The history of the restaurant business in St. Petersburg goes back to 1703 when the city was founded. The first eating establishment appeared close to Hare Island, where the Peter and Paul Fortress – the building with which the construction of the future capital of the Russian Empire began – was being built. During the first years of the founding of St. Petersburg most of the city’s life and attention was concentrated in this area. It was only after two decades that this life expanded to the other side of the Neva River and it was only then that Nevsky Prospekt became the city’s central street and the centre of business life. It also became a prime area in which to live and relax with a variety of restaurants, cafes, pastry shops and coffee shops popping up all over as a result. Now in St. Petersburg there are more than 3,000 such establishments around the city. Unfortunately, none of the places which opened 300 years ago with the “opening” of the city itself are still around today. Nevertheless, there are still some places which are over 100 years old, one being the restaurant Metropol. RTG TV host Igor Maximenko visited the historic establishment where he got to learn about its rich past and about the tasty dishes they serve there today. 1260