Sol
The first on the block.
The opening of Sol (Salt) transformed Ulitsa Profsoyuznaya into party central in Kazan and changed the city’s cocktail culture forever. The people behind Sol also came up with the inspired idea to use Bugulma, a local herbal liquor that tastes a bit like Hungary’s Unicum, for various shots and cocktails.
Try “Tatarsky pryanik” (Tatar gingerbread) or Babai shots (200 rubles each). If Bugulma is not your thing, go for a regular cocktail, like hot buttered rum (300 rubles). The food here is also decent: burgers start from 280 rubles while snacks like cheese sticks start from 150 rubles. There are DJ sets and live music on the weekends.
Ulitsa Profsoyuznaya, 22 barsol.ru
Kult
Cocktails in the old Tatar quarter.
Of course, not all of the cocktail bars are on Ulitsa Profsoyuznaya, though it may seem like it at times! If you feel like exploring more of the city, Kult is located in one of the less likely places: in the middle of Tatarskaya Sloboda (Old Tatar Quarter), a short walk from the famous Mardjani mosque. Here the bartenders will create a special cocktail in accordance with your preferences (500-600 rubles), or you can order one from the menu (from 350 rubles). The food is great, too: try bruschetta with Kamchatka crab (490 rubles) or one of the pizzetas, which are small inventive pizzas (from 230 rubles). You can chat with a bartender at the bar or sit at one of the tables and smoke a shisha.
3 Kayuma Nasyri vk.com/cultbarkzn