Latest reviews from Irkutsk

“The Bier Haus is in a basement accessed from Karl Marx Street where you’ll find a man dressed in Tyrolean costume to usher you in. I wasn’t surprised therefore to find the waitresses in dirndls. The beer list is mainly European (at top end west European prices) but the menu also listed something called "DAO live beer - unfiltered" (5.0% ABV), which sounded more interesting but sadly was unavailable. It’s a lively place and when I was there on a Wednesday evening it seemed to be hosting almost exclusively female parties - it’s obviously a popular place for a girls’ night out. (Visited 11 September 2013).“

Boudicca 3822 days ago

“Slata (слата) is a bright, modern supermarket with several branches in and around Irkutsk and one in Angarsk. I visited the Irkutsk branch in Karl Marx Street a couple of times to stock up on staples (bread, cheese, meats and fruit) and to browse their beer selection. In the absence of specialist beer shops in Irkutsk (at least I didn’t find any), the range in Slata was reasonable with the usual (and a few less usual) Russian beers as well as a few imports. (Last visited 11 September 2013).“

Boudicca 3848 days ago

“I was over 5,000 miles from home, wandering along the Angara riverside in eastern Siberia, so imagine my surprise when I saw a Fuller’s pub! Of course I had to investigate further. Everything inside is branded with the Fuller’s logo, from the beer mats, menus and matchboxes on every table to the black shirts worn by the bar staff. They also had four Fuller’s beers on tap (keg, not cask) taking pride of place alongside a range of others. It looks like a reconstructed English pub too and although it’s obviously quite new it’s very nicely done. There are several distinct areas apart from the main bar and there’s stained glass, dark wood, mirrors and Victorian style tiling. It was truly amazing! I tried to explain to the bar staff that the Fuller’s brewery is close to where I live in London and asked whether this place was owned by Fuller’s. Communication wasn’t easy but they directed me to two certificates on the wall at the end of the bar. They were from the Griffin Bewery in Chiswick confirming that the Irkutsk pub had been granted the right to use the name of Fuller’s as their registered trademark. For novelty value alone I think it deserves a high score and "English" pubs in this part of the world make a change from the more usual "German" ones. As an aside, I’d been in Birmingham recently and was told that the Old Joint Stock was the most northerly Fuller’s pub in the world. I thought I’d found a new contender for that title but it turns out that Irkutsk is at 52.3° North and Birmingham at 52.4° North. However, the Irkutsk place must surely be the most easterly? (Visited 10 September 2013).“

Boudicca 3848 days ago