Russian cuisine, generally, is not the most sophisticated or exciting. Authenticity also means that a few dishes might taste a little one-or-two-dimensional. It also exploits only a limited range of ingredients, and accordingly, it might not be to everybody’s taste..
I personally love it.
We went on a Tuesday. The restaurant was packed. It's a really popular spot. We started with a selection of complimentary rye bread – plain, seeded, herb. It was wonderful. I also loved my traditional Russian salad – just carefully dressed with creamy mayo. The texture – carrot, potato, peas and pickles – came alive in my mouth. Proper comfort food...
The next starter impressively showed the closeness of Russia to the Middle East. An Aubergine Caviar , again served with gorgeous toasted brown bread, was just another version of babaganoush. Very nice..
I fell hard for Mari Vanna’s Blinis with salmon. These were not traditional blinis...They looked and tasted exactly like crepes. Served with sour cream, subtly smoked salmon and freshly grated horseradish, I could have eaten a whole bunch of them.
We admittedly overdid it a bit with the starters and therefore didn't order any main courses.
We paid about £150 for food only, excluding the wine. It's a bit pricey for a meal based on starters I admit. I was not sure the price tag justified the food we had...Obviously this restaurant is aimed at wealthy expatriate Russians based in London.
I would go back at some point as I was really intrigued by the main courses and the afternoon tea menu but I definitely won't be a regular.
116 Knightsbridge
Wellington Court
London
SW1X 7PJ
Tel. 020 7225 3122, 020 31595390
www.marivanna.co.uk
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