Loro

Loro means “they” or “for them” in Italian. This is the third project by Ivan Kukarskikh and Bogdan Panchenko of Lucky Group, and arguably the most telling one. While other restaurant groups dream up new concepts, Lucky Group opened a second Loro — in Khamovniki. There's no better compliment to a place than that: when a successful format gets scaled up, it means the audience has voted with reservations.

Our guide's team notes that Loro is a versatile spot — equally fitting for a business meeting or a date.

The kitchen is led by brand chef Glenn Ballis and chef Nikolai Vovchinsky. The menu is built around the ingredient, its seasonality and clarity of flavor — about 45 dishes, each speaking the language of traditional Italy in a new way. House-made pasta, olives with prosciutto, Venetian-style liver, bone-in ribeye, grilled Florentine steak. Fresh seafood is cooked over coals, while the raw bar offers oysters, sea urchin and shrimp. The open kitchen has become part of the interior: you can watch meat being carved on the built-in board and the flame that sets the pace for the whole room. Beef tenderloin carpaccio with artichoke and parmesan, seasonal persimmon with prosciutto and ricotta, bruschetta with stracciatella, black caviar and truffle — the menu is put together so every visit can be different.

The Living Now Studio design bureau built the 45-seat interior around the idea of “timeless classic.” The finishes feature fine wood species and reclaimed antique BAI brick. Mid-century vintage lamps, antique Dutch chairs, an oak ceiling carved after sketches by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and a door handle modeled after a design by the Belgian Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta. White tablecloths and Art Nouveau-style panoramic windows look out onto Bolshaya Nikitskaya. Two paintings by the Georgian artist Konstantin Totibadze — “Honest Morning” and “Dutch Still Life” — deserve special attention; ask, and staff will tell you their story. Behind a secret cabinet hidden in the bar shelving is an exclusive collection of spirits. The mood is rounded out by classic funk and soul music curated specifically for Loro.

Breakfast is one of Loro's particular strengths. Chef Vovchinsky refreshes the morning menu every season. The brioche with pear and sour cream can set the tone for the whole day, and the coffee is consistently excellent. Our undercover restaurant critics rated it 8 out of 10 for dinner and 7 out of 10 for breakfast. Their format is seasonal ingredients, clarity of flavor and an intimate atmosphere where simplicity signals maturity — a place where the classics feel timeless, and it's worth booking ahead, especially for the evening.