Restaurant reviews
Top eateries in Edinburgh and Moscow
[ MOSCOW ]
TOP TABLE
CONRAD HILTON famously said the three most important things about a hotel were “location, location, location,” and his words have been adhered to as religiously by his own chain as competitors.
The Terrace, the restaurant at the top of the Ararat Park Hyatt, bang in central Moscow, is the location where ladies like to be seen – and local businessmen like to oblige them. The views of Red Square, the Bolshoi Theatre and the elegant shopping district south of the TSUM department store (Moscow’s answer to Harvey Nichols) aren’t too bad either.
So what of the food? The new summer menu is the length of a blockbuster, with the drinks list taking up several chapters. The mainly Western European cuisine is strong on salads (from 490 rubles, £10) as you would expect, but this being a five-star Muscovite go-to, specials include the likes of Canadian lobster salad with eggplant caviar and asparagus (990 rubles, £22). Taste and presentation takes equal billing.
But the USP of chic Moscow eateries is that regardless of what cuisine they specialise in, they also offer sushi for the ladies who lunch – both here are beautifully turned out. Robina Dam
The Terrace, Ararat Park Hyatt, 4 Neglinnaya Street, +7 (495) 783 1242, www.hyatt.com
[ EDINBURGH ]
TAPAS ON TAP
WITH THE SUDDEN OVERPOPULATION of the city thanks to all the festivals next month, you’ll be lucky to get a table. That’s where Edinburgh institution Iggs, a fine dining Spanish restaurant, gets to show off its younger sister next door: Barioja, a tapas bar with some outdoor seats and a cool, cavernous basement. It’s good value, with most options between £3.50 and £7.50, and offers imaginative specials. RD
Barioja, 19 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh, +44 (0)131 557 3622, www.barioja.co.uk
