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…
Must-see nightlife in Russia
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 –…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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Arbat & Khamovniki
This tiny coffee shop is hidden between the Old and New Arbat streets. A vibrant chain from Sochi, it envelops you in a special atmosphere of surfboards,…
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Ulan-Ude
Capping off the Mergen Bator hotel, this bar probably offers the best views of any in Russia: the entire Buryat capital and the surrounding mountainscape…
Moscow
The biggest drinking and eating establishment in Hermitage Gardens, this veranda positioned at the back of the park's main building looks a bit like a…
Moscow
Fun, informal and affordable (so surprising on swanky Stoleshnikov), Gogol is great for food, drinks and music. The underground club takes its bunker…
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Moscow
The scale of the craft beer craze is so terrifying for some folks in Moscow, they've decided it's time for a backlash. This large pub has no Russian beer…
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St Petersburg
This is our ideal post-Soviet bar, specialising in Georgian wine accompanied by tapas-sized versions of succulent Georgian fare, including khachapuri …
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Moscow
It looks like just another cellar bar, but if you walk all the way through the underground maze you'll find yourself in the huge overground 'orangerie'…
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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…
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Kazan
Laid-back, ultra-trendy bar and occasional club occupies a hived-out former industrial building, given a makeover of hardwood floors and exposed beam…
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Western European Russia
It might be a fair hike south from the town centre, but Red Panda is a great basement craft-beer bar with tasty food and a welcoming atmosphere. Ten…
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Moscow
Dining, drinking and dancing are all on offer in this sexy space. There is a long menu of Pan Asian cuisine – as well as sushi, pasta, tapas and more –…
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Sochi
Just steps from the sand, Sea Zone is an enticingly upscale venue to relax in and savour the sunset. The covered terrace is tastefully furnished with dark…
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Moscow
Strategically located on the city's busiest square, this place has nothing but a long bar and lots of taps pumping from barrels, representing dozens of…
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Arbat & Khamovniki
Eclectic and atmospheric, Dom 12 may be the perfect place to attend an event or chat with friends over a glass of wine. The cosy interior is enhanced by…
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Moscow
Amid the craft-beer mayhem, a good old – and not-so-fake – Irish pub feels like a welcome refuge. Occupying a vast cellar space with vaulting bare brick…
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Ulan-Ude
A bric-a-brac shop attached to the city museum comes with a hobbit-sized coffee bar that provides a welcome respite from dust, railway slime and instant…
