travelswithalice

May 10, 2015

St Petersburg

You just have to love this place. Having been served champagne on checking in at the Marriott’s Renaissance, we headed off to our room, glass in hand, porter in tow. Way to start the day! 

We arrived just after breakfast, dropped off our bags at the hotel, then straight on to the Hernitage Museum for a private tour with Sergei Akopov, Ph.D., political science associate professor of the National Research University "Higher School of Economics". 

http://www.akopovsergei.com/

The long anticipated museum visit (next post) was followed by a cozy dinner at Tepló on the recommendation of our professor-guide who not only gave us a brilliant introduction to the treasure that is the Hermitage but also directed us to a wonderful place for dinner. With some prodding from me, he even told us what to order as well.

The atmosphere is casual and cheery, the crowd smartly-dressed urban family types, the service staff even younger, welcoming and enthusiastic. The food is good, particularly the desserts. Their apple layer cake is from a recipe by the owner's mother. 

The restaurant is decorated like a lovely child-friendly home with whimsical touches in unexpected places. There are dressed-up mouse dolls hanging with the wine glasses above the green-painted bar.

And the bill arrived in an envelope decorated by children partying in the playroom at the far end of the restaurant.

Labels: Russia, St Petersburg

posted by Alice Dimalanta Jones  # May 10, 2015

Archives

July 2005   September 2005   October 2005   April 2006   July 2006   August 2006   January 2007   February 2007   September 2007   November 2007   February 2008   September 2008   September 2009   May 2010   May 2011   September 2011   July 2012   August 2012   September 2012   October 2012   November 2012   December 2012   January 2013   February 2013   March 2013   April 2013   May 2013   June 2013   July 2013   August 2013   September 2013   October 2013   November 2013   December 2013   January 2014   February 2014   March 2014   April 2014   May 2014   June 2014   August 2014   September 2014   November 2014   December 2014   January 2015   March 2015   April 2015   May 2015   July 2015   August 2015   September 2015   October 2015   March 2016   April 2016   May 2016   June 2016   July 2016   August 2016   September 2016   October 2016   January 2017   February 2017   May 2017   June 2017   July 2017   August 2017   September 2017   February 2018   March 2018   April 2018   May 2018   June 2018   July 2018   August 2018   September 2018   October 2018   December 2018   January 2019   February 2019   March 2019   June 2019   July 2019   August 2019   October 2019   December 2019   January 2020   July 2021   August 2021   September 2021   October 2021   November 2021   December 2021   April 2022   May 2022   June 2022   July 2022   August 2022   April 2023   May 2023   June 2023   July 2023   August 2023   September 2023   October 2023   November 2023   December 2023  

Subscribe to Posts [Atom]