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taking the michael

Michael’s on Tverskoi Bulvar perfectly combines a well thought-out menu, understated decor and intimate surroundings, making it suitable for any occasion, be it a girl’s night out, an important business meeting or a romantic rendezvous.

PHOTO GEORGY NIKANOROV / TEXT AYANO HODOUCHI feedback

After a tough week at the office, there’s nothing better than treating yourself to a great meal in a restaurant on a Friday night. Except if you’re doing a review and the whole thing is free. I was especially lucky this week, however, to be sent to review Michael’s on Tverskoi Bul. Prior to reconstruction, Na Melnitse used to stand in its place. Its owner, Mikhail Gokhner, who still has another Na Melnitse at Krasniye Vorota and also owns the El Gaucho chain and Bocconcino amongst others, decided he is now important enough a restaurateur to merit a place named after himself. Fittingly, there are photos of several other Michaels — Michael Douglas, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Michael Caine — on the walls. This may sound a bit crass, but, believe it or not, it isn’t. The decor is of the subtle, understated perfection achieved only by painstaking attention to every detail. There is definitely an emphasis on wood; the front door handle is of wood, the washroom sink is fashioned out of the trunk of a tree, and woodwork imported from India acts as both a partition and decoration. The ceiling is also made of oak bars, giving a sense of height and space. The same oak bars line one wall, housing bottles of wine and liquor. Leather, too, plays a discreet yet important role — the chairs are covered with taut leather and a curtain made of leather strips divides the area to the washing rooms. The textiles are of muted colors of olive, moss green and beige — muted yet chic. However, by far the most outstanding feature was the lighting. Soon after we were seated, the lighting was dimmed considerably, so that each table was lit by a spotlight from the ceiling, much as a candle might light up only a small circle. In the exquisite semi-darkness one could enjoy a real sense of privacy, undisturbed by the movements of the waiting staff and other patrons.

The menu was Italian with an accent on seafood, and the waiter assured us that not only the wines and olives, but also the chef was flown in fresh from Italy. My dining companion therefore chose a heady red Italian wine, the 2006 Chianti Classico (750 rubles). After greedily reading the menu, we decided on langouste with spinach and octopus salad (both 850 rubles). Her langouste and spinach came with strips of anchovies, marrying well with the dark green leaves. My octopus salad came on a bed of arugula, sprinkled generously with black olives and capers; and I was pleasantly surprised by the contrast between the salty elements and the tender pieces of octopus and fragrant leaves. Both our salads were liberally sprinkled with quality olive oil; so light that we forgot it was oil and that we were both supposed to be on a diet.

Munching on a plate of wonderfully matured parmesan (320 rubles) and excellent green olives courtesy of the chef, we awaited our mains, which arrived promptly. A great lover of porcini, my companion asked for tagliolini with porcini (600 rubles), and I settled for frutti di mare pizza. (750 rubles). I was delighted that the tomato sauce was obviously made of fresh tomatoes, not canned or paste, and the paper thin pizza was the best I had had in a long time. The porcini met with complete approval from the mushroom expert across the table, as did the homemade pasta.

The portions were generous and we had definitely eaten much more than was good for us, but when the young waiter asked if he should bring the dessert menu, both of us nodded briskly without a word. After much agonizing, I chose a millefeuille with raspberries (750 rubles) and she decided on an almond nougat with caramel and berries (550 rubles). My millefeuille looked exactly the way it should, with neat rows of raspberries sitting on a bed of cream spread on a pie sheet, stacked into a neat cube. The cream seemed a bit bland and the raspberries too tart, until I poured all the coulis on it — the sweetened coulis brought the whole combination of creaminess, tartness and sweetness up to a perfect pitch. The nougat was very curious; unlike anything we had ever tasted, and also came with a little vial of coulis. Her coulis was strawberry with cinnamon, and restrained in sweetness to offset the sweet nougat.

We stayed long after the sweets were finished; we were so comfortable we just didn’t want to leave. Tverskoi Bul. is pretty busy even at night, but we could only see the luxury vehicles passing by, not hear them, which was a pleasant treat. At the same time in the center of this glamorous city and still ensconced in privacy, I could not think of a better place to go for a well-deserved treat.