An atmospheric restaurant
in the centre of Zelenogradsk
“Telegraf”

It is already a tradition: with the first rays of the early spring sun we head to Zelenogradsk to walk by the sea and eat well.
And so, having breathed in the fresh sea air and fed all the seagulls around, we decided to have dinner at “Telegraf”.

The restaurant wins you over immediately with its location in the building of the former German post office. The very feeling of being among walls that have literally absorbed a piece of the region’s history is thrilling.

At the entrance a sweet girl met us and offered to check our jackets into the cloakroom. Alas, we had not booked a table in advance (the decision was spontaneous), but we were lucky and took the only free table left.

The interior of the restaurant matches the historic spirit of the whole building.
The overall style can be described as a blend of modern and vintage, with an emphasis on natural materials and warm tones. Red brick walls, wooden tables and chairs with soft upholstery, luxurious chandeliers and geometric patterns on the floor give the space a stylish and at the same time industrial atmosphere.

We studied the menu for quite a long time, since we had already heard about the local cuisine and went through every item with interest. The first thing that catches the eye is the seasonal menu. We got “Winter on the Baltic”, which offered: herring forshmak, Vishtynets whitefish tartare, sugudai of sprat, local burbot, as well as brisket from local bull calves and a beaver meat pie (!). Yes, yes, beaver meat, as it turned out, was a regular part of the diet of the pagan tribes who lived on this land several centuries ago. You are unlikely to find such a dish in other restaurants in the region. So if you want to try beaver meat — “Telegraf” is the only place.

We wanted meat, but did not dare to try beaver and settled on more classic items from the main menu: Lithuanian zeppelins (cepelinai) of venison with potatoes and Königsberg klopse of venison and beef.
The herring in the “Königsberg klopse” puzzled us (we had never had that before), but our waiter Dmitry kindly assured us that it is added to the beetroot for flavour. And indeed, the herring did not spoil the klopse at all; on the contrary, it complemented them harmoniously.

For drinks we chose “Mountain Herbs” tea, and my friend, as a treat, ordered an unusual mushroom tincture, which is served with a small candied mushroom.

So the whole dinner cost us a democratic “little more than 2,000 ₽”. Full and happy, we went home.

And just now, while writing this article and looking through the photos of the menu, I noticed that “Telegraf” has more than 100 different wines, and the selection of wines from around the world is divided into 4 symbolic sections: autumn, winter, spring, summer. Prices range from a few thousand to a few tens of thousands per bottle, which is a great incentive to stop drinking alcohol ;) and try, for example, the “Baltic Tisane” — an organic tea of berries and local herbs from the fields, which, by the way, can also be ordered at “Telegraf”.