I like to walk along Nevsky Prospect in the early morning and have a cup of coffee in the Abrikosov café. I also enjoy a cup of coffee with syrniki, home-made Russian cheesecake, in the restaurant Happiness, beside St Isaac’s Cathedral. The atmosphere of this lovely place is wonderful. Happiness is what people need most of all, and the one thing you can’t buy with money.
For lunch I prefer Astoria Cafe, with its amazing, refined and unobtrusive atmosphere. It’s also the perfect place for a business meeting. They have the most delicious bread, tender sea bass and inimitable Salad Olivier with crab. And of course I have my favourite table, with a wonderful view over beloved St Isaac’s Cathedral.
Sometimes I go to Bona Capona restaurant with my children and husband, located in the suburb of Pushkin. They offer many different types of pasta and delicious salads. There are always a lot of people in the restaurant, and it has a great room for kids.
I also love to walk in the park at TsarskoyeSelo. In spring the park fills with blooming bird cherry trees and lilac, and Pushkin becomes one of the most beautiful places in the world.
More to make you happy?
Shop at DLT department store. Take in a show at the Mariinsky Theatre. Enjoy a film at Angleterre Cinema Lounge.
Paris is always a good idea. Except, perhaps, when it’s hosting the Olympic Summer Games, and the usual tourist throng looks set to multiply almost prohibitively. Of course, the Games are exciting, but if wading through crowds feels like a marathon effort, try a cultural relay around one of these stunning European cities instead.
The name Bernardo Buontalenti might not mean much to those outside of Florence, but it should. A prestigious Florentine architect and artist favoured by the Medici, he is also widely credited with inventing gelato. This frozen delight is now as synonymous with Italy as pizza and is deeply intertwined with Florence’s heritage. Take a tour of the city’s most celebrated gelaterias, curated by the expert concierge team at Hotel Savoy.
As the gentle glow of each ornate chandelier begins to dim, a hush descends upon the audience before an all-consuming world of tragedy and triumph unfolds. Both exhilarating and deeply moving, a night at the opera has the distinct power to evoke emotion, while offering a unique insight into a perhaps unfamiliar city.
Journey through Europe’s symphony of unmissable opera houses, each steeped in history and grandeur.
