St Petersburg
A charming multiroom 'free space' that has started a worldwide trend, Ziferblat is the original anticafe in St Petersburg. Coffee, tea, soft drinks and…
Must-see nightlife in St Petersburg
St Petersburg
Stopping in for drinks at Commode feels more like hanging out in an upper-class friend's stylish apartment. After getting buzzed up, you can hang out in…
St Petersburg
One of St Petersburg's best drinking dens, Redrum hits all the right notes. It has a cosy, white brick interior, a welcoming, easygoing crowd, and a…
St Petersburg
The Union is a glamorous and fun place, characterised by one enormous long wooden bar, low lighting and a New York feel. It's all rather adult, with a…
St Petersburg
The wonderfully retro-feeling Hat is a serious spot for jazz and whisky lovers, who come for the nightly live music and the cool-cat crowd that make this…
St Petersburg
Your craft-beer cravings are sure to be satisfied at this bar-cum-bottle shop that has dedicated itself to the best of local and international ales. There…
St Petersburg
A popular spot for students and other indie types who appreciate the fun and friendly atmosphere and a cool mix of music both live and spun. Laid-back and…
St Petersburg
Boroda means beard in Russian, and sure enough you'll see plenty of facial hair and tattoos in this hipster cocktail hang-out. Never mind, as the…
St Petersburg
In an area heavily saturated with hipster cafes, Coffee 22 – with its tattooed baristas and service staff, arty decor (piercing portrait of Joseph Brodsky…
St Petersburg
The antithesis of the nearby dive bars, Apotheke is a calm, cosy cocoon for cocktail connoisseurs. Its slogan is 'think what you drink', so there's no…
St Petersburg
One of the nicer craft-beer bars in town, this riverside space with friendly staff serves up a regularly changing menu of 20 beers on tap and scores more…
St Petersburg
A leafy, relaxed ambience and river views across to the Petrograd Side make this a pleasant pit stop for coffee, other drinks and snacks while touring…
St Petersburg
Bookings are essential for this speakeasy cocktail bar styled as a secret poker joint and hidden beneath the Grill Brothers burger restaurant. It's a fun,…
St Petersburg
This is our ideal post-Soviet bar, specialising in Georgian wine accompanied by tapas-sized versions of succulent Georgian fare, including khachapuri …
St Petersburg
Boasting a stylish contemporary design, this aptly named place serves an excellent variety of wines from Europe and the New World, plus tasty snacks to go…
St Petersburg
This very cool place has a sophisticated drinks menu and an almost unbelievable range of spirits stacked along the long bar and served up by a committed…
St Petersburg
Escape the Nevsky buzz at the legendary Daiquiri Bar on Konyushennaya square. With literally hundreds of cocktails, it can take half an hour to look…
St Petersburg
The nicest of several cafes located within the Summer Garden, where you can also watch free musical performances on some nights during the summer months.
St Petersburg
The top floor of the Soviet-era Azimut Hotel, one of the city's biggest eyesores, is also home to the Sky Bar, quite simply the best place to get a bird's…
St Petersburg
Gran is a great little neighbourhood cafe that prepares excellent cups by your brew method of choice – Aeropress, Chemex or Hario pour-overs. Of course,…
St Petersburg
What looks like a small suburban house sits rather incongruously here amid repurposed warehouses in this vast courtyard. There’s a cosy indoor bar and a…
St Petersburg
Loud, lewd and lots of fun, this is the coolest gay place in town. Take your pick from the main bar, where the uninhibited crowd is often quite literally…
St Petersburg
An easygoing newcomer to the nightlife scene, Eto is a cosy, brick-walled space with a wooden bar (recycled from the theatre stage next door) and live…
St Petersburg
Tucked inside the Golitsyn Loft, this is one of St Petersburg's loveliest spots to while away an afternoon. Elegant furnishings, huge windows and a piano…
St Petersburg
Tired of the usual mojitos and margaritas? Head over to this intimate cocktail bar with a heavy Russian accent. Its cocktails menu has five sections, each…
St Petersburg
Griboyedov is hands-down the longest-standing and most respected music club in the city. Housed in a repurposed bomb shelter, this one was founded by…
St Petersburg
Duck into the courtyard to find this very cosy basement bar that's recommended by local beer fanatics for its regularly updated range of 12 local and…
St Petersburg
If the idea of going to a 'Belgian gastronomic pub' makes your eyes roll, you're in good company, but this pleasant basement space overcomes its heavy…
St Petersburg
When you see the smart, chatty crowd here you'll understand why the bar's name is a casual reference to Faust. Brimborium is a charming, upscale place,…
St Petersburg
With its large range of coffees, sumptuous selection of cakes and – best of all – freshly made Belgian waffles, this small but friendly cafe is a great…
St Petersburg
On bar-lined ul Belinskogo, Farsh & Bochka stands out for its wide-ranging line-up of craft brews, with over 30 on draft, including SPB and Russian…
St Petersburg
A dapper boxcar-sized spot with old-time music and black-and-white films playing silently in the background, wryly named Bolshoy serves up good coffees by…
St Petersburg
Occupying several of the lofty upper-floor rooms of this grand building, you pay R3 per minute for the time spent at this spacious cafe covering as much…
St Petersburg
Only good-quality Russian wines are served by the glass or bottle at this compact wine bar with a view across the Moyka River. Try the light, sparkling…
St Petersburg
'Abandon hope all ye who enter here,' warns the sign on the door – and it's putting no one off cramming into this popular club that occupies a former…
St Petersburg
One of Petrograd Side's best coffee spots is this hip little cafe on busy Kronverksky pr. Staff can make you a perfect brew with all the essential…
St Petersburg
Resurrecting the time-honoured St Petersburg practice of dancing on the tables, this friendly bar does indeed become more of a disco than a bar after…
St Petersburg
This friendly joint, whose name means 'washing', has three washing machines, so you can drop off a load and have a few beers while you wait. A novel idea,…
St Petersburg
Huge, with several bars and dance floors, as well as a men-only dark room, this is a stalwart of the St Petersburg gay scene. There are events on…
St Petersburg
Beloved by beautiful young things, this is the dance club of the moment with a shabby-chic indoor space beneath a lofty vaulted brick ceiling and plenty…
