New Restaurant KIRA Opens in St. Petersburg.

KIRA is a restaurant in St. Petersburg by the Jerome team, opened on May 10, 2025. It's located on Kirochnaya Street, in the building of Samuil Bekhli's former photo-album factory. A large-scale space was chosen — 1000 m², four rooms, 170 seats, a summer terrace for 80 guests, a cigar room, a kids' room, and a delicatessen shop. Behind the concept is Galerie 46, a company St. Petersburg residents know as a representative of leading global furniture brands and the creator of Jerome, one of the city's most enduring culinary projects. Galerie 46 has been growing its restaurant arm since 2016, and KIRA is its logical continuation.

Where Jerome works within Italian gastronomy, KIRA spans the whole Mediterranean. The cuisines of Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, and Morocco are brought together on the menu to create a rich, varied palette of flavors. Pavel Tsiklinsky, Jerome's former chef and now brand chef for both projects, runs the kitchen. He formed his sense of flavor and technique under the influence of Italian chefs who came to St. Petersburg and took part in Jerome's development.

The menu isn't overloaded — it's focused on the essentials. The sections are split by country. Pasquale Palamaro developed the Italian part: risotto with Tuscan salami and white-fish ravioli. The Greek menu falls to Mykonos-based chefs Aggelos and Olga Bakopoulos, who offer octopus stifado and Greek-style chicken. Jawad Rahali, a young chef who gained recognition in 2023, oversees the Middle Eastern and Moroccan direction. His dishes: lamb tagine with prunes and liver with Moroccan spices. The menu will be updated seasonally, alongside themed culinary weeks.

As at Jerome, KIRA has a delicatessen shop. You can buy cured meats, cheeses, fresh pastries, bread, desserts, and ready-made dishes. None of it is for show — it's for people who like cooking at home or putting together an antipasti spread for the evening. It's not a token add-on but part of the team's culinary approach.

Ekaterina Yatsenko, a head sommelier who's won several awards for her work at Jerome, is behind the wine list. Pavel Bochenkov, who previously ran the bars at CoCoCo and Bio My Bio, helped put it together with her. The wine list brings together European classics and winemakers from Lebanon, Syria, and Greece. Among the standout bottles: wines from Etna's volcanic soils, rare bottles from Savoie and Burgundy, and a large section of Russian producers. Wines are also served by the glass, rare and pricey ones included. A special Sommelier Selection section will change regularly.

The cocktail list stands as its own direction. It's been compared to a journey along the shores of the Mediterranean: drinks are chosen to reflect the tastes and character of the region's countries. The idea isn't just mixology, but a thoughtful accompaniment to the cuisine and atmosphere.

Ksenia Smirnova designed the interior. Wood, concrete, metal, velvet, plants, and plaster all feature in the design, built entirely around the building's industrial past. The interior doesn't distract — it underlines the restaurant's essence: the food and the atmosphere. The decor was created together with local craftspeople: planters were hand-painted by Stieglitz Academy students, a wall panel was made by textile designer Natalia Nagibina, and the tablecloths come from the brand "Krestetskaya Strochka." The furniture and tableware come from Italian and French makers, with some pieces sourced from antique shops.

The restaurant's format is spacious. In the city center, it's rare to find a place where there's room to breathe between tables. KIRA took that into account: the four rooms can be turned into private zones for business and personal events. There's a cigar room, a kids' room, and options for family time. The restaurant welcomes guests with dogs. The terrace will be open during the warm season.

KIRA plans not just to cook and serve, but also to hold culinary dinners, invite star chefs, run master classes, put on theatrical events for kids, and host barbecue parties in summer. The restaurant is conceived as a space for flavor and connection, where everyone finds a place — whether at a family table, with friends, or with a glass of wine on the terrace. Jerome and KIRA are projects of one team and one philosophy: make flavor accessible, the atmosphere cozy, and the city richer in culinary meaning.