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If you want to find in All-Time Bar the stamp of the famous Moscow bartender Dmitry Sokolov, compare it not with Sokolov’s earlier experiments like Tema Bar or Help, but with the later Dream Bar. After developing a fair amount of lively youth projects, Sokolov put his efforts into a new direction: an informal bar for wealthy and accomplished people. The timeless interior, with yellowed Soviet newspapers deftly pasted on brick walls, stucco ceilings, red-white sofas and subtle allusions to the decadent 90’s with their abundance of mirrors and baroque chandeliers, is not conducive so much to dancing on the bar, as to peaceful consumption of cocktails in close company. The atmosphere is more meditative than gleeful, with unobtrusive music and dimmed lighting that is carefully maintained even in the daytime, so as not to disturb those who have come here for a business breakfast at a table, a romantic dinner on the balcony, or to make alcoholic libations at the bar.

But All-Time Bar’s main role is as a pre-party venue, the start of a night out clubbing. Even having missed a few drinks in the early evening, it is unlikely anyone would want to linger here until the morning. The name itself, All-Time Bar, refers to not only the bar’s opening hours, but also to the content of the bar menu, where classic recipes, such as Margarita, Manhattan or Daiquiri rub shoulders with Sokolov’s own mixes. Among the latter is the Intrigue on a base of cognac with a drop of aged balsamic vinegar, In her eyes, which is a rum base with a complex aftertaste made up of pear, tangerine, pineapple and cranberry, and the fresh, herby and tart Experiment #1 of vodka with lemon grass, basil and elder. Sweet mixes are represented by the viscous Way of Life #2 of vanilla sambuca with pieces of mascarpone and the thick Dream B52 with vanilla ice cream. Many of the original cocktails featured on the menu are highlighted orange, which on Sokolov’s menu denotes a special category of ‘power-mix’ cocktails for recharging. These ‘orange’ cocktails are an integral part of a classic pre-party, aiming to invigorate guests after work, before they head out for an eventful night.

Bar snacks have been reclassified here into food in its own right, with soups, hot dishes and desserts. Start the day with syrniki, semolina, or an omelet. Fill up during the day with a business lunch, perhaps one of the set lunch menus with alcohol. Later on you could try one of the special house burgers, for example lamb steak with Asian spices, veal cutlet with poached egg, or the eternally relevant “New York” steak. It is worth dropping in at any time, not just to drink, but also for a satisfying munch. After all, it is the All-Time Bar!