There’s no Place Like Home

Homemade food served in a warm home-like ambience is what Moscow's restaurant market has been lacking for years. MariVanna by Ginza Project fits this niche perfectly. The concept takes people back to the food their grannies used to make. The restaurant itself is designed as an old private flat belonging to an imaginary hostess, Maria Ivanovna, who happens to be a very good cook and likes to treat her friends and neighbours. Launched in St. Petersburg in 2006, MariVanna was such a success that its owners took the decision to open the second outlet in Moscow in 2008. The restaurant is quite small (70 sq m/45 seats) and has two rooms, a library and a dining-room, both richly decorated with old books, black-and-white pictures, figurines and large jars of pickles and home-made jam. The menu is 90% Russian with a slight European touch and home-like manner of serving. MariVanna is open from 9 am to midnight for breakfast, lunch (served  weekdays for RUB799/€18 and called brunch) and dinner. The average bill comes to RUB1,500/€35. The favourites are traditional dishes, such as borsch (RUB350/€8), Russian salad (RUB390/€9) and fish and meat cutlets and mashed potatoes (RUB499/€11.5). While waiting for their meals, guests can play with the hostess' pets: Venya the cat, Shurik the dog, Pavlusha the canary and Petya the fish. The third MariVanna was opened in New York City in the summer of 2009. www.marivanna.ru