Ayna

A restaurant serving modern Russian cuisine, where familiar comfort food dishes are reimagined with regional influences, from Kamchatka to the Caucasus.

"Ayna" is a project by Filipp Golubev (Pims, Zoika, Soma, Memo) and Artur Shusteriovas (Pims, Zoika, Barpoint). The concept is based on the cuisine of the peoples of Russia: comprehensive yet leaving room for the chef, Dmitry Nechitaev's (15 Kitchen bar, Artest) creativity. The name and symbol are derived from an ancient rune meaning "exclamation of knowledge," and in Tatar, "Ayna" translates to "mirror." The restaurant team shares their knowledge of traditional cuisine with guests, allowing them to not only delve into the past but also become co-creators of gastronomy in the present. The location of the project also has a historical significance. Ostozhenka is a constant, riverside area on the banks of the Moscow River. Historically, this area was meadows and pastures, with stacks of hay being a common feature of the landscape, hence the name "Ostozhye." The concept is based on research into the gastronomic and cultural characteristics of the peoples of modern Russia, the diversity of traditions, cooking methods, and rituals. Thus, familiar comfort food has been given new gastronomic dimensions in the "Ayna" menu through the use of local products and herbs from Kamchatka to the Caucasus. The oven and grill are not only key elements of the interior but also central to the overall concept, symbolizing the hearth in folk culture and the main tools for the chefs in creating the "Ayna" menu. Traditional bread is baked in the oven using milk and sourdough, stuffed cabbage rolls are baked in clay, and the grill is the foundation for many hot dishes. Dishes include beef ribs with fermented potatoes and kvass barbecue, a steak-axe, slow-cooked farm chicken, flounder, charred white cabbage, vegetables cooked in ash, and more. The cocktail menu at "Ayna," created by the Barpoint team led by Denis Sevostyanov, is based on local herbs and ingredients. The cocktail list on the upper floor features concise, "flavorful" combinations—the perfect companions to the main menu. The restaurant pays special attention to water, which is offered in three varieties: natural, mountain, and melted, each with different mineral compositions. In addition to the concise cocktails, the Barpoint team has created a mixology experience for guests that is steeped in ritual and immersion, with unique presentations and storytelling. In the lower bar, "Inta," which will open after "Ayna," cocktails will be the focus of the bar table experience. The wine list features references to Slavic culture and paganism. Head sommelier Olga Erokhina (Soma) has divided it into three sections: "The Elder Pantheon" (wines from the Old World), "Guardian Spirits" (wines produced in Russia and the former lands of Rus'), and "Totems" (New World wines with a new wine history). The restaurant's design is the work of the MMZ PROJECT architectural bureau (lead architect Maria Zhukova, architect Max Doroshko). The interior symbolizes a landscape map of our country. As guests move through the rooms, they literally travel from the mountains to the ocean, through fields and forests. Upon entering, guests are greeted by the heart of the project: the Oven and Grill, symbolizing the sacred hearth, as fire was seen as a source of strength, providing warmth and sustenance to humans. Between the rooms are "portals made of wheat," symbolizing fertility and abundance, and "portals made of hazel," which Slavs considered to be pure and sacred plants. "Ayna" is an inexhaustible source of daily experiences, where each guest, together with the team, explores the past, creates the present, and shapes the future.