Is this a shot glass? No — "Sullen". The most depressing bar in the world is located in sunny St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg is considered the Russian capital of depression. Whether the climate makes itself felt or something else is not for us to judge, but only in the city that gave the world Dostoevsky and Blok, a drinking establishment called "Gloomy" could open. Depression, despair and thoughts of the eternal are encouraged here, and the visitor who burst into tears in the bartender's vest is guaranteed to get a drink at the expense of the institution.
The bar for the sad, located on the iconic Rubinstein Street for Russian rockers, treats its customers with a Mayakovsky cocktail, which is served in a pistol, and a Joplin cocktail in a syringe. The owners of the unusual establishment, Georgy Farbess, Oksana Vasilenko and Robert Malazoni, claim that their bar is the only place of this format in the country and, most likely, in the world.
Georgy Farbess, one of the authors of the idea of creating a "Gloomy", is happy to talk about the history of the establishment. He claims that in St. Petersburg, which for most of the year especially disposes to a sincere conversation "for life" with a bottle of strong alcohol, there are absolutely no places where you can tastefully fall into alcoholic melancholy.
The hope to keep a drop of optimism dies even at the door — the guest is handed a memorial glass with rye bread and salt from the threshold. The main task is to make the visitor leave the playful mood outside the threshold. The interior of the "Gloomy" was created by Ksenia Baisheva, a young but very interesting designer, before whom the founding fathers set a clear goal.
The master coped with her task one hundred percent — dark walls, dim yellowish lighting, strange, sometimes frightening installations, perfectly depress the guest and can spoil the mood of even the most cheerful type. Glasses dangle on strings under the ceiling of the bar, the always-in-demand "crying" vest hangs neatly on the wall, and signposts confidently inform that "There is no way out."
An old disk device that performs the function of a helpline hangs on the wall of the hall. In the voice menu of the antique gadget, you can choose one of the current problems, for example, a quarrel with the boss, and immediately get advice. It is not difficult to imagine what kind of moral support in this case we are talking about — it does not become easier from communicating with the machine for sure.
The staff of the "Gloomy" is a high—class professional. Each bartender undergoes special training in communicating with visitors who are at different stages of despair and intoxication. The job description of the employees clearly describes the situations when the client should provide moral support, and when, on the contrary, help to enjoy his longing in full.
The menu of the "Gloomy" is very diverse. In addition to homemade tinctures with different flavors and strength, a set of shots "Mortal Kombat" is served here, designed for two interlocutors, as well as 8 branded "depressive" cocktails, such as "Black Cat" with black vodka and "Profursette" with yogurt and cookies.
Reflexive guests can get pistachios, olives and cucumbers, carefully placed in black ashtrays. Yes, while waiting for the gloomy bartender to ominously mix your cocktail, you can get a bonus opportunity to throw a dart at a photo of your ex or ex — it's free!
Do you think that life is wonderful and amazing? Try repeating this out loud after having dinner at the "Gloomy".
Keywords: Bar | Depression | Design | Peter