One of the most mentioned restaurants in Moscow is Pushkin. The reputation is of an extremely ornate interior, high food prices, possibly the attraction of tourists and only a select group of locals. The prices aren't actually all that much compared to typical Australia ($10 entree, $20-25 mains are quite cheap given the setting) so I wasn't too fussed.
I had read about the mushroom pelmeni, but thought I'd try something more unique to the restaurant. The French-Russian cuisine wouldn't be on my food trip anywhere else. The dishes were well presented and nicely cooked. I think the flavours were fine but nothing that made the meal more memorable than other places in Russia. I suppose I preferred the things more simple and homely during that trip.
- Trout stuffed with vegetable mousse, crayfish, mushrooms and asparagus garnish;
- Cafe Pushkin dessert - a dome of chocolate and sliced almonds with an ice-cream and sponge.
Apparently I was seated in the Pharmacy, and there is a whole differently decorated section called the Library (which looks even more spectacular and has the same menu with higher prices). I suppose I would go again to enjoy that atmosphere, although the prices between my experience and now seem to have gone up by 20% and the Library menu is another 10-20% more than that. I'll have to consider...