Gastro-Petes by Matt Morley
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Il Grappolo, St. Petersburg
Walking into Il Grappolo for the first time can be a momentarily confusing experience. The ground floor restaurant is a simple, rustic, Italian-style trattoria that would not look out of place in a small village somewhere just outside Rome.
Make your way upstairs however, and you are transported into a modern, elegant dining room that could give most of Moscow’s so-called ‘elite’ restaurants a lesson in interior design.
Rather than choosing the default option for exclusive dining rooms throughout the country at the moment, Il Grappolo moves away from the ‘modern baroque’ look and is brave enough to create its own aesthetic identity.
Classically shaped wooden chairs and faded wooden floorboards add natural touches of warmth to the feel of the room, while gentle green walls produce a calming effect on all those who enter.
Crisp white linens are a welcome sight, suggesting a management team that takes itself suitably seriously, while the addition of attractive yet unpretentious hanging chandeliers and handmade mirrors in cast iron ensure this is one dining experience you are not going to forget in a hurry.
A backlit, frosted green glass panel conveys ideas of technology and modernity, and the hustle and bustle of the kitchen is still reassuringly audible, although just out of sight.
Starters reveal a rounded knowledge of cuisine from all corners of Italy, whether you are after a Tuscan panzanella salad or a simple mozzarella di bufala with sliced Italian tomato, it is all here.
First courses feature the essential risottos, gnocchi and more traditional pasta dishes, including a wonderful seafood spaghetti baked in a foil wrap to ensure the flavourful juices do not escape.
Things get a little more serious once you arrive at the secondi or main courses. Calves cheek, duck fillet, grilled lamb and traditional Italian beef may be more suitable for dinner, but there are also a variety of fresh fish on offer for a lighter lunch option too.
For customers who hadn’t worked it out already, the lengthy wine list gently informs them this is a restaurant that often hosts the crème de la crème of St. Petersburg society. Everything from a noble bottle of Tuscan Sassicaia to full-bodied Barolos from the Piemonte region are on offer, and the decanters grow considerably in size as you move down the page, just as it should be!
Ryba, St. Petersburg
For those who have spent time integrating into real London life, the word ‘gastro-pub’ may already mean something.
About a decade ago a revolution began to take place in London’s traditional drinking establishments that saw them turned into places not just for drinking, but also eating well.
As the ‘gastro’ was enthusiastically added to the ‘pub’, diners soon realized these new hybrids offered a relaxed, informal alternative to a traditional restaurant experience. Not only that, they also became undeniably ‘hip’.
Well, St. Petersburg does not have pubs as such, but it is a city that welcomes outside influences and it is hard not to wonder if Ryba’s designer has not spent some time in the English capital lately.
A large, top-floor room has a definite gastro-pub feel to it, albeit of the luxurious variety - very ‘industrial chic’ as they say in London!
Take the lift up to the top floor of Ryba’s impressive building five minutes drive north of the Hermitage and you soon realize you are in for something special as a vast panorama of St. Petersburg expands out in front of you.
An entire wall of the restaurant is made of glass, allowing those who sit facing outwards to gaze in wonder at the skyline throughout their meal, although it is probably worth their paying some attention to the food in front of them too, as it is really rather good...
The kitchen takes a refreshingly unfussy approach to cooking that while still placing huge emphasis on the finest quality ingredients and careful presentation.
In contrast to Il Grappolo, Ryba also takes a slightly more creative approach to its menu. All bases are covered here, with something for every taste, appetite and dietary need.
A light selection of soups can never go amiss during the winter months of course, and plenty of healthy, largely fat-free salads and carpaccios will keep the dieting models contented too.
A general Italian theme runs throughout the menu, although it also deviates into several Asian-style wok dishes at one point. Pastas and sauces can be combined individually by each diner, and the same goes for the pizzas and toppings, meaning the combinations are literally endless.
Everything is freshly prepared, comparatively light and designed to be eaten at any time of day. Which is just as well, because that view may make you reluctant to leave at all!