Soma

Soma occupies a historic mansion on Petrovsky Boulevard — the very one where, before the revolution, Turgenev's and Dostoevsky's birthdays were celebrated and Tchaikovsky's wedding was held. Today these historic walls have taken on a new role: architect Gosha Aygunyan split the space into three rooms, each with the character of a different era. The "room of the past" keeps its columns, brickwork and Monier vaults. The "room of the future" is its complete opposite: an arch-portal, a levitating light strip, and a spherical mirror. Between them is the "room of the present," with an open kitchen where you can watch the cooks at work.

Our guide's team considers Soma a piece of Berlin in the center of Moscow: it gives you the full sense of being somewhere outside Russia, and that atmosphere is exactly what makes the place special.

The kitchen is led by chef Artem Chudnenko, whom our team holds in genuine regard — he consistently delivers striking results. The menu blends styles with a focus on local ingredients: beef tongue with grilled romano lettuce and pepper sauce, orzo with scallop and mushroom cream, cacio e pepe risotto with octopus, Scotch egg with langoustines. The food here is comforting but carries a distinct author's touch — every dish is well thought through and brings a pleasant surprise. Our undercover guests rated dinner 7 out of 10.

The cocktail program from head bartender Misha Pugachev develops along three lines: fruit and berries, herbs and roots, mushrooms with fermentation. Every drink gets its own serial number, and the count doesn't reset with new collections — the most popular items stay in the "archive." Our undercover guests gave the cocktails a confident 8 out of 10. The wine list is curated by sommelier Olga Erokhina; the champagne selection deserves special mention, ranging from the great Houses to rare récoltants brought in under quota. There's also Soma's own sparkling wine, made in partnership with Lefkadia Valley.

Soma isn't just about food and drink — it regularly hosts DJ sets, live shows and contemporary art exhibitions, having already shown projects together with Deep List, MYTH Gallery, Postrigay Gallery and others. In summer, a cozy courtyard opens up, hosting barbecues and intimate wine tastings. Altogether it adds up to a space that's hard to sum up in one word — and that's arguably the project's greatest strength.