Traditional Russian food - Expat in Kaliningrad, Russia

Plyushkin Bar & Restaurant

Sadly, Plyushkin is now as deceased as it’s fictional namesake😥

It is not called ‘Lampshades’ but why not is anybody’s guess. Plyushkin (which is the name of a fictional character in Gogol’s novel Dead Souls) is a bar/restaurant located on a busy intersection in Kaliningrad opposite the Amber Museum. It is nice and central, and situated as it is on a bustling traffic hub, easy to get to by bus, mini-bus or tram. From the outside, it is deceptive, especially at night, when all that can be seen is a small foyer and the neon sign above it, but the bar/restaurant is below ground and once inside the place is truly TARDISial.

Plyushkin Bar & Restaurant Kaliningrad — Plyushkin bar & restaurant, Kaliningrad, where lampshades abound

Be that as it may, the furnishings, décor and lighting make for a very comfortable, cozy and inviting feel. When you stop marveling at the oversized lampshades, you are rendered agog by the seating arrangements. Where would you like to sit? It is not an easy choice. In Plyushkin no dining suite is the same as the next, although we narrowed down the selection from traditional table and dining-room chairs to low-slung settees and tables to match.

Plyushkin Bar & Restaurant Kaliningrad

The accent is upon old-world charm ~ reproduction antique furniture ~ but non-conformist enough to find walnut-veneer-framed divans sharing the same space as 1960s’ designs and Avant Garde spectaculars, such as one table which has a coiled rope columnar support, not dissimilar to a cat’s gigantic scratching post.

Along the side of one wall runs an eclectic series of mismatching sideboards and tallboys, both parodies from and originals to disparate eras. The walls and lateral ceiling supports are profusely covered in framed vintage photographs and prints, including one of a young Queen Elizabeth II (G’ord Bless yu Maam!), although one wall of painted brick has been left relatively clear with respect to the current industrial look.

Queen Elizabeth in a Kaliningrad Restaurant — Queen Elizabeth II in Plyushkin, Kaliningrad ~ that’s her on the wall by the way …

Pigs’ Snouts

The menu is deliberately ‘old style’ Russian, and whilst pig snouts in mustard sauce may not be everyone’s idea of culinary heaven, just think it could be worse, and there might have been a photograph in the menu.

Nevertheless, we have dined here four or five times, and my carnivore associates assure me that their choice of meals has been very tasty and value for money.

The bar is well stocked, leaving nothing to the imagination, and I can vouch for the beer. The cheapest is about 112 rubles (which is about £1.36), whilst the premium, which weighs in at around 7% gravity, is about 275 rubles (£3.33).

Service is spot-on, unlike some places I could mention ~ and no doubt will, as we get around.

Live music

All in all, Plyushkin is extremely atmospheric, and on Saturday evenings live music adds to the ambience. The pendant lampshades, of which there are many, are huge, creatively different and pose a curious question, if not ‘Lampshades’ why not ‘Not One the Same’? ~ both would make super alternative names.