It was wise to wait before entering this more competitive and less forgiving market. In the first days after Tinkoff's opening in Russia's beer capital back in mid-1998, customers had to put up with slow service, warm beer and staff who had yet to figure out that tilting the glass helps avoid pouring a mug full of froth.
Those teething problems were all overcome long ago, and the beer has improved drastically as well.
The new Moscow outlet is a slick operation with gray, industrial-chic decor and huge, gleaming brewing vats visible from the dining room -- vaguely similar to the St. Pete branch but less glitzy and more relaxed. Downstairs there's a smaller, wooden pub section and -- you guessed it -- a sushi bar.
The beer is sure to satisfy the most demanding connoisseurs. There are six original draft brews: Light unfiltered lager (149 rubles per half-liter), white unfiltered beer (159 rubles), Zolotoye or "Gold" unfiltered lager (159 rubles), dark unfiltered beer (159 rubles), Platinovoye or "Platinum" unfiltered (179 rubles), and platinum filtered beer (179 rubles). Unfiltered beer, by the way, is a cloudy brew that's rich in B-group vitamins, so let that be your justification for trying all of them if the fabulous taste isn't reason enough on its own. There's also a selection of beer cocktails.
The food is great too, and the menu extensive. You can't go wrong with the wood-oven pizza on the Italian menu, which also includes calzone and pasta. We went for the Pizza Tinkoff with ham, peppers, zucchini, mozzarella, parmesan and tomato sauce (359 rubles), which was light and delicious.
There are also plenty of salads, soups and a wide range of meat, fish, seafood and game starters and mains.
The sight of a waitress marching across the room bearing a meter-long sausage (899 rubles) drew our attention to the Bavarian section of the menu, where we discovered more sausage choices plus duck, pork haunches and ribs.
There are beer snacks galore, including wings (429 rubles), and corn chips (99 rubles) with salsa (39 rubles). True beer gourmets won't be able to resist the vobla -- that stinky, salty, dried-up old fish that's the traditional king of beer accompaniments in Russia. Although the fun is usually in bashing it on the table to soften the skin, peeling it and picking the scant bits of flesh off the bones, here all that work is done for you, and for 219 rubles you get a nice plateful of neat strips to chew on. It's expensive, but at least it's more than the usual skin and bones.
11 Protochny Pereulok. Metro Smolenskaya. Tel. 777-3300. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.