Breakfast Review at Restaurant Saro

A clean interior straight out of the New Wave films: five-meter ceilings, panoramic windows overlooking Krestovsky Island, designer porcelain, and vintage auction furniture. The menu offers signature cuisine by chef and owner Maria Dementieva, European classics where Spanish jamón sits comfortably next to cod in mint sauce. I've been here for dinner, and only once for breakfast. Decided to refresh my impressions, especially since the morning menu got an update at the end of the year.

What did I try?

• Scramble with prosciutto and stracciatella, 690₽ — a delicate scramble texture paired with stracciatella and beautifully chosen tomatoes. Especially rare in St. Petersburg in winter. The perfect combination to make your taste buds happy first thing in the morning. 
• Sandwich with pastrami and sweet mustard, 750₽ — even though cutlery is provided, you just want to eat this sandwich with your hands. Though the parmesan melted onto the tartine's crust does burn a little. Inside, besides the pastrami, there's caramelized onion, cheddar, and sweet mustard. The pickle feels like it was made for this company, and its appearance here is no exception. 
• Churros with salted caramel and hot chocolate, 590₽ — classic Spanish choux-pastry sticks for sweet tooths like me. The texture inside is a touch more delicate than usual. The chocolate sauce, served separately with the dish, is memorable too. It's somewhere between cocoa and hot chocolate. A scoop of ice cream would have been especially welcome here. 
• Assam tea with mint and lemon, 450₽

Saro is what happens when compact, aesthetic, and delicious all come together. I visited on a weekday, around 12:30, found a half-empty room, but didn't feel lonely there. Fast, attentive service: the waiter asked about allergies and taste preferences. Everything is simple and refined, from the table settings to the morning menu, which runs from 10:00 to 14:00.