water or their house beer, and I had both with no ill effects. This time we did invite the guide to join us as our guest. It was the perfect time to ask about everyday life in Russia and forget about the Tsars for a while. I found the humidity made me very thirsty and if I had to do this trip over again I would take lots of bottled water along to drink in the car. I asked our guide if the locals drink only bottled water given that most of them don't earn much money. Apparently they boil kettles often for tea and then save the boiled water to cool and drink later. She said the pipes in St. Petersburg are old and buying bottled water is more a question of aesthetics than safety. Bottom line, Alla will do the right thing for you. Relax and enjoy your tour.

[Mary Ellen]

Menu was 4 courses with fabulous borscht (sp?) but only so-so stroganoff and included bottled water and coffee/tea.

So it is a set menu??? Neither DH nor I can stomach beets. I also can't handle sour cream and even the smell of cucumbers (another northern European staple) I find unbearable. We've been debating whether or not to have lunch on land, or pack one from the ship, in St. Petersburg because of these limitations. We'd like to try the restaurants. I have heard that salmon is quite good in St. Petersburg and we were interested in that. But borscht and stroganoff? - NO.

[timespliters]

We spent 2 days on an Alla tour in St. Petersburg in June and the places she took us were great and the food was very nice on both days some did not want water so they had coke.

[PINEY10]

Do any of you remember the name of the restaurant with the dolls on the wall? You say it was about $20pp for three courses--that does not sound bad. We are going this summer and our guide is suggesting a couple of places near Peterhoff (either the Russia House or Podorvye). Were the places crowded and real touristy if as you say all the tour buses are there? ANy other suggestions for nice restaurants in the Pushkin area? Thanks.

[timespliters]

Hi

If you go to my photos link and "onlinefriends" you will se 2 photos inside and one out side of the restaurant we ate at

[Lair Bear]

We will be spending most of one day at Peterhof but will visit a local food market in the early morning. One post referred to the restaurant at Peterhof but I am wondering if anyone had considered bringing a picnic lunch. The grounds are so extensive and there must be nice spots along the waterfront to enjoy a relaxing lunch perhaps with some sandwiches, vodka or wine shared with the guide.

Can we bring food onto the grounds and has anyone done this?