5642 Vysota

Arkady Novikov's  restaurant on Bolshoi Cherkassky Pereulok is the first to bring authentic Circassian cuisine to Moscow. 5642 Vysota's loft-inspired interior features an open kitchen that runs the length of the restaurant and a separate bar area. Brightly colored artworks by Eduardo Mazlo soften the harsh, industrial tone set by the exposed pipes overhead. 

Novikov's partners, restaurateurs Madina Kanokova and Albina Chechenova, make sure that the food is prepared according to age-old Circassian recipes, and Nalchik-born chef Zhanna Khashpakova keeps a sharp eye on its authenticity. "Food should be natural, alive, and genuine," she said. "I remember how my grandmother used to make Kabardian food. She taught me her recipes. I knead all the dough by hand, without any newfangled techniques or contraptions." 

Everything is made from ingredients specially delivered from Nalchik and Maykop, including meat, poultry, sour cream, honey, and even herbs and spices. Lovers of ethnic cuisine can finally enjoy exotic flavors in a cosmopolitan setting. "Comfortable," "contemporary," and "warm" are the words that come to mind when describing 5642 Vysota. And in case you were wondering, the name refers to the height of Mt. Elbrus, the tallest mountain in Europe.

We recommend: lyagur (beef jerky with the aroma of nettles), khychin with beet leaf and cheese (paper-thin dough with filling), dalan with potatoes and spices (also known as "Kabardian pie") and gedlibje (chicken in sour cream sauce) with cold, corn-wheat mamaliga. For dessert, try the hot mousse pelamushi with ground walnuts. Cornelian cherry jam and mint goes great with tea.

Cuisine: Circassian/Georgian/European

Atmosphere: hip, urban cafe

The Crowd: artists, creative minds, businessmen, foreigners

Tags: Circassian food