If you’re traveling to Russia anytime soon, a trip to Café Bw is a must. This cartoon-inspired café is the perfect place to enjoy a coffee, take in a fun and whimsical atmosphere, and snap some one-of-a-kind pictures for Instagram, of course.
Café Bw (“Чбкафе” in Russian) is designed to look like a 2D drawing, and it has quickly become a local favorite, with locations in both Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
When you walk inside, you might think at first that you’ve stepped into a comic book or your favorite cartoon show. From the black and white walls, furniture, and floors to the mugs and plates, everything looks hand-drawn. The café director, Kristina Minaeva, has also compared it to the famous “Take on Me” music video from A-ha.
In an interview with Bored Panda, the café owner and creator, Solbon Namsaraev, said that he decided to open the shop in the fall of 2019 with the intent of creating an interesting place with good coffee. He was inspired by other cafés with similar designs (such as Café Yeonnam-dong 239-20 in Seoul, South Korea).
It took slightly more than one month for Namsaraev to renovate the building for the first location, and he used approximately 100 kilograms of paint to get the job done. Since the café opened, he said that the customers have been “delighted,” as have the employees, some of whom waited for months for a vacancy so they could come and work there.
The Moscow location of Café Bw is open Sunday through Thursday from 10:00 to 22:00 and until 23:00 on Friday and Saturday. The Saint Petersburg location is open daily from 10:00 to 22:00.
Reservations are not required, but they are recommended, especially on weekends and holidays. Those who want to ensure they get a table can book here.