6 Concierge Recommendations for a Perfect Day Out in St Petersburg

We asked St Petersburg’s top concierges to share their personal recommendations for the perfect day

ANNA MASLYAEVA

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.

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Saturday

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

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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.