My First Post
Welcome to my first post!
I am starting this blog with a restaurant review. I like food and I love great food. When there are so many restaurants around, each promising to deliver something amazing or new, it is hard to discern which one to visit.
I am generally sceptical of any list which sets out the best restaurants in any city, let alone the world, but there must be a reason why such lists exist There is the Michelin Guide, the traveller’s choice award by Tripadvisor and then there is the World’s Best Restaurants – a much coveted list of restaurants which endeavour to elevate food to a higher level.
So, join me as I dine in restaurants listed in the World’s Best Restaurants. As I am currently based in Russia, I will start with Russian restaurants which made it to the list (in Moscow - White Rabbit (No.13), Twins Gardens (No. 19) and Seflie (No. 65)) / in Saint Petersburg – Harvest (92) and Cococo (No. 104).
Please note that the above rankings are based on the 2019 list. The release of the 2020 list was delayed due to Covid and is now scheduled to be released in June of 2021.
Once travel restrictions are lifted, I will visit all of the other restaurants in the list.
Selfie
Based on the list, Selfie is the third best restaurant in Moscow. I have been to Selfie before - the first time was in February of 2019 (my very first month of moving to Moscow from London) and I remembered my experience then as good but not something to rave about. I have been to so many restaurants in Moscow and I must say that there are better options which should make it to the World’s Best Restaurants.
Nonetheless, I would like to give Selfie another chance and decided to visit it again two years after.
Overview
Selfie is located next to the Kudrinskaya Square Building, one of the seven Stalinist skyscraper buildings more popularly known as the Seven Sisters. Its imposing façade is representative of the architectural style of the time. Selfie itself is housed on the second floor of the Noviskiy Passazh Shopping Centre. Upon entering the shopping centre, a private lift on your left will take you to Selfie’s reception area.
Selfie was opened in 2014 – the very next year in which ‘Selfie’ was named as word of the year by Oxford Dictionaries. It is owned by the White Rabbit Family – the same owner of the White Rabbit, which is currently ranked as the best restaurant in Russia and 13th best in the world by the World’s Best Restaurants. It is currently headed by star chef Anatoly Kazakov.
Selfie’s interior is designed by renowned Moscow architect Valery Lizunov – it is very light and elegant. The lighting is particularly good and Selfie may be a good option for romantic first dates. Generally, the crowd is sophisticated. You can tell that this is a favourite hang out place of Russia’s moneyed elite. Moscovites generally like to dress up and smart casual attire is standard. Despite the name, I did not see Instagram selfie brandishing vloggers and the restaurant generally preserves a formal but not uptight atmosphere.
Our table backs into a large window with a panoramic view of the Garden Ring Road and the Arbat district further afield. I would recommend you to reserve this table. Alternatively, you can book a table next to the open theatre kitchen – where you can watch the chefs at work.
Food
There is an emphasis on using seasonal products (there is an entire menu on truffle) and local produce (for example, seafood from Sakhalin and duck from Rostov). Selfie uses ingredients from 15 regions of Russia. The quality of the ingredients used translates to the taste of the food.
To start, we had mini snacks to complement our wine (Selfie has an extensive wine collection, including high quality wines from Krasnodar and Crimea). We had bruschetta of crab, avocado and chili sauce and duck pate with black truffle. I loved both – in fact, these snacks are the highlight of my experience at Selfie. I hate it when restaurants advertise crab in the menu and gave you so little of it. However, Selfie provides a generous serving of crab and the kick of the chili is just right especially when eaten with the avocado. The duck pate is equally impressive – the texture is silky, the seasoning is balanced and the sprinkle of black truffle is divine.
Complementary Starter
Crab, Avocado and Chili Bruschetta
I then had the crab and shrimp ravioli for starter. Again, generous serving of seafood. The pasta is light and delicately flavored. For mains, I had the dorado fish with black rice, fennel and green curry. There is clear Asian influence in Selfie’s dishes and they do it well. The fish is well-cooked, the black rice tender and the green curry is just perfect (although my Asian friends would probably think it needs a little more spice).
Crab and Shrimp Ravioli
Dorado, Black Rice, Fennel and Green Curry
For dessert, I had the panna cotta, sorrel, sour milk ice cream and tarragon curd. This dish jumped out of the menu and I was feeling adventurous. It does not look particularly well on paper but the blend of the flavors is genius. It is an amazing dessert.
Panna Cotta, Sour Milk Ice Cream, Sorrel and Tarragon Curd
As for the staff, we were provided with attentive service. As with most upmarket restaurants in Moscow, there is an English menu and the staff has a good command of English.
Verdict
Selfie is an excellent restaurant which deserves to be in the World’s Best Restaurants list. However, I still think that there are other restaurants in Moscow which should rank higher than Selfie e.g. Savva, Beluga and Buono.
Please see the video below of my experience of the restaurant. Please subscribe to my mailing list and my Youtube Channel to be notified of my new posts.
Have you been to Selfie? What did you think of it? Let me know which restaurant you would like me to visit next. Please comment below.
3rd BEST Restaurant in Russia | Dining at Selfie Moscow Full Tour | World's Best Restaurant