First opened seven years ago alongside the Bolshaya Neva river, Big Wine Freaks has contributed a great deal to the current buzz of St. Peterburg‘s nightlife, becoming a popular fixture just like its sister establishment in the Russian capital which opened in 2017. The restaurant, situated in a historic low-rise red brick building, is owned by seasoned hospitality entrepreneurs Artyom Tskhakaya and Vladimir Basov who run a string of popular establishments in both cities. The original venue has recently seen a full revamp by Florence-based architecture practice and longtime collaborator b-arch, and now flaunts an entirely new setting. The backdrop of exposed brick walls and ceiling has remained, as well as the large crystal chandeliers and the configuration of meandering tables, but the new design sees a bold infusion of 1970s-inspired club aesthetic. The aforementioned tables have a concrete table top and are paired with a steel canopy which seemingly hovers overhead.
All furniture pieces, light fixtures and objects are vintage and have been carefully sourced in Italy by the architects, and contribute to aesthetic dialogue between the past and the present. Calligraphy-inspired murals by Russian artist Pokras Lampas add an underground touch to the setting. As its name boldly implies, Big Wine Freaks is a haven for enophiles, featuring a wide range of curated top wines from France, Italy and the U.S., including biodynamic and natural wines, and many are also served by glass. As for food, after all this is a restaurant, the menu lists an equally broad range of dishes, ranging from wraps of thin rice paper and wasabi shrimps, to dim sums and many a delicacy from a raw seafood bar on Thursdays. Big Wine Freaks‘ additional trump card has always been music, and in order to live up to the club vibe, resident deejays Dibidabo and Zuma Dionys will keep the crowds happily entertained with lively sets.
Big Wine Freaks
Instrumentalnaya ulitsa 3B (Petrogradskiy)
197022 St. Petersburg
Telephone: +7 921 9386063
Tue-Thu 6pm-1am
Fri-Sat 6pm-2am
Sun 6pm-1am
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
