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Where to eat in Transnistria?

What can you eat in transnistria? the statues of Lenin and the cars of the USSR offer an unparalleled spectacle to any tourist. In this article we explain where to eat during your trip to the past. Ahead!

The country that doesn't exist

Let's face it, no one travels to Transnistria for the food. Rather, he does it for the morbidity of visiting a self-proclaimed republic nostalgic for the USSR. Thus, the tourist seeks a kind of trip to the past in a territory marked both by the soviet architecture as well as the monuments dedicated to this period.

What happens is that one must be proactive before arriving. That is, there is a lot of ignorance. First of all we must mention that everyone speaks Russian but hardly anyone English. In addition, the gastronomy differs completely from Moldova, country within which it is located in theory. So, we explain some useful tips for your trip. However, we must first understand the context.

transnistrian emblem
Emblem of Transnistria in Suvorov Square with the equestrian statue of this general on the right/Source: Own

There is a lot of misinformation around Transnistria. It is said to be a territory heavily militarized and difficult to access. Nothing is further from reality. People come and go frequently. In fact there is a bus line Tiraspol-Chisinau It happens every twenty minutes. They only ask you at customs where you stay to sleep.

A Slavic gastronomy

Another factor to take into account is that the local gastronomy is strongly Slavic. The territory, part of Moldova, attracted large Russian and Ukrainian immigration during the Soviet rule of this country. This was due to the incredible prosperity that industry brought to the shores of the dniester river. For this reason, when the USSR collapsed, they refused to be part of a Moldova that joined the Romania and get away from Russia.

Tiraspol street
The streets are full of life on weekends on 25 de Octubre Avenue / Source: Own

A war began that ended up frozen after negotiations between Moscow and Chisinau. Today only three self-proclaimed countries from other post soviet conflicts They recognize their independence. Thus, among the local gastronomy we find multiple stews and soups. A famous one is the famous borsch, very typical of Ukraine. Its famous red color comes from beets.

Eating in Transnistria: a single street

For eat in transnistria You actually have several options. If you don't care much about food we recommend the Avenue Kebab, which is not great. However, its location is privileged as it overlooks the most iconic place in the city of Tiraspol. It's just the point of the October 25th street in which we have on one side the monument to the Russian general Suvorov by horse. Meanwhile, on the other side we have a Soviet tank, which you can climb on to take your photo, next to the St. George's Chapel.

where to eat in transnistria
Kebab Avenue on the corner next to Suvorov Square that we highlight for its privileged views/Source: own

In addition, they use ingredients never seen in other countries such as mushrooms o cheese. However, you can walk a little further in the direction of the house of soviets on the same sidewalk. Let's keep in mind that almost everything worth seeing is on this street. You will find other restaurants that do stand out for their offer. One is called Life. Its price is very affordable and they have food from Russia, Finland, Ukraine, Georgia... Their repertoire is international.

Restaurants with personality

On the other hand, if you like meat you can opt for BRO Burger. He rides a little further forward and finds himself next to the consulates of Abkhazia y South Ossetia, other countries "that do not exist". It offers very affordable prices and you can enjoy it 100 grams of Angus fillet just over a euro fifty. This place also stands out for its young and modern atmosphere. It also has a DJ that enlivens the nights on its terrace.

On the other hand, you also have themed restaurants based on Soviet nostalgia. There are two that stand out in this unique country. one is the Back in the USSR, in a parallel to October 25 called Sverdlov. However, it is not as successful as the Stolovka SSSR. The latter is located in the small town of Bender, whose only attraction lies in an Ottoman fortress.

Su soviet paraphernalia It is very successful as it is located in an old train station. It also stands out for its cheap price. By the way, if we talk about nostalgia we must keep in mind the Tiraspol Sheriff. The name of the soccer team that beat the Real Madrid in 2021 (recurring topic of conversation with Spanish tourists). This belongs to an oligarch who also owns supermarkets, gyms, spas...

Lenin/eating in Transnistria
Bust of Lenin in front of the Palace of the Soviets in Tiraspol / Source: Own

very cheap nostalgia

Supermarkets have the bland aesthetic typical of the USSR in the 70 years. Few colors and employees with uniforms of the time. If you travel to Transnistria it is likely that you will stay on airbnb, so you will be able to cook six eggs of this supermarket that cost ten cents euro. And it is that, to finish, we emphasize that it is very difficult to spend ten euros per person in one day.

The prices to eat in Transnistria consist of extremely cheap and you can taste a hit de half liter, which drive transnistrians crazy, for one euro. We also urge you to try the brand's cognac Quint, the star product of the area. So mythical that his factory appears on five ruble notes. So, we encourage you to visit this strange country that does not exist as long as the Russia-EU tension he allows it.

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