I've never been a huge fan of Russian cuisine, but having visited White Nights for the first time over the weekend I have to say the carb-heavy meals really hit the spot on a cold winter night.

The restaurant's surrounds are a pleasantly warm shelter from the seasonal chill, while the service was reasonably attentive, in a low-key kind of way.

My friend ordered baked salmon, which was ok, but the fish tasted like it had been frozen rather than come fresh from the boat. Given Beijing's distance from the sea I guess that's not surprising.

I ordered chicken, which was great. The salad and soup we ordered on the side were also very decent. There is also a nice selection of Russian beers, although they didn't seem to have any on tap - they were all bottled.

White Nights isn't going to win any awards as a top-notch or innovative culinary establishment, but what it does offer is very reasonably priced hearty Russian fare in warm, unpretentious surrounds.