17 Russian establishments are in the list of 1000 best restaurants in the world
For the second year in a row, the French La Liste ranking has published a list of the 1000 best restaurants in the world that are worth visiting in the coming year. This time in La Liste 2017, the legendary French gourmet restaurant Guy Savoy overlooking the Seine (last year – 4th place), Tokyo Kyo Aji, which rose from last year’s third position to second and New York’s Le Bernardin, were among the first to be among the first.
The real breakthrough was 17 Russian restaurants that burst rapidly. The editors of the “Special Dish” decided to find out what history is behind the best institutions of Moscow and St. Petersburg, which are gradually conquering the world restaurant Olympus. “Europe” (St. Petersburg) Petersburg restaurant “Europe”, which won an honorable first place among Russian restaurants, is a true legend not only of the northern capital, but also of the whole country.
The stories of its existence have been a whole century! Founded in 1905 within the walls of a luxury hotel of the same name, it became the first restaurant in Russia, where electric lighting appeared. Today, in addition to the stunning multi-level light, it contains in its huge hall a colored mosaic ceiling made by the Russian architect L. Benois, a stained glass panel “Appalon on a Chariot”, balconies and even four separate rooms.
At different times, “Europe” treated eminent guests from around the world: Queen Elizabeth II, Danish Queen Margrethe II, Igor Stravinsky, Fyodor Chaliapin, Jacques Chirac, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas and, of course, Russian President Vladimir Putin. Waltzes of Tchaikovsky, the barely perceptible laughter of the Neva, the center of the once main city of Tsarist Russia and the historically prayed atmosphere involuntarily make guests plunge into the world of high Russian gastronomy. Caviar is abundant, including salted Russian salmon (with a price tag of 5,500 rubles to 58,850 rubles), Romanov steam Kamchatka crab with salmon caviar and champagne sauce, farmed beef and pork jelly with horseradish, fresh cabbage soup cabbage with duck in Suvorov style and much more. White Rabbit (Moscow) White Rabbit from the current capital of Russia is actively presenting Russian cuisine to the world restaurant community in an ultra-modern interpretation, and I must admit, he definitely wins the court.
He has not only the first places in national awards of the Wheretoeat type, but also the eighteenth place in the prestigious The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2016 – not a single Russian institution has had this before. Located under a glass dome on the sixteenth floor of the Smolensky Passage, especially in the evening, the Rabbit is a party place where, in the lights of modern Moscow, the Russian and foreign elite enjoy fashionable gastronomic sets created by Vladimir Mukhin with a light hand.
Liver and apples in the “White Rabbit” are turned into boiled liver from swan liver and Antonovka pastille, some yolk is managed to serve salted and with the addition of crab, carrots and pike caviar, it does not seem fresh at all. Of course, desserts also deserve special attention: what is coniferous ice cream and pine pine praline fondant worth.
In addition to functioning as a restaurant, White Rabbit offers to sign up for a master class at WR Lab or visit Gastrobar, where guests, talking directly with the bartender, will learn all the intricacies of making the best cocktails. “Russian wineglass number 1” (St. Petersburg) Another historical place in St. Petersburg “Russian wineglass number 1”.
Unlike the predecessor of Europe, it was, of course, founded a little later, but the atmosphere that prevails there still carries visitors to the 19th century: Viennese chairs, antique sideboards, frayed parquet floors, lampshades, drinks in faceted glasses.
And what kind of aromas soar in the wineglass – the same, old Russian: buckwheat porridge stewed in an oven with porcini mushrooms and chicken hearts, pea soup with smoked brisket, and under a vigorous wading tincture! In “Russian wineglass No. 1” there is no high Russian cuisine, hyper-modern dishes and other trends – all this is not necessary here. Simple, satisfying food, sung to the smallest detail by Gogol on the pages of Dead Souls, is what not only the inhabitants of the country, but also foreigners are ready to go here. “Russian Empire” (St. Petersburg) “Empire Restaurant” is a true representative of imperial Petersburg luxury. It is located in one of the oldest palaces of the city – the Stroganov Palace. The French Empire style, in whose honor the restaurant is actually named, is reflected in the smallest details: gold trim, expensive baroque furniture, porcelain, which has survived from the 18th century and crystal.
The royal table searches, which were recreated according to recipes from the cookbook of the Winter Palace, are now served on tables of residents and guests of St. Petersburg covered with tablecloths. There are many dishes on the menu with the root of the Stroganov family: roe deer stroganoff, traditional beef stroganoff medallion, Stroganov’s pike perch and, of course, as is typical of a sea city, there are a royal sea bream in stock.
