Where to eat well
in Zelenogradsk?
Cafe 12

For the third day in a row now we have been having lunch on the summer terrace of “Cafe 12”...
And all because of the mind-blowingly tasty beef medallions!
But first things first.

In Zelenogradsk the start of the 2025 season was marked by not the hottest weather, so instead of basking on the sunny beach, we wandered around the town looking for interesting places to eat well. Having stepped a little aside from Kurortny Prospekt, we came across Cafe 12, which is part of Boutique Hotel 12.

We were attracted by the large open area, green trees and cosy sofas under them. Besides, the deciding factor for our couple, as usual, was the presence of unfiltered wheat beer on the menu.

On the first day, as per tradition, we took the tuna tartare (no restaurant visit of ours goes without it), the bruschetta with salmon and the beef medallions medium rare with vegetables and demi-glace sauce.

Tuna tartare is a classic French delicacy. Finely chopped tuna is laid over a low layer of finely chopped cucumber, which serves as a light and crunchy base for the tartare. The dish combines the freshness and delicate taste of the fish in a piquant sauce — a great start!
The bruschetta did not cause much excitement: dry bread, cream cheese and, for some reason, very cold, lightly salted salmon.

But as for the beef medallions — they completely conquered our little hearts tummies. A masterpiece of cuisine, combining the tenderness of the meat, accentuated by subtle notes of demi-glace sauce, and harmonious vegetable accents. As the waiter later told us, the meat is marinated in a special sauce, which gives it a juicy, rich taste. The chef’s high skill — the perfect degree of doneness of the meat. Impossible to resist....

And we did not resist — and came to Cafe “12” again the next day :)

We repeated by popular demand: tuna tartare, beer and beef medallions.
But this time a cutlet made of 3 kinds of meat with mashed potatoes was also invited to the table, and as a non-alcoholic drink — tea with lingonberry and mint.

The three-meat cutlet is a wonderful combination of classic ingredients with a modern presentation. The rich meaty taste combined with the most tender puree was a great addition to our second lunch at Cafe 12.

But even that was not where we stopped. On the third day a couple of friends joined us, and here we really went wild.

Besides the standard set (tuna tartare and beef medallions) we ordered: carpaccio of Baltic sprat, borscht with brisket and garlic croutons, venison tartare with truffle paste, creamy halibut soup, bonito stroganina (how could we do without it) and Kiwi mussels in Chablis sauce.

Describing the impressions of each dish would keep you here for a long time. In any case, you can see everything in the photos. I will not say that everything was tasty — that goes without saying. Besides, it is worth noting that all the products were of high quality; especially impressive were the huge, juicy mussels and the tender venison.

As for money: on the third day, sitting “like lords” as a foursome cost us a little more than 15,000 ₽ — and that includes alcohol!

We had a wonderful time in the shade of green trees, stuffed our little bellies and, content and happy, went to watch the sunset.

Definitely, Cafe 12 has become one of our favourite places in the Kaliningrad region, and every time we are in Zelenogradsk we will not miss the chance to have lunch or dinner there.