slothis · English

Lunch at Org: A Hidden Restaurant in Irkutsk

2016-05-26 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

Before writing about Cafe Org (honestly, I'm not even sure if the real name of the place is 'Org'), here are the buildings we passed by along the way.

Statue of Lenin standing on a tall black pedestal with his right arm extended
A statue of Lenin. There's at least one Lenin statue in every city.
Exterior of an antique building with pink outer walls, arched doors, and windows
Russo-Asian Bank
Front of a bright-colored two-story art museum building lined with arched windows
The old gymnasium
Large round fountain spouting water in the center of a square, with people walking around it
Irkutsk City Hall and the square in front of it. The traces of the Victory Day events are still left behind.
Large, wide gray government building decorated with flags behind the square
Irkutsk City Hall. Victory Day has passed, but the chairs set up for the parade are still there.
Map board with a green line showing a walking tour route in downtown Irkutsk
This map links the old, historic buildings in downtown Irkutsk into a single route. Found at each famous building, this map serves as a great guide when traveling around Irkutsk.

Honestly, we ended up at this restaurant just because we were walking by, got incredibly hungry, and walked into the first place we saw. When we actually got inside, it turned out to be an underground restaurant, and we were initially taken aback by the very chilly atmosphere as soon as we entered. But once the food came out, there was no place more comfortable than here. I called it a great restaurant, but since we were starving, it might not actually be that amazing. However, the fact that two picky eaters easily finished all their food, and especially the touching detail that they handed us a handwritten note wishing us a good meal, makes it stand out. You might feel a chill when you first walk in, but I highly recommend this place as it gets more and more comfortable the longer you sit.

Restaurant entrance with a yellow sign and food photos attached
If anyone can read this Russian and confirm the location, please leave a reply!
Clear broth, dumplings, and finely chopped herbs in a bowl with an orange rim.
Pelmeni (Russian dumplings). It's quite similar to Korean mandu-guk (dumpling soup).
Golden-fried half-moon shaped bread on a white plate
I lost the photo of the handwritten note...
Inside a restaurant seen through a door, with tables, chairs, and one person standing.
It's a small and simple space.
White and red bus with a Korean route map stopped in the middle of a busy road.
Russia and Busan aren't that far apart.

Expenses (per person)

Total Expenses 7,460R

Total Trip Expenses 525,936 KRW + 11,956R + $53.16