Bagebi — a Georgian Restaurant

Today, this is where the Tsereteli Gallery is located. A one-of-a-kind restaurant: four rooms with a bar and cellar, plus a large covered two-story courtyard full of light and greenery. The arches are painted with copies of frescoes by Italian artists, and the rest of the restaurant features works by Zurab Tsereteli. The restaurant is named after a district of Tbilisi, so it makes sense that the menu holds traditional Georgian recipes in a modern reading by chef Nikita Verchenko. We got a table with no reservation, though it was fairly full for Sunday lunch.

What did I try?

• Yeast-free bread — a complimentary starter, similar to brioche. Butter doesn't save it, not tasty. 
• Vegetable salad with Kakhetian oil, 640₽ — served with red onion, bell pepper, and cilantro. It came out quite plain and unimaginative, clearly not the best version of a Georgian salad. 
• Adjarian khachapuri, 680₽ — a boat with a tall rim, egg, and slightly melted butter. It was served barely warm. Having lived 2.5 months in Georgia, this is clearly not what you're hoping for when you're missing the local cuisine. You'd think: a basic dish for a Georgian restaurant, yet it's at a thoroughly mediocre level. Could have been better. 
• Grilled corn, 540₽ — served with whipped butter, adjika, and lime. A decent side with a hint of pepper, if it hadn't already gone cold.  
• Chicken shashlik, 820₽ — a substantial portion. Shashlik on pita, alongside tomato salsa and herbs. So greasy it's as if the meat had been dunked in a deep fryer. It tasted the way it looked — poorly cooked and poorly served.

Bagebi is a one-of-a-kind concept, especially for Moscow. A Georgian restaurant inside a gallery, brimming with art and greenery. It would all be fine, but there are questions about the kitchen and the service. It's hard to flag down a waiter, and feedback doesn't change anything, at least not on the bill. The place doesn't make it into the restaurant guide. The quality of the dishes clearly needs strengthening, and the presentation needs work: a countless number of wooden boards ruins the impression right from the start.