Pleasures & Pastimes

Pleasures & Pastimes

Culinary Delights

For years the dining scene was shamefully limited for such a large, cosmopolitan city, but today, several top-grade, privately owned restaurants and cafés have taken over from their jaded state-run predecessors. A common St. Petersburg dining establishment is the part-restaurant, part-bar—not quite one, not quite the other, but often very good at being both, combining menus found at more "formal" restaurants with the ambience of a warm and welcoming watering hole. Russian-style restaurants are most predominant; happily, those in search of traditional Russian cuisine will easily find many options for enjoying such delights as blini, caviar, pelmeni (tender meat dumplings), and beef Stroganoff. Keep in mind that eating out in St. Petersburg is often an all-night affair, with lots of drinking and dancing.

Farmers' Markets

The city's fresh-produce markets (rynok) are a true St. Petersburg experience that should not be missed. Inside these large covered halls you'll find rows of stalls packed with dairy products, honey, flowers, fresh and cured meats and fish, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Pickled goods are popular in St. Petersburg, and you'll most likely be invited to taste an array of pickled cabbage, salted cucumbers, vine leaves, and other herbs and spices by vendors from Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Palaces

During the 18th century, St. Petersburg was transformed into an Imperial city of dazzling palaces. Outstanding examples of Russian rococo and baroque architecture are, respectively, the Winter Palace (now the magnificent State Hermitage Museum) and the Stroganov Palace, both created by the Italian architect Rastrelli. The neoclassical style, which supplanted the baroque as the favored style of the city's greatest architects, is also well represented, with such mansions as the Mikhailovsky Palace (now the State Museum of Russian Art) and the Taurida Palace. Two suburban palaces, the Catherine Palace in Pushkin and the Great Palace in Peterhof, were the summer residences of the Imperial family from the days of Peter the Great. Though they lay in ruins after the 900-day siege of Leningrad, these magnificent palaces have been restored to their former splendor. Even more spectacular are the vast palace estates built in the suburbs of St. Petersburg—Pavlovsk, Lomonosov, and Gatchina are all reachable by commuter train and almost outshine Versailles for sheer grandeur.

Performing Arts

With countless museums, art galleries, and historic buildings, St. Petersburg has earned its reputation as Russia's cultural capital. Its rich musical heritage includes daily concerts and recitals; the month of June is particularly rich, as the city hosts an international festival of culture. The famous St. Petersburg Philharmonic has a history of collaborating with some of Russia's finest composers, including Rubinstein, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich. But it's ballet that the city is most famous for: the Mariinsky Theater (formerly the Kirov) has produced some of the world's greatest dancers. A night at the Mariinsky or Mussorgsky theater can be one of the highlights of your stay. St. Petersburg also has one of the best theater companies in Europe, the Maly Drama Theater, and some of Russia's best-known actors reside at the Bolshoi Drama Theater.