Roots le petit bar

The bar's space on Blokhina Street reads, at first glance, like the lobby of a small European hotel. Ksenia Smirnova of Paloma Cantina built the interior around warm golden tones, a deep blue, bookshelves, vintage furniture and marble. Downstairs is a library wall of art books, a Venetian chandelier and dense fabrics; upstairs, in the mezzanine, a separate room for a small group is tucked away with a projector, a wine cabinet, and its own restroom. There are only about thirty seats in total, so the scale sets a private, almost salon-like rhythm from the start.

The Taste team finds both the classics and the vintage original twists strong here, with a wine list whose scope impresses right away.

Ilya Astafyev of Gin Tonic runs the drinks. The cocktail list has plenty of martinis: dry classic versions, one on Japanese gin with tomato liqueur, and a drink on vermouth with orange bitters. The Negroni is also opened up across several directions, from a prosecco version to a pairing with gin on parmesan. For guests skipping alcohol, drinks are mixed on peach, basil, non-alcoholic gin and a sparkling base. The wine list, in scope, clearly outgrows a small bar: it holds plenty of labels and reflects a clear commitment to a serious selection rather than a formal accompaniment to the cocktails.

Vladimir Batov, We Lodge's chef, runs the kitchen. The menu follows French bistro logic: few items, recognizable ingredients, and plating without unnecessary heaviness. For an aperitif, there's a tartine with radish and salted butter, Mimosa eggs with sardines, a turkey pâté with onion chutney, or salmon with a yogurt-and-cucumber-based sauce. For a heavier dinner, there are escargot with garlic butter, beef tartare with egg yolk, tagliata, and a hot mini-sandwich with brie and truffle. The most striking item is the fries with sour cream and black caviar: a dish that looks like a dressed-up bar snack but is closer in mood to a small culinary statement. For dessert: a chocolate mousse with a light bitterness, or madeleines with cream and lemon zest.

A separate scenario is English afternoon tea. Guests are shown a wooden box with several kinds of tea: among them Darjeeling, a green blend with citrus, and a white tea with fruity notes. Alongside the drinks comes a vintage tiered stand with mini-sandwiches, scones, jam, cream, wafer rolls, madeleines and macarons. This format matches the interior well: porcelain, marble, silver cutlery, and small portions turn tea time into not a daytime break but a reason to visit in its own right.

The bar occupies a quiet corner of the Petrograd Side, at the start of Blokhina Street, and reads more as a place for a considered evening than a passing cocktail stop. It makes sense to come here for a martini, a Negroni, wine, French appetizers, and an atmosphere where every detail, from the tableware to the light, helps you feel like you're in a small private salon.