Yekaterinburg has a thriving craft bar scene. If you’re tired of the run-of-the-mill sports bars and fancy something a little different, try our suggestions.
Spyashchaya Sobaka
Constructivism Meets Craft Beer
One of the newest trendy craft bars in Yekaterinburg is “Spyashchaya Sobaka” (Sleeping Dog) located at the edge of the Gorodok Chekistov. Positioning itself as “a quiet craft bar,” it has a rather small interior, and the walls are covered with old Soviet posters and photographs. All of the beers are limited edition and from microbreweries. Ask for an IPA called EB Nikolayevich — a reference to Boris Yeltsin, with initials mixed up so it sounds like a Russian curse word. The main advantage of this place is the door in the floor, which leads to the expansive basements of Gorodok Chekistov. You can ask the staff to open the door to have a peek, or sign up for a proper tour.
Ulitsa Pervomaiskaya, 40 facebook.com/Sleepdogbar
Grott
A Bar and Brewery
Grott is a small brewery with a bar located on the first floor of the Dom Pechati (House of Press) constructivist masterpiece. It makes a range of brews, from traditional IPAs and lagers to more interesting seasonal experiments like the fruity “Clockwork Orange” made with blood orange juice. The food is supposedly Scandinavian, but apart from a few smorrebrods (open-faced sandwiches), it’s your regular pub grub: burgers, fried cheese balls and kebabs. For a grand finale, try some of the homemade infusions (from 100 rubles).
Prospekt Lenina, 49 grottbar.ru
Nelson Sauvin
Hot Spot For Young Creatives
Nelson Sauvin seems to be the favorite spot for creative industry workers in Yekaterinburg. Named after special hops native to New Zealand, Nelson Sauvin has two floors with panoramic windows and much of the furniture is by local designers. Nelson has two sets of taps: one for Russian beer, one for foreign beer. Jaws brews start from 100 rubles while imports start from around 200 rubles. There’s also a special menu for cheese, all produced at regional dairy farms.
Ulitsa Malysheva, 21/4 nelsonsauvin.ru
Double Grill & Bar
Food and Beer
More of a restaurant than a bar, it’s located at the back of the city hall building, with an industrial interior, leather couches, autographs from local rock stars and memorabilia on the walls. There’s bottled local Jaws beer, as well as several imports on tap (from 200 rubles). The food is great at Double: there’s everything from burgers (from 490 rubles) to snow crab tartare (350 rubles).
Ulitsa 8 Marta, 8b doublebar.ru
Jawsspot
Craft Pioneers
Jaws is the company that began the craft beer 6 revolution in the Urals and today it’s one of the most popular brewers in Russia — it has bars not only in the Urals, but also in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Located in the town of Zarechny in the Sverdlovsk region, Jaws was named after a big wave surfing break in Hawaii, which itself was named after everyone’s favorite sharkthemed horror movie. Jawsspot in Yekaterinburg is located right next to the House of Press, and it is quite small and crowded, decorated with various pieces of surfing memorabilia. Try one of the original Jaws brews (from 150 rubles) with witty names like Nuclear Laundry IPA or Looking for a Human. There are about a dozen other beers on tap and some bar snacks as well. If you like what you see, consider a trip to the brewery itself, where they organize excursions for serious beer fans every weekend.
Ulitsa Turgeneva, 3 jawsbeer.ru
Lavkraft
For Those Who “Love Craft”
Walk through the coffee shop called “Coffee Box” on the first floor and climb the stairs to get to “Lavkraft” or “Lovecraft,” if you like. No, it’s nothing to do with American horror fiction writer H.P. Lovecraft, it’s a small bar/beer store with white walls, a wooden bar stand and shelves upon shelves of bottles. The bar offers customers a wide range of both local and imported beer. Sip on a Belgian brew and enjoy watching the crowds go by on the busy Ulitsa Malysheva. Or have a Jaws while playing on a game console. It’s up to you, but whatever you do, you’re sure to have a good time at this place.
Ulitsa Malysheva, 31b vk.com/lovecraft_ekb
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
