Zhiguli Gastro Pab - Almaty

Nice Soviet union type pub. the only place I found with a lot of craft beer. eating is also quite good.

Soviet atmosphere with beer in large bottles for pickles, traditional Soviet beer snacks like smoked fish, hering, salted cracker etc. retro soviet music available

Great relaxed place with good service and some handcrafted beer plus good cuddly.

This place is all about the atmosphere. Zhigulevskoye beer, this bar bears its name, is nothing short of a legend in the post-Soviet states. At some point, it was made in more than 700 breweries, and it basically became a generic name for a beer. It is not the best brew out there, but it has a distinguished taste that is the benchmark of Russian beer, which is very obvious when you start tasting various Russian and Kazakhstani beers. This bar has a few varieties of Zhigulovskoye on tap and few other beers, including Kazakhstan's Baza Brewery craft beer. Also, you can order a beer that is served in a classic Soviet 3 liter glass jar and comes in a string bag. We still need to try that. They also have a fridge with various canned craft beers, but the serving system is not very convenient – as there is no menu for canned beers, and if you are not seated at the bar, you tell the waiter what style of beer you are looking for, and they go back to check what they have at the moment. Quite impractical. The menu offers numerous snacks perfect for long drinking sessions, as well as a full kitchen. They also have a Pan-Asian menu. Personally, I usually stick to the bar menu in this kind of establishment, and it worked out well for me here.The interior is packed with numerous Soviet memorabilia, which makes it very cool if you ask me. I understand it probably has no value or attraction among youth, but I believe there is still a significant crowd appreciating such an environment. Some things here are far from perfect, but as I mentioned before, it is all about the atmosphere here, meaning I can turn a blind eye to some shortcomings.

A little disappointing as it was described as a gastro pub. Out of 8 beers only 2 were available. Food was okay, and service was not welcoming.