Though I low-key feel like a fraud for writing such an article, it is a must to say a few words about what to eat in a city that I visited for almost a week. The truth is, with this specific one, I did not have the chance to eat outside of my hotel and the university much. Since I was there for a short program on history, all food etc. were covered by the organizers. Besides, I did some research (as usual), and hardly found anything worthwhile to explore in the city, food-wise that is. After all, it is extremely far away from all the farms and vineyards you can think of, with only the sea sharing some of its bounty with the denizens of the city. Fresh food, the way we think about it, is hard to come by over there. This does not mean that all hope is lost though. Due to the history of the city with it being visited by British sailors even before the eventual use of this harbour for land lease operations during the WWII, Arkhangelsk is home to quite a lot of British pubs, with good grub and even better beer. So, there is actually a good deal to write about when it comes to drinking out (which, sadly was not covered by the organizers), with a bonus place at the end thanks in part to my never-ending lust for pizza. Read on so you would not go hungry during your travels to what sometimes feels like the end of the world!
Luda – https://yandex.com/maps/-/CCUoe4F1SC
Luda is, more than likely, the cheapest pub in town, if not in the whole country, heck, perhaps the whole world! With rather tasty 50cl local draft beers starting from a bit over 1 USD, there is really very little to criticize about Luda. Is it the best beer? No. Is the food anything superb? No. Is the service perfect? Well, no, you literally have to pay and get the mug yourself after the lady fills it up for you. Is there at least some good music or something? No. This is a very no-frills type of establishment where you should come with at least a few friends, preferably after dinner, and just enjoy a nice and deep conversation as you burn through tons of beer without breaking the bank. It also appears to have a few other locations around town, so it may be best to check which one is closer to you.
Chester Pub – https://yandex.com/maps/-/CCUoe4R6PC
As one can deduce from its name, Chester Pub is a rather British establishment, well, at least it tries to be. Since I never visited the British Isles, I cannot do any real comparisons. However, compared to other British pubs that I visited in the rest of the world, I must say that they have a decent selection of beer, and their fries were some of the finest I had in a long while. Potato in general is quite tasty all the way up north, and I do not know why. They have their own Russian drafts, as well as a few European beers on tap. I tasted a few as I was there a couple of times, and none tasted terrible. Service is top notch, though more often than not you have to wait some time for any food to make their way to the table. This was also the pub I could catch the Northern Lights on my way out of there, so it will forever have a special place in my heart.
English Pub Lock Stock – https://yandex.com/maps/-/CCUoe4V6DD
Being the best British pub in town, Lock Stock has it all! They have the good grub, and by good grub I mean the best fried calamari I had in my life. Even the ones I tasted in Greece could not compare to how tasty these molluscs were! The sauce was nothing special, but the way they batter and fry calamari here was just top notch. It was not cheap at all, and the beers were also the most expensive ones we saw in the whole city. I suppose you do pay for higher quality and a much better decoration but still keep this in mind before visiting Lock Stock. I remember realizing that I could have bought four times the beer in Luda for the same price that I paid for one mug in this fine establishment, so yeah, it is better reserved for a more special night if money is an issue for you.
Santa Pasta – https://yandex.com/maps/-/CCUoe4b7gC
I know I know, I can already hear some of you saying, if not shouting, how dumb it is to eat pizza in such a northern city that is naturally extremely far away from any and all sources of tomato. To be fair, it was a rather dumb decision. However, after reading their raving reviews, I had to give Santa Pasta a try. Well, let us just say that for those that never left Arkhangelsk and had a real pizza in their life, it would taste good. It is not like this whole meal was terrible. The dough was alright, though nothing to write home about, the cheese tasted fine and there was a lot of it, and the pesto sauce was a welcome sight that added some depth to the taste profile. However, even the margherita pizza barely had any pizza sauce, and the “tomatoes” on top would not even amount to one normal size tomato if they tried to merge together. If you like pizza because of its simplicity and the quality of its most basic but much needed ingredients: dough, sauce, and cheese; you would not appreciate this cheese heavy and pretty tomato-less version you will find in Santa Pasta. It was also almost twice as expensive as any other much better pizza I had in Nizhny, so you will be paying “extra” for all that tomato on your pizza as well, though there is nowhere near enough of it to begin with…
In short, for those that appreciate a good beer with an even better company, and some decent snacks to go along with the conversation, Arkhangelsk offers a lot. For those who want a more “refined” dining experience, it may be better to look elsewhere, someplace south of here to begin with.