The literary café phenomenon first popped up in the 18th-century Enlightenment period in Europe, presenting itself as a place where kindred intellectual and artistic spirits would cross-pollinate—and we only assume they got hammered too once in a while. As of late, a modern equivalent has appeared in downtown Moscow, pulling a crowd of brainy hipsters to its doorstep. Founded by three young Muscovites with a combined background in real estate and design, in addition to a shared interest in literature, the Shortlist bar a tightly curated selection of books with signature cocktails and other drinks. The establishment sits on the ground floor of a stately 19th-century building on the northern stretch of Ulitsa Petrovka, a thoroughfare best known for its cluster of high-end boutiques further south, and sees an interior designed by the founders themselves. Shortlist features two rooms and sees an interior inspired by Mid-Century Modern design, and the majority of furniture pieces have been carefully sourced from vintage boutiques and flea markets. The main room features a large bar with stools and pendant lamps, and additional seating arrangements. The adjacent room is smaller and has its own bar, but here, it’s the bookshelves which define the space, paired with a reading table and additional seating arrangements. As a cocktail bar, Shortlist‘s menu features a wide range of concoctions with witty names, in addition to various small bar bites, soup options and desserts.
Shortlist
Ulitsa Petrovka 26/3 (Tverskaya)
127051 Moscow
Telephone: +7 499 9646626
Mon-Thu 12pm-1am
Fri-Sat 12pm-3am
Sun 12pm-1am
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.
