Beetroot takes some beating on Russia front

It is all eyes on Russia this weekend... England’s opponents on Saturday night at the European Championships. So in anticipation of the big match I thought I would get an inside into what the nation is all about at Peterborough’s own Russian restaurant - St Petersburgh in Broadway.

It is a great looking place, with a bright, brash but not gaudy bar, pleasant decor set off by a huge mural, a couple of chandeliers and sparkling wall lights plus comfy - if a bit low for the tables - seating.

The website promises the “true taste” of Russia and there are plenty of dishes on the menu that sound like they have come straight from the Eastern Bloc ( I do like the stuffed dumplings). That said you can also take your pick from quite a selection of pizzas, pasta and pancakes, savoury and sweet.

Lunchtime they also do a two-course, quick business lunch for £8; a choice of three starters and a main.

I had tried the cold beetroot soup on a previous visit (an absolute feast of shredded beetroot which tasted surprisingly good) so I opted for the hot version.

This time it was a very tasty indeed bowl of soup, with chunks of beetroot almost an afterthought. More noticeable and mouth-watering were the half-a-dozen or so meatballs lurking beneath the surface and a delicious dollop of sour cream in the middle.

Main course was a very filling beef stroganoff. There were lashings of lovely strips of beef, and the sauce was rich and creamy with onions throughout and nice sprinkling of herbs on top. My only gripe, it was a little salty.

It came with a side serving of fried potatoes (wedges with the skin on), an almost obligatory gherkin, a plain tasting coleslaw and slightly sweet shredded beetroot.

A smashing lunch with service to match, and very reasonable too.