23 Best Bars in St. Petersburg, Russia

A long-standing favorite of local expats, this jolly inn with great pub food, cozy wooden furnishings, and a reasonable selection of beer stands across the street from the Mariinsky Theatre. The company's younger talent can be often spotted having a quick bite or beers here at any time of day. Live Irish music is played every night, except Tuesday and Friday, and a bargain-priced set lunch is available weekdays.

Head to this intimate and quiet little art café decorated in a British colonial style for live jazz, blues and rock. The menu is varied and good but inexpensive. Beware, though: the toilet, with its many large but defunct locks, is designed to confuse the guests.

A youthful, fashionable, mixed crowd packs onto three floors, each with its own character, interlinked by a number of dark staircases. There are theme nights, drag shows, multiple lounge areas, karaoke, and a counter that serves food.

Cocktail bars are few and far between in St. Petersburg but for expertly mixed drinks, rely on the talented bartenders here. The music is geared to a young, hip crowd and can become a bit loud later in the evening, so go early if you want to have a conversation without shouting.

A tremendously popular haunt of expats, bohemians, students, and night owls takes after the merry joints of the Reeperbahn in Hamburg (the owner is German). The galvanizing spirit of this eclectic art bar is hugely addictive—despite its claustrophobic size, low ceilings, shabby setting, horrific toilets, and lack of food beyond peanuts. The music, mainly rock and ska, is loud enough to make conversation barely possible. Reckless dance parties sometimes get out of hand and spill into the street, where neighboring bar Fidel soaks up the overflow.

This outlet of a chain that originated in Riga, Latvia serves up a lot of Merrie Olde England kitsch. The food is pricey but good.

This is a favorite haunt of locals and expats who enjoy drinking and listening to local alternative musicians, or who just want to play table football.

The best underground (literally) club in the city, this small former bomb shelter is usually packed with friendly, down-to-earth hipsters. It's owned and operated by a local band. In addition to decent live music, there's a mix of talented DJs spinning house, techno, and funk; check listings for different nights. Upstairs is Griboyedov Hill, or GH, which houses a small cafe, a couple of terraces that offer outdoor seating in the summer, and lmusic fare that is lighter than that to be heard in the club proper.

This little bar stands out from the rest by the young, attractive, and friendly crowd it draws in. Always packed at weekends, getting to the bar can be a bit of a chore but the retro 1980s and '90s music makes the wait more bearable.

Russia's top jazz musicians, including the Leningrad Dixieland Band and the David Goloshchokin's Ensemble, regularly appear at this venue in a turn-of-the-20th-century building, as do visiting jazz luminaries.

The most popular jazz venue in town attracts top musicians performing all styles of jazz: acid funk, swing and blues, avant-garde, mainstream, improvisation. The only disadvantage is its modest size, so you may want to reserve a seat ahead of time.

This gay club has been going for years, in one incarnation or another. Attracting a friendly mixed crowd, the emphasis is on having a good time and everyone is welcome. Shows at the weekend start at 2 am and attract a loyal following. The club serves coffee and light snacks from noon on weekdays.

Designed as a cozy hunting lodge, this German pub is one of the quieter drinking venues in town. It has vaulted brick ceilings, antique bric-a-brac, and stuffed wild animals and game trophies.The spirited and highly herbal Jägermeister digestif pops up in just about every other drink offered here, including the popular Grizli and Jager-Cola cocktails. There's also a sauerkraut-heavy German menu available and a filling three-course business lunch on weekdays. The pub, open round the clock, also has branches at 17 ulitsa Pravdy and 64 Srednii prospekt.

This pint-size Belgian pub—the only one in town—is one of the city's friendliest venues. Within its yellow walls you can get mouthwatering mussels and frites and a couple of dozen Belgian beers, both draft and bottled. In addition to the beers, Belgium is evoked with Tin-Tin cartoons and posters recalling Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and Audrey Hepburn.

Friendly and unpretentious, this club by night also offers a number of classes, such as tango and vocal training, during the early evenings to prepare clients for dance floor magic and karaoke. Not particularly easy to find or very well decorated, the club still manages to be welcoming and entertaining.

An old standard is as popular as ever and continues to draw fashionable teenagers from all over the city and the suburbs. Each of the three floors plays different music. The door policy is very strict.

Local celebrity DJs spin their favorite discs at this club, which is popular with expats for its international vibe.

If rockabilly is your thing, or if you simply want to see a country-western saloon in Russia, head to this always-crowded bar for dancing and lots of fun. The live music usually starts at 8 pm. A minimal cover charge is collected sporadically.

Style and elegance characterize the atmosphere of this Irish pub located next to Kazan cathedral. It is frequented by a fashionable crowd and is a favorite with the 20-somethings and local yuppies. The choice of beers on tap here is one of the widest in the city.

Inside an anonymous building in an industrial wasteland far from the center, this chic oasis is still well worth seeking out. Inside, things are cool and sophisticated, decked out in dark woods, chrome and steel fixtures, and clever lighting. There's a modern menu and a lively music program of international art rock, jazz, and experimental acts. They also offer the weekly film screenings.

They celebrate New Year's Eve every night here, and whatever season and the weather, you get the full holiday package, complete with decorated Christmas tree, the Russian version of Santa Claus and his granddaughter, champagne, and a dance party. An exhaustive collection of season's greetings recordings delivered by Soviet and Russian leaders is broadcast and mocked throughout the night. This ritual has become one of St. Petersburg's most memorable nights out. The food and beer is good and inexpensive, and the droll staff is dressed in white rabbit costumes. Each table has a unique design. Be sure to get there and fill your glass before midnight. Purga's clone next door throws wedding parties with the same regularity and similarly comic bent.

This peculiar hybrid of a bar and a laundromat started life as the graduation project of a German design student. Here you'll find underground rock DJs, international bands, a good sound system, a small bar, and comfortable soft furnishings. Guests are welcome to follow in the footsteps of Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones—it's said they made use of the venue's washing machines and dryers while in town on tour.

This modern and minimalist club, whose name means "waiting room," is part of the Varshavsky Express shopping center and entertainment complex, next to the former railway station for trains to Warsaw and beyond. The club can accommodate up to 1,000 people, making it one of the largest venues of its kind in the city, but rarely fills up past the point of comfort. The bands that perform here are a mix of homegrown Russian talent and visiting indy bands from abroad, and cover lots of musical bases, including rock, jazz, pop, and electronic. VIP and Super VIP areas let you score a table and put you at stage height, for a price.