Bar entertainment in St Petersburg
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A
Cynic
Calling itself a ‘trash-café-club’, Cynic holds a very special place in the hearts of the St Petersburg underground. Rumour has it that this divey place is struggling for survival, but the student-slacker crowd has not abandoned its no-frills cellar bar. Arty types still come to nurse cheap beers and indulge in the famously delicious grenki (black bread fried in garlic). Literature fans of the male persuasion can peruse Pushkin in the toilet.
reviewed
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B
Ryumochnaya
This is a hold-over from the days when a drinking establishment needed no special name. The ryumochnaya was the generic place where comrades stopped on their way to or from work to toss back a shot or two before continuing on their way. It’s hard to say how long this particular ryumochnaya has been around, but you can be sure that if you order sto grammov (100 grams), they will know what you are talking about.
reviewed
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C
Dunes
Feel like lounging on the beach with a fruity cocktail, catching some rays or playing some badminton? Then visit Dunes, St Petersburg’s first beach bar, complete with sand, hammocks and beach chairs. That this outdoor café is located in a crumbling courtyard (with no sea in sight) only adds to the charm. The place is hard to find: go through the unmarked archway off Konyushennaya pl and proceed to the second courtyard.
reviewed
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D
Bridge Lounge
This swank spot is part restaurant, part lounge and 100% upper-class. Set within the western bastion of the Peter & Paul Fortress, this see-and-be-seen spot boasts an atmospheric location and awesome vista. Its white tent-roof interior is gorgeous, with plush pillows and drapes adorning the otherwise sparse space. Face control ensures that the clientele looks as good as their surroundings.
reviewed
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E
Tribunal Bar
This used to be a kind of legendary place, famous for the debauchery and decadence that would set in as soon as the crowd had enough to drink. It’s now in a new location. And while ads promise that ‘the legend continues’, the debauchery feels a little over-programmed. Nonetheless, scantily clad women dancing on the bar are practically guaranteed.
reviewed
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F
Pivnaya 0.5
With Soviet films playing on the big screen, this classic place recalls the days when the local pivnaya (beer bar) was the only choice for a brew. This particular pivnaya has gone upscale. The retro-chic atmosphere is heavy on the chic, however, with its dark wood and copper décor, sumptuous leather furniture and electronica music.
reviewed
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G
Money Honey
A vital conduit into the teenage rockabilly underbelly of St Petersburg, Money Honey is for kids gone bad as well as those who have invested too much money in Brylcreem and leather jackets. It's a fun and unpredictable place to hang out, famous for brawls and carousing, suitably located in the rather Dostoevskian Apraksin Dvor shopping arcade.
reviewed
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H
City Bar
Always busy with expats, travellers and locals who enjoy their company; people come for free wi-fi access, fine food and live entertainment. Music, poetry readings and stand-up comedy are all on the agenda, depending on the day. Also available: English-language books and DVDs from the lending library.
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I
Sakvoyazh Beremennoi Shpionki
In a city of bizarrely designed drinking and dining halls, the ‘Pregnant Spy’s Suitcase’ is one of the wackiest. The food is notionally Mexican and European – you don’t come here for that, though, but more for the outlandish décor ranging from the Kama Sutra room to the torture chamber.
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J
Probka
Small, romantic and sophisticated – what more could you ask of a wine bar that features a choice selection from around the world? Several wines are available by the glass, and there’s a menu of light snacks or a more expensive Italian restaurant upstairs.
reviewed
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K
Sochi
Occupying one half of the same building as Tinkoff, this new venture is by the woman who launched St Petersburg’s DJ-bar scene. Prop yourself at the long bar or groove along with the hipsters to bands and eclectic selections from the DJs.
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L
Bardak
The exposed brick walls plastered with photos, rickety mezzanine level and dishevelled but hip student crowd add up to explain why this groovy little bar was named after the Russian word for ‘mess’.
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M
Ryumochnaya Uspekh
Make the heads of vodka-soaked locals turn by pitching up for sto grammov (a 100g shot) at this quirky dive bar, with benches and the odd stuffed bird and set of antlers for decoration.
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N
SevenSkyBar
Hyper-fashionable DJ bar atop the Grand Palace mall, SevenSkyBar acts like a magnet for the city’s body beautiful crowd at weekends, when there’s a R400 cover charge after 10pm.
reviewed
