Lunch at Restaurant Dacha

A project by Lucky Group on Novy Arbat with a dacha concept and its own brewery. The Dacha vibe is one where you can show up feeling right at home and land in your own element — enveloping coziness with a fireplace, a scale reminiscent of a mountain chalet, panoramic windows, and comfortable seating. Attentive, fast service: they immediately clarified the courses and brought out all the dishes for the group at the same time, which is rare. Chef Artur Nam (Pifagor) runs the kitchen, and he's put together straightforward, comforting food for the menu: several types of wood-fired oven pizza, grilled fish and meat, roasted vegetables. 

Interior

Designer Pavel Nesnov (Mates) handled the interior, aiming to recreate the atmosphere of a country house: a fireplace at the center of the room, plenty of open space, birch trees as decor. Right there is the brewing area, with huge steel tanks catching your eye immediately. It's nice that the tables aren't crammed together — you can comfortably settle in even with a large group. During the day, thanks to the panoramic windows, the space fills with natural light, while in the evening dim lighting builds a cozy atmosphere. 

What did I try? 

— "Dacha" salad, 750₽. More of a green salad than a "dacha" one, really. The only "dacha" elements are the peas, cucumbers and tomatoes, and green beans. Top-notch product quality, but three slices of tomato was clearly not enough. 

 — Chicken shashlik with roasted vegetables and chimichurri sauce, 890₽. Well-cooked, quality meat, served on a greasy flatbread reminiscent of an unhealthy base for a bad pizza. Lavash would have suited it better
— Roasted sweet potato, chimichurri sauce, 370₽. A solid appetizer that vegetarians will appreciate too, and one that's won over fans of French fry alternatives. 
— Vegetable bowl, 760₽. Inside — avocado, cabbage, zucchini, radish, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, a bit of broccoli. Healthy, nothing extra. Good for offsetting the effect of the chicken shashlik. 

— Corn, parmesan, 510₽. Great presentation: the cob comes with black gloves for easier eating. Let the parmesan melt a little for the flavor to come through more vividly. 

— Grilled sea bass, tomato ragout, 1260₽. A generous portion, even though it's only half a sea bass on the plate. The tomato ragout sets off the fish nicely — a tasty symbiosis for a hot dish.

Overall impression

Dacha doesn't look like a restaurant in the classic fine-dining sense. It's a confident gastrobar, comfortable for lunch or evening, in warm company with friends. 

A good example of a place with straightforward, tasty food that doesn't invite inflated expectations. The kitchen doesn't claim to be gastronomic, which fits this kind of concept just fine. Add to that a pleasant interior and good service, and you get a project that deserves its place in our restaurant guide.