Attention music lovers! Are you looking for a place to get your swing on and show off your jazz hands? Then you might want to check out this short list of two of St Petersburg’s best jazz hotspots.
The Hat
In the words of its founders “The Hat” is designed to be reminiscent of an American jazz bar from the 1940s/50s. There’s just one room at The Hat with the bar itself located in the centre of the room and seating placed around it. One of the biggest advantages of the bar is that it is staffed by a team of experienced mixologists who will be happy to mix you your favourite cocktail. If you’ve been fixin’ for an old fashioned, a long island iced tea, or even a white Russian, this is the place to be. In front of the bar you’ll find The Hat’s stage, where musician’s from St Petersburg, Moscow, and other major cities from different parts of the world take play daily jam sessions. The bar has no fixed gig schedule so you won’t be entirely sure of what you’re getting until you arrive; the only thing you can be certain of is that it will be jazz.
The Hat is open everyday from 19:00 to 03:00 and you can find at 9 Ulitsa Berlinskogo. It’s right next to a bunch of other bars and restaurants and only a short walk from the Student Theatre on Mokhovoy Ulista, so it’s the perfect place for a night out on the weekend.
Dom-7
Dom 7 is located on the banks of Canal Griboedova. You’ll find it on the same side of the canal as Dom Knigi, just walk down towards the Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood and you’ll see it on your left. The bar serves drinks and a variety of Russian and European food and is open 12:00-0:00 on weekdays and 12:00-02:00 on weekends. Live concerts performed by musicians from all over the world take place every day from 21:30 onwards. The bar’s design is not the easiest to describe but in many ways it’s reminiscent of an English pub.
It has seating for 80 people spread over two stories but if it’s full then the wide staircase offers additional standing space to see the show. The second floor also has a balcony that overlooks the stage so it’s not too hard to find a place where you can see. If toe-tapping just isn’t enough for you, there’s good news; Dom 7 has a small dance floor in front of the stage where you can dance your cares away. Just make sure you don’t dance them over someone else’s feet!