Anyone who has ever traversed the urban fold of the Russian capital knows it’s full of gems on a few levels, but it’s hospitality that stands out with its fast-evolving scene. Tucked away in a side street in Arbat, a historic downtown neighbourhood, a quirky Levantine eatery has popped up, drawing hordes of gourmets from across Moscow to its doorstep. Called Abu Gosh after a village in the hills just outside Jerusalem, it occupies a restored early 20th-century pavilion in neoclassical style by architect Konstantin Burov, and forms part of the so-called Lopatins Estate, a historic architectural site which barely escaped rigid urban redevelopment. At just 22 sqm. (237 sq.ft.), it’s a very compact space, and following a revamp by local architecture practice Studio Shoo, the premises look fresh and bright with a playful edge. The setting is framed by exposed white bricks dipped in a white hue, a timbered ceiling, and glazed tile flooring.
One side of Abu Gosh is occupied by a seating area furnished with custom-made items, including a variety of tables, chairs, stools and decorative elements in eye-popping pink and other bright colours. The vintage 1950s light fixtures have been carefully sourced, and add to the restaurant’s unique vibe. A fully equipped open kitchen occupies the other side of the space, featuring a counter covered in identical tiles as the floor and matching white and blue tiles on the walls. Supervising Abu Gosh‘s kitchen is Lebanese-born chef Basem Zain who honed his skills at other popular Middle Eastern eateries in town, and he has put on the menu a range of simple yet tasty bites from the Holy Land, such as Falafel, Hummus, Laffa and Shakshuka, paired with desserts, coffees, teas and soft drinks.
Abu Gosh
Pereulok Svitsev Vrazhek 42 (Arbat)
119002 Moscow
Telephone: +7 495 2269202
Daily 9am-11pm
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
