Quick answer
The three you will meet first: борщ (beetroot soup), пельме́ни (meat dumplings), блины́ (thin pancakes).
Soups
борщborshchbeetroot soup
щиshchicabbage soup (plural)
соля́нкаsolyánkasour, salty soup
окро́шкаokróshkacold summer soup with kvass
Main things
пельме́ниpelménimeat dumplings
блины́blinýthin pancakes
голубцы́golubtsýstuffed cabbage rolls
ка́шаkáshaporridge, grain dish
шашлы́кshashlýkgrilled meat skewers
Salads and sides
оливье́olivyéthe “Russian salad”
сельдь под шу́бойseld pod shúboy“herring under a fur coat”
солёные огурцы́solyónye ogurtsýpickled cucumbers
смета́наsmetánasour cream — goes on everything
Two you should know the story of
Оливье́ is the salad the rest of the world calls “Russian salad”, named after a French chef in 19th-century Moscow, and it is obligatory at New Year. Сельдь под шу́бой — herring under beetroot, egg and mayonnaise — looks alarming and tastes better than it sounds.
Что вы посове́туете?What do you recommend?
Э́то о́стро?Is it spicy?
Со смета́ной, пожа́луйста.With sour cream, please.
Typical mistakes
борщ is Ukrainian or Russian?
Both claim it — the dish is Ukrainian in origin
UNESCO listed Ukrainian borscht culture in 2022. It is eaten across the region, and the honest answer is “Ukrainian, and everywhere”.
оди́н пельме́нь
пельме́ни
They come in the plural, always — nobody orders one.
Check yourself
What is смета́на?
Смета́на — sour cream, served with almost everything.