Terminal Bar

Name after an infamously sordid New York drinking den, Terminal Bar has Russian and American owners, and attracts an appealing mixture of youngish (though not too young) locals and expats. The decor could not be simpler - plain walls, a few tables, a long bar and a piano - and the only unusual feature of the menu is that drinks are served in standard American portions (smaller than in most Petersburg bars), but the real attraction of Terminal is the atmosphere.

Terminal Bar

The concept, as such as it is, is to create a local bar where good company and good alcohol can always be guaranteed. The friendly barmen are nearly all bilingual, and as attentive to newcomers as to the many regulars. They are skilled at getting customers merrily drunk, while curbing excesses that could lead to unpleasantness. By the end of the night, one of the patrons is bound to be playing the piano, and it could be jazz, rock 'n' roll or Rachmaninov.