Moscow on the Hill — Restaurant in Saint Paul

My experience at Moscow on the Hill (which isn't actually on a hill) was rough to say the least. As far as food goes, the Borscht was extremely salty and had more potato than beet in it. My guess is that someone over salted the soup in the kitchen and added extra potato to compensate for their mistake. Either way, I walked away feeling bloated and salty. BUT! Their herring is FABULOUS and worth the trip from Indiana. Many of the dishes, such as the Escargot and some of the dumplings, had large amounts of cheese on them almost making it seem like the dish came from a Mexican resturant. I believe that the resturant had over Americanized many of their dishes in an effort to appeal to the American masses but for someone like myself knowing what the authentic version tastes like and wanting that, it was disappointing to see how ruined some of the dishes were with the large amounts of unnecessary cheese.

When it came time for our Torte dessert, I was surprised how bad it actually was. The flavor was okay but the texture was completely off and dried out. I believe (and I could be completely wrong) that the slices were individually cut ahead of time and were placed in a refrigerator, uncovered. The fan from the refrigerator dried out the top half of the Torte, made a hard crust around the exterior, and left it with a stale consistency almost like a saltine cracker. Once you took the top half off, the rest of the Torte was moist but the fact that it could have been uncovered is a health concern. [Images attached of the Torte]

Our server named "Rob" (the name listed on our ticket), could care less about our experience and cared more about getting rid of us and moving on to the next customer. We had many questions about the menu since this was our first time trying this resturant out and Rob seemed very agitated. He'd try to walk away when we weren't finished asking questions and then he would roll his eyes after we asked him to come back. He never once asked how our food was and charged us for a drink that we tried to substitute for something else. Maybe he was having a bad day but we didn't ask to be treated like horse s**t and deserved more respect than he cared to give. Overall, he was by far the worst server we have had in the state of Minnesota thus far. Rob? If you don't like your job, you need to work somewhere else because the hospitality buisness is not for you.

The owner (who was originally born in Moscow) seemed like he was making a large effort to please everyone. I would have given a better rating but he himself didn't ask how our food was either and didn't seem to want to engage with us after he met his personal quota of coming to the table once.

For $210 and poor service from a server who simply wanted to go home and had the hospitality capacity of a McDonald's employee, I do not recommend this resturant. I understand that some people have probably had great experiences here but what really puts the cherry on top was their cleaning methods. Especially during COVID, you shouldn't wipe off only 1/3 of the table. I was grossed out to say the least.

If you are looking for true Russian cuisine and are willing to drive for it, go to the Russian Tea Time in Chicago. They will blow your mind and are 10x better than Moscow on the Hill. Plus, Russian Tea Time makes all of their Vodkas homemade, unlike Moscow on the Hill who buys them from other distributors. f you're going to eat the calories, they might as well be...

Cathedral Hill offers several patio options for your dining experience. Many are able to serve some form of gentrification fulfillment, from hipster burgers to ostentatious entrees for the exclusive elite-people set. Still, there are several neighborhood establishments that are and have been enmeshed in Cathedral Hill long before it was a fashionable destination.

Moscow on the Hill may have slipped off your radar because it doesn’t try to be anything beyond what it is. It is a restaurant that has served Russian and Eastern European staples, supported by a vodka-forward bar for almost 30 years. In its lifetime numerous restaurants have opened around it to make a flash for a few years and then disappear while Moscow on the Hill stayed their course and offered traditional Eastern European fare at moderate pricing.

Did I mention the vodka-forward bar? I did. But it deserves to be mentioned again, because it services hundreds of different vodkas. I didn’t ask. I didn’t count. But the bar consists of two, possibly three (I can’t remember as there was vodka involved) walls of bottles. Plus, they have other alcohol used to mix with their vodka. But it’s the vodka that is their bread and butter.

In pre-pandemic times, I frequented Moscow on the Hill on weekend mornings for their Bloody Mary bar. I rate Moscow on the Hill’s Bloody Marys a 2. But that’s on a 3-point scale where a 1 equals a fail, a 2 means a worthy Bloody Mary, and 3 is exceptional. Thus, Moscow on the Hill’s Bloody Mary is worth your consideration, but it may not meet some expectations. So allow me to illustrate what to expect: First, it is very traditional, with a slightly seasoned tomato juice base. Second, it is not served with any seasoned rim. This may be disappointing to some but makes perfect sense for a vodka bar. They want you to appreciate their vodka, specifically, their horseradish infused vodka. Or you could try their garlic-dill vodka. Or their caraway vodka, or their cilantro vodka, or their pepper vodka. And if you wanted to try them all, the Bloody Mary happy hour was the best way to try them because the happy hour was “all you could drink” for one small price. It’s been a while (pre-pandemic) since I’ve had their Bloody Mary happy hour (reason to kick myself when I write this), and I don’t see it mentioned on their website, so you’ll have to venture in and order a plate or two of dumplings with your Bloody Mary this weekend and find out for yourself if it is still being served. I hope it is. Because that’s just the thing to turn their 2-star rating up to the exceptional 3-star category… if their traditional Eastern European dumplings didn’t already do just that.

Be sure to call ahead to make sure you get a reservation on their patio. It’s one of the prettiest...

I recently dined at this restaurant with my family, and unfortunately, my experience fell far below expectations. The food, which forms the core of any dining experience, was disappointingly mediocre. The highlight of my disappointment was the BORSH I ordered, a traditional and beloved UKRAINIAN dish. Not only was the borscht barely warm—indicating a lack of attention to detail in food preparation—but it was shockingly sweet, deviating significantly from the classic savory flavor profile expected from this soup.

What struck me as particularly jarring was the fact that the borscht was categorized as a "Russian soup" on the menu, despite being a sacrosanct national dish of UKRAINE. This oversight in representing the culinary heritage of the region left a sour taste in my mouth, quite literally, as it denotes a lack of respect for the cultural origins of the dish.

There was an excess of flour in the Deruny and they seemed raw inside.

My mother ordered a Chocolate Ganache Tart for dessert, which we all tried and unanimously came to the conclusion that, apart from a bunch of sugar, there was no taste in this cake.

I ordered the House Tarhun drink and it was terrible. I felt the taste of eau de toilette (it looked like it was tap water)

On a contrasting note, I must acknowledge the impeccable service and attention to guests displayed by the restaurant staff. Their commitment to ensuring a pleasant dining experience was palpable, and their professionalism was commendable. Throughout my meal, I felt well taken care of, and it was clear that customer satisfaction was a top priority for the establishment.

Adding to the ambiance, the restaurant played a selection of Russian and Ukrainian songs, enhancing the cultural atmosphere of the dining space. This musical touch added a unique charm to the overall experience and provided a glimpse into the rich artistic heritage of the region.

In conclusion, while the service and cultural ambiance shone brightly, the lackluster quality of the food, specifically the mishandling of the borscht and misrepresentation of its origins, weighed heavily on my dining experience. I hope that the restaurant can address these shortcomings and strive for culinary excellence that aligns with the cultural integrity of the...