Top Tables: St. Petersburg

Indagare’s favorite hot spot restaurants change all the time, but there are also staples in each of the cities we love that never go out of style. Here is our current short list for the best restaurants in St. Petersburg.

Contact Indagare for assistance planning a vacation to St. Petersburg. Our specialists can book you at the hotel that is right for you and plan great meals at any of the following restaurants.

Classics

Mansarda

DINNER, BUZZY AND CHIC, FOODIE FAVORITE, BIG NIGHT OUT, ALFRESCO

Mansarda is one of St. Petersburg’s most impressive restaurants. The cuisine is modern and features both Russian as well as international dishes; the Italian food selections are particularly delicious. When the weather is warm, the best tables are those outside. Pochtamptskaya Ulitsa 3-5 

Cococo

DINNER, FOODIE FAVORITE

This glamorous restaurant in the Sofitel, just a short walk from the Four Seasons and Astoria hotels is the brainchild of a Russian celebrity entrepreneur and wildly inventive chef Matilda Shnurova. Cococo also sits on the extended World’s 50 Best List. Voznesensky Prospekt 6

Mamalyga

LUNCH, GEORGIAN, CASUAL

This charming eatery specializes in Georgian cuisine, a must-try while in Russia. Dishes include the namesake mamaliga (a polenta-like meal made of maize), as well as cold and warm salads and goulash-style stews. Other Georgian favorites include vegetable and walnut patés and khachapuri, a flat bread topped with melted butter and a fried egg. Kazanskaya Ulitsa 2 

Hamlet + Jack

LUNCH, RUSTIC CHIC, FOODIE FAVORITE, NEIGHBORHOOD SPOT

Popular amongst locals, Hamlet + Jack is located right near the Winter Palace and is a solid lunch choice after touring the Hermitage Museum or General Staff Building. The restaurant has an open kitchen, extensive wine list and serves innovative Russian cuisine. This menu would be particularly challenging for a picky eater.

Caviar Bar & Restaurant

DINNER, OPULENT, FOODIE FAVORITE

One of five restaurants in the Grand Hotel Europe, the Caviar Bar & Restaurant is an indulgent destination that would be a great setting or backdrop in a James Bond film. Exquisitely dressed diners are at ease among the marble, velvet and gold wall décor, sipping vodka recommended by the city’s first vodka sommelier (his preferred choice is Kauffman). The all-important caviar is presented on ice trays, measured by weight and served with delicious thin blini, egg, smetana (sour cream) and onions. If you are not a caviar lover, there is a well-edited menu of classic Russian dishes, including an incredible beef stroganoff, the recipe of which was gifted to the hotel by the Stroganoff family.

Hot Spots

Percorso

DINNER, CHIC, TABLE FOR TWO

Located in a sexy dining room in the city’s most opulent hotel, it's no surprise that tables here are among the toughest to book in a status-obsessed city. The dining room is broken up into a series of rooms, so all areas feel intimate and have views of the cathedral and square. Four Seasons Lion Palace, Voznesensky Prospekt 1

Harvest

LUNCH, MINIMALIST, VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY, ECO-CONSCIOUS

Harvest

is located outside St. Petersburg’s city center, near Peter & Paul Fortress. The dining room is sleek and minimalist in natural wood; the food focuses on sustainability and zero-waste cooking. The concept of the menu is tolko ovoshchi/ne tolko ovoshchi i.e. (only vegetables/not only vegetables) with a market-fresh philosophy. Harvest has been rated on the extended World’s 50 Best ListDobrolyubova Prospekt, 11

El Copitas

COCKTAILS, BUZZY, HIDDEN GEM

This small cocktail bar is on the World’s 50 Best List with the house specialty being mezcal. The bar has a small food menu with Mexican favorites and a rotating cocktail menu. You are served a complimentary drink upon arrival and when leaving are handed a spiked hot chocolate to keep you warm on your journey home. This is a true experience cocktail bar. The bar is also extremely difficult to find (behind a chained gate), so be sure to ask for explicit instructions from the concierge desk. Reservations must be made in advance. Kolokol'naya Ulitsa, 2 

Xander Bar

COCKTAILS, COZY, OLD-WORLD GLAMOUR

Located at the Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace, Xander Bar is a must try cocktail lounge in St. Petersburg. The bartender can serve up all the classics, but what makes Xander Bar special is its signature cocktail menu where each drink is themed after a Russian fairytale. Be sure to ask your waiter to describe the fairytale so that you can better understand your elaborate drink. This bar is cozy with fireplaces, dark fabrics and books for décor. Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace, Voznesenskiy Prospekt, 1

Orthodox

COCKTAILS, AUTHENTIC RUSSIAN, BIG NIGHT OUT

Orthodox

is Russian bar through and through, as the founders showcase Russian spirits exclusively. The cocktails are elaborate and are categorized under the artist, writer or composer that inspired them, such as Tchaikovsky and Dostoevsky. Orthodox offers its guests a true taste of Russia and makes for a perfect location for a pre or post dinner drink. Ulitsa Rubensteina, 2

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