Apple route: Moscow and St. The 6 best ciders in St. Petersburg

Cider is set to become one of the gastronomic trends of 2025. Moscow and St. In St. Petersburg there are bars with large collections, restaurants with their own drinks and master classes where they will not only show the preparation process, but also tell their story.

After all, cider is one of the oldest beverages. Its creation is attributed to Charlemagne in the 8th – early 9th centuries. It was later produced in Ancient Rome and Ancient Egypt, and became popular in Northern Europe in the Middle Ages, especially in England and France, where apple orchards were planted in villages. Over time, cider has become an integral part of gastronomy. The Fashion Vibes columnist Anya Baturina, Moscow and St. He found the six best ciders in St. Petersburg.

Disclaimer: Our material is not about “trying”, it is about learning. We see cider as a part of gastronomy culture. We talk about history, traditions and technologies and do not encourage the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Anya Baturina, author of the Telegram channel touch_my_bum

Cider is a unique drink unlike any other. It can be a perfect pairing with almost any food if you understand what types and flavors it has.

“Alaska” and “Colleagues”

The founder of the projects, Artem Ganiev, is building a cider production facility in the Moscow region, meanwhile bottling two of his own brands directly at his enterprises – the Alaskan gastrobar in Chistye Prudy and the Colleague glass bar in Sretenka.

If you are interested in the production process, “Alaska” hosts intimate master classes. The atmosphere is like being at the dacha of a cider enthusiast friend, but only in the center of Moscow.

The menu focuses on seafood. Separate aquariums are home to other shellfish such as sea urchins, scallops, oysters and anadara (be careful, this “monster” is rich in hemoglobin, because it is the only one with a circulatory system). By the way, the fish in the bar is smoked and dried according to the traditional recipes of the northern peoples. So as a starter or hot appetizer, hot smoked greens is definitely worth a try.

Pomme Verte

An elegant restaurant in the center of Moscow with a Normandy-style interior: old wood, a stone bar counter, a luxurious chandelier, paintings and many vintage items from European flea markets. Here cider is served with no less respect than Burgundy wines. Everything is serious at Pomme Verte: a refrigerated cider room, a cider map and a vintage press.

The lounge has a ceiling-high cider fridge and a bar list curated from Normandy, Brittany, Spain, England and Russian crafts. The menu can be called a full-fledged “apple anthology”.

Brand chef Renat Tsaritsansky does not reinterpret the Normandy style, but renews the classics: she prepares pate with brioche and cider jelly, pate en croûte with cherries and truffle aioli, coq-au-van with carrot puree and pears in lemon juice, biscuits, onion soup, casseroles and apple pie.

Pomme Verte recently introduced extended breakfasts: from 9 to 12 on weekdays and up to 14 hours on weekends. The menu includes a mix of French classics and Moscow hits; for example, brie cheese omelet, croque madame sandwich with fried egg, buckwheat crepe galette with mortadella and stracciatella, crepe suzette, sandwich with red caviar and whipped butter and, of course, croissants.

WE Cidreria

WE Cidreria started during the World Cup, when no one believed in the mono format. They now have their own festival, Russian Cider Fest, three locations in Moscow (Kitay-Gorod, Sukharevskaya, Mayakovskaya) and a collection of more than 200 varieties of cider.

Here, cider is an entire mission, not just something added to the menu. Interesting events are held every week where staff talk about styles and regions.

The menu focuses on European dishes. There are more than 20 varieties of tapas in Spanish style – small sandwiches for one or two bites. Here they are prepared with duck, tuna, jamon, shrimp, salmon and eel. They also have pintxos snacks – sandwiches too, but a little more refined, the kind they eat in the Basque Country. The menu also includes sandwiches, different pates, hot dishes made from meat and fish, and even pumpkin steak for those who refuse to eat animal products for any reason.

Frantsuza Bistrot

St. There was a reason why cider appeared on the menu at St. Petersburg’s Frantsuza Bistrot; Developed specifically for the restaurant. This is a collaboration with Toksovskaya Sidreria. The drink combines Northwest style, high acidity, and soaked apple flavor.

The restaurant’s menu is inspired by France. In addition to classic dishes such as pate croute and ratatouille, there are also modern signature dishes such as Parmentier and scallops with porcini mushrooms, foie gras with zucchini and duck cabbage rolls, created by chef Ivan Frolukhin.

The restaurant recently updated its breakfast menu. Now there are even more reasons to come here in the morning. The delicately cooked calamari mixture is an absolute hit. Squid is a rather unexpected item on the plate; You won’t see it very often on the morning menu (except hot food), but anything is possible at Frantsuza Bistrot.

Don’t forget to look out for the milk chocolate and walnut snails too. You will definitely not be left indifferent and you will want to order it at home too.

“Ian Primus”

Yes, the Jan Primus chain is famous not only for its delicious homemade food, live music and cozy atmosphere, but also for its variety of beverage options. Among them you can also find cider. Literally at the beginning of autumn, the chef bartender of the restaurants collected in one menu rare samples of Russian drinks created in the traditional way using penate technology. On the project’s website, you will find a training program about the origin of the drink, its varieties, beer and its differences from beer.

As for the food, you will try various snacks for a group at the bar: various game sausages, different types of shrimp, salted dried fish. But there are also bar classics: burgers, steak, fries, onion rings, croutons and wings. And a tribute to Belgian cuisine were waffles with vanilla ice cream, fruit sauce and whipped cream.

“Trescovia”

A team from Kaliningrad opened Treskovia in Moscow, bringing not only fish from their own trawler but also cider from Irkutsk, one of the few Russian ciders that makes real cider. The restaurant is also popular in Moscow for its northern cuisine: Kaliningrad-style bonito stroganina, fish and chips, fish soup, Baltic sprat sandwiches, halibut with grilled pineapple, sougada with sockeye salmon and Baltic eel fillet. But the main emphasis of the menu is, of course, on cod. They use it to make tartar, ceviche, fish fingers, and add it to salads, fish soup, and grilled vegetables.

Source: People Talk