Food: Russian Cuisine in London

Russia is shrouded in stereotypes. A Russian might be seen as a guy playing balalaika and drinking vodka in a house full of matryoshkas amid a freezing winter. But no one ever wonders what he eats. Felix Magazine has found the best places in London to answer that question.

Mari Vanna

There is no better spot for a Russian restaurant than Knightsbridge but don’t expect this one to be full of oligarchs and gold watches. Mari Vanna is one of the most famous Russian restaurants in London and offers a wide range of national dishes.

Mari is a short form of Maria. Vanna is a very informal form of the patronymic (or paternal name) “Ivanovna”.

The idea is that you are coming to visit Mari Vanna’s home to enjoy typical home-made food surrounded by old-fashioned décor in a classical Russian style – laces, flowers and cupboards with decorated crockery.

Every Russian loves Olivier or Russian Salad as it is called in the West. Many Brits hate it but I would still recommend trying it just to find out what Russians eat on New Year’s eve. Knightsbridge is famous for outrageous prices and if you want to be safe try pirogi –  pastries which are filled with meat, fish or something sweet. One of the most famous main courses is pelmeni (above) – meat dumplings served with a bowl of sour cream. You can also try golubtzi – meat, veal and rice covered in cabbage leaves.

There is a good selection of Vodka, so give that a try too.

Address: 116 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7PJ

Website: www.marivanna.ru/london

Borscht N Tears

A small Chelsea restaurant with live music at weekends and karaoke downstairs, Borscht N Tears has an atmosphere reminiscent of Russia in the 1990s. As the name suggests you should try the Borscht, the famous Eastern European soup made of beetroot and beef.

The Russian love of vodka has led to determined attempts to make it tasty, and the result is Nastoika (Infusion), vodka infused with berries – usually strawberries, raspberries or cranberries. But be careful. It tastes like a sweet juice and you can easily take in a lot more vodka than you realise.

If you are getting into the swing of things you can try Solyanka. This soup is basically a mixture of everything you have in the fridge. The main ingredient can be meat, fish, or mushrooms complemented with pickled cucumbers with brine, cabbage, salted mushrooms, potatoes, sour cream and dill.

Address: 46 Beauchamp Pl, SW3 1NX

Website: www.borshtchntears.com/

Zima Bar

Zima (the Russian word for winter) offers a contemporary interpretation of Russian food by Moscow celebrity chef Alexei Zimin (left). Despite calling itself a “street food” bar,

Zima is actually a high standard operation with quality dishes and interesting versions of infused vodka such as horseradish.

The Short Rib Beef Stroganoff with buttery crushed potatoes is highly recommended and the best decision on a Friday night is to order the Vodka sharing platter, which comes with mixed pickles, pork belly, herring and bread. Most of the dishes complement vodka perfectly but Russians mostly love it with aubergine caviar, lamb tongue and homemade pickles.

For a dessert try Vareniki – sweet dumplings stuffed with cherries.  The prices here are also sweet – you can eat borscht for just £6.50.

Address: 45 Frith St, W1D 4SD

Website: zima.bar

 

by Karina Andrianova

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