TO EAT
TASTE TO EAT
ВКУС ЕСТЬ
About
Although this cozy restaurant on the bank of Fontanka River opened over a year ago, it's still one of the best kept secrets of local foodies. The concept of the restaurant is new Russian cuisine, an attempt to distant from Soviet canteen-style food and ubiquitous borsch and pancakes, and show Russian food from new side. According to the creators of the restaurant, Taste to Eat is all about Russian gastronomy, for Russian gastronome, in the name of Russian gastronomy. The food is superb, all made from local ingredients; therefore, expect loads of rye bread, buckthorn, mushrooms, herring, and Russian seafood. And they also have a great wine list, and traditional Russian drinks such as hot sbiten, several kinds of kvass, and buckthorn and blackcurrant mors.
There's a 20% discount on all food menu on weekdays from 12pm until 4pm.
Info
82 Fontanka River Emb. (наб. реки Фонтанки, д. 82)
+7 812 983 33 76
Sun-Thu 12pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 1pm-12am
Menu in English
English-speaking staff
Best for lunch/dinner/wine
Order this: Scallops from Murmansk with with stewed pumpkin and sour cream sause, baked beetroot with buckthorn, pumpkin and cream cheese, herring tartar with apple Symirenka, perlotto with smoked quail, carrot halva dessert
MY ZHE NA TY
МЫ ЖЕ НА ТЫ
About
A cool and a bit eccentric bar and café with its own library on the forever bustling Rubinstein St. The name suggests two things at once. If you spell it in Russian like 'my zhe na ty', it means 'let's be less formal', if you spell it like 'my zhenaty' means 'we're married.' The staff is very friendly, the guests are usually very cheerful, and to make it even better, the official owner of this café and bar is Gosha the Cat. The grey sphynx is portrayed on the list of the staff, and occasionally walks around the café showing off his new sweaters. The main room of the café looks more like a library with a dozen of bookcases here and there. The staff encourage guests to bring books they don't need anymore, and leave them at the café. You'll get discount on the menu in return. You can also buy a book from the café, the profit will go to charity. And, of course, you're free to browse any books in the café, and can reserve the one you liked until your next visit. They have books in Engish, and other languages as well. The menu looks like a theatre playbill, with quirky and funny names, and the food and drinks are really good. If you prefer a quieter ambience, opt for a secret back room with a speakeasy vibe.
Info
11 Rubinstein St. (ул. Рубинштейна, д. 11)
+7 812 456 44 74
Sun-Thu 12pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-1am
Menu in English
English-speaking staff
Best for late breakfast/lunch/dinner
Order this: Pumpkin Revolution salad with baked pumpkin, lentils, tomatoes and mustard, and Nastya's Tea with cinnamon and orange peels
KORZHOV BAKERY
ПЕКАРНЯ "КОРЖОВ"
About
A cute little bakery with a variety of unusual types of bread and delicious desserts. You can also get a sandwich or a salad there, and have it in the bakery, they have a few tables there. They also have coffee and tea, the latter is particularly good, served with various berries and spices. The bakery is eco-friendly, the milk, kefir, and other dairy products come from local farms in Leningrad region. Many of the desserts are reinvented and upgraded Soviet classics such as the 'Bird milk cake' served here with berry sauce.
Two other bakeries of the same branch are located on 17/2 Nauki St. (ул. Науки, 17/2), 13 Bolshaya Zelenina St. (ул. Большая Зеленина, д. 13)
Info
19 Vosstaniya St. (ул. Восстания, д. 19)
+7 812 602 25 37
Mon-Sun 8am-9pm
English-speaking staff
Best for bread/snack/dessert/breakfast
Order this: Carrot bread, cherry and rosemary tea served in a traditional Russian mug
SMALLDOUBLE
About
This tiny café on the corner of Gorokhovaya St. is heaven for those who are lactose intolerant but love coffee nonetheless. They are serving delicious latte, cappuccino and cocoa with homemade almond and hazelnut milk. If you prefer more traditional kinds of coffee, there's also chemex, aeropress, vietnamess coffee and many others. They also have good breakfasts, sandwiches, salads and soups for lunch, and delicious homemade desserts to go with your coffee or tea.
There's a 10% discount on weekdays from 12pm until 4pm.
Info
26 Kazanskaya St. (ул. Казанская, д. 26)
+7 812 932 82 17
Go to Website (only in Russian)
Mon-Fri 8.30am-10pm, Sat-Sun 11am-10pm
Menu in English
English-speaking staff
Best for coffee/dessert/breakfast
Order this: almond and hazelnut milk latte and cappuccino, pear baked with red bilberries, cashew nuts, honey and cinnamon