Bus Station -
a popular bar
in the centre of Kaliningrad

Friday, no — Wednesday — is just the time for a light antidote and an evening in pleasant company. And ahead are the holidays that every self-respecting working person and gardener honours and values — the May holidays. Everyone off to the garden – that is, to the bar.

He entered: and the cork shot to the ceiling,

The comet wine spurted in a stream… (c).

The place is on a cosy street right in the centre of the city: a cobbled street and blossoming chestnut trees. The neighbours are, of course, unexpected — but as safe as in a vault. Here you have restaurants, and a hospital, and the building of the Federal Security Service Directorate.

Night, street, streetlamp, pharmacy… (c).

By the entrance to the bar there is a summer terrace — literally a few tables and a cosy sofa. All of this against the background of a retro car, and to top it off, a string of lights. An inviting and cosy setting.

We had not booked a table, but that is what is wonderful about visiting a bar — it is always a kind of lottery.

Right from the entrance you run into a huge bar counter — you cannot walk past it. Next come brickwork and aeroplane propellers. The interior is designed in steampunk style. A wooden bar top, graffiti on the concrete wall at the entrance, low coffee tables and a leather sofa, a foosball table, paintings with classical subjects in massive frames and an aeroplane fuselage

The room is an open space: there are several tables with bar stools, a sofa area, but the main rite takes place at the bar counter. That evening the whole ritual was led by the manager, bartender, administrator and healer of souls — Ivan. He shared the story of the place’s origin and its underlying idea. The bar lives its own special life: themed and music parties and events are held here.

There were not many guests when we arrived, it was still early — the main flow of visitors starts to gather no earlier than ten at night. But this allowed us to take in the surroundings and appreciate the concept of the place. “Bus Station” is a popular bar in Kaliningrad where you can have excellent coffee and a bite to eat, have a heart-to-heart talk with friends and even overindulge in a noisy company.

The bar menu has a great selection of snacks, pizzas and burgers, and even syrniki. It was hard to resist — French fries and sprat sandwiches. And although they do not go especially well with cocktails, it was impossible to refuse.

The fries were served in a metal basket with a sauce. The sauce is your own demanding choice. A golden crispy crust on the straws, hot, tender, slightly sweet taste — it melts in the mouth.

Sprat sandwiches. Black bread, butter and neat slices of spicy-cured sprat. Dense, juicy fish with a salty-spicy taste. I think the pleasure of this snack ought to be patented. It is a treasure of Kaliningrad.

About the drinks: signature and classic cocktails, tinctures and beer. A small line of spirits and a coffee menu.

We chose the Super Lemonhaze — bourbon, limoncello, calamansi (a hybrid of mandarin and kumquat) and caramel, and the Cicciolina — vanilla, banana liqueur, mango and prosecco.

The Lemon Haze turned out dense thanks to its foam, and the refreshingly sweet taste with a tang set off the tart and smoky bourbon superbly.

The Cicciolina is a daring, sparkling cocktail with refreshing dry prosecco and an exotic, juicy bouquet of fruit. The drinks were served in wide thick-bottomed glasses — stylish, laconic, classic for cocktails.

Finally we decided to try the signature tincture and the bar’s hit — the Matroskin: gin, basil and elderflower. A honey-coloured tincture, viscous, with a pleasant aroma and a lasting basil aftertaste. The finish is the sweetness of ripe elderberries.

It was quite unusual to spend an evening in an almost secluded setting, but who said a bar is always loud music and a noisy crowd? What will definitely be top-notch, though, are the strong drinks and lively company in a popular place in Kaliningrad.