Smelt Day

Smelt Day is celebrated in St. Petersburg on May 17. Smelt is one of the symbols of the Northern Capital. According to legend, Peter the Great called it the tsar-fish. So in 1708, in order to feed the builders of St. Petersburg, Peter I issued a decree granting the right to catch smelt in the Neva River. Alexander Menshikov (who substetuted the tsar during the absence in the Russian-Swedish war) organized the first holiday dedicated to smelt.

N.V. Gogol also wrote about this fish. In the "Revizor", one mayor said this about St. Petersburg: "Yes, they say there are two small fish there: a grouse and a smelt. The kind that just makes your mouth water when you start eating."

Anna Akhmatova wrote: "The back stairs smelled of burnt coffee, vegetable oil on Maslenitsa, smelt, spring, and always cats."

And since 1950, the smelt has been called the symbol of St. Petersburg. So it became a local spring calendar holiday, when the smells of fresh cucumbers from fish stalls appear on the street.

We invite you to the restaurant "Dunay" on the 1st floor for the smelt feast! 

The smelt season will last until the end of May. Don't miss the chance to try Peter the Great's favorite treat!

We are waiting for your visit! Please make table reservations at the Dunay restaurant by phone +7 (812) 207 77 00 or WhatsApp +79319997534.