Stolovaya 57@Moscow revisited (Столовая №57 в ГУМе)

yearly quick layover in Moscow and the already customary refill at Stolovaya 57. This time we were too early for lunch, so our options were limited to a long array of mouth-watering zakuski (starters), filled pancakes, various omeletters and traditional Russian breakfast porridges. We gave the latter, treacly with milk and sugar, a wide berth as and plumped for a selection of savoury starters:

• slices of grille aubergine filled with garlicky paste,
• smoked salmon stuffed with some kind of nutty paste and salmon roe on half a hard-boiled egg,
• salad made of julienned chicken breast, cucumbers and celery.
  

To go with tea we got a delightfully lightcherry strudel and a potato-and-mushroom pie.

Cottage cheese pie - a typical Russian breakfast staple - and a cottage cheese filled pancake are the mains. Everything is cooked to perfection, the only wee trifle to pick on is eggs can be boiled without the yolk turning grey on the outside - a good chef will know the simple trick, otherwise give me a call! The staff are quick and courteous. As is already customary, I take forty winks before our dash to the airport. Our stomachs are happy!

Pro's: Great food.
Con's: A bit pricey. Loud piped-in music.
In a nutshell: All real well-cooked Russian classics in one place.