Breakfast at Mamie

Mamie is a project by Lucky Group with a French accent. The urban bistro sets the tone for the review right from its name — translated from French, the word means "granny." Lucky Group's concept was created as a nod to Provence, only closer to our latitudes, on Bolshaya Nikitskaya. Even from the street, the building's façade catches the eye, set apart by red oak wood panels. 

Interior

In an interior inspired by the aesthetic of country cottages, St. Petersburg's Studio APAA, led by designer Alexey Penyuk (Sage, Mr.Lee, Recolte), recreated a ceiling of barn boards, pairing it nicely with vintage furniture, contemporary paintings, and fresh flowers. Linen curtains on the windows and the table settings round out the pleasant atmosphere of old France. And yet the interior doesn't look overly aged — everything here feels organic. The restaurant's space is split into two rooms: the first has the open kitchen, the second a bar, where you can settle in at a red marble counter. 

Kitchen

Despite the French references in the interior, the main menu leans toward comforting Mediterranean cuisine: Sicilian crudo with scallop, tuna, and salmon, grilled sea bass, herb rice, spaghetti al pomodoro. For breakfast, served here from 08:00 to 13:00 on weekdays and until 15:00 on weekends, brand chef Dan Miron and chef Alexander Shuba offer a selection of traditional European dishes: lazy vareniki with sour cream, eggs Benedict, crab omelet with mornay sauce. 

What did I try?

— Open sandwich with red caviar, 960₽. Nothing outstanding, though I'll note the tasty bread it's built on. 

— Whipped baked-milk curd cheese, black currant, 790₽. The combination of two types of curd cheese, one from baked milk, one from regular, sticks with you as a fresh flavor experience. Add a layer of berry sorbet on top of that, and voilà — a gastronomic trio that, just from its presentation, looks  like yet more proof that we eat with our eyes first.
— Green buckwheat porridge, apple, pineapple, chia, 590₽. A slightly too sweet version, with an unconventional ingredient combination and a delicate aftertaste. Served in beautiful vintage tableware that looks like it was sitting in grandma's china cabinet just a minute ago.   

— Basque casserole, apricot jam, sour cream, 790₽. There's a not-so-obvious link to Basque cheesecake, though with a different, denser texture that the Basque Country surely never knew about. Served with sour cream and sweet apricots. 

Overall impression

Mamie is a portal to Provence, the old family home of a French granny who never existed. With its signature curd cheese and tableware straight out of the Victorian vintage world. I'd have liked more people around,  so the score of 9 is more of an advance. I'd recommend coming after 11:30 so you don't feel like it's too empty around you. The place is dog-friendly.