Coffee & Living

When I was told that this is only a "cafe", I would think it's a casual place that a typical cafe would be anywhere else in the world. Here in Moscow, cafes are so posh and pretty, not dressing up for it makes you look silly.

This posh cafe seems so magically pretty that every picture taken is a big wow. Feels like I'm in Beauty in the Beast, if you recall the library scene in the castle where Belle and the Beast hung out.

We were placed upstairs at the Library Hall. There are a few floors, and do check out the elevator in the building.. It's a very old one and it is still operating. The building itself is very old, so becareful of the uneven steps as the toilet is located at the basement and it is very dark down there.

Olivier Salad (₽1490 / USD25.50)

Oliver or Olivier salad, main ingredient is egg, potato and mayo. Lots of mixed vegetables in it too, topped with yellow and red caviar. I believe there's crawfish in it too since the tail was served together with the salad. It was so good I finished every bit of it! The only thing I hated was capers...

Borsch Soup (₽655 / USD11.20)

Russian beetroot soup with a spoon of sour cream. I hated beetroot but for some reason, Russian's beetroot tasted different from the usual ones I had. It is all sweet and very addictive - a little bit like Chinese's ABC soup but additional beetroot in it. It is really refreshing I could use another portion!

Grilled Sea-bass with Roasted Potatoes and Vegetables (₽1990 / USD34)

Unfortunately, I was already almost full by the time my main arrived. This will not be the main reason for my judgement on this dish. The main was nothing special at all - just grilled sea bass which Italian's salt crust version is way better. Fish is very fresh with a hint of lemon sourness (I squeezed more lemon to it), served with perfectly grilled potatoes and vegetable skewer. I finished the fish anyway; I felt absolutely guilty for not finishing the fresh fish.

Dessert Café Pushkin (₽985 / USD16.80)

The ever popular Café Pushkin Dessert... Cake made out of berrys, topped with a layer creamy mouse, covered with a layer of chocolate. A mixture of sour and sweet... perfect combination!