I’m too lazy to come up with a beautiful introduction, so let’s start right off the bat. Today we will talk about cheap places to eat in the center of Brest.
- Which canteen can be accessed only with a passport?
- And what kind of local fast food can you profit from for just 5 BYN?
- Which establishments will bring you free coffee?
- And where to try Belarusian cuisine (in a tavern with a thatched roof)?
In general, if you came across this article, consider yourself lucky, like the lobsters in the kitchen of the Titanic. The review turned out to be sensible, so you can immediately bookmark the article. If you are going to Brest in the near future, this guide will definitely be useful to you.
Where to eat in the center of Brest? Option #1. The “secret” dining room opposite the church
It is located in the building of the Brest Executive Committee (at 11 Lenin Street) and is informally considered the most beautiful dining room in the city. As for beauty, I would argue. But the interior is definitely very decent and tidy.
The food is without frills. But for 7-8 BYN here you can get a full lunch with borscht, cutlet and compote. Eat, and you feel like you’ve come to visit your grandmother. For budget tourists, the option is wonderful.
As for the cons, there are only one and a half of them. Firstly, the establishment does not operate for long and not every day (on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Secondly, a policeman will be waiting for you at the entrance, who will ask you to show your passport (and forbid you to take photos inside). The procedure is simple and you only need to go through it once. But, as they say, you need to come prepared to meet a star.
Option #2. Other canteens in Brest
If you don’t have a passport, but you really want to eat in the dining room, then here are some alternatives for you.
- At Engels 3, there is a pretty decent “Dining Room No. 1”;
- And on Mickiewicz Street there is a BRSU complex , where you can also have a snack on a budget.
Birch bark chips for 3.05 BYN and pilaf for 1.80 BYN.
At the university (as it seemed to me) the food was simpler. There’s also a janitor at the entrance who tends to ask awkward questions. But the BRSU building itself is a full–fledged landmark of Brest. There are brutal walls covered with thick ivy, “industrial Gothic” and a century-old history (because of which BRSU is even called Brest Hogwarts). Therefore, it is worth coming here rather than for the sake of food, but for the sake of a short excursion.
Option No.3. A journey in search of Belarusian cuisine
“Sorcerers”, “zharynka” or iconic Belarusian draniki can be eaten in dozens of establishments in Brest. But now I want to highlight only one of them – a colorful tavern near the Rynkovka estate. Formally, this is no longer Brest (it is as much as 8 km away from here). But it only adds some special charm to the local places.
There are thatched roofs, shady alleys and a pleasant rustic flavor (with peacocks and goats running around). In such a company and in such an atmosphere, any frying pan with pork rinds will taste ten times better.
And if you want to stay longer, you can also pay attention to the local hotel with wooden rooms. I think it’s a good option to combine a trip to Brest with a vacation in the woods near the river.
Option #4. Compare the two best establishments in Brest
Two months ago, at the gastronomic award Where To Eat, only three Brest establishments were included in the TOP 50 best restaurants in Belarus. I strongly disagree with two of them. But “Fani Braverman’s house” I really think it’s a good option. The lights are dim, the menu is good, but the prices are even slightly higher than those I’m used to seeing in Minsk.
The best option is to go here in the evening (to listen to live music) or in the morning (from 10-30 to 13), when the restaurant has a breakfast menu. You can view current prices on social media – @dom_fani_braverman. The address of the institution is 53 Sovetskaya Street (right on the pedestrian street of Brest).
On my own behalf, I would also add a gastrobar of the Status hotel. This hotel is located 5 kilometers from the center, but it is considered the best in the city (at least according to the Russian websiteThe island). And her gastrobar is also trying to match.
The restaurant’s menu can be viewed on social media @status.brest. The prices here are quite high, but it’s a good option for a nice dinner.
Option #5. Establishments in the center of Brest with inexpensive lunches
Here I would highlight three interesting places. These are restaurants:
- Jules Verne (Gogol, 29);
- Times Cafe (Sovetskaya, 30);
- And the online Georgian “Khinkalnya” (Gogol, 40)
In each of them you can have lunch for 14 BYN. The choice of dishes varies depending on the day of the week. You can check the current menu on the social networks @timescafe_ and @julesverne_brest, as well as on the website hinkalnia.by .
I chose the latter option for myself, since it was in the Khinkalna that the portions seemed to me the most substantial. For 14 BYN, I was given soup, salad and mashed potatoes with a cutlet (without compote, as in the photo above). The food was edible, but I would not call this lunch particularly tasty.
Option No. 6. Where to drink coffee in Brest?
I have two favorites here. In the morning, I would go to the Neobistro Lares & Penates on September 17th street. Here, when ordering breakfast (from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.), any coffee will be brought to you for free.
And in the afternoon or evening, the best option for you will be the coffee shop Union 8 (at Ostrovsky 8). There are “coffee raves” on Saturdays, during which DJs have been playing since 3 p.m. And on weekdays, they play movies on the big screen and offer guests a whole arsenal of coffee cocktails (like raspberry latte or frapuccino with ice cream).
Classic types of coffee, of course, are also available here. Therefore, every connoisseur of grains (and cozy urban cafes) will definitely find a drink to their liking here.
Find detailed information and current prices on the social networks @union.8 and @lares.spenates.
Option #7. Snacks up to 5 BYN
If you definitely don’t have time for a substantial lunch, then here are some inexpensive fast food options for you in the very center of Brest.
- Bruschetta with ham and tomatoes can be tasted at the bakery “Tart” at Yanka Kupala 8. Price – 2.90 BYN.
- And the fashionable “Panchito” (somewhat similar to the author’s variation of hot dogs) – in a small cafe “Gussi” at the very beginning of Sovetskaya Street. The classic version with Bavarian sausages and mozzarella cheese will cost you 3.9 BYN.
A separate story is the Perfect bakery chain. They look pretty simple, but there are almost always long queues at the local counters. The restaurant’s menu includes fresh rolls (from 0.8 BYN), tea, coffee (2-3 BYN) and all kinds of sweets (like cheesecakes, rolls and cream rings).
There are ice cream parlors, fresh bread, and various pizza variations in the cafe’s arsenal. If I lived in Brest, I would also come here all the time. There are bakeries of this chain all over the city, for example, on pedestrian street (Sovetskaya 114) or near the station building at 1 Sportivnaya Street.
Afterword: some tips before going to Brest
As a final chord, I’ll write a couple more lines about the city above the Bug. Reviews of local establishments can be found on social media @edabrestamesta. And on this page will be my big (and absolutely wonderful) story about the most interesting corners of this city.
As a place to stay, I recommend this apartment.
And if you still prefer hotels, then again I advise you to pay attention to the hotel “Status”. In my opinion, this is the best hotel in the city (although it is not located in the center).
For independent walks in Brest – download the applicationMAPS.me , which will not leave you even in the absence of the Internet. And if you need a guide, you can find it on the Tripster website. There are excursions to the abandoned corners of the Brest Fortress or interesting kayaking along the rivers of Belovezhskaya Pushcha.
That’s all. If you liked the article, please give me a like and write some good comment.
