Café XVII

The courtyard of the “Chambers on Lva Tolstogo” is one of those corners of Khamovniki you're unlikely to stumble into by accident. The stone building, standing here since pre-Petrine times, was once the administrative and architectural center of the weavers' settlement. Today it hosts lectures, children's programs, and art projects, while the open-air courtyard is home to the seasonal coffee shop XVII. The space's interior was reimagined by architect Varvara Shalito and designer Valeria Nesterenko: old vaults sit alongside soft ambient light, a deep green palette, and works by contemporary Russian artists.

In the opinion of our restaurant guide's team, XVII is first and foremost about the location: the hype around this place comes down to the authentic courtyard and photogenic atmosphere.

The menu is built around Russian culinary motifs, but without literal adherence to tradition. Buckwheat pancakes sit alongside chilled gazpacho with sheep's feta and pesto; watermelon is served with cornel cherry honey and pistachio dukkah. Among the drinks: cherry cold brew, cold chaga, and birch ice made using a Japanese technique with wood sorrel added. On the alcohol side: cider and lager. It all adds up to an impression of what an urban coffee shop might have felt like in pre-revolutionary Moscow — without historical rigor, but with recognizable details.

The little courtyard turned out photogenic and intimate at once: people come here for business meetings, for dates, and for content. Those planning to shoot photos or video do better to arrive right at opening — the crowd grows noticeably bigger by the day. The place is seasonal, running through the end of summer, which adds to its value in its own way — there's no sense of permanence here, only a summer episode in a historic courtyard.