‘I LIKE WINE’: “A place to get warm” – restaurant review

Gentle breeze and slight noise from a pond – that is what you feel during a leisurely walk along Chistoprudny Boulevard. Spring is here. Probably, April and May are ideal to visit places such as ‘I LIKE WINE’. It is not too hot outside, so in the evening you wish you could be sitting somewhere eating a hot meal or having a nice talk over a cup of coffee to the sound of magical jazz.

Nestled amid low buildings on Pokrovka street, this place can’t be missed. Elegantly designed, it is not overly ornate. Although the building does not have any flashy signboards, you will not pass it by. This restaurant, focusing on Italian cuisine, is quite young: it was founded by ‘Perelman people’ company in 2014. The second one named ‘I LIKE WINE 2.0’ opened its doors two years later.

I’ve visited loads of places, but ambiance rarely scored a bullseye. Most of the times, nothing meets my expectations – too stuffy, too modern, too noisy, freezing cold… But I can confidently call ‘I LIKE WINE’ a cozy place: no disturbing music, overzealous air conditioning or painfully bright illumination. A décor is a matter for a separate talk: uneven doorways, brick walls, unique lamps and beckoning solid chairs in retro style. In all, a calm and peaceful atmosphere which settles the mind. A place to get warm.

The mark of a good restaurant is high-quality water and bread. The former should smell neutral without any peculiar taste. Taking a bite of home-made bread, you hear crunch in your ears and feel the softness and lightness of sourdough in the mouth. The restaurant obviously gets another point.

I felt cold and hungry after a long walk around the centre, so I decided to start with something warming. A bowl of soup?

For the main course, I chose a cream of pumpkin soup with shrimps and lemongrass. I can’t help but give this place credit for its speed – I got my soup just within five minutes. Small islands of emerald green herbal syrup were swimming on the surface of that pumpkin cream, which was a bit spicy, slightly sweet, but unbelievably delicious. In the depths of this sea, you will find succulent shrimps and crispy almonds.

Be careful! Portions are big, so after a hearty soup you will hardly be ready for another dish… At least right after finishing the main course.

The place offers a broad range of various Italian starters by Dmitry Parikov, the brand chef of ‘Perelman People’. I found baked vegetables and goat cheese bruschetta the most appetising.Upon the advice of the waiter, I ordered a chocolate éclair with salt for the dessert. Crispy salty caramel chip was sinking in lightweight cacao cream. Bitter dark chocolate and super light pastry, melting in your mouth, crowned the dessert.

I would like to devote a little part of this review to tableware, which is in surprising harmony with the interior. There are retro bottles and minimalistic glasses, deep plates with wave-like edge are ideal for soup, plates with bent one along with a long-long spoon – for dessert. And glasses for latte! Ripped, tall, with no cup handle.

What’s more, service is on a high level here. Waiters are polite and well-informed, they give advice and smile throughout the evening.

Of course, a couple of words should be said about the bar (do not forget to pay tribute to the restaurant’s name!). There is a wide selection of wines. By the way, the place offers you an opportunity to take part in ‘I like wine school’ – 11 lessons to impress your friends or colleagues during a supper. ‘Perelman people’ sommeliers promise great fun. 10 lucky people will be taught for free and others will have to pay around 30000 RUB.

If you want to make a quick visit to enjoy good food at ‘I LIKE WINE’, go for it. But this place is ideal for longer meals: it always nips at the heels of your desires.

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‘I LIKE WINE’ 16 Pokrovka street, Moscow, 8 (495) 928-88-59. Open all week, breakfast 10.00 am -16.00 pm, dinner noon -16.00 pm. 1500 RUB, plus drinks and service.

Food 9/10

Atmosphere 10/10

Service 10/10

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