Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
287
Theater Dining
St. Petersburg's theaters are too spread out for a theater dining scene, and perfor-
mances tend to be too early (7pm as a rule) for pre-theater meals. The area around
the Mariinsky Theater is surprisingly devoid of good dining options, so many visi-
tors head for the rather incongruous Shamrock Irish restaurant and pub across the
street, or the Russian coffee shop Yest around the corner. A better but slightly far-
ther option is
Ob'ekt,
a Russian-European cafe-bar with a casually elegant atmo-
sphere and reliable food, at 82 Moika Canal (
&
812/312-1134;
Metro: Sadovaya).
in summer. See review of theater under “Dance,” above, and description of the Russian
opera scene in chapter 9. Closed late July to early September.
1 Sq. of the Arts (Ploshchad
Isskustv).
&
812/595-4305.
www.mikhailovsky.ru. Metro: Gostiny Dvor.
St. Petersburg Chamber Opera
This talented company stages a range of Russian
and international operas in an atmospheric 18th-century mansion. It's more intimate and
generally less expensive than the Mariinsky, and its singers and musicians are as rigor-
ously trained as any in town.
33 Galernaya Ulitsa.
&
812/312-3982.
www.spbopera.ru. Ticket
desk open noon-showtime. Metro: Sadovaya.
THEATER
English-language theater performances are rather rare in St. Petersburg, though the
choices multiply during the White Nights. See
The St. Petersburg Times
(www.sptimes.ru)
for listings.
16
2
THE CLUB & MUSIC SCENE
Someone is playing live music or spinning dance tracks somewhere in St. Petersburg any
time of day, any time of the year. The city claims to be the birthplace of Russia's post-
Soviet rock scene, spawning such bands as
Pep-see, Tequilajazz,
and the raspy, raunchy
Leningrad,
which went on to spawn others. Dance clubs run the gamut from freaky to
haute couture to retro. Even the most mainstream of nightclubs or bars is bound to have
topless entertainment, which has become such a staple of Russian nightlife that most
Russians don't seem to watch.
St. Petersburg's jazz clubs are a treasure, but there aren't enough of them to go around.
Petersburgers cultivate a keen interest in the genre, celebrating world-renowned musi-
cians and those who practice the searing notes of the particular form of Russian jazz. The
White Nights Jazz Festival is one of the highlights of the summer season, not to be missed
if you're here that time of year. See www.jazz.ru for details and listings.
DANCE CLUBS & DISCOS
Akvarel
While several of the ship-restaurants along the north side of the Neva offer
dance clubs at night, this all-glass dockside restaurant-club is by far the sleekest way to
party on the water. Vladimir Putin came here to sample its nouveau Italian cuisine and
