Just left St. Petersburg, Russia, after about 10 days in the country (first time there).

We had two meals of note in St. Petersburg, one of them so good that I wanted to mention the restaurant. It’s famous in the city, but this visit was the first I’d heard of it.

Palkin isn’t perfect, but it’s as good as anything I’ve tried in a long time. The food is excellent, and the service phenomenal. Sure, it’s a bit pricey, but not excessively so for such a meal. (We once spent almost three times as much on a meal for two in Paris at a Michelin 3-star restaurant — something to do maybe once in a lifetime. Who can afford more? Not us.)

Actually, let me mention another place. It was less brilliant but still suffused with character. It’s called 1913, and serves solid Russian cuisine including what’s supposed to be the best borscht in town. It’s uneven — a piece of beef was overcooked — but the violin-guitar duo in the corner added enough extra atmosphere to make up for this.