Despite Pescatore’s location next to Strelka bar on Bolotny Island — Moscow’s hipster heartland — the eatery caters to an entirely different audience. With its ostentatious fish-themed decor, a visit to Pescatore is like stepping through a time warp to the heyday of the nouveau riche.
Restaurateur Andrei Zaitsev, Pescatore’s owner, is best known for working with chains like Goodman Steak House, Filimonova and Yankel Fish House. A semi-professional angler in his spare time, it’s clear Zaitsev’s passion for seafood has seeped into his latest project.
An open kitchen and a mountain of ice displaying the restaurant’s choicest seafood greets visitors to the restaurant. Sometimes a fresh catch by the owner is offered as a special dish. On our visit this was a wild salmon that Zaitsev had brought over from Iceland. Diners can ask for items on display to be prepared to their specifications.
Mido Mustafa, an Egyptian who specializes in Italian cuisine, heads up the kitchen. His seafood credentials are advertised on the restaurant website via a video of him handling and butchering various items on the menu — set, of course, to thumping music.
The extensive menu prudently indicated that all dishes might not be available. Your best bet is to ask the attentive waiters for their recommendations and hope that whatever they suggest doesn’t break the bank.
There’s a raw bar with sashimi (from 450 rubles per 100 grams), as well as tartar (from 1,470 rubles) and a wide selection of oysters, including from northern Russia and the Far East (from 220 rubles each). Feeling decadent? Try the fresh sea urchin, a rare find in Moscow (890 rubles per 100 grams).
If you’re in the mood for something hot, try the whole squid with mashed potatoes (1,050 rubles). You can also check out the Italian part of the menu — including the delightful ravioli with crabmeat from Russia’s Kamchatka region (990 rubles). The tiramisu is the chef’s own interpretation of the classic dessert (650 rubles).
Pair your meal with a glass of wine from the extensive offering and enjoy the ebb and flow of the crowds meandering around the island.
+7 (499) 963 8133
16/9 Bersenevskaya Naberezhnaya, Metro Kropotkinskaya, Polyanka
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