Masa Madre

Masa Madre on Solyanka is a bakery with an open workshop and a two-floor café. The name references the Spanish word for "sourdough starter" — and it truly is at the heart of everything here, from the loaves of bread to the muffins. The space wasn't picked from a catalog: furniture bearing the marks of years lived, objects sourced from around the world, handmade pieces from the bakery's own workshop — it all creates the feeling of a place built for its own sake, not for a sales pitch.

Our guide's team calls Masa Madre the city's favorite bakery: simple, approachable food, delicious sandwiches and pastries.

Head baker Olga Kiseleva is responsible for the bread, and her work is visible right from the dining room: the production area is open, and the whole path from kneading to finished loaf unfolds in front of guests. Roman Palkin runs the kitchen, and Anastasia Godunova runs the coffee bar.

Breakfast is served here until noon, and it's a story of its own. English muffins with braised lamb and nectarine, or a soft-boiled egg with Borodinsky bread and anchovy-orange butter — the kitchen works with unexpected combinations, but without unnecessary pretension. At lunch: a tuna confit salad, a cherry gazpacho, or chicken in white wine. The house-made sandwiches with homemade mortadella on Hokkaido milk bread have become one of the main reasons to come back.

Godunova's coffee menu is built around seasonality: alongside the classics with milk and filter coffee, there are cold drinks with unexpected pairings — an espresso tonic with peach and jasmine, for example. The wine is exclusively natural and biodynamic, including champagne by the glass. To go: house-made pastries and butter.

Our undercover guests rated it 8 out of 10 for the coffee and 7 out of 10 for breakfast — the high score for the drinks confirms that the bar here holds its own against the bread.