Pubs and Bars in St. Petersburg

Beerhouse “Prokhodimets”
Casual bar, entrance located in an arch near Nevskiy prospect. One hall about 40m2, friendly atmosphere, tightly confronting tables, like a visit to friends party. Many kind of beer there, and the freshest beer is Vasileostrovskoe, which is prepared according to an old German recipe. Beer from 90 rub(3.5$), eating about 400 rub(15$). On weekend evening Petersburg groups and jazz-bands play live music. Good for funny time in a company of friends or for a new acquaintance. Pleasant, open and easygoing public.
Address: Rubinshteyna str. #8. tel.: +7(812) 571-12-43
Location: M. Mayakovskaya.
 

Dickens Pub.
Dickens boasts an "authentic" English pub atmosphere, decked out in dark oak with deep blue seat coverings and a homely feel. There are plenty of English beers on tap, most priced at around 190R ($7) for a pint. But the local beers, as well as Heineken and Carlsberg, are a bargain at 80-100R ($3-$3.70). Dickens even boasts a small beer garden which, completely concreted, is rather ugly but is reminiscent of a true English pub. The pub is adorned with a number of plasma TVs showing sport. You can request a channel if you're after a specific event. Food-wise, the full English breakfast including tea or coffee makes a good meal and is good value at 290R ($11). And it's available until 3pm for late risers. For lunch and dinner most mains are around 400R ($15). The menu doesn't stray too far from what you'd find in any English pub. Above the pub, however, is the classy Dickens restaurant where the meals are much more elaborate, and a fair bit more expensive as well. On the downside, the bar and wait staff speak much less English than you would expect for such a venue. Nevertheless, Dickens Pub is a sanctuary for the homesick and a great place to drink, watch sport or have breakfast.
Address: Fontanka Naberezhnaya, #108, metro Ploshchad Sennaya. Tel: 380-7888. Open 8:00-2:00.

James Cook Pub.
This basement level establishment is split into halves. Come down the stairs and on your left is an alluring cafe, on your right is an inviting pub. Both halves of the basement are long and narrow, making for a very long counter displaying an array of cakes in one room and a very long bar flaunting all manner of beers in the other room. The European breakfasts in the cafe are good value

at 190R ($7) but are a bit light on substance for lovers of the full English. The cafe also offers a remarkable variety of tea and coffee to complement its vast cake selection. Lunch and dinner are served in either half of the establishment with main courses around 500R ($18.50). The steaks are said to be good quality. In the drinking stakes there are 16 beers on tap, a mix of the expensive imported varieties (around $7) and the cheaper local varieties ($4). But the best thing about the James Cook Pub and Cafe is the atmosphere. The pub is dark, crowded, decorated to perfection and features live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Meanwhile the natural light filtering into the basement cafe gives it a peaceful, easy feeling, making it a great place to start the day.
Address: Shvedsky Pereulok, #2, metro Nevsky Prospekt. Tel: 312-3200. Open Mon-Thurs 9:00-2:00, Fri 9:00-4:00, Sat 10:00-4:00, Sun 10:00-2:00. Pub opens at midday.

Mollie's Irish Pub
The most popular Irish bar in town. Sports on TV, mad drinking parties on Fridays and Saturdays, great crowd of well-heeled Russians, resident expats and odd tourist. Wide choice of drafts (140-210 rub a pint), good grub and large portions too - all you expect from a traditional Irish pub.
Address: Rubinshteina str. #36. Tel: +7 (812) 570-37-68
Location: M.: Vladimirskaya, Dostoyevskaya..

Queens bar!
A cozy dj-bar playing a good selection of funk, soul, latin, downtempo & hip-hop. Entrance free. Packed with young dancing locals. No food; beer 100 rub a pint. Wed, Fri & Sat only. Open 22:00 until 06:00.
Address: Gorohovaya str. #13. tel.: 7(812) 31-48-444.
Location: M. Nevskiy prospect, Gostiny Dvor.

Telegraph
A step off Nevsky prospekt, Telegraph consists of two separate premises – one a traditional English pub, the other a bar playing a decent selection of pop music. Sports on big TV screens, parties with live shows on weekends. Good pub food – English breakfast with coffee or tea 300 rubles; lunch or dinner around 500 rubles. 20% off the menu from 12:00 to 17:00.
Open: 11:00 – 01:00, Fri., Sat. 11:00 – 03:00
Address: Rubinshteyna str. #3 tel.: 7(812) 327-74-79.
Location: M. Mayakovskaya.

Temple Bar.
One of St Petersburg's newest pubs, it seems to be attracting a local crowd of Russians and expats more than tourists. In fact, the clientele might even look up and stare at you when you walk in. In terms of interior it's not dissimilar to the city's other offerings - the light is suitably subdued, the furniture is of an appropriately dark oak and there is a fittingly adorned bar. On tap are a selection of Irish and English beers for $7 (190R) a pint, some Czech and Dutch beers for $5 (140R) a pint and the budget Bochkarev at $2.60 (70R). For fans of spirits and cocktails the Temple Bar a truly massive list of drinks to choose from. For sustenance there is a small menu of snacks for $5-$8 and main meals at an average of $18. Lunch time (from 12pm-4pm) brings a 20% discount on all food. In furniture terms there is a good mix of tables and booths and there is a single plasma TV for sports events. Not a bad pub but it has a fairly subdued atmosphere. The Temple Bar feels more like a place you might go to drink away your sorrows than for a lively night out.
Address: Nekrasova Ulitsa, #37/20, metro Ploshchad Vosstaniya. Tel: 579-1855. Open 12:00-2:00.

The Shamrock Irish Bar.
The Shamrock is a pricey but popular Irish pub with a long history in St Petersburg. Live music almost every night of the week and 16 types of beer on tap help to draw in big crowds and makes for a lively atmosphere. There are also two screens equipped with Sky Sports. Beer is a bit more expensive than the average at 210R ($7.70) for the Irish favorites but there are some cheaper options as well as 25 types of whisky. The food menu goes beyond standard pub grub with options including steaks, pasta and more broadly European dishes. Most main courses are in the 400R-600R ($15-$22) range. There are also a variety of options on the breakfast menu, including steak and eggs and a full Irish breakfast with bottomless coffee. And to add a bit of culture to the place, the propaganda is that stars of the Mariinsky Theatre across the street often come in for a "incognito" drink. Maybe it happens but you're much more likely to find drunken expats here.
Address: Dekabristov Ulitsa, #27, metro Sadovaya. Tel: 318-4625. Website: www.shamrock.spb.ru. Open 9:00-2:00.

Red Lion.
CLOSED. The largest and liveliest pub in the city, the Red Lion British pub has multiple rooms, bars and even a dance floor. Entertainment is provided by live music, DJs and a karaoke machine. Occasional nights featuring free champagne for women can also spice things up a bit. Alternatively, there are numerous screens around the joint for sports viewing. And if you just want a quiet drink, you'll be able to find a private nook somewhere in the Red Lion. The prime location across from the Bronze Horseman attracts a lot of tourists but the pub is also a favorite with locals. There are 11 beers on tap, ranging from the cheaper Russian brands up to the 200R ($7.40) Guinness, as well as a whole variety of bottled beer. The light and dark unfiltered Red Lion house beers are well worth a try. Main courses come as cheap as 220R ($8) for pasta, with most options good value, if not great tasting, at between 300R ($11) and 400R ($15). There's plenty of traditional pub food on the menu including Fish & Chips and Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding. The English breakfast is available around the clock at only 150R ($5.50) - possibly the cheapest in town if not the tastiest.
Address: Dekabristov Ploshchad, #1, metro Nevsky Prospekt. Tel: 571-4526. Website: www.redlionpub.ru. Open 24 hours.

Vegas.
Not actually a pub but a large complex playing dual roles of casino and sports bar. Really the only reason to visit this Vegas is if you want to watch a sports event that won't be shown at St Petersburg's pubs, whether because it is less popular or because it clashes with a Premier League match. Another reason to visit would be if you enjoy gambling. Vegas actually isn't a bad venue for sports viewing.

At first it seems annoying that the sports bar is spread over a few different halls separated by the gaming tables. But this is actually advantage as a different sports event can be shown in each one. Unfortunately, if you're watching a smaller sporting event then they'll insist on playing terrible music instead of turning up the sound anyway. Among the different halls, there are a number of plasma TVs, a few regular televisions and a couple of large projector screens. A great feature is that beer is very cheap at only 60R ($2.20). If you get hungry, there aren't any really inspired options on the menu, but standard beers snacks cost around 180R ($6.60) and you can get a main (usually a bit of meat with some salad) for about 300R ($11).
Address: Manezhnaya Ploshchad, #6, metro Gostiny Dvor. Tel: 710-5000. Website: www.vegas.ru. Open 24 hours.

XXXX II bar.
New version and the branch XXXX bar, somewhat similar in the feel to FAQ cafe in Moscow. Located in the down-town, more places, modern design, scene and fantastic bar counter. The large selection of strong alcohol from 60 rub.($2.3), beer from 90 rub.($3.4). Food and public not bad. Live evening with jazz, vocal, r&r and much more.
Address: 3-rd Soviet str., #34.
Location: M. Ploshad Vostaniya.
Contacts: 7(812) 715-24-07
Open hours: Mn-We 20:00-03:00; Th-Su 20:00-06:00.


XXXX bar.
Picturesque, little crazy, comfortable bar, a bit like the famous Moscow OGI art cafe chain. The accommodation like middle class-room, tightly confronting tables, many flags on ceiling and much more incredible things on walls and windows. It's a calm place, a pleasant bar from Monday to Thursday, but something happens on weekend, something unbelievable. Alcohol flows like river, fun noise around, Dj play music, Mc excite people with stripteasers. Expats friendly. Beer from 100 rub.($4).
Address: Zhdanovskaya emb., 1/3.
Location: M. Sportivnaya, on the contrary Petrovskiy stadium.
Contacts: 7(812) 970-46-83. Open hours: 14:00-05:00.