My friend's announcements always surprise me, and this time I'm sharing with you this article titled 'My Addiction to The Bık is a Real Shame.'
My friend's announcements always surprise me, and this time I'm sharing with you this article titled 'My Addiction to The Bık is a Real Shame.'
When I heard about the announcements from 'The Bık' restaurant in Santral, I was curious about how it was and we planned to go there.
We went to the restaurant with our friends and what we experienced there surprised us all. Here's what we were expecting before going to the restaurant and what we actually experienced.
How to Get There?
'The Bık' restaurant is located in Santral, and although it's in the same area as three other places, the most practical and easily accessible one is the one on Fuchik Street. We, however, chose the one on Nevskiy Prospekt, which is a bit farther away.
We took the metro, got off at Majaevskaya station, and then somehow made our way to Nevskiy Prospekt. We walked for about 300 meters. Walking 600 meters or more didn't seem too much to me.
The streets were easy to navigate, but then I saw that the traffic was extremely heavy, and I was surprised. Later, I realized it was during the busy hours of the restaurant, but we went there in the afternoon, so we encountered fewer people.
Alternatively, we could have taken the metro to Litıy Prospekt and walked from there. However, for me, the most practical way to get to the restaurant was by taking the metro.
Address
Here's the address we used, and I was there, but please check the website for any other addresses.
55. Nevski Prospekti
The restaurant may not look appealing from the outside, but I came here for the concept and affordable meat dishes.
Opening Hours
The restaurant is open every day after lunch and dinner. We were there on December 31st, not January 1st, so we weren't worried. Here are the working hours:
Pazar 12:00–23:00
Salı 12:00–23:00
Çarşamba 12:00–23:00
Perşembe 12:00–23:00
Cuma 12:00–23:00
Cumartesi 12:00–23:00
Pazar 12:00–23:00
We went there for lunch because we planned to go back in the evening. Our plan was to explore the city's colorful areas, visit the installations that were popular on social media, and go to the Christmas tree at Dvortsovy Ploschad... But, unfortunately.
Before we went out, I called the restaurant to make a reservation. The staff told me that we couldn't reserve a table at the Nevskiy Prospekt location and that there was a live queue. I asked how many people were waiting, but they couldn't give me an answer. Later, I decided to go there for lunch and then walk around Nevskiy Prospekt.
Exterior/Interior
The restaurant is located in a business center building, and it occupies several floors. From the outside, the building looks nice and old, but inside, it's all glass and metal.
There's a dumpster outside, and it looks like it used to be a storefront. I'm not sharing a photo because it's already visible from the outside. Inside, there are offices and part of the kitchen, so the staff works together with the restaurant staff... It's a bit strange, but you can see how busy the restaurant is.
We walked a bit further and left our things in the garage and went up to the next floor, which was the most interesting part...
The Queue
When we first arrived, there were about 15-20 people in line, all trying to get into the restaurant. It turned out that each guest had to get their own number, and I had to scan the QR code: I approached the QR code next to the entrance, scanned it, and saw the following message on my phone:
Since we were four people, we needed a four-person table, so we were 8th in line!
I really wanted to get into the restaurant that day with my friends, but I didn't want to wait for too long. We waited for five minutes, and maybe the line had changed by then. We decided to get up and leave.
We went down to the next floor and joined the queue there. This time, I was third in line. I used to count the number of people in the queue, thinking that if four people left and four new people arrived, we'd be next. I knew that the queue was usually organized by tables, but this time, I started counting the number of people. We went back to the queue, and when I checked my phone, we were third in line. It was almost our turn, and people were starting to disperse. We decided to wait in line and received a message, so we were prepared...
The Invitation and Time Limit
After we went to a restaurant, we received an official invitation and a time limit, so we didn't want to waste any more time.
The restaurant has a dark and stylish atmosphere, which I really liked. There were illuminated bull statues on the walls, and the rest of the area was dark, like a medieval tavern without a ceiling. None of the elements seemed to match, as if they were hiding something. The stone style was nice, and I like that kind of thing:
The Interior Design
The restaurant has a unique interior design, which I really liked. The walls are adorned with plants, and there are also plants hanging from the ceiling. The green tones add a nice touch. I don't know if all the restaurants in St. Petersburg have this style or just this one, but I really liked it. The lighting and wall design create a nice atmosphere, and it's simple yet effective.
The Minus
The only minus is that the toilets are too dark, which makes it difficult for the staff to keep them clean.
The Menu
The menu is printed on thick, banded paper. Each dish has a name and a picture, but if you visit the restaurant's website, you can see how each dish is prepared. We looked at the website and made our decision before we went:
The Concept
The restaurant has a concept that's not just about meat dishes, but also about affordable prices. For example, on a working day, the main menu is around 350 rubles, while on weekends and holidays, it's a bit more expensive. We went there on a holiday, so the main menu was around 400 rubles.
The meat dishes are in a separate category and are usually around 700 rubles (some may be more expensive). There are other price variations, so you can check the menu:
The Menu Options
We had our main course, and we also had some additional options, such as meat, cheese, sauces, salads, and even first courses and pizza (Roman-style). The must-have is the variety of meat dishes. We also had drinks, such as meat, cheese, sauces, salads, and even first courses and pizza (Roman-style). The must-have is the variety of meat dishes.
The Drinks
We had a few drinks, including tea and a cappuccino. The tea was a bit weak and not as sweet as I expected. The cappuccino was nice, and my dad really enjoyed it.
The Food
We ordered a few dishes, including burgers, which were quite high and came with a plastic container and gloves. We didn't pay much attention to the gloves because we opened the container. The burgers were really nice, and the kids said that the 'Cheesburger' was delicious, and they also liked 'The Buh'.
The Food Quality
I was a bit surprised by the quality of the food, especially the meat dishes. The meat was tender, and the flavors were great. The only exception was the steak, which was a bit disappointing. The steak was overcooked, and it looked like it had been sitting out for a while. It was a bit of a letdown, especially considering the price.
The Total Bill
We ended up paying 2,500 rubles more than we expected, and here's the receipt:
The Service
The service was good, and the staff was friendly. They didn't bother us, and they delivered our food quickly. We were a bit disappointed with the QR code payment system, but overall, the service was good.
Pros and Cons
Good main course options;Comfortable interior;
Disappointing steak;Conclusion
The Bık restaurant left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the concept is interesting, the meat dishes are delicious, and the interior design is nice. On the other hand, the steak was a letdown, and it would be great if they could implement a table reservation system. Overall, it was a nice experience, but there's room for improvement.