What is appealing about Russian cuisine today, and can we talk about its renaissance?

Moscow is known for its abundance of restaurants. Cuisines from all over the world—Italian, French, Asian, African, Middle Eastern, fusion, breaking all conceivable and inconceivable norms. Everything one can imagine. Amid this diversity, it might seem that Russian cuisine has been somewhat overlooked. That is not the case. And if it ever was, it is rapidly changing.

By June 2025, it is impossible to ignore the obvious trend: everything Russian is in fashion. But this is not about kitsch, not about clichés and superficial folk motifs. It is about authenticity—about a cultural code that is finally becoming meaningful to us. Places, objects, brands, aesthetics—all of this evokes genuine interest and respect. Not due to external circumstances, not “out of necessity,” but because it is genuinely evolving and becoming high-quality, compelling, and beautiful.

I recently visited Valaam, where monks shared that they launched their own coffee production—it is called “Brotherly Coffee.” Everything looks very stylish—custom tubes, artwork by Brother Amon Garayev, each box is a little journey to this extraordinary place. I immediately wanted as many people as possible to learn about it. Because it is cool. We are currently considering collaborating on products with one of our restaurants.

Russian cuisine became popular much earlier. It started being discussed as a phenomenon even before it became mainstream. Many would agree that the turning point occurred in 2015, when White Rabbit ranked 23rd in The World’s 50 Best and won “Debut of the Year.” Since then, much has changed: the global situation, the restaurants themselves, their meanings. And that is good—evolution is natural.

Here, I would highlight two opposing trends: immersion—creating and maintaining a wow effect for guests in fine dining restaurants. And simplicity: everyday restaurants, on the contrary, are moving toward simplification and more straightforward food. Russian cuisine can be diverse.

In your opinion, how is the growing fashion for Russian cuisine manifesting?

I think the main indicator of the trend for Russian cuisine is that it interests people across the country. Take, for example, Plyos and our restaurant Ikra, which we visited a couple of weeks ago, so the impressions are still fresh. Friends who joined us are true hedonists, sophisticated people who have traveled widely and tried many things. But no one remained indifferent. Because Ikra is about us, our history, our cultural and taste memory.

Although Ikra is a seasonal project (operating only 3–5 months a year, depending on the weather), it is always fully booked. Both tasting menus—”At the Dacha” and “Burlaks 2.0″—are culinary local history: Russian cuisine told in a modern language. This approach is becoming increasingly popular today.

Colleagues working with restaurants in the regions report the same: more and more chefs and restaurants are actively rethinking and using unique local products, seasonality, and their own local identity in both menus and storytelling. This is becoming fashionable and, most importantly, in demand. Guests (both tourists and locals) respond to it. Because every region has something to show, something to be proud of.

What place does Soviet cuisine hold in Russian cuisine?

Soviet cuisine is part of Russian gastronomic history. On one hand, many try to forget and distance themselves from our “mayonnaise past.” On the other, enough time has passed for nostalgia to emerge, and this cuisine is beginning to be perceived as part of our cultural code. And so, Soviet motifs are returning, but in a reimagined form, of course.