If you want to sample Russia's alcoholic staple in style, St Petersburg's Senat Bar comes with a royal seal of approval.

Housed in a formidable tsarist-era building that has been painstakingly restored, it's hard not to be over-awed by the abundance of gold gilt and antiques on show.

And that's before being bowled over by the mouth-watering cocktail list.

Among the favourites is the Senator house cocktail, a heady mix of vodka, gin, Malibu, apricot liqueur and fruit juice.

There's also a vast array of beers on offer sampling the best of local Russian and other top European breweries.

If you're still not convinced, the bar enjoys boasting that it was chosen to cater for former US president Bill Clinton when he visited the city in 1996.

If you're thirsty for further tsarist Russia experiences in the city, head to the Peter and Paul Fortress or the sumptuous Winter Palace.