Saint Petersburg Dining, Bars and Pubs

St Petersburg's current restaurant scene is unrecognisable compared to that of ten years ago. Old Soviet-style cafés and canteens selling meat of questionable origin are still around but further up the scale the city offers an amazing variety of cuisines from around the world. While things slowed down a bit after the economic crisis of 1998, today a new wave of openings is well underway, with new restaurants and bars appearing with ever-greater frequency. Also, there is the inevitable selection of standard international chains–McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut can all be found here.

The quality of service normally corresponds to price although generally speaking, Western service culture is conspicuously absent. Indifferent staff and inexplicable delays are a common feature of many establishments. This tends to be mitigated the higher up the price scale you go. Many places haven't got the hang of serving courses in the correct order and don't be surprised if you wait for three-quarters of an hour before your starter and main course appear simultaneously. Who said predictability was interesting?