Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps
By Matt Brown and Uilleam Blacker The St. Petersburg Times Although St. Petersburg has been home to Irish pubs — such as Mollie’s and The Shamrock — since the fall of the Soviet Union, a more recent phenomenon has been the establishment of English pubs following in their wake. The word “pub” is a slang shortening of “public house,” and in essence, an English pub is like a private house which happens to run a “public” business in its front room selling booze. This explains why a traditional English pub, unlike an American bar, a German beer hall or a Russian pivnaya, has a cozy interior style based on an idealized living room with leather armchairs, an open fireplace and brass ornaments. Independent pubs in the U.K. were swallowed up by corporate giants years ago, and the traditional look of pubs in England became hopelessly passÎ in its home country. So the concept of the “English pub” was commodified and exported abroad to cater to a stereotypical notion of Englishness held by Anglophile foreigners and nostalgic ex-patriots alike. Some of St. Petersburg’s new English pubs are located relatively close to one and another which means that visitors can preserve another English tradition — the “pub crawl.” This involves groups of revelers having a drink in one pub and then walking to the next, and the next, and the next, until everybody is “crawling.” Below is a suggested pub crawl. Other English-style pubs not on the route but worth a visit include The Telegraph on Rubinshteina Ulitsa and James Cook on Maly Konnushenaya Ulitsa. RED LION, Ploshchad Dekabristov What do you get if you take ye olde English Pub and give it a large injection of American pizzazz? Something like the Red Lion. It certainly has the look of an English pub — oak furniture, old beer mats, old photos, mirrors with ale advertisements. Then you go into the next room, which also looks authentic. Then the next, then the next... and then you are lost. Because this is the first mark of the American influence of art director Douglas Pullar — the Red Lion is big. It is almost as if someone has collected several smaller pubs and stuck them together to create an alehouse-behemoth. The Red Lion has been around since way back in 1999, but only moved to its new location a couple of years ago, and its authenticity extends beyond the decor. Bottled ales, Carling on tap, a good range of whiskeys, and a few good traditional English dishes on the menu (full English breakfast, fish and chips, Shepherd’s Pie etc.) — all the basics for a proper English pub experience. There are some things about the Red Lion which are not necessarily found in your average village tavern in England — free champagne on ladies night (which seems to last most of the week) for example. There is also a lot of action: live music, DJs, a dance floor, and a self-service karaoke. “The idea is that there’s something for everybody,” Pullar said. If, however, all this free booze and crazy partying is a little too exuberant for you, you can always drop in for traditional English Sunday lunch or a sip of afternoon tea, which will be available soon. Far more English. Turn right upon leaving and walk south past St. Isaac’s Cathedral, over St. Isaac’s Square and 10 minutes along Voznesenky Prospekt. Leo’s Pub is on the right side. LEO’S PUB, Voznesenky Prospekt If you find the labyrinthine halls of the Red Lion a little daunting, you can always head for Leo’s Pub, a neater and more chilled-out affair. According to director Valery Maltsev, the pub’s owner is a big fan of all things English, particularly football and traditional pubs. Leo’s is his attempt to bring the best of English pub culture to his native Russia. Although they haven’t done a bad job, there is something distinctly Russian about the place. The decor is all there, complete with a genuine English red telephone box, and some fantastic stained glass windows featuring the logos of well-known beers, ales and spirits — but there is something a bit artificial about it. There’s nothing artificial, however, about the list of over 50 whiskeys on the menu — an array which features every name the connoisseur could wish for, and which would put many of Leo’s counterparts in England to shame. English beers include Carling and Strongbow on tap and Newcastle Brown in bottles, although for the real beer-lover they have a list of 17 of the finest beers from around Europe on tap (and let’s face it — Carling probably doesn’t fall into that category). Traditional English fare — fish and chips, pub sandwiches — is available, but the choice is limited and the emphasis is more on drink than food. Maltsev says that the pub is for those who want to enjoy good beer and good whiskey in a peaceful atmosphere and in good company. There is also small room in the basement, complete with big-screen TV, comfy leather armchairs and self-service bar. Perfect for watching a footy match with a pint and your mates. Turn right upon leaving and walk as far as Canal Griboyedov. Turn left and follow the canal to the second bridge, a foot bridge. Cross it to the right and walk to Sennaya Ploshchad. Cross over Sadovaya Ulitsa to Moskovsky Prospekt. Turn right and walk 10 minutes to the first bridge over the Fontanka river. Cross it and immediately turn right. You’ll see Dickens with its distinctive blue sign. DICKENS PUB Naberezhnaya Reki Fontanki At Dickens, the latest addition to the English pub scene, the horse brasses are sparkling, the chintz curtains are starched and the mahogany tables are freshly polished. If it all seems oddly familiar, that’s because this is the second pub opened under the Dickens brand after the first was opened in Riga, Latvia, in 1999. According to business daily Delevoi Peterburg, proprietor Igor Rusu invested $800,000 in the place, obviously with Great Expectations for its success. But judging by a recent visit, he could be facing Hard Times. Early on a Tuesday evening, many of the empty tables in the pub were deemed “Reserved” and we were forced to sit in a charmless beer garden that is more like a car park with a red telephone box of yore standing pointlessly in it. Dickens will overcome such teething troubles when it attracts a fun-loving crowd and learns a thing or two from its more lived-in big sister in Riga. There’s a full menu, including fish and chips, with a range of international beers — 10 of them on tap — all reasonably priced. Dickens is quite unRussian in that its waitresses and bar staff are efficient and the bouncer is particularly friendly. Come to think of it, that’s quite unEnglish too. Upon leaving Dickens, retrace your steps to Sennaya Ploshchad. Go straight on along Pereulok Grivtsova until Kazanskaya Ulitsa and then turn right. Continue on Kazanskaya until before the cathedral. The Office is on the left. THE OFFICE, Kazanskaya Ulitsa The Office is another place opened by Russians with a passion for pub culture — it is owned by the people who brought you Mollie’s Irish bar. The aim of The Office is partly to recreate the atmosphere of London pubs and to cater to a more conservative clientele than Mollie’s. There is a classy, restaurant feel, with the emphasis on a quality dining experience, rather than Guinness-fueled carousing, according to the pub’s director. Something a little more reserved, and, perhaps, a little more English. The pub’s menu features general European cuisine, with nothing particularly English. No fish and chips, although there are onion rings. Carling and Strongbow cider, among other tipples, are served in genuine English pint glasses, with bottled Newcastle Brown also to be had. The range of whiskeys is not bad. The place looks the part, but the owners of The Office have succeeded rather in recreating the feel of an authentic English chain pub than of the real thing. Fans of Wetherspoons will feel right at home, which isn’t a bad thing.
|
Ïåðåâåñòè íà ðóññêèé
Print this article
