Bland Opening

2.5/5 Stars

We were excited that Traktir Pushkin's second branch had undergone major renovations. But while impressed by highly efficient and tri-lingual service and a pleasant interior, we found the food to be generally mediocre and inauthentic.

The generous bowls of borsch (¥14) are, unlike in the older branch of Traktir, watered down and lacking in seasoning, but we were satisfied with the hearty pieces of meat. Shredded ham salad (¥14) with egg, cucumber and carrot and cheese salad (¥24) with croutons are both over-eggy and failed to meet our expectations. The chicken Kiev (¥32) and pan-fried mutton with onion (¥34) are both served with mashed potatoes, vegetables and an excellent coleslaw on the side. The lamb is decent, but the chicken underwhelming. The highlights of our meal proved to be the simplest—homemade Russian pickles (¥5) and dark bread (¥4). The restaurant offers kvas, a traditional Russian summer drink (¥10/small, ¥20/large) made from fermented bread. Unfortunately, the Chinese-produced beverage doesn’t taste anything like real kvas and is more reminiscent of bread dough miraculously squeezed into a bottle.

The newly renovated Traktir is preparing some new items for its summer menu, which we hope will improve our next experience at the restaurant. In an area with such an abundance of both Russians and Russian restaurants, Traktir should seriously work on its food offerings to attract crowds who value quality over mere quantity.

Inna Levinson