Breakfast at Aster on Rimskogo-Korsakova

The new space is much roomier and brighter. Maria Kachalova (bureau Aurore), known for gills, café Aster on Mayakovskogo, and René in the Singer House, handled the design. A stylish veranda is open in the inner courtyard. We managed to get a comfortable table with no reservation and no line. The new concept focuses on pastries, bread, and desserts, while also offering a varied breakfast menu, running from 09:00 to 14:00, with some items available all day.

What did I try?

• Open sandwich with red caviar on tartine, 690₽ — the legendary, photogenic sandwich with melting butter and a generous helping of caviar. Doesn't matter if you go with tartine or baguette, it's worth it. And I doubt you'll want to share it, even though the portion is meant for two.

• Buckwheat porridge with mushrooms and parmesan, 450₽ — an unfortunate choice, hardly a menu hit.

• Danish breakfast with Tambov ham, 690₽ — on the plate: half an avocado, a soft-boiled egg, ham, jam, cheese, and a sesame bun. Balanced and tasty, if you appreciate a build-your-own breakfast.

Aster Bakery is the first place in the restaurant guide 🅱️ to open a new café category (the corresponding filter will appear in an upcoming update). A great spot if you're tired of bourgeois breakfasts and want a more relaxed atmosphere. Surrounded by a pleasant young crowd and the veranda of a quiet St. Petersburg courtyard. It's much calmer here than at the flagship café on Mayakovskogo, which I didn't like. Decent service: dishes for a larger group came out as they were ready, which is acceptable at a café with this kind of price point.