Sorry St.Petersburg, I was wrong, you have lots of cafes, wine bars

Oh dear, I must apologize. How wrong was I to say I couldn’t find any outdoor cafes and wine bars in St. Petersburg. I was just not looking closely enough. Mea culpa. Mi dispiace. Прости (pras-Tee)

I must have been walking in all the wrong parts of town. I can’t explain why I got the impression that coffee shops and wine bars were few and far between.

Today, I walked in the other direction. Down Nevsky Prospekt, going away from the Neva, and I found loads of wonderful restaurants and cafes, great outdoor sitting spots and some wonderful shops and stores.

One of the most outstanding is the Eliseyev Emporium now called Kupetz Eliseevs Food Hall at 56 Nevsky Prospekt. I got to know it first as the Two Brothers store, after the Elisseeff bothers who started it in 1902. It has Art Nouveau architecture and occupied the site of a famous restaurant that was there for years. It was restored to its former glory under new management in 2012.

From the outside, you first see the wonderful green sculptures, representing Commerce, Industry, Science and Arts.

The windows feature lovely moving fantasy characters.

Inside, we found a self-playing piano cranking out classical favourites and in the centre of the store a giant pineapple-shaped tropical palm surrounded by red retro-style sofas and inviting cafe-style chairs.

The display cabinets are filled with a fantastic variety of products from cheeses to cakes and marzipan creations. We were mesmerized by it all. Harrods would have to take its hat off to the quality of these displays.

There were enough coffee shops and restaurants and boutiques and stores selling souvenirs and suitable presents for my grandchildren here. 

Sorry to any residents of St. Petersburg who read what I said previously. It was all a matter of walking in the right part of town.

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