GorBufet Pelmennoy

"GorBufet Pelmennaya" is the latest venture from the teams behind "Alko-bufet Ryumka" and "Alko-bufet Shashlychnaya," in collaboration with restaurant industry powerhouses Gosha Karpenko and Dmitry Levitsky.

In August, a new "cheeky" project called "GorBufet Pelmennaya" opened at 3 Malaya Dmitrovka Street, brought to you by the team behind "Alko-bufet Shashlychnaya." The restaurant is housed in a historic building that used to be a tenement house. The main feature of the interior is a large mural depicting Sasha Taxi, one of the restaurant's creative inspirations, wearing his signature cap and holding a mug of beer, pelmeni (dumplings), and a shot glass. Part of the mosaic used in this "monumental" artwork was previously part of a pavilion at the VDNKh exhibition center. The design of the space evokes the Soviet past, with columns from the Soviet era, vintage wooden cabinets from the 1960s, and a chandelier from the Stalinist era. Even a chalkboard from Gosha Karpenko's school has been given a new life within "GorBufet." The pelmeni are made at the "LEPIM i VARIM" factory using special recipes developed specifically for "Pelmennaya." The menu features a variety of pelmeni and varenyky (dumplings) to suit every taste. You can order a standard portion (10 pieces) or a larger portion (15 pieces) if you're hungry. Guests can choose from five types of pelmeni: pork and beef (390/580 rubles), chicken and cheese (390/580 rubles), lamb (450/670 rubles), crab and red caviar (990/1400 rubles), or pike perch, perch, and a sauce made with sour cream and minced herring roe (590/880 rubles). You can also order varenyky in two flavors: potato and onion or sweet with Serbian cherries (390/580 rubles). "The ratio of filling to dough in our pelmeni and varenyky is very generous, 50/50, which is quite rare," say Dmitry Levitsky and Gosha Karpenko. You can complement your pelmeni with one of seven sauces: sour cream, ketchup, mayonnaise, the legendary kechinez, adjika, or mustard (60 rubles each). For those who prefer the old-school way of eating pelmeni, there's also bread on the menu (3 rubles per slice). The head chef of the project is Rustam Dautov, who is also responsible for the kitchen at "Alko-bufet Shashlychnaya." In addition to pelmeni, the menu features classic and beloved Russian dishes that remind us of cozy home gatherings: herring with potatoes (290 rubles), tomatoes with cheese and garlic (390 rubles), two types of salo (cured pork fat) with mustard and bread (350 rubles), Olivier salad (290 rubles), and pickled vegetables. You can also order sandwiches: with herring and caramelized onions, with sprat and egg, or with lard, horseradish, and pepper (all 290 rubles). The bar is managed by Georgy Bogachev ("Yolochka" bar, "Profsoyuz" bar cluster). The bar menu focuses on homemade infusions made with beets, horseradish, cherries, black elderberry, cranberries, dried apricots, and even chocolate with almonds (250 rubles each). In addition, the menu features various distilled spirits: wheat and rye samogon (moonshine), "pepper with honey" samogon (250 rubles), chacha, walnut and currant schnapps, mulberry Artsakh, buckwheat and raspberry polugar, Hungarian plum palinka, and Serbian rakiya made with quince or pear. There's also cider, draft beer, or bottled beer: "Plombir Porter," a hoppy bitter ale, and blackcurrant or cherry beer (350 rubles each). "GorBufet Pelmennaya" has 50 seats, and a small terrace will open soon.