Tolstoy Coffee

«Tolstoy Coffee» is located on Nekrasovskaya Street in Samara — and there's a certain irony in that pairing of names, which sets the tone for the place right away. Espresso here is brewed from freshly roasted beans, and even when the raw beans themselves are nothing special, the local barista knows how to pull maximum flavor out of them. Among the unusual items on the menu are the «Chuv-chav» toffees and the «Pacman» pie — names you remember the first time you hear them. The café's interior nods to the second quarter of the 20th century: the Vienna-style tables and chairs look worn and old, though that's a deliberate part of the style, not an accident. The space comes together as a coherent, distinctive whole — worth a visit just to appreciate the contrast between the sign and the address, and to have a good cup of coffee in an interior with a historical mood while you're at it.