Bergamot

Restaurant Bergamot opened on the Petrograd Side, at the heart of St. Petersburg's new culinary "golden mile," and became the second joint project by producer Alena Melnikova and chef Oleg Perfilov. The concept is built on the team's professional experience, attention to detail, and a drive toward precise, calibrated flavor, where classic technique gets a contemporary reading.

Bergamot is conceived as a flagship restaurant where the French culinary school meets refined Asian tones.

The restaurant's interior, designed by Anastasia Khalchitskaya, is built as an enfilade of rooms, creating a sense of depth and quiet harmony. The space is done in a quiet-luxury aesthetic, with an emphasis on materials, light and collectible pieces. Among the details: a mid-20th-century French Jean Pansu tapestry, Catellani & Smith candlesticks, and a handmade Murano-glass Doria Leuchten chandelier. The table setting extends the interior concept: the porcelain tableware is custom-designed and made in Germany, the silverware is from the Italian manufacturer Broggi, and the vintage pieces were sourced from the Paris house Christofle. The artistic context is rounded out by graphics by Alain Passard and works by the St. Petersburg artist Ksenia Lundt.

The kitchen is led by Oleg Perfilov, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Paris with experience at Pierre Gagnaire's restaurant, the hotel Les Airelles in Courchevel, and projects for the Mariinsky Theatre. His style is grounded in French classics and a reinterpretation of the techniques and flavors of Thailand, Japan, Vietnam and India. The menu uses rare and premium ingredients: Atlantic turbot, Norwegian lobster, pigeon, Marans chicken, and marbled pork, presented in complex but precise combinations. Citrus, and bergamot above all, becomes the kitchen's running theme, showing up in different forms, from fresh accents to concentrated extracts. The wine list unites landmark European houses with small producers, and the bar program offers original interpretations of classic cocktails with an emphasis on tableside service.