8a Strastnoy Blvd.

Tel: 7-495-229-2800

Varvary, Anatoly Komm's extravagantly decorated, über-hyped Moscow spot, aims to destroy any remaining perceptions of Russia as an epicurean wasteland. Molecular gastronomy, Komm's decided, is the key to global appreciation. His ten-course "spectacles," performed by white-gloved waiters in the ultra-formal dining room, are a rapid-fire procession of foams, gel spheres, and concoctions that began as typical Russian peasant ingredients like beets, bread, sour cream, and pickled herring. Some are better than others, but the sum total—food, service, atmosphere, and price—could not more perfectly encapsulate the Moscow zeitgeist (set menus, $182–$194).
Tip: Before you hurry home, have a digestif in the elegant lounge upstairs.