What to try in Minsk from the national cuisine in the first place and where to eat tasty and inexpensive? We will compile a rating of traditional dishes for lovers of gastronomic travel and find the best establishments that can be visited as a snake and an excellent end to an excursion day in the capital of Belarus. We find out reviews about nutrition and prices for independent rest and cooking.
You don't have to travel to France, Spain or Italy to get a culinary experience. Any country can offer its interesting national dishes and please the tourist's gastronomic preferences. If we talk about Belarus and its capital Minsk, the national cuisine here is replete with simple dishes, since for a long time the population of the country ate very simply, getting food for food in the nearby forests. Neighborhood with Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania and Poland also brought its own nuances to the national cuisine. In modern Belarusian cuisine, potatoes are widely used in different variations and in combination with meat and mushrooms. We will tell you what to eat in Minsk from the national cuisine and why it is interesting for tourists.
What to try in Minsk from food?
First of all, we draw attention to the TOP-15 dishes from what you just need to try in Minsk:
- Draniki - the most famous national dish of Belarus from grated potatoes (hence the name - to tear potatoes on a grater), served with cracklings and sour cream or stuffed with mushrooms, cottage cheese, minced meat. Belarusians are considered virtuosos in the preparation of this dish.
- Dumplings - balls of finely grated potatoes and onions with an egg and a little flour. Boiled in water, served with sour cream and herbs.
- Sorcerers - large potato dumplings stuffed with meat. Not to be confused with small Polish or Lithuanian dumplings made from very thin dough. The sorcerers keep their shape due to the juice squeezed out and removed when rubbing the potatoes.
- Zeppelins - they look like dumplings and sorcerers. They have an oblong shape and various fillings. Along with Lithuanian zeppelins, it is also considered a Belarusian national dish.
- Potato casserole - present in different variations with mushrooms, meat, sausage. It is prepared from both raw potatoes and mashed potatoes.
- Drachena - baked pie made from potatoes, flour, onions and pieces of bacon. Filled with sour cream.
- Bigus - stew with sauerkraut and fresh cabbage is also not originally Belarusian, but it is included in the list of traditional Belarusian cuisine.
- Zrazy - meat patties or roll with boiled egg filling. Served in broth formed during roasting.
- Machanka - a combined dish of scraps of meat products: sausages, bacon, ham, meat, cracklings. All this is finely chopped, flour sauce with onions and peppers is added. Baked vegetables are served as a side dish.
- Beetroot - cold soup, which includes boiled beets, boiled eggs, cucumbers, dill and radishes. Everything is filled with beet broth. A very pleasant dish on a hot summer day!
- Zhur - Belarusian hot soup with sour flour. Flour is diluted with water and allowed to stand in a warm place for 3 days. After it is boiled until thick, fried bacon with onions is added and served with baked potatoes.
- Verashchak - pork ribs prepared in a special way or homemade sausage with onions stewed in bread kvass. Served with pancakes or potato garnish.
- Polendvitsa - smoked sirloin. One of the national dishes of Belarusian cuisine.
- Krambambula - alcoholic tincture of vodka or alcohol with the addition of spices and herbs: cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, black and red pepper.
- Sbiten - a hot or soft drink based on honey with the addition of hot pepper, bay leaves, cloves, nutmeg.
What to eat from street food?
Street food in Minsk is not yet widely used. On the streets of a clean and tidy capital, there are no pavilions with simple and cheap tasty food that you can grab a bite to eat on the go, and the tempting and tantalizing aroma of freshly prepared food is not worth it. Several years ago, Minsk residents tried to launch a street food festival, which is gradually taking root and becoming a kind of gluttony holiday. The food set is simple and cheap: burgers, hot dogs, french fries, potato pancakes, shawarma.
Food prices in Minsk
In Minsk stores, on the shelves, there are mainly domestic goods, which are famous for their excellent quality, thanks to the preserved GOST standards. But the price for them is slightly higher, although it is quite affordable. Many independent tourists note that the products in Belarus itself taste much better than those sold in Russia in kiosks with Belarusian goods. In many cities of the country there is a chain of large shopping supermarkets "Korona", which is recognized as not the cheapest, and "Euroopt" - small stores with a sufficient assortment of different products.
Separately, it is worth noting the point about cheeses, every time we go to stores in the Russian Federation, we are purposefully looking for Belarusian cheese products, we especially recommend "Black Prince" and "Zoloto Polesie".
Prices for basic food products in Minsk:
- smoked sausages - 8-10 EUR per 1 kg,
- sausages - 2.9-3.7 EUR per 1 kg,
- soft cheese - 3.3-5.7 EUR per 1 kg,
- hard cheese - 6-7 EUR per 1 kg,
- bread - 0.24-0.37 EUR,
- milk - 0.4-0.5 EUR per 1 liter,
- sour cream - 0.73 EUR per 0.4 kg,
- cottage cheese - 0.8-1 EUR per 0.4 kg,
- butter - 7.5 EUR per 1 kg,
- beef - 6 EUR per 1 kg,
- pork - 3-4 EUR per 1 kg,
- chicken legs - 1.5 EUR per 1 kg,
- Beets - 0.33 EUR per 1 kg,
- Carrots - 0.2-0.4 EUR per 1 kg,
- Onions - 0.3-0.5 EUR per 1 kg,
- Potatoes - 0.2 EUR per 1 kg.
Food prices on the market are slightly lower than store prices, but not much, we also do not forget to bargain.
Alcohol prices
Let's be honest, many tourists are primarily interested in the range and cost of alcohol. In Belarus, a wide production of all kinds of tinctures and balms has been established, the most famous of which are Krupnik and Zubrovka. The products of wine and vodka factories in Belarus have long been recognized as very high quality.
- The cost of vodka ranges from 3 to 5 € for 0.5 l,
- Bottle of wine (mid-range) € 7.16,
- Homemade beer (0.5 l bottle) 0.84 €,
- Imported beer (0.33 l bottle) € 1.76.
Where to eat tasty and inexpensive food in Minsk?
The guests of the capital of Belarus, of course, ask themselves the question: where and what to eat in Minsk, tasty and inexpensive. Belarusians are not used to the way Europeans go to cafes and restaurants for lunch in the middle of the week. Although the number of places to eat in Minsk is inexpensive increases every year. But, when there is no time and desire for home cooking, you can always find a place where you can eat inexpensively in Minsk. One of these places is the Vasilki restaurant chain. Here you will find a cozy atmosphere, pleasant music, and friendly service. Restaurants are located on the street. Y. Kolasa, 37 MC "Iceberg", Ave Nezvisimosti, 16 and 89, st. Nalibokskaya, 1 TC "Karavan". We advise you to try borscht with donuts, frying pan with pancakes "With pripechka", fried salmon with steamed vegetables. Average bill - 21 EUR for two.
A restaurant where you can eat delicious national cuisine in Minsk, called "Kamyanitsa", is located on the street. Pervomaiskaya, 18. The restaurant's menu contains an abundance of dishes of Belarusian cuisine: baked shank with beets, “Village Cellar” appetizer, “Knyazheskie” pancakes, poultry and mushroom grease. Average bill 20-25 EUR.
Inexpensive cafes in Minsk offer an average check of 5 EUR. One of them - cafe "Varenik" on the street. Dolgobrodskaya, 4. This is a nice two-story cafe with an elegant setting and an interesting menu. The main dish is dumplings for every taste. Interesting dishes include sorrel cold chill, salad with beets and cottage cheese, Viennese waffles with fresh strawberries.
In the pizzeria "Pizza Tempo", which is on the street. Lobanka, 94, for your attention a wide selection of pizza. Various breakfasts are offered here until 12 noon.The cafe has a system of discounts and promotions.
Interesting street food in Minsk can be tasted at the Three Fat Men restaurant on the street. Oktyabrskaya, 16. The familiar name speaks for itself: it offers a variety of burgers, pancakes, hot dogs and traditional shawarma. On Sundays, there is a discount on burgers, which attracts many regulars here.
Another simple place where you can eat delicious food in Minsk is located on the street. Kiseleva, 12. It is called "Pita Nova". There are only 2 tables, serving shawarma, falafel, pita with several types of fillings. Be sure to try the Gruyere pita with several types of cheese. The average cost of a dish is 0.7 EUR.
Restaurants and cafes of Minsk on the map
How much does it cost to eat in restaurants and cafes?
- Meals in an inexpensive cafe for one will cost on average - 6.34 €,
- Meals per tourist in a mid-range restaurant (three courses) - 26.84 €,
- Burger - 4.03 €,
- Homemade beer (spill 0.5 l) - 1.34 €,
- Imported beer (bottle 0.33 l) - 2.68 €,
- Cappuccino - 1.50 €,
- Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) - 0.74 €,
- Water (0.33 liter bottle) - 0.50 €.
Reviews about food in Minsk
Once upon a time, residents of Minsk complained about the lack of catering facilities with national cuisine. Now, they claim that there are more and more such establishments every year. Reviews of the food in Minsk by tourists who have visited the capital of Belarus indicate that it is not difficult to eat tasty and satisfying food here without harming the budget. The national cuisine of Belarusians is distinguished by its calorie and fat content, so we do not advise you to immediately pounce on potato pancakes, verashchak and mochaka. In the menu of each cafe or restaurant, you can find options for the desired dishes. And local beer or legendary "Krambambula", "Shlyaromny" and "Shagren" will give you a wonderful mood and maintain a pleasant atmosphere.
All the best sights of Belarus in one review.
How to have an inexpensive vacation in Minsk?
We recommend using life hacks that have been tested in our experience many times:
- We advise you to install the RumGuru application on your smartphone, so you can choose any living space even upon arrival in the city, it is very convenient on a business trip or during an unplanned vacation in real time to find a free apartment, hotel or hostel.
- We advise you to economically insure your health and life while traveling through Tripinsurance, the service works only with trusted large insurance companies, which already inspires confidence. You just have to choose the most profitable option, but it's better not to save on health.
- Flights? We advise you to use Aviasales empirically.
- You may also find our selection of useful tourist apps useful.
