Villa Madelina

«Villa Madelina» in St. Petersburg was created by Andrey Alexandrov, the founder of The Buddy project. The idea was born during a trip through Latin America, where he heard a legend about a merchant named Marco and a girl named Madelina, whose recipes and refined sense of taste became the basis for the restaurant's concept. The kitchen is run by Viktor Gusev, who focuses on fermentation, sourdough, and slow-cooking ingredients. Dishes are prepared only with high-smoke-point oils — ghee, avocado, and coconut. The menu combines Spanish and Latin American cuisine with elements of the raw approach. For starters, it's worth trying the arepa — a traditional flatbread made from fermented corn with toppings of your choice. The salads here aren't afraid of bold combinations: fire-cooked artichokes, sweet potato with Kamchatka crab, avocado with grapes pickled in kimchi. The hot dishes are just as striking — Brazilian goby fish, slow-cooked octopus, aged marbled beef. The cocktail list deserves special attention. Instead of a regular menu, guests are brought a box of natural stones — each stone corresponds to a specific drink, and you can hold it in your hand and feel its texture before ordering. The average check at the restaurant is 1,000–3,000 ₽. You can find «Villa Madelina» at Obvodnogo Canal Embankment, 114, building 3, near the Frunzenskaya metro station.