A Guide To Cocktails & Eats On Rubinshteina Street

Take a tipple and tapas trip along Rubinshteina Street, one cocktail bar at a time.

Lined with more than 50 bars, cafés and restaurants, St Petersburg’s Rubinshteina Street is an epicurean paradise. Beginning at Nevsky Prospekt and snaking down to Five Corners through a throng of trendy eateries and watering holes, this stylish stretch was awarded the Washington Post’s top streets for restaurants in Europe. Cocktail bars are ubiquitous on Rubinshteina Street, serving their mixes served alongside deliciously ingenious menus. Here are the best places to sip and savour exceptionally crafted gastronomy in St Petersburg.

48 Stul'yev

Translating to 48 Chairs, 48 Stul’yev is cool jazz bar evoking prohibition-era New York. The vibe is smooth and sophisticated with a delicious menu and peerless cocktails to match. Mustachioed bar tenders expertly serve up beautifully presented drinks alongside chic bruschettas, tartars and – the stars of the show – oysters. For heartier appetites, there are uniquely Russian combinations such as roast duck and lingonberries. Snuggle into a cosy corner beneath a wall of gilded photographs of jazz greats, and catch the sultry beats of local musicians while you sip and sample into the night.

Crazy Wine

As its name suggests, Crazy Wine has a biblical menu of wines from across the world, but the lively spot’s cocktail offering is equally on point. Serving every classic you can think of from Old Fashioneds to Margaritas, Crazy Wine also pours its own inspired mixes. Tuck into Crazy Wine’s fusion food menu for a chic selection of light bites, from butter-soft beef tartare to plump steamed momos. Reserve your spot on weekends: with its raw brick walls, cool neon lights and pumping tunes, Crazy Wine is a great place for a heady night on the tiles.

Orthodox

Stylish and intimate with minimalist décor, Orthodox is all about cleverly put together light bites and well-crafted cocktails with authentically Russian ingredients. Pull up at stool at the show-stopping 270-degree bar, choose the delicious chicken liver pâté with blueberry confiture and sandwich with sprat, and sip a perfectly poured concoction. Drinks are inspired by the works of Russian literary greats: In the Anton Palich Chekhov series, Uncle Vanya contains wheat distillate, apple vermouth, smoked syrup and peach bitters.

Geography

Geography is an eclectic spot whose interior is seriously unique. Think; timbered walls, a bookcase stacked with quirky ornaments and a wildly textured ceiling fashioned from organza. But it’s Geography’s tapas and cocktails that really sing. For nibbles, there are the usual St Petersburg culinary suspects: tartars and pâtés, as well as heartier meat courses for something more serious. Turn to the drinks menu, and you’ll find plenty to inspire. The mulled wine and hot peach and lychee are perfect warmers for a chilly winter’s day. For real connoisseurs, its collection of aged cocktails have been barrel-aged for two weeks.

Tesla Bar

End your evening in Tesla Bar, a hotspot for St Peterburg’s hip crowd. Lured by thumping DJ beats, street-art inspired interiors and one-of-a-kind cocktails as well as some excellent burgers, it’s edgy-cool credentials are second to none. It’s Tesla Bar’s fun, experimental mixology that shines. Try the festive Spruce Village – a playful cocktail that harmonises spruce liqueur with lime sorbet. Pay Tesla Bar a visit at the weekend and be prepared to party.