Eat at St Petersburg’s minimalist restaurant for nature-lovers | The Escapist

Where?

St Petersburg, Russia

What?

Saying that Harvest is one of the best restaurants in the world is far from an overstatement. In 2019, the eatery in St Petersburg’s historic Petrogradsky District featured in the list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The latest project of Duoband group, the creative minds behind the iconic St Petersburg restaurants Duo Gastrobar and Tartarbar, Harvest is one of the venues helping the city on the Neva zero in on the title of Russia’s foodie capital.

Harvest’s mission is all in the name. The restaurant puts the limelight on farm-to-table, sustainable, zero-waste consumption. On the menu, market-fresh greens act as a reoccurring corner stone. Imagine broccoli and pine nut paté, halibut with squash terrine, quail with pear and rum sauce, and cauliflower ganache with wild red currant and black caviar dessert. Culinary masterpieces come at a cost, but in this case, Harvest remains quite affordable: mains are around 500 roubles (£6). Plus, each dish is paired with a select cocktail such as Honey Gimlet, a mix of gin, chamomile extract, white wine, honey, and pickled bee pollen, or Cynaretto, a delicious blend of cynar, an artichoke liqueur, amaretto, lemon juice and salted caramel.

Boasting a minimalist aesthetic and attention to detail in equal doses, the restaurant’s design creates the perfect atmosphere to delve in its nature-loving philosophy. Featuring a blonde-wood dining room with warm amber and spicy honey tones, the interior of Harvest is a soothing embrace for the senses.

What not to miss in the city:

— Have dinner at Harvest, then hit the dancefloor at Tantsploshadka. Nestled in one of the back corners of Konyushka, each weekend, Caribbean disco and upbeat electronica fill the dance floor under the exposed brickwork curved roof in this iconic St Petersburg club.

— Enjoy a breathtaking view of St Petersburg from St Isaac’s Cathedral. If you are willing to climb the 300+ steps to the gold-plated dome, you will be richly rewarded with outstanding panoramic vistas over the city.

— Explore the natural splendour of the Russian North at Repino, a quiet St Petersburg suburb set on the Gulf of Finland, around 30 km northwest of the city itself. Long known as a place of retreat and relaxation, this seaside spot is the perfect place to unwind from the buzz of St Petersburg.