Lumicino

William Lambert's restaurant, La cucina di Uilliam, features a menu of family Italian recipes and signature dishes.

Lumicino is a cozy, home-like restaurant with Italian cuisine, a wood-fired oven, and a cocktail and wine list that offers a journey of flavors. The name, which translates to "spark" in Italian, evokes the feeling of warmth and connection that the restaurant aims to create. Since 2022, Lumicino has been a place where guests can celebrate family values, the warmth of home, and the joy of spending time with friends, colleagues, and loved ones. At Lumicino, every guest understands that travel is not just about visiting other cities and countries, but also about escaping the everyday and discovering unique places and flavors through stories, heartfelt emotions, and carefully curated artifacts.

The interior design is a unique interpretation of Italy. It's understated and cozy, with simple white tablecloths, fresh pomegranates, and colorful cutlery holders created using 3D technology. The journey begins at the entrance, where guests are given a key-like tag instead of a traditional coat check number. For some, it will be a reminder of a hotel room key, while for others, it will be a symbol of the discoveries that inevitably happen when traveling to different parts of the world. The atmosphere of the main room is created by details that are handmade and meaningful. For example, the pepper and salt shakers are made of wood with a texture similar to the chairs and bag stands. They resemble logs stacked in a fireplace and echo the wine cooler stands. One wall features a collage of frames, with images hidden from view. This creates a sense of mystery and encourages guests to imagine their own stories. In the smaller, more intimate room, there is a table with a view of the open kitchen, where the aroma of freshly baked bread and cheese from the wood-fired oven fills the air.

The menu features dishes and drinks inspired by the flavors and aromas of different Italian regions, as well as memories of travels and fantasies about new cities. The kitchen team, led by Executive Chef Timur Ismailov and Chef Yuri Malkerov, brings these culinary visions to life. A traditional Italian meal always begins with antipasti, and at Lumicino, highlights include arancini with seafood and black caviar, and savory cannoli with stracciatella and shrimp. For appetizers and salads, try the "peasant" salad, vitello tonnato, or beef tartare with black truffle and crispy potato "patties," which add an interesting textural element. Next to it is the classic fried mixed seafood, "fritto misto." Each region has its own version: in Rome, they use artichokes and zucchini flowers, in Naples, eggplant and mozzarella, and at Lumicino, they prefer the classic version with seafood, a light and crispy batter, and homemade tartar sauce. The heart of the restaurant is the wood-fired oven, where Neapolitan pizza is baked with the characteristic "leopard spots" (the dark markings on the crust that indicate proper baking temperature and even heat distribution). You can choose from classic pizzas or try unique combinations like pizza with prosciutto and potato, or pizza with seafood and red caviar. Continuing the carbohydrate theme, there are pasta and risotto dishes: lasagna Vincigrassi with chicken liver, a recipe from the Marche region; risotto "Limoncello" with raw Argentine shrimp and a drizzle of homemade liqueur; or risotto with mussels, which have a hint of Indian curry, transforming a Piedmontese classic into a dish with an Indian twist. Lumicino is a restaurant about family, and in every family, everyone has their own tastes. It's a challenge to please everyone, but it's possible because the goal is to bring joy and love to all. Therefore, for those who don't want pasta or pizza, there are dishes with meat, poultry, and fish. Guests especially enjoy the roasted chicken with potatoes and Tagiasca olives, the diet-friendly sea bass "alla diavola" in a spicy tomato sauce, and the tuna meatballs, a recipe from Palermo with unexpected ingredients like raisins and pine nuts. The traditions of Italian tea time are celebrated at Lumicino with a touch of homey warmth: there's the classic tiramisu, an assortment of cookies and candies for the whole family, or "cannoli 1+1=4" with two crispy fried pastry tubes and four fillings: pistachio cream with lemon confit, coconut cream, and berry confit.

The bar menu features cocktails inspired by cities and regions, each with its own story that transports guests to new places, revealing their flavors and legends. The floral cocktail "Pisa," made with gin, vermouth, and tea-infused Riesling, evokes the region's main attraction (and it's not the Leaning Tower). The spicy "Cheda" spritz, made with chinotto, gin, and sage cordial, transports you to the town of Cherda, the birthplace of artichokes. The citrusy Lumicino sour, with limoncello, cinnamon foam, and the aroma of lemon pie, reminds us that every person we meet has a spark within them that may not be immediately apparent, but can be seen with time. A special place on the shelf is reserved for liqueurs with bright flavors and colors: homemade limoncello, fragolino made with fresh strawberries, and nocino made with young walnuts. The wine list focuses on coastal regions of the Mediterranean. The sommelier, Anton Suzdalsky, has created a "wine journey" that takes you from the lesser-known wines of the Marche region to the island gems of Sardinia and Sicily, and then to the regions of Europe around the "boot."

At Lumicino, like in a real Italian home where a large family lives, something is always happening, and it's impossible to be bored. Birthday celebrations are always heartfelt and fun. Guests are invited to play a "gastronomic journey" game around Italy. The rules are simple: toss colored dice onto a stylized map of the country, take the required number of steps, and receive a culinary gift inspired by the region you "arrive" in. If you land on the Amalfi Coast, the birthday person will be served the signature cocktail with a citrusy limoncello and strawberry cordial. If you land on Emilia-Romagna, you'll be served affogato with pistachio ice cream, as that's where the recipe for pistachio ice cream was first created. On Mondays, there are "Not-So-Innocent Mondays," when you can bring your own bottle of wine without a corkage fee. From Monday to Wednesday, you can enjoy oysters "Rose Jolie" at a special price of 390 rubles. And on weekends, you can enjoy homemade breakfasts from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, which combine the spirit of Italian home cooking with modern trends: from beloved porridges with unusual combinations to Benedict with polenta instead of brioche, and the most beautiful cheesecakes with pistachio cream. Even the little ones are well taken care of. There's a special, delicious, and slightly magical children's menu with vegetable salad, a meatball soup, homemade chicken nuggets, and a "Lumibu" dessert, a popular modern character made with edible vanilla cream and food coloring.