Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BAAR
IGRATEKA
(
Игратека
; Tavrichesky Sad; 11am-11pm Sun-Thu, until 6am Fri & Sat; Cherny-
shevskaya)
Right in the middle of the Tauride Garden, this tree house-style hideaway
is definitely one of the stranger places for a cold drink. Lounge on the terrace over-
looking the park, enjoy the full menu and live music in the evenings and perhaps try
to get into the totally unnecessary 'VIP' section. A well-kept secret among Petersbur-
gers in the know.
BAAR
XXXX
Ploshchad Vosstaniya; )
Now in multiple locations around the city, this is the most
central of the XXXX chain of bars and you needn't look any further for a night of
bawdy revelry. The low-lit saloon-style lounge is covered in photographs, flags and
beer adverts, and functions as a relaxed pub with a full menu of bar food during the
day. Come the evening however, it's always packed out with a young and up-for-it
crowd partying until dawn, so get here in good time to ensure entry.
NA ZDOROVYE!
'To your health!' is what Russians say when they throw back a shot of vodka.
But this pronouncement hardly suffices as a proper toast in a public forum or an
intimate drinking session among friends. A proper toast requires thoughtfulness
and sincerity.
A few themes prevail. The first toast of the night often acknowledges the gen-
erosity of the host, while the second usually recognises the beauty of the ladies
present. In mixed company, you can't go wrong raising your glass to internation-
al friendship
(za mezhdunarodnuyu druzhbu)
or world peace
(za miravoy mir)
.
But in all cases, the toast requires a personal anecdote or a profound insight, as
well as a bit of rambling preamble to make it meaningful.