St Petersburg: Grand Terrace at the Grand Hotel Europe (September 2010)

My spouse and I dined for dinner at the Grand Terrace at the Grand Hotel Europe in early September 2010. We ate at this restaurant because we had a $100 credit from booking through American Express Platinum Fine Hotels and Resorts. And guess what? Our bill was just about $100 for the same two entrees and drinks that we had just around the corner for half the price. But the location was excellent, because it is positioned on the corner of Nevsky and Mikhailovskaya, and we sat outside covered up with cozy blankets and watched the pedestrians stroll by. We had a pizza and a veal schnitzel dish, the latter of which was tasty. The pizza, while huge, was not very good, and I wouldn’t recommend it. Service was sub-par as well, although it was difficult to tell how much of this was our own fault. In the US, we are accustomed to first ordering drinks, then ordering food usually after the drinks are delivered. In Russia, the servers seemed to expect patrons to order everything at the same time, including drinks and food. Perhaps if we didn’t have to scrutinize the menu each time, even looking for something simple like a non-alcoholic soft drink, we would have had an easier time with ordering and received better service.

A superb open-air venue for a business lunch, the Grand Terrace will always make a great impression. It’s the perfect place to enjoy light dishes, refreshing cocktails and crisp summer wines late into the evening. From Peruvian specialities inspired by Belmond Hotel Monasterio—our sister hotel in Cusco—to sushi and sashimi from our own AZIA restaurant, come and indulge in international and local delights. Open noon to midnight in May, 11am to 2am in June and July, and 11am to midnight in August and September.The Grand Terrace is closed October to April.