L.E.S.

The restaurant on Tverskaya Boulevard features a creative cuisine that emphasizes seasonality and the quality of ingredients.

Evolution is an irreversible and multifaceted process. It's wonderful to see how things that once seemed immutable and perfect can constantly transform and evolve, surprising us with the results. L.E.S. and the entire restaurant team, inspired by the idea of growth, have undergone a significant transformation, and are proud to present a new vision for the project.

This growth has affected everyone. Andrei Kolodyazhny, who was instrumental in promoting "gastrobotany," has left the project to return to Sochi, where he is now the executive chef at the Gazprom mountain resort. The project is now led by Valery Chigarov, a talented and ambitious young chef who is well-known in Moscow. Valery, originally from Siberia, has a deep understanding of all things related to the forest, and he will offer guests a new perspective on what a restaurant can be, focusing on a wide range of gastronomic specialties, cooking techniques, and unexpected flavor combinations.

Valery Chigarov's philosophy is based on using fresh, seasonal ingredients and preparing them with skill. Chef L.E.S., despite his relatively young age, has a wealth of experience: a graduate of the SWISSAM academy, he has already worked on several successful projects in Moscow (Beluga, Krasota, Zhirko, 4rest) and completed internships with talented chefs in America, at Michelin-starred restaurants (Betony, New York (NY) – 1* Michelin, chef Bryce Shuman, and Manresa, Los Gatos (CA) – 3* Michelin, chef David Kinch). Through his training and experiences, Valery has developed a clear vision for his own style: the foundation is always a high-quality, interesting product, which he considers his muse. Based on this, here are some quotes from Valery Chigarov's new menu. The appetizer section features a beef tartare with onion glaze and potato chips with Espelette pepper, while the chef prepares foie gras in the style of torchon and serves it with cherry chutney, coffee "soil," and truffle. A special mention should be made of the pistachio hummus, served with a mix of nuts and seeds, and accompanied by freshly baked, fragrant, and crispy flatbread. Among the salads, there is duck ham with eggplant caviar and yogurt, and a non-traditional combination of pumpkin, tonnato sauce, and langoustines. Valery suggests trying tomatoes with plums and a cream made from feta cheese and olives – a surprising combination of flavors and textures! The chef's soups are impeccable: fish soup, like the classic borscht, is served with thick, homemade smoked sour cream. Another soup from the autumn menu is a rich mushroom soup with sweet root vegetables, which, like all the chef's soups, is destined to become a favorite among guests this season. The main courses are equally impressive: potatoes are tempura-fried in burnt hay and served with red caviar and a "okroshka" sauce; Valery Chigarov complements the duck breast with a garnish of carrots and kale, and the wild dorado is baked in a pil-pil sauce with capers and is recommended to be shared between two people. Over time, you will be able to find all the treasures of the forests and waters of Russia on the restaurant's menu, but everything has its season! If a new, interesting product of excellent quality becomes available, it will be added to the menu and offered to guests.

The dessert section of the new menu is a complex ode to L.E.S.: there are white Belgian chocolate "stones" with sea buckthorn, alongside the earthy notes of dark chocolate in a truffle made from a Chilean cocoa bean called "chuncho," which is grown using traditional methods in harmony with the environment, near the Sacred Valley of the Incas, among the tropical forests. Wild herbs and sage complement the autumn apple, while figs are paired with strained yogurt. A special mention should be made of the "Taiga Forest" dessert: the delicate creamy texture of the butter mousse, with the same "chuncho" cocoa used for the truffles, evokes a multitude of associations, as it combines a mix of textures: a crunchy chocolate crisp, a chewy cherry marmalade, and a chocolate mousse with chocolate ice cream – the best of everything in one dessert.

The wine list offers a wide range of flavors and aromas: undergrowth, wet stone, mineral notes, and white flowers contrast with animal notes, while freshly cut grass and musky notes are paired with spicy herbs, red berries, and the scent of a broken branch. The list includes both wines from the Old World and from the New World. Each item on the new list has been carefully selected, as the project's chef says: "Food is always wine! Sauce is like wine!"

The creation of the restaurant's cocktail menu was entrusted to the talented Anton Gromov. In a new interpretation of L.E.S., Anton and his team will surprise guests with new cocktails: the vodka is infused with lavender and a blend of 5 peppers, which was created for the "Herbal" cocktail, while the "Pineapple" cocktail includes rum infused with pineapple and celery. For the "Wildberry" cocktail, Anton turns the still wine into sparkling wine using carbonation, and adds a second distinctive touch: a copper bucket infused with raspberries and apricots. The role of "photo-diva" in the new cocktail menu goes to Coco, for whom Anton Gromov's team infuses vodka with blueberries, and Valery Chigarov's pastry team created a charming mascot in the form of a chick from coconut marmalade.

In line with all the other changes, the interior of L.E.S. has also been updated with live plants and dried flowers, including changing installations. Stone, wood, and light are the main materials that form the basis of the project's eco-friendly interior. Most of the tableware was ordered from artisans, and the serving napkins are made from bio-linen and bio-cotton. The handcrafted decorations in the space, such as panels, vases, and other decorative elements, were also ordered from artisans, which the project is very proud of. The stunning bar counter, made from Brazilian quartzite, is not only a visually striking element that immediately draws the eye, but also a strong advocate for the use of eco-friendly materials as the primary solution for the space. The center of attention and the source of countless questions from guests are the special structures with their own microclimate: this innovative system is essentially a futuristic greenhouse, cleverly integrated into the restaurant's design. Inside these structures, Valery Chigarov and Anton Gromov's teams have planted the herbs necessary for use in dishes and cocktails. Sustainability, waste sorting, and minimal artificial lighting are all areas that the creators of the concept have paid special attention to. The restaurant also embraces a dog-friendly policy. In other words, L.E.S. is constantly growing, evolving, and surprising with its transformations!