We asked St Petersburg’s top concierges to share their personal recommendations for the perfect day
Go deeper with GlobalData
ANNA MASLYAEVA
Anna Maslyaeva, Head Concierge, Grand Hotel Europe
+7 812 329 6000
For the perfect weekend:
Friday
During the day, take a private tour of the Russian Museum followed by the Tchaikovsky evening in the Europe Restaurant.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataSaturday
Take an extended city tour with a private guide, stopping for lunch in the Noble assembly restaurant. Enjoy a wonderful ballet or opera at the Mikhailovsky Theater and have dinner in the Chopsticks restaurant.
Sunday
Take a guided tour to Pushkin, followed by dinner in the Caviar Bar & Restaurant.
BEST RESTAURANTS
L’Europe Restaurant
Cuisine: Haute
Caviar Bar
Cuisine: Russian
Chopsticks
Cuisine: Chinese
BEST SHOPS
Juvelirtorg (the Yahont shop)
Grand Palace Gallery
BEST TO DO
Visit the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (also known as the Church on Spilled Blood) to admire the magnificent architecture and Russian Orthodox icons, and learn more about the history of St Petersburg.
OLGA VARGAS
Olga Vargas, Whatever/Whenever Manager, W St Petersburg
+7 812 610 6161
Enjoy a wonderful breakfast at miX, the hotel’s restaurant owned by Alain Ducasse, followed by a private tour around the Hermitage museum or arrange a queue jump pass.
Once you have explored the museum take a walk along the beautiful Moika river embankment towards the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Spend an hour or two relaxing in the Park Juzeppe restaurant next to Mikhailovsky Gardens and the Russian Museum, before indulging in a shopping spree in the city’s stylish central avenue Nevsky Prospekt. Head to the colonnade of St Isaac’s Cathedral for a stunning view of the city, and then join the city’s jet set at the miXup terrace to feel the energy of the White Nights or sing karaoke at Music Bar 11 or Jelsomino Café. Feel the cool river breezes with a midnight sail from Palace Bridge, and join the flow of the Neva River at night to experience the night-time magic of St Petersburg.
Best Restaurants
Russian Empire
Cuisine: Russian
Francesco
Cuisine: Italian
Best Shop
Babochka Gallery
Best to Do
In the summertime, take a hydrofoil ride to Peterhof, a former Russian Tsar’s summer residence, to enjoy the fresh air of the Finnish Bay and a walk around the splendid fountain park, before gazing at the gilded beauties of the Grand Palace.
In the winter explore the masterpieces of the Hermitage museum and visit the Treasure galleries, beating the crowds and allowing you to stroll around the sights with complete ease. Alternatively, venture outside the city to see Catherine’s Palace and take a horse and cart ride in Pavlovsk Park, followed by lunch at the charming Russian folk restaurant Podvorie.
VERA PETRASHEVITCH
Vera Petrashevitch, Senior Concierge, Kempinski Hotel Moika 22
+7 812 335 9111
Best Restaurants
Russian Empire
Cuisine: Russian
Russian Vodka Room No1
Cuisine: Russian
Tsar
Cuisine: Russian
Francesco
Cuisine: Italian
Park Giuseppe
Cuisine: Italian
Entree
Cuisine: French
+7 812 314 8952
Nikolskaya, 6
Lumiere
Cuisine: French
Palkin
Cuisine: French
Old Customs House
Cuisine: French
Aragvi
Cuisine: French
Gastronom
Cuisine: International
MARIA PRESKOVSKAYA
Make the perfect start to the day with breakfast in Terrace, Schastie or Tsar, before taking a private tour of the city.
One of the finest sights in St Petersburg is St Isaac’s Cathedral; make sure that your guide takes you there. After lunch in the Russian Vodka Room, Stroganoff or Mansard, while away the afternoon on a canal ride around the delightful waterways of St Petersburg, before heading back to the hotel for dinner at the fabulous Barbazan restaurant.
Best Restaurants
Tsar
Cuisine: Russian
Il Grappolo
Best shop
Grand Palace Gallery
Best to do
State Hermitage Museum
The Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Mariinsky Theater
Aleksandrinsky Theatre
MARIA GOLUBEVA
Maria Golubeva, Head Concierge, Corinthia Hotel
+7 812 380 2001
Don’t miss: The best things to do in St Petersburg include a trip to the Hermitage Museum, ballet at the Mariinsky Theater in the evening, a summertime boat trip on the city’s rivers and canals, breakfast at the Hotel Imperial restaurant and lunch at the Podvorye restaurant in Pushkin, a suburb of St Petersburg.
Best Restaurants
Tsar
Cuisine: Russian
Terrassa
Cuisine: International
Best shop
Grand Palace Gallery
For: Luxury fashion
NATALIA MAKSIMUSHKINA
Natalia Maksimushkina, Head Concierge, Hotel Astoria
+7 812 494 5007
Fight off the cold afternoons by visiting the cosy Rotonda Lounge, which has exquisite desserts, snacks and hot and cold beverages.
During afternoon tea from 3pm to 8pm, guests can taste rich Russian blini pancakes and a chocolate fountain accompanied by a selection of fresh fruit, while gazing at the fabulous views out of the magnificent floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking St Isaac’s Square. If you are in need of a rest after sightseeing or shopping, take a break in the Gallery café in the adjacent Angleterre hotel. The café’s stylish interior and superb views of St Isaac’s Cathedral make it a classic and much-loved corner of St Petersburg. As night falls, relax in the stylish Kandinsky Bar with a selection from the impressive wine list. Choose from a menu of exclusive whiskeys and cigars, fine spirits, speciality cocktails and light dishes in an intimate and unique setting.
Best Restaurants
Borsalino
Cuisine: Italian
+7 812 494 5115
Angleterre Hotel, St Isaac’s Square, Ul. Malaya Morskaya 24, 190000
Best shop
House of Books
Gostiny Dvor
For: Russian porcelain, paintings and souvenirs
Best to do
Experience the imperial magic of Tsarist Russia with a tour of the powder-blue and gold domed Catherine’s Palace, and delight in the newly restored Amber Room. Be decadent in Davidov with caviar and vodka tasting, sampling a range of caviar with a selection of four different vodkas. Take in the vista from the cupola of St Isaac’s Cathedral and relax in the tsar’s box at the Mariinsky Theater for an evening of opera or ballet. Explore the vastness of the State Hermitage Museum, housed in the Winter Palace, or if the outdoors is your thing, take the hydrofoil to Peterhof for a stroll in the gardens on the edge of the Gulf of Finland, and enjoy the spectacular fountains. Walk across an ice-covered River Neva, or take a troika ride at Pavlosk for the ultimate Dr Zhivago experience. Enjoy the city from another perspective and cruise the canals by boat. For a glimpse of Russian soul, experience a traditional orthodox Sunday service at St Nicholas Cathedral. See the birthplace of the city, the Peter and Paul Fortress, with its amazing cathedral, prison and unrivalled view of the palace embankment and river.
