Artem AtopshevCommunity profile

Artyom Atopshev has extensive experience working in prominent restaurants in Nizhny Novgorod since 2006. From 2017 to 2024, he held the position of brand chef and partner at the DODICI GROUP restaurant chain, opening establishments with diverse concepts, ranging from Italian and Asian cuisine to steakhouses. He completed internships at renowned projects, including Twins Garden and Artest in Moscow, and Do Asia in St. Petersburg. These internships allowed him to deeply study various culinary styles and techniques. Since 2024, Artyom has continued his career at the "Tsitadela" cafe, and also served as the brand chef for developing a line of semi-finished products and delicacies for the "Red Wall Market" brand of farm products. Artyom Atopshev is actively immersed in exploring the local cuisine of his hometown and region. His favorite direction is авторская кухня (author's cuisine), where he combines comfort food elements with local ingredients. In the menu of the "Tsitadela" cafe, he shares personal stories about dishes that are familiar to everyone from childhood, intertwining them with regional traditions and modern trends. This is facilitated by his work with local products, including from his own farm in the Pavlovsky district, as well as travels around the region and the study of culinary traditions, both past and present. Close collaboration with local suppliers, and even personally harvesting crops, also contribute to creating that very "pure" Nizhny Novgorod flavor within the walls of the ancient Kremlin. "My journey began in 2006, and I couldn't have imagined what the future held for me! Like all young chefs, upon entering the kitchen after culinary school, I was wide-eyed and watched everything around me with complete incomprehension. The only thing that was clear was that what we were told in lectures differed somewhat from reality... I always sought something better when changing restaurants, because only new knowledge helps us to develop. Time passed, and the world turned upside down. I stopped "going to work" because it became a part of my life. Every day, coming to "Tsitadela," I experience indescribable emotions because I see the satisfied faces of guests, and that's what this project creates!" The cafe opened in August 2025, but has already attracted the close attention of both local residents and visitors to the city. The restaurant's concept was included in the TOP 100 of the best establishments according to the "Palm Branch" restaurant business award.