L.E.S.

This new restaurant on Tverskoy Boulevard is a joint project of novice restaurateur Ruslan Stekolshchikov and chef Andrey Kolodyazhny. The uncomplicated name stands for “people, food, happiness” (“lyudi, eda, shchastye” in Russian), and the main emphasis is on the theme of nature. The restaurant's space is markedly green, with imitation tree trunks and dried flowers stretching from floor to ceiling as the main decorative elements. In the evening, the restaurant's lights are dimmed, giving the place a real forest vibe. In addition, the hall is tiered: the tables are located unevenly, and some are elevated above the others, which helps to create a chamber-like atmosphere at each table. 

The 26-item menu is divided into blocks according to the main ingredients: “Berries and mushrooms,” “Plants and herbs,” “Trees,” and so on. Almost every dish has an exotic ingredient: the creators of the restaurant are keen on gastro-botany and experiment with unusual dishes, so you can find chicken paté with currants and summer herbs, root vegetable gratin with pickled cloves, and glazed cheese with basil and cilantro moss, just to scratch the surface. In addition to variations on the forest theme, there is a part devoted to seafood, aptly titled “Sea (not forest).” The restaurant wine list has more than twenty items (the ex-sommelier of the restaurant Severyane, Yulia Skornyakova, is responsible for it), and the cocktail list has nine signature mixes from Anton Gromov, the bartender chef.

Ask the concierge for a reservation If you are staying at the hotel.