"The place is clearly overhyped.
They started well, in early 90s it think it was, with vegetarian menu, iced vodkas, unusual interiors, pleasant service and altogether decadence feel. The quickly became one of 'the places to be' in town, drew the expat community with above-average paychecks which raised the prices and quickly led to the inclusion on most guidebooks' lists.
The result? Well, what you've guessed. All tourists now want to go there, the prices are high, the food is mediocre, and the music is awful and the service so-so. Last time I went we first had to fight through a crowd of American students all armed with their doggy-bags, then received warm vodka shots (ok, it's still on the house), then got okeyish, but hardly impressive food at above-western prices. We also learnt that we had to listen to some western pop-music from the eighties 'because it's the only CD they've got' - and this was in 19th century-styled interiors!
The slogan they've come with recently - Dostoevsky loved this place - is complete rubbish, of course, they only opened in the the 1990's.
Don't go there, it's a tourist trap nowadays - which is sad, because it was very nice once." | George S
United Kingdom
Jan.23.2008
Overall rating 2/5 |
