Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
132
Prisoner of the Caucasus
CAUCASIAN Named after a popular Soviet film
(like White Sun of the Desert, reviewed earlier in this chapter), this restaurant plumbs
the cuisines and stereotypes of the ex-Soviet lands of the Caucasus Mountains: Georgia,
Armenia, and Azerbaijan. People don't come here just for the food but for the wild
mountain ambience, which includes caged livestock and waiters decked in capes and
daggers. It can be over the top but is fun for large groups or a weekend night out. The
extensive appetizer bar is the best way to sample the unfamiliar fare; choose from piles of
marinated and fresh vegetables, smoked meats, and spicy salads. The grilled meats (espe-
cially lamb) are recommended. Georgian wine is off the menu for political reasons, but
its recipes survive.
36 Prospekt Mira.
&
495/680-5177.
Main courses 825-2,000 rubles. AE, MC, V. Daily noon-midnight.
Metro: Prospekt Mira.
Shinok
UKRAINIAN Among the most exclusive of Moscow's restaurants, Shinok
is a tangle of juxtapositions. Its genre is Ukrainian farmhouse, with a multilayered dining
hall decorated with haystacks, chicken cages, and the occasional goat, and waitstaff
adorned as milkmaids and cowhands. Yet its prices are purely urban, and its clientele is
decked out in Armani and Dior. Service is efficient, if somewhat haughty. The chefs
present elegant, satisfying versions of countryside standards such as borscht with garlic
rolls, potato-stuffed dumplings
(vareniki),
and suckling pig. The cold sorrel soup
(zely-
oniye shchi)
is tangy and filling, and the egg-and-spice-stuffed carp is mouthwatering.
The wines are overpriced; stick to beer or alcohol-free. This is a good splurge option,
though count on taking a taxi home since it's a long way from the metro—or even better,
order a taxi in advance to avoid the overcharging cabbies lying in wait outside.
2 Ulitsa 1905 Goda.
&
495/651-8101.
www.shinok.ru. Reservations recommended. Main courses 800-
1,500 rubles. AE, MC, V. Daily 24 hr. Metro: Ulitsa 1905 Goda.
Sudar
RUSSIAN Expansive and proudly Russian, this restaurant is best appreci-
ated over a long dinner after you've had some time to explore the rest of Moscow. It's
located in a district full of reminders of Russia's military victories: the Triumphal Arch,
designed to mimic Napoleon's Arc de Triomphe; Victory Park, marking the defeat of the
Nazis; and the Battle of Borodino Museum, depicting the brutal battle with Napoleon's
Grande Armée. Inside, the restaurant's fireplace is inviting on a cool night, and its book-
shelves are lined with Russian tomes. The cuisine is Russian tinged by the French influ-
ences so popular in 18th- and 19th-century court circles. Top choices include braised
rabbit with forest mushrooms, crab salad, and the dessert of baked apple with honey,
cranberries, and almonds.
36A Kutuzovsky Prospekt.
&
499/249-6965.
www.sudar.ru. Main courses 600-1,000 rubles. AE, DC, MC,
V. Daily noon-midnight. Metro: Kutuzovskaya.
Ya r
RUSSIAN This 19th-century landmark on the ground floor of the Sovietskaya
Hotel earned popularity for its festive Gypsy music and decadent menus. After recover-
ing from the stale Soviet years, it's again as opulent as ever, if a bit overpriced. The stun-
ning and spacious Red Hall is named not for the Communists, but for the favored color
of the partying nobility. Russia's new rich and visiting executives make business deals
here, and though there's no dress code you'll feel uncomfortable in jeans. Neither staff
nor diners are in much of a hurry, which gives you plenty of time to savor the
Dobry
Molodets
(“Good Fellow”) meat stew. Russians consider soups like this a first course,
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