Place |
Name |
Characteristic in the rating |
1 | Freedom | The largest space. Rich program, luxurious interior and VR |
2 | O`Len! | The best anti-cafe with hookah. A unique selection of entertainment and cinema with ottomans |
3 | 12 rooms | Huge variety of individual rooms, treats and board games |
4 | Ziferburg | Exhibitions, master classes and interest clubs. Discounts for small visitors |
5 | Freak Zone | Original Steampunk entourage. The most atmospheric place |
Anticafe is the best place for cultural and entertainment events and simple communication with friends outside the home, as well as for comfortable work in the city center. The very idea of these establishments, also known as time cafes, is opposed to, perhaps, all the key features of traditional cafes and restaurants. The main difference between anticafe was the principle of payment. Here, the bill is not billed for the number of cups of tea and coffee drunk or dryers and cookies eaten, which are most often offered for free, but for the time spent in the establishment. At the same time, thanks to various discounts and bonuses, a whole day in an anticafe is often much cheaper than a lunch for one person in an average cafe, which makes them an excellent alternative to both simple home gatherings and a birthday feast in a coffee shop or restaurant.
In the best anti-cafes in St. Petersburg, even an ordinary day becomes a holiday, because the cozy informal atmosphere here is complemented by a lot of entertainment.In most of them, the guest is invited to practice popular board games, watch the best films or play video games, sitting comfortably on the sofa or ottoman, as well as surf the Internet on free Wi-Fi and work. Quite often, anti-cafes can also be equipped with a bookcrossing corner that allows visitors to exchange and share interesting books with each other, or a full-fledged library, a mini-cinema, a romantically designed space for dates, a place to work, a hookah bar and a number of specific areas for creativity and relaxation.
TOP-5 best anti-cafes in St. Petersburg
5 Freak Zone
Tel: +7 (812) 244-68-26; website: freak-zone.ru
On the map: St. Petersburg, st. 1st Soviet, 4
Rating (2022): 4.6
"Freak Zone" is the best atmospheric anti-cafe and the first Steampunk institution of this format in Russia. The brightest feature of this hero of the rating was the unique surroundings in the spirit of old England. This "Freak Zone" is strikingly different from most anti-cafes in St. Petersburg, many of which are furnished in a very ordinary way. The decor of this space contrasts with them, drawing the eye with a luxurious interior with wide leather sofas, handmade tables and chairs made of wood and cast iron, various pieces of art in the style of Victorian England. The special atmosphere of the place could not but affect the entertainment, thanks to which the anti-cafe's arsenal includes not only running modern games, but also original puzzles and much more with a steampunk design.
Many regulars always look forward to Fridays to immerse themselves in the world of "Mafia".Guests are also offered a marathon of board games, nightly film screenings, table and hall reservations. The cost of visiting is average and amounts to 3.5 rubles for the first hour and 3 for the subsequent ones.
4 Ziferburg
Tel: +7 (981) 180-70-22; website: vk.com/ziferburg
On the map: St. Petersburg, Fontanka river embankment, 20
Rating (2022): 4.6
Located in the creative quarter, "Ziferburg" combines ancient walls with intricate stucco, a fireplace, carved furniture and a classic grand piano with modern technology and original solutions of today. Many consider this anti-cafe to be the most St. Petersburg, because, like St. Petersburg, it has become a miracle at the junction of the past and the present. This did not go unnoticed by artists, thanks to which the time cafe often becomes a venue for exhibitions, master classes, meetings with interesting people and "home" parties with DJs and dances.
On days free from events, a good mood also reigns here. A cozy space with a great view of the Fontanka offers you to comfortably read books, watch movies, play musical instruments. "Ziferburg" is especially beneficial for those who want to spend the whole day in the anti-cafe. After the first hour with a rate of 3 rubles per minute, the cost is reduced to 2 rubles, and after 4 hours the counting of minutes stops. Toddlers under 5 years old stay free of charge, and children under 10 years old receive a 50% discount.
3 12 rooms
Tel: +7 (812) 923-70-96; Website: 12room.com
On the map: St. Petersburg, st. Bolshaya Morskaya, 19, 2nd floor
Rating (2022): 4.8
This anti-cafe resembles a spacious, cozy house, divided into 12 separate rooms with individual design for each, which, nevertheless, are integral parts of one whole. The ability to retire with your company, fenced off from everyone else, has become a feature and one of the reasons for the popularity of "12 rooms". After all, this is one of the very few places in St. Petersburg where you can play x-box, ping-pong, kicker and hundreds of board games with friends, including fun games for noisy parties, strategy and puzzles, without the constant presence of strangers.
The food here is no less varied, and even with a basic rate of 2 rubles per minute for the first two hours and then for a ruble until the threshold of 400 rubles is reached, guests are offered ten types of tea, cookies, waffles, toast and various sweets, and on Mondays free sushi . Anti-cafe also allows you to choose a tea tariff with unlimited access to an extensive collection of Chinese tea and participation in a tea ceremony, a coffee tariff for choosing coffee, or a single one that includes all of the above.
2 O`Len!
Tel: +7 (812) 989-01-53; Website: www.olenroom.com
On the map: St. Petersburg, Sredny pr. V.O., 36/40 (BC "Ostrov")
Rating (2022): 4.9
The presence of a spacious hall for co-working and lectures did not prevent the most creative anti-cafe in St. Petersburg from making laziness its hallmark and even dedicating an entire room to it with artificial grass, forest design and hammocks, conducive to a lazy meditative rest. The cinema hall of space acts no less pacifyingly.Retro-style design, a large screen, a comfortable wall-length red sofa and bright ottomans ensure the comfort of guests and look relevant both at film screenings and during private parties for small companies. An extensive library is always filled with music and birds chirping and allows you to be lazy, dream and read from the heart.
There is in the anti-cafe "O'Len!" and areas for more active recreation - a sand painting room, a mysterious "gangster" board game room, a magical oriental-style tea ceremony corner, a game room, a ball pool, a boxing corner and even a performance stage will not let you get bored. Also, visitors are offered tea, coffee, pastries and the best, according to the guests, hookah.
1 Freedom
Tel: +7 (812) 600-88-80; website: k7.su/info
On the map: St. Petersburg, st. Kazanskaya, 7
Rating (2022): 5.0
Freedom is a large-scale space in a historic building with columns, arches, beautiful ceiling vaults, striking in scope and palace chic. This giant anti-cafe covers an area of 1500 square meters and accommodates more than a dozen spacious halls for various purposes. Some of them have a royal chic and are ideal for celebrations, such as a fireplace room, a hall and a music room with an antique piano, others are made in a bright modern style and are very convenient for friendly gatherings and children's events. The special advantages of the Freedom space are a reclining cinema hall with soft ottomans, a VR attraction for connoisseurs of virtual reality, and an impressive two-story library where it’s easy to feel like Belle is in an enchanted castle.
Spaciousness, attractive design and accessibility have made Freedom not only the best anti-cafe, but also an ideal event platform, thanks to which the poster is rich in interesting events. Prices for visiting a time cafe are among the most pleasant in St. Petersburg and start from 1 ruble per minute.