8 UNUSUAL coffee shops in St. Petersburg

1 ‘Colors’

Maly Prospekt Petrogradskoy Storoni, 59

Its laconic design – lots of white with bursts of bright color, toy flowers in vases, a small menu and picture-perfect presentation of each dish. You can stop in for a cappuccino and then linger for half the day: It's hard not to succumb to this coffee shop's charm. What's more, the seasonal menu is regularly updated. For example, right now, you can try a lavender latte and a “dirty” matcha (a drink that combines matcha with espresso and coconut milk).

2 ‘Bolshe Kofe’ (‘More Coffee’)

Aleksandrovsky Park, 3G

This coffee shop is located in a veritable grotto. In summer, tables are set up in front of the entrance, while, in winter, visitors are welcomed under stone vaults – a bit cramped, but very atmospheric. ‘Bolshe Kofe’ is perfectly located for tourists: right next to the ‘Gorkovskaya’ subway station and just a stone's throw from the Admiralty and the zoo.

3 ‘Iva’

Potemkinskaya Street, 2G

Welcome to… eternal summer! This coffee shop is located on the second floor of the Tavrichesky Garden greenhouse. If you're looking for a tropical escape in the middle of winter, you don't have to pack a suitcase – just head there! The balcony where the coffee shop is located offers a tranquil view. In addition to the usual selection of tea and coffee, the menu includes seasonal Slavic filter tea with elderflower syrup and honey, as well as matcha anchan-lavender with coconut puree.

4 ‘Znakomtes, Joe’ (‘Meet Joe’)

Liteyny Avenue, 57

Drinking coffee, reading books and eating buns sounds like a perfect day. And it can be arranged at any time: just pop into the ‘Podpisnye Izdaniya’ (‘Subscription Publications’) bookstore. You can hang out for as long as you like in the coffee shop on the first floor, browsing through the latest book releases. The place is often busy, so you'll have to "hunt" for a table or try your luck at the ‘Podpisnye Bulochki’ (‘Subscription Buns’) café on the second floor.

5 ‘Volshebnutyy Kofe’ (‘Magical-ish Coffee’)

Grazhdanskaya Street, 13-15

People go there not only for cappuccinos and lattes, but also for… fortune telling! Yes, this coffee shop offers fortune telling using coffee grounds and tarot cards and the menu boasts as many pages of various readings and oracles as it does of drinks and desserts. Here you can order a ‘Make a Wish’ cappuccino, a ‘Chary i Volya’ (‘Enchantment and Will’) raf or a ‘Lechu na Maldivy’ (‘Flying to the Maldives’) lemonade and learn of your future in the next month or even a year.

6 TCHK

Kamennoostrovsky Avenue, 18/11

This micro-coffee shop, tucked away in the courtyards of Petrogradskaya Street, isn't easy to find. But, as soon as you turn through the archway off Mira Street and see a small house covered in grapevines, you know you've come to the right place. ‘Tvoy Cherny Kofe’ (which is what the acronym name stands for) has enough room for one table, but you can also sit at the bar. So, if the weather permits, it's better to sample their drinks and delicious cherry pie outside.

7 ‘Secreter’ (‘Secretaire’)

Aptekarskaya Embankment, 6

Coffee in exchange for a secret – you don't often see that on a menu! No catches: the customer writes down their secret on a piece of paper and receives a drink. If you wish, you can whisper it to the baristas (at ‘Secretaire’, they are all [allegedly] professional psychologists) or simply burn the paper after.

8 ‘Vkus iskusstva’ (‘Taste of Art’)

Suvorovsky Avenue, 15

This coffee shop is known for its desserts based on artists' works. The menu includes ‘Morning in a Pine Forest’ in the shape of a pine cone, ‘Black Square’ brownies, ‘Flowers’ inspired by Andy Warhol and ‘Girl with Peaches’. All are served on plates with an image befitting the name.