St Petersburg (Санкт-Петербург):
Bierstein / Бирстайн
Monday 22nd July 2013
Bob Thompson
This is a large modern brew pub out in the suburbs of St. Petersburg.
On the map it looked to be about five to ten minutes from the metro station of Komendatskiy Prospekt / Комендатский Проспект, which is the northerly terminus of line 5 (purple) in the Primorskiy district. Well it took me nearer to thirty minutes to find the pub, going the wrong way twice in the process.
Even though I eventually arrived at the objective, I am still not sure of the best way to get there. The best advice I can give is not to go into the shopping mall that is attached to the metro station. Go to street level and walk around the outside of it.
There are six wide avenues radiating from it; you need to be walking along the left side of ulica Gakkellevskaya / Ул. Гакклевская. At the beginning there is a departmental store on the left, then some blocks of flats. In the distance you should see the circular office building of the RESO Savings Bank. Of course the neon sign spells it as РЕСО.
It is at the intersection with Bogatyskiy Prospekt / Богатырский Проспект and the pub should be visible on the opposite side of that avenue to the left of the Reso building.
It is very modern and spreads over two floors, although I didn't go to the upper level. I understand it is done out like a Czech beer hall. I used the ground floor bar which was fine. It is sometimes used as a music venue and I passed the stage on my way to the extremely long bar. I observed that the brewery itself was located between the entrance and the bar.
The beers are brewed in the Czech style and I had a look at the beer choice and noticed that there were four varieties on offer, all unfiltered:
Light/Светное (5.0%)
Dark/Темное (5.0%)
Red/Красное (7.0%)
Wheat/Пшеннчное (5.2%)
I had the Light and the Dark and enjoyed them immensely. I got chatting to man sitting next to me and he told me he was from Kazakhstan. I explained that the only city I had ever visited in that country was Petropavlovsk in the far north. It transpired that was where he was from; an amazing coincidence when you consider it is the ninth largest country in the world.
I had a look at the menu and it was pan-European with Russian and German specialities. The beer was good and I can recommend a trip out of the city to sample their brews.
Important Information:
Bierstein, ulica Gakkelevskaya 21a, Sankt Peterburg. Tel: 812 600 0320
Пивнйо Ресторан Бирстайн, Улица Гакккевская мит A, Санкт-Петербург
Open: Monday-Thursday 12.00-23.00; Friday-Saturday 12.00-03.00
Metro/Метро: Komendatskiy Prospekt/Комендатский Проспект, line 5 (purple).
For directions from the station please see text above.
