The Best Cafés in St Petersburg

Two friends, who are coffee professionals, opened Coffee in the Kitchen. They have been importing coffee from different countries and have judged barista competitions for over 10 years now. The coffee beans are roasted in the open kitchen and then brewed by hand in a manual lever machine. While the owners have two more cafés in the city, this one is the original. The interior is very homely, complete with an old piano, polka-dotted plates and handmade furniture. Best of all, the coffee is of exceptional quality and offered at very reasonable prices.

I’m Thankful For Today is a very small café by day that transforms into a bar by night. There is only one big table in the centre of the room and some bar stools by the windows. On a clear day, the big windows are wide open, and patrons sit out on the windowsills. Despite being fairly crowded, the atmosphere is very cosy. There are no reservations here, but it’s worth popping in to see if they have a free spot or two.

The Dreamers café doesn’t pretend to be anything out of the ordinary. They serve good coffee with delicious desserts. For a coffee shop, the menu is fairly impressive, serving dishes with rabbit and duck. For a later visit, there are some creative cocktails made using coffee and alcohol. Who said you couldn’t drink coffee all day, every day?

This café is not so much famous for its incredible coffee or delicious food, but more for the historic and very picturesque location. Café Singer sits inside the Singer Building, constructed for the Singer Sewing Company. Now, one of the largest bookstores in the city occupies the first floor, with the café on the second floor. Admire a beautiful view of the Kazan Cathedral while sipping on a cup of coffee.

The Cake & Breakfast coffee shop, tucked away in a small courtyard, is a very popular place for breakfast or just coffee accompanied by one of the freshly baked pastries. The conveniently hidden location makes it a well-known local hangout, rarely frequented by tourists. The courtyard is very peaceful and takes you away from the busy streets.

Surf Coffee is much more than just a coffee shop. It’s a coalition of like-minded people who simply enjoy surfing. Their first coffee shop opened back in 2010 in the small city of Obnisnk and grew into a franchise around Russia. The coffee here is of the highest standards – all baristas undergo professional training; however, the atmosphere is very relaxed. There is a hammock inside, comfy chairs and even a small movie theatre in one of the rooms.

As their company page states, Bonch is not just about a cup of coffee to go. Their philosophy is to educate the crowd about all the different types of coffee brewing out there. Thus, the interior is simple, the atmosphere very plain – basically, this coffee bar is aimed to bring the attention down to the coffee. It’s a perfect spot for a coffee maniac.

Nothing can go wrong in a place that claims to be the home of happiness. With the success of their first location, this café opened three more spots, all with the same fairy-like charm. Happiness or Schastye, as it is called in Russian, has a stunning location right in front of St Isaac’s Cathedral, a major landmark of St Petersburg.