The best bars and cafés Russia

Timetable

Gourmet shops (pastry shops, chocolate shops, etc.), cafés, are generally open every day, from morning until the end of the day if there is no catering service as such. Many pubs, brasseries (in the strict sense) and evening bars open their doors from 11am or midday, sometimes from 6pm, until late at night (1-2 hours on weekdays, until 4am or more on Friday-Saturday). Mondays and Tuesdays are frequent closing days (if there are any). Tip: Always check the schedule on Yandex.Maps or the establishment's Instagram account.

Budget & Tips

The price of gourmet breaks and alcoholic drinks depends on the house, but overall it is much lower than on the European continent. Russia is experiencing a feverish epidemic of craft beers! Good beer bars have flourished in the city centres and the pint there is generally cheaper than in Western Europe, especially considering the quality (count 250 RUB on average). Cocktails are also very fashionable and can be very successful if the establishment is of good quality. They will be a little cheaper than in Paris but not very cheap either. In any case, it's better to put the price on it: Russia, even in its most remote provinces, is full of very, very talented mixologists.

Age restrictions

The legal drinking age in Russia is 18. However, since many bars are also restaurants, parents can easily enter such establishments with their children, as long as they stick to juices and soft drinks. That said, this is not to be attempted in dance bars and nightclubs.

What's very local

For those who would like to quench their thirst without having to endure the busy atmosphere of the bar, small shops have sprung up all over Russia selling draught beer. The choice is very wide and don't forget the cider or the medovukha (fermented drink with honey), you can then take it home or to the hotel in a plastic bottle. In addition, they also sell zakouskis, so that you can recreate a Russian aperitif in the right way and with good products. Beware, in many Russian cities (including Moscow), it is forbidden to drink in the street

Smokers

As in restaurants, smoking is not allowed inside the bars, but you can smoke on the terrace or on the doorstep. In real bars (not family bars and restaurants), you may sometimes come across a smoking room.

Tourist traps

More than tourist traps, certain types of establishments should be avoided

Many chicha lounge bars have opened in recent years. Sometimes pleasant, they are however to be frequented with caution, because they often offer very high prices or "at the customer's head". The clientele is often very masculine and the atmosphere is not very safe for women.

Gentlemen's clubs and other striptease bars are also to be avoided. As with all places where prostitution takes place, you are never safe from a police raid. In addition to the very degrading conditions in which sex workers operate in Russia, a European tourist would in any case be at risk of being heavily ripped off or even racketed

Discount sports bars such as Killfish, where the beer is bland and the tiled walls are not really places to spend an evening in Russia. Smells of urine, dubious clientele, blinding neon lights... go on your way!