A delightful restaurant, representing Russian cuisine in UAE – honest home-made style, traditional food, some of which is well-known, and also a few dishes which are rare to find, especially in Dubai.

Borscht, the red beetroot soup with a dollop of sour cream, needs no introduction as it is famous world-wide. It is an ancient soup, and varieties cross many countries with their shifting histories and political borders – there is fierce nationalism attached to some of the dishes served at Suvoroff, and battles swirl online…

Let it be clear that as a total world citizen, I believe that food belongs to all people of this planet, whether it tastes like beloved Grandmother used to make on her coal stove, or whether it is a newly-developed and experimental fusion avant-garde – food is love!

All I know is that Suvoroff was absolutely delicious: the ingredients were fresh and of top quality, and the preparation of both cold and hot dishes were excellent.

Check out the salads:

A marvelous work of art, and extremely tasty – the pastry holds the shape and presents a cold salad, delicately garnished and reinforced with pickled herring.

Cut one open, and you see the care in layering the ingredients and dressings – we tried the Classic Russian Salad and another one called simply Vinaigrette.

Both were excellent and a great introduction to Russian cuisine.

The ambiance is also striking, with both a generous outdoor seating area and an indoor dining hall.

And you cannot miss the great service provided by the team of waiters…

One will come to your table and very ably guide you in the menu selection, the other one is more silent, and on duty 24 hours a day.

Just don’t make him mad!

I think he deserves his own hashtag: #dubaibear

We continued the meal with a great selection of main dishes, especially rich in fish and meat choices, as well as dumplings of many varieties.

The sides caught my attention – because it’s easy to focus on the big meat dishes, and then skimp on the preparation of the side dishes – you’ll see at many restaurants that a few badly sliced tomatoes, a couple of wrinkly cucumbers cuts, and a green lettuce is considered a ‘side’ – but not so at Suvoroff.

As much concentration, effort, and time was dedicated to properly preparing the side vegetables as for the mains, and this gives an insight into the professional mentality in the kitchen – bravo!

The sea bass was superbly fresh and well-cooked – and a whole fish was considered a portion!

While a hearty beef stew with potatoes was served in a bread loaf – very tasty and tender.

And while there were no dancing Cossacks or live performing bears, both replaced by an LCD screen of modern pop music videos, mostly involving tropical beaches and frolicking young women, the atmosphere was lively and friendly, thanks also to the large windows bringing in ample natural light.

Dessert was a monumental success, with a gigantic and so-delicious slab of very light mille-feuille, named Napoleon Cake –

– and a delight to my eyes was the professional espresso machine!

Suvoroff might be a small independent restaurant in the glitzy Dubai landscape of all-show no-substance restaurants, but they focus on the important things and do them well, resulting in a lovely and enjoyable dining experience.

Even the bear approved.

Overall, to sample Russian cuisine for the first time, or for a taste of your long-time favorites, Suvoroff is the perfect destination in Dubai.

Simple yet effective, and unpretentious, Suvoroff presents their cuisine with a well-developed menu, and executes with high professionalism in the kitchen – the dishes are enticing and delicious, and a culinary trip worth making.