Borscht in Kaliningrad,
and some tinctures to go with it
"Siniy Poni" (Blue Pony)

The concept of the place was intriguing: a bar and a restaurant in one. If only we knew what that meant — but we don’t! According to my friend, it is an unusual and lovely place: you can vary your leisure by playing various board games, the food is tasty, and the atmosphere is informal and fun.

I decided to visit “Siniy Poni” on a Friday to do justice to both the kitchen and the tinctures the place is famous for, if you believe the announcement in the menu. And who would have known that this Friday was 14 February? Retreating is not our habit — so be it.

The bar has no website (but I found a link to its VK page), bookings were taken by phone, and the staff warned us right away that on this day a prepayment is required, an amount that goes towards the deposit for the table. It became clear that this is a decent place with a serious approach to motivating guests.
I think it is a special culture of communication and etiquette when a person who has made an appointment, booked a service or reserved a table in a café will value their own time and the time of others. My habit of often being late was curbed.

The place is about a 15-minute walk from the centre. After a brisk and energetic walk, here at last is the long-awaited “Siniy Poni”.
The staff had prepared thoroughly for Valentine’s Day — bright T-shirts with vivid prints and funny kissed figurines on the tables. The administrator asked my name and offered to let me choose a table to my taste.

Friday atmosphere: light, pleasant music and a lively hum of conversation from the neighbouring tables.
Well-thought-out zoning: by the floor-to-ceiling windows there are tables with sofas for big groups, to the left of the entrance there are tables and a rack of various board games, and judging by the fact that a couple of groups were already having fun, this find is popular. A large bar counter, and in the centre high tables with bar stools.

The place itself is small, with dimmed light, bright installations, stylish décor and fresh flowers. Very cosy and atmospheric. You can feel the “in-crowd” environment.
Special thanks to the staff — they created a great mood for me and for my friend, who decided to keep me company on this important mission.

One of the signature dishes of the house is Tsar’s Borscht from Oleg, whose unique touch is a broth made from a smoker-smoked beef bone with smoked beef brisket added, which gives the borscht a rich, unforgettable taste.

Besides the borscht we tried: starters — sweet potato (the star of the show) with parmesan and aioli, sandwiches with Baltic sprats (a delicacy) and salmon ceviche (a warm-up). For the main course — a sin-free burger and a prawn taco. To say it was tasty is to say nothing. The ceviche has no excess sauces, just fresh cucumber, leek and salmon.

A delicious burger with pickled vegetables. Juicy medium-cooked meat with cranberry sauce and a tender bun. A taco with fried prawns and a piquant sauce in a crispy flatbread.

As a compliment before ordering we were brought tinctures and strawberries in chocolate. So the choice of drinks for the evening was settled: tinctures it was. We decided to neglect harmless liquids this evening. The truth, as the classic says, is in wine.

To make things easier, we took a set. It was one of my smartest decisions of the week. Lime-mint, cucumber-basil, lingonberry-mint, blackcurrant-coffee… it sounds like a song. A wide palette of the most unexpected flavours: tart, sour, creamy, bright fruity and berry. Soft and pleasant, with no sharp taste of alcohol. Different from the tinctures I have tried before.

The menu also has classic alcoholic cocktails, draught and bottled beer from Russian breweries and imported ones. The wine list is small, but the selection is interesting.

Around ten in the evening, when we had had time to talk our hearts out and finish another set of tinctures, a DJ came out and it became noticeably livelier.
A wonderful dinner cost almost 3,000 roubles per person, including alcohol.

A bright evening in a great place in pleasant company — priceless.
My unequivocal verdict: “Siniy Poni” is a rare find. Its own unique atmosphere, knowledgeable staff and excellent food.