Tinkoff's Brewery Restaurant

Tinkoff's was born in St. Petersburg, but is quickly expanding to the provinces of Russia. Yekaterinburg's site opened in 2004 in a large modern two story building on a small side street just south of the center of the city. If you didn't know it was here, you'd never find it. The interior is typical Tinkoff's: modern, lots of chrome and track lighting, high dark wood tables and chairs around the small bar at the front, lots more seating around the rest of the room and in the two-tiered loft. A huge video screen dominates the main room, with the loft seating aligned to enhance viewing from above. One long wall is nothing but plate glass, looking out on the street. The brew kettles are prominently displayed at the far end of the room. The place is (also typical Tinkoff's) laughably overstaffed, but since the waitresses are apparently screened for attractiveness, I'm not complaining. At 6:00 p.m. on a Tuesday, there were perhaps a dozen customers occupying the seating for at least 200.

They offered the full line-up of Tinkoff beers, from platinum to gold to white to dark. Their winter (doppel)bock was very nice - better, I believe, than the Moscow version. Tinkoff logo glasses, Tinkoff logo coasters, everything corporate Tinkoff. The beer was served well and fresh. I'd have given a higher score for service except that I was charged for a beer I neither ordered nor drank. Hate it when that happens. Overall, though, a positive experience, and definitely a step in the right direction for Yekaterinburg, which gained not one but two brewpubs (see "Keeer") over the course of 2004.