Since 1958, this place on Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street has been serving just one type of pastry – donuts, or pyshki, as locals call them, and it has been a success. You have to try this staple of St. Petersburg fast food at least once, but be ready to stand in line before you enter. Don’t worry, the treat is worth the wait! When a woman in a white uniform hands you some warm, greasy goodies with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and pours you a coffee from a big metal pot, you immediately become 1% more local.
Pro tip: if this street is never on your way, you can drop by Dva Gusia near the Lomonosova campus – their pyshki are just as good, even if the interior is a little less nostalgic.
The city's oldest snack bar serving little filled pies, or pirozhki, is located in the Moskovsky District. Opened in 1956, it still adheres to original recipes and reasonable prices, which is why it’s loved by locals from different parts of the city. On the menu are all kinds of pies: baked and fried, sweet and sour, including the vatrushka (cottage cheese pie) and belyash (meat pie). The interior is straight out of a period film: tiled walls, marble surfaces, and a glass chandelier – all recently renovated. To our luck, the Pirozhkovaya is currently expanding, with a new branch already open on Ligovsky Prospect and another one coming soon to the Petrogradsky District.
Credit: Messir, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Half-cafe, half-museum – the interior of Kvartirka is full of numerous Soviet artifacts, lovingly picked and preserved by the staff. You'll find wall rugs, vintage phones, record players, and TVs, so the experience is close to visiting a typical apartment from the 60s-80s. The menu stays true to the theme, claiming to follow the classic recipes of moms and grandmas (or, authentically speaking, babushkas). Expect comforting food like traditional salads, soups, pelmeni, and other nostalgic staples from the Soviet kitchen.
If you’re craving hardcore immersion – look no further. One step inside this place will transport you decades back. From clientele to the interiors, with politicians' portraits hanging on the wall and a bust of Lenin at the bar, the atmosphere is almost surreal yet welcoming. The menu sticks to simple yet comforting home- and canteen-style classics, like simmered cabbage with sausages or mashed potatoes with a cutlet.
Named after a character from the Soviet holiday classic Irony of Fate, the bar does not blindly copy but rather rethinks the Soviet atmosphere. The interiors are vintage yet modern. The menu here is filled with beloved dishes from family gatherings and canteens of the past. Here you can try borscht, cabbage rolls, or navy-style pasta, and many authentic appetizers like zucchini caviar, pickles, and vinegret salad. It’s usually full in the evenings, so for your first visit, come here for lunch.
In fact, there are two more locations by the same team: named Nadenka and Fedya, just like Soviet cinema characters, too. While the three places share one concept, each one has its own twist: for example, only at Fedya can you try grilled chicken and kebab, while at Nadenka there’s a room styled like a Soviet kitchen – the perfect photo opportunity for your (gastronomic) trip to the past!
