We decided to try this restaurant based on a recommendation from a friend. It's located just around the corner from Guijie (Dongzhimennei) and is not hard to find if you know the address.

I arrived late, and while I was stuck in traffic my dining companions ordered appetizers such as potatoes with cheese and bacon, bread, and borsch soup. They also ordered different beef entrees (not steaks) which I had a chance to try once I arrived.

The potatoes with cheese and bacon were pretty much what I was expecting - that is, sinful satisfaction. The borsch was surprisingly good, and at only 12 RMB is a must try.

As for the entrees, the dressings they served with the beef were tasty, however the beef itself was not quite as flavourful. I've noticed this at other restaurants and I place the blame on the local variety of beef used here - it is just not up to North American standards. That said, the entrees also came with cucumber tomato salad and mashed potatoes which were quite good.

I agree with the other reviewer in that the size of the entrees are not that large, however at under 30 RMB for most entrees they're still a good value. Also, if you order some sides/appetizers you will not be hungry.

I later ordered an entree of cabbage rolls and an appetizer labelled as "potato dumplings" in the menu (16 RMB) - the latter turned out to be the Russian equivalent of Ukrainian pierogis. They reminded me of the pierogis I used to have back home, although these were a bit "thin" (light on the filling) but still very tasty. My dining companions had never had pierogies before and they really enjoyed them too.

The cabbage rolls were tasty - the meat inside was nicely spiced. Though the two rolls were a bit small. But I definitely liked this one more than the beef entrees we ordered. And like the other entrees this one also came with salad and mashed potatoes.

There's a good selection of entrees in the menu, with even a section for Chinese dishes. I definitely plan on going back to try some of the other entrees.

As for the service, the biggest issue was that they seemed to be understaffed - it could sometimes be hard to get the attention of a waiter. Thankfully, our food arrived in a decent amount of time.

Overall I give this restaurant a 4 star rating because it's been one of my better (budget) western dining experiences here. And I feel that it represents very good value - two people can have a good meal for around 100 RMB (beverages excluded).