Rubinshteyna is a centrally located melting pot of all sorts of restaurants, bars and cafés. There are over 50 establishments on the street, all bringing a new and exotic flavour to St Petersburg. On any given night of the week, or during the day for that matter, the street is brimming with locals and tourists. If faced with a choice, here’s an overview of the street’s best bars and what they offer.
Based on the most stereotypical images of British pubs, The Telegraph combines an elegant aristocratic interior with a wide selection of drinks. There are two halls: one British hall featuring 15 varieties of draft beer and a Scottish hall where you can taste over a hundred varieties of whiskey – if you are inclined to do so.
St Petersburg may not boast many jazz bars, but the ones that do exist are very good. 48 Chairs is no exception and provides a wide selection of shows every night of the week. Naturally, arriving in advance is advisable for better seats or even an opportunity to sit down.
Wine and Mediterranean food – surely nothing can go wrong. Vinostudia is the place to enjoy a great combination of wine and culinary delights, placing special importance on the wine. The wine list hails from all parts of the world and features affordable prices of 180–250 roubles per glass (two to three pounds). They offer other types of alcohol as well, but a smaller selection.
The Poison karaoke bar has a very low-key setting. The interior is close to non-existent; drinks are dirt cheap, and the light is very dim. It’s set up to get the crowd singing. The DJ is in control of all song requests, which are always free, but it’s limited to only foreign-language ones. No Russian pop songs – only the best classic hits from around the world.