Step once across the threshold of Domenico's nightclub restaurant and you'll find it hard to break away from its magnetic allure.
Whether you pop in for an early evening cocktail or a cozy meal for two there's no way out. Generally in St Petersburg if you want to sample different styles of cuisine you go to different restaurants but at Domenico's they have got it all - European, Russian, and international. And if you fancy a bit of after dinner dancing you won't have to trek off through snow and ice in search of a nightclub. At Domenico's it's all under one roof.
Domenico's has only been going for a few months but has already established itself as one of the city's most popular hangouts for everyone from fashion victims to musicians as well as being a regular haunt for St Petersburg's established expatriate community.
It has both the atmosphere of a classy restaurant and a Hard Rock Cafe together, so you won't feel out of place in your denims and flannel shirt and neither would you feel over dressed in your tuxedo.
Located in the city center on the main streets, Domenico's is the place to relax as a couple or have a laugh in a party crowd. Some tables in areas of the restaurant are brightly lit, others are mysteriously intimate. Tables stand close to cozy sofas and round backed chairs throughout the various levels of the restaurant.
There's MTV in the middle room of the restaurant and if you just want to watch the world go by on Nevsky Prospect try the window seats on the upper dining level.
Bar-lovers get the music to themselves by the dance floor which is small and intimate, holding around 50 people. The discs are spun by resident DJs and is accompanied by strobe-lights revolving from under a star filled ceiling.
The disco starts every evening at 10. From then on there's an entry fee of 64,700 roubles, or $30 on Fridays and Saturdays. Whatever you do, don't loose your coat tag given on entry because that will set you back a further $10 in fines.
The restaurant feels safe, probably because of the obvious presence of security guards who ensure that the ‘right' as opposed to ‘wrong' clientele is allowed in.
The menu is quite extensive and includes pasta dishes, grills, specialities, sea food, as well as Russian cuisine and international cocktails and desserts. Some items are not on the menu, and if you want orange juice or cappuccino, just ask for them.
While sitting and waiting for your food, take a look around you. There on the walls are records of popular songs as well as black and white framed photos of Crawfordesque looking women which could have walked off America's silver screen.
Service is quick, efficient and friendly. Delicious rolls are waiting on the table before the meal arrives, and when it does, whether tuna salad ($4) or Greek salad ($4) they are simply masterpieces, beautifully arranged on large white plates decorated with flower-shaped fresh vegetables.
Among cocktails available are Pina Colada ($7) and Gin Fizz ($6) which are brought over from the funky bar where fine booze from all over the world is on display.
The pleasant impression left by the salads leave you wondering what the main course is going to be like. And when it finally arrives the wait proves worth it: Steak au Poivre ($14) and Sturgeon as well as the rice and delicious baked tomatoes and bacon-wrapped asparagus. Portions are reasonably sized, enough to satisfy a moderate hunger.
Desserts are mostly fruit based, making lavish use of bananas. Banana Flambees at $3 are worth dying for, fried and floating in Grand Marnier and topped with vanilla ice cream. The Banana Split ($4) has nothing to do with the American version of this dessert. With oranges, grapes, fruit sauce and a tiny bit of whipped cream and shredded chocolate it's more like a fruit salad. It is very delicate and European.
If you are not in the mood for food, you can simply go with friends for a drink, for the music and to have a dance. Domenico's is the perfect place to relax and unwind, whatever your mood after a tough day's work or sightseeing.