Eliseyev Emporium... aka Kupetz Eliseevs Food Hall aka Yeliseev's Or...a Posh Picnic, SP style."

At the corner of Malaya Sadovaya and Nevsky Prospekt (#56) you can't help but notice the incredible Art Nouveau architecture of the building that is Eliseyev.

Step inside.....the ground floor is a delight for the senses! A cafe and upscale market await you. A variety of sections ...Drinks (wine, vodka, sparkling water, etc.), all kinds of breads and rolls, cheeses, deli items (plus a few sandwiches), caviar and salmon, pastries, candy and desserts, plus tables to enjoy a coffee or tea. The cafe area was quite full when I wandered in, so I opted to shop at all the different areas to create my own take away picnic. Given the huge sections of sweets and treats, it is hardly surprising that my picnic was heavy on the dessert choices.....macaroons, eclairs, cupcakes, Turkish delight to name a few! Throw in a couple different types of bread, cheese, olives and prosciutto ...and I am good to go.

Each area has staff members behind the counter to package your items and answer any questions. All were very friendly and courteous, some spoke a bit of English but really----with all the items on display, one hardly needs words, in any language. The food speaks for itself, no translation necessary!

As I made my way to the cashier, I noticed the house brand of vodka in those airplane size mini-bottles, with a lovely art deco label. Not a bad price so I put quite a few of them in my basket, problem solved! No more trying to figure out what souvenirs to buy. Everyone is getting one of these mini bottles---- easy to pack and almost everybody associates vodka with Russia! :)

Aside from my moment of madness with the vodka purchase, I opted not to get any beverages. Instead, while walking up Nab Kanala Griboedova, taking a slightly longer route to Mikhaylovskiy Sad, I was lucky to come across the Mojitos To Go Scooter.....who can resist?! Not me, but timing is everything because I only saw the mobile Mojitos that one day.

Finally, a relaxing spot in the park, ready to enjoy all the scrumptious nibbles . A simple and pleasant break in the day of a hard working tourist!

Side note....before you head away, walk out onto Malaya Sadovaya....look up at the edge of Eliseyev Emporium and Building #8 in the eaves.....you will find "Elisey" the sculpture erected in honor of a cat that supposedly saved workers from a fire. Today you may see people tossing coins up to Elisey. The story has it that if the coin stays on the pedestal, you'll have luck!

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