shopping spectacular
You see the weirdest things in Moscow shopping malls these days. Like decent gourmet restaurants. Chic Italian eatery Spettacolo helps Vremena Goda on Kutuzovsky Prospekt consolidate its reputation as the mall to beat all malls.
PHOTO ALEXEI VIKTOROV / TEXT POLINA PUSHKINA feedback
There is an ideal formula for everything in life. Black and white is perfect for a job interview, a dry martini gets you drunk while keeping your head clear, while movies and dinner are the key to a successful second date. Recently opened Spettacolo on the fifth floor of the pristine Vremena Goda mall shares its space with a luxurious movie theater. Food and entertainment under one roof — the ideal formula. Translated from the Italian, “spettacolo” means a show, and the open kitchen pretty much explains the concept: after you’ve watched a movie you can watch your dinner being made. The restaurant boasts an unusually fine decor for a mall joint; a glass-and-steel kitchen and a massive round oven covered in 396 hand-made white and blue tiles is an extremely fine centerpiece. The rest of the space is filled with dark wooden tables, crimson armchairs and leather sofas with tables lined up in front of them — a layout swish enough to negate the fact that this restaurant is an appendage to a cinema in a shopping mall. Each table has a smart side pocket that conveniently carries salt and pepper mills along with oil and vinegar in rustic white porcelain bottles, meaning you don’t have to chase a waiter for a pinch of fresh pepper. The bar is tucked away in the far corner of the mall and is still waiting for bottles to fill the shelves — Spettacolo is on the alcohol license waiting list. Naturally, sipping on a glass of refreshing white wine would be incredibly nice but Spettacolo’s menu is sufficiently enthralling on its own too. The menu, formulated by food gurus from London Natalie and Nathan, previously spotted at Denis Simachyov bar, can be described as Italian with a modern twist. The most difficult part is choosing what you want: every option, from cold appetizers to pizzas, is sinfully tempting. After overcoming a desire to order everything on the menu (which was abated by a complementary piece of home-made ravioli with crabmeat served with a subtly sweet cream sauce made from lobster and shrimp bisque), team element decided to settle for fried beetroot, orange and goat’s cheese salad with pine nuts, balsamic vinegar and mint (440 rubles) and goat’s cheese lightly fried with honey and warm sweet pear salad (320 rubles). The first blew everything Moscow has to offer out of the water — it was beautifully presented, and the smooth soft texture of the goat’s cheese was contrasted by the juicy beetroot slices. The orange provided a hint of sweetness, while the mint freshened the palate. The honey-fried goat’s cheese salad was even more inventive: we were not initially convinced by the sound of spicy chorizo chips and parsley, but the combination of the two only seemed to enhance the taste of the salad and fell into perfect harmony with the pears. The bitterness of the radicchio was neutralized delightfully by the honey-mustard dressing and caramelized almonds. Home-made lemonade made with fresh lemons and limes (250 rubles) arrived just in time to refresh our taste buds before the main courses hit our tables. Marble Angus sirloin with red-wine sauce (880 rubles) is a very honest portion for your money. An impressive slice of tender and juicy meat with a thin layer of fat was presented with greens and fried onion rings. We asked for the steak to be cooked medium-well, which is exactly how it arrived — always a surprise in Moscow. As for the pizza that comes from the spectacular tiled wooden oven, it was the only creation of the night that was not so spectacular: the crust, thin and crispy, was a bit too dry on the edges, though the generous piles of tasty ham, marinated artichoke and rich mozzarella on top charmed both of us into polishing off this 520-ruble dish. No date is complete without a dessert. We went for creme brulee with mango and passion fruit (520 rubles) and chocolate tart with Pina Colada mousse (220 rubles). Both servings were good representatives of their type, but that is all. It would be unfair to say that the dessert was disappointing but it did not match the inventiveness of the rest of Spettacolo’s menu. But in the end does it really matter? Spettacolo gives you a lot of reasons to travel all the way to Kutuzovsky: great food for reasonable prices in a relaxed and stylish atmosphere. Oh, and did I mention the service? No, but that’s because the service was just the way it ought to be — efficient and invisible. | 
