Birch

Birch has opened on Kirochnaya Street — a restaurant by chefs Arslan and Murat Berdiev, Tatiana Kryakunova and Ruslan Sanzhimitupov, just steps from the gastrobar Duo. Arslan Berdiev spent four years working at Percorso under Andrea Accordi, won the 2016 St.Pellegrino Young Chef competition for Russia, the CIS and the Baltic states, relaunched the menu at Schengen, and created the opening menu for Made in China. Birch occupies two small rooms: one is hidden behind a "Staff only" sign — this is the chef's table area, where dishes are currently served à la carte, with plans to switch to tasting sets in the future. The interior features wood, metal, concrete, and pull-out cutlery drawers built into the tables. The kitchen works in the neo-bistro style — approachable but not simple food with Asian and Latin American accents. The menu includes tartares, ceviches and tatakis: for example, beef tataki with pickled beets, truffle cream and pommes paille; crab bisque with shrimp wontons and coconut espuma; mackerel with semi-dried tomatoes, lardo and capers. Worth special attention are the warm house-baked corn bread and a dessert of pickled eggplant, pear and gorgonzola fondue, preceded by a pre-dessert of lemon sorbet in zest with parsley and thyme powder. Average check is from 6,000 ₽. The nearest metro station is Chernyshevskaya.