Stariy Georg

Whenever I travel in Russia, I look for brewpubs. I rarely find one. Even more rare is to find one as pleasant as Stariy Georg. This place is located just off the road to the airport on the outskirts of Samara, a Volga River city that briefly served as the capital of the Soviet Union when the Nazis were uncomfortably close to Moscow. Totally out of the way, this brewpub is worth trying to find. Definitely.

The place consists of three very distinct parts. The outdoor seating area is a beautiful rock garden partially covered by a railway bridge overgrown with vines (I'd like to say they were hop vines, but that wouldn't be accurate...) The rock garden included an artificial waterfall from one bridge support, from whence the water flowed in a nice little stream through the center of the seating area over to a small pond up against the next bridge support. There was a definite Mediterranean feel to this area, amplified by the white stucco building with an arched cutaway for the outdoor bar. The outside area seats about 50.

The second part was the bar area on the ground floor. This was dark, with pale blue walls and five or six tables in addition to four bar stools. This area was very plain, almost stark. Not nearly as pleasant. Thirty or so people could sit here, although I can't imagine why they would want to.

If you have to be inside, go up to the second floor, where they have created a beautifully reproduced German hunting lodge, complete with half-timbered beams, white walls and perfectly set tables. There's room upstairs for about 60 people.

I didn't try the food, mainly because the person who told me about this place specifically said "don't go there hungry." Despite the nice surroundings in the upstairs dining area, apparently the food leaves something to be desired.

This is a very small brewpub, so perhaps they can be forgiven for only offering one type of beer. The waiter told me that they were working on a few others, which might have been a good answer, except for the fact that the place has been open for 12 years. Time to get an imagination, guys.

Anyway, the one beer they do produce is quite good. It is available on tap at a few select locations in downtown Samara, but that's about it. See my review for more info on that beer, but it is a nice reward if you manage to find your way to the brewpub. What a wonderful oasis in provincial Russia!