It’s hard for me to write about this place, and not because of its insignias and presence in the world’s top 20, which is the most trendy chart of the kind and which Rabbit does hit regularly.

The true reason is simple – this is my favorite restaurant in the city.

And I have to explain why.

To begin with, I take it for fucking FIVE restaurants in one.

№ 1 the set (let’s skip it – there’ll be a separate article on it), №2 it’s a veranda type, №3 it’s fancy, №4 just-came-to-have-some-tasty-food, and №5 raw seafood.

Let’s talk about the latter four.

The veranda type: It’s fairly “the best view of the city”. So you’re sitting there and you feel really relaxed, it’s sunset or nighttime, or even early in the morning, so you’re there after clubbing (they are nearly never closed!) and you’re glancing at it all, and you don’t really care about the food – you’re buying the mood, the unique atmosphere. The food’s still there: a salad with loquat (since they have a veranda arranged, it should be there) and some perfect guacamole, even too perfect, and you order plain guacamole, sunset/dawn, it does not matter. And things are suddenly getting much better between you and your vis-à-vis. So, this is what I mean by a proper veranda type restaurant.

Or if you’ve broken up. Well, nearly. You wear your best cloths, everything at once, it’s November, the weather’s so damn bad, inside your head there’s a terrible mess, and you’re on a complicated path – first, you go to the fifth floor, then up to the sixteenth, in the elevator; you’re so handsome today, with a chrysanthemum in the buttonhole.

The elevator door opens, you proceed to the left, “thank you/please/is anyone expecting you”?

“Hope so.”

To the second floor, upstairs, past everyone, to the left towards the fireplace – you’re doing the fancy model walk when approaching your vis-à-vis. You’re being late on purpose.

Moscow and the streams of night cars are running behind the windows, the fire is burning in the fireplace, the crystal in your hand is glistening, they serve you whelk beef stroganoff, and Mukhin [the chef] is also here with his new findings. And you feel a little uncomfortable (cause you’re, like, a couple, but still having some quarrel in the background – between the two of you). There are urchins and sea buckthorn sorbet, salt in crystals, and sea water, and the explosion in the mouth, and you both finally reached peace, like, a hundred seconds ago, and then you go back along the fancy hall, downstairs, and Moscow’s shining, and your taxi’s already waiting for you. So, this is what I mean by a fancy restaurant.

Or you drop by during the day and you know exactly what you need – okroshka, shrimps, briefly flame broiled, and some sweet green stuff (Baikal). Just a really cool business lunch. So, this is №4.

Or you’ve recently been travelling, a lot. And now you “need it all”: so that it be right from the aquarium, sure.

We aren’t into talking about our opponents. At least, we try to, but! – why aren’t langoustines, which cost a million rubles, tasty at other very respectable places – do they probably get too much stress, eh, while they’re travelling?

Certainly no stress in here.

Urchins are almost like in Tokyo, at Tsukiji, as well as shrimps and botanebi, crabs, scallops, shells/oysters.

Here and only here (for the present moment, at least) you can have all these: shrimps, urchins, crabs, scallops, etc., and they won’t be frozen and there’ll be no need to pay for them some crazy money. So, this is №5.

In my opinion, the complaints about Rabbit being overly expensive are way too exaggerated. Of course, when we’re not talking of caviar, live crabs or urchin caviar from Japan. But where can you find these at low prices?

Well, and the mood.

The mood can barely (not) be sold.

«You were happy and drunk» ™, and each time so in a new circle.

I’ve attached various pictures below, including those with seasonal stuff, so that you could get an idea of the scale and scope of the event.

Look them through. They’ll make your mouth water.

Alright, Mukhin is indeed my idol, together with Zarkov. Take it for an advertisement. I don’t give a fuck.

PS: Oh yeah, and there’s suddenly mad tasty «simple stuff». For example, teriyaki salmon, which they just fucking  grill. Of course, if morels are in season, be sure not to nibble your plate with risotto, as you might lose it.