Meshchansky & Basmanny
This cosy and quiet cafe-cum-bar has a distinct feminine touch about it – as if Chekhov's sisters have finally made their way to Moscow and started a new…
Must-see nightlife in Russia
Meshchansky & Basmanny
In its new location, this is now more of a bar than a musical instrument shop, although ukuleles still adorn the walls, prompting an occasional jam…
Moscow
There is little to say about this misleadingly unassuming bar, apart from the fact that everything in it is close to perfection. It has it all – prime…
Zamoskvorechie
Located just below the Patriarshy most, the bar-restaurant at the Strelka Institute is the ideal starting point for an evening in the Red October complex…
Irkutsk
Disciples of the bean should definitely head to the ‘White Crow’, a relaxing cellar-based coffee hang-out hiding from view in the cellar of a flower shop…
Krasnoyarsk
Literally a yurt occupying a prime riverside spot next to the city’s best museum, this place celebrates the tea culture of Siberian nomads. Try Orlan…
The Urals
Molotov Brewery has been making its own Russian craft beers since 2012 – and in 2016 it opened a bar, which fills up with a beer-loving crowd most nights…
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…
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…
Zamoskvorechie
Euphoria reigns in this postmodern nomad camp of a bar with its strategic rooftop position on Red October. The decor is bright-coloured kitsch, which…
Novosibirsk
With bearded bartenders whipping up some of Siberia's best (and strongest) cocktails and a convivial crowd, this is unquestionably Novosibirsk's best spot…
Golden Ring
This pocket-sized pub offers 20 brews on tap and dozens more in bottles – porter, IPA, stout, ale, you name it – all from the brewers' own vats or other…
Golden Ring
Marvel at the giant tree in the middle of the upstairs bar and snag the corner table for views of the Church of the Resurrection and the Volga –…
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…
Vladivostok
This exceptionally well-stocked and stylish place right by the seafront offers cocktails and a small but tantalising bar menu as well as wine by the glass…
Kaliningrad
Industrial-themed Yeltsin paved the way for the city's craft-beer revolution and is a favourite gathering spot for students and arty, beer-loving types in…
Vladivostok
This fabulous cocktail lounge is a low-lit and beautifully set-out space, with a gorgeous wooden bar and gloriously comfortable sofas and chairs to lounge…
Nizhny Novgorod
Descending the steps of this hidden art bar is to step into a bohemian world of monkey-motif wallpaper. The ambience is relaxed and alternative. There's a…
Kaliningrad
Easily Kaliningrad's best cocktail bar, Harry Johnson's has the cred to back it up. It's named for the author (and possible Königsberg native) of the…
Khabarovsk
Handsomely designed Gatsby has a main-level restaurant and lounge (with good food from R300 to R800). Downstairs is a swanky bar in one room, with big…
Moscow
Scooter enthusiast, that is. But you don't have to be one in order to enjoy this superbly laid-back bar hidden at the far end of a fancifully shaped…
Kaliningrad
The N3 branch is the largest of three, with a full brunch menu. The cafe sources its beans from micro-roasteries in Moscow and Stockholm, and the branch…
Northern European Russia
Popular with a youngish crowd, this centrally-located bar-cafe serves pizza and grilled meat dishes (mains from R310), and has imported beers on tap. It…
Western European Russia
Brewing all of its ales on-site, this gastropub is a must for craft-beer lovers. With some 15 types on offer, there's plenty to get through, from a range…
Western Siberia
Right at the main base area, Grelka is the après-ski place. Convivial atmosphere, pub grub and competent bartenders serving a wide range of local and…
Volga Region
Samara's own Zhiguli Brewery, 2km north of the centre along the embankment, offers a couple of diverse drinking options. Most popular on a warm day is to…
Murmansk
There are stupendous panoramic views of Murmansk on offer at 7 Nebo (Seventh Heaven), located on the 17th floor of the Azimut Hotel in the centre of the…
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…
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Friendly barista Maksim, one of apparently just three trained coffee professionals on the Kamchatka Peninsula, runs this tiny little stand and shop, where…
Yaroslavl
With more than 150 craft beers to choose from – 40 rotating on the taps and dozens more in bottles – whether you're a beer snob or a beer slob this Moscow…
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…
Western European Russia
Hipster coffee has arrived in Voronezh; the tattooed baristas at this cute cafe are doing serious brews. Beans are sourced from Kenya, Burundi and Brazil,…
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…
Mineral Water Spas
On the upper floor an attractive 19th-century building beside the entrance to Park Tsvetnik, this cafe, which doubles as an art gallery, serves a good…
