Belleville Review
From Moscowiki
| Belleville |
Cuisine: Beer, European
Address: Leninsky prosp., 57
Metro: Leninskiy Prospect
Tel: 135-5191
Open from 12:00 until 24:00.
All major credit cards are accepted.
Restaurant is closed.
By Polly Dented
The closest metro station to Belleville is Leninsky Prospect, which is just two stops south of the ring line. The only thing I wasn't really prepared for was the actual distance from the metro to the restaurant – it was about a twenty-minute walk at the least. Of course, that 20-minute walk could have been cut into a 5-minute trolleybus ride, but neither of us knew the area very well and decided to stick to the sidewalk.
We were relieved when we finally got there. Belleville's interior is well-lit and inviting, and even though it is once again the 'wood factor' that predominates throughout the restaurant, the light colors and open space reminded me more of a pub you might find in Prague as opposed to your typical Moscow basement-bar. We were seated at a small table near a window, giving us a full view of Leninsky Prospect. We didn't know it then, but that window seat was almost to be the death of us - we soon discovered that the most powerful heaters in all of Moscow had been installed underneath Belleville’s windowsill.
Belleville is literally brand new - it opened on March 5th this year. Nevertheless, although it wasn't jam-packed when we arrived, it certainly was not empty either, which may just mean that favor is shining down on Belleville.
Belleville is themed as a Belgian Beer Restaurant, and offers five Belgian beers on tap, including the ubiquitous Stella Artois (85/125Rbs), a Leffe Blond (155Rbs/0.33L) and Chimay Triple. There are also 17 bottled beers (180-550R) to chose from, and nary a melnik among them. These imported brews include Pauwel Kwak, which is served in a round-bottomed mini yard glass in a wooden holder, and two flavored (raspberry and cherry) beers (two Belleville specialties).
The menu is not overwhelming in volume, and offers a selection of salads, soups, appetizers, mussel dishes (590Rbs), meat and seafood and Belgian specialties (the desserts). Although Belgium is famous for its invention of the French fry, I found no fries, French, Belgian or otherwise, on the menu. But there are waffles...
We started with the beef carpaccio (270Rbs) and the Kamchatka crab legs (570Rbs) with a glass of the Leffe Blonde and one glass of Stella, because I wanted to see if Stella in a Belgian bar would taste any better than Stella from a kiosk. Actually, it did. The Leffe Blond, however, was miles ahead of the Stella in beer terms - full of flavor, a little sweet but not too much. Overall a very nice beer. The crab was fairly good. I have to be fair and admit that I have been spoiled and lucky enough to live on the West Coast of the US, where the Dungeness Crab is fresh, cheap and plentiful. Considering the geographical challenges facing seafood in Moscow, the crab at Belleville was not half bad. In addition to the appetizer, there is also a full entree, should you really want to get your crab on. Mind you the prices aren't cheap, but if you want crab in Moscow, you are going to have to pay for it. The beef carpaccio was excellent and was given just the right amount of dressing, revealing the flavor of the meat without overpowering it.
Next were the entrees. I decided to be boring and ordered a Caesar with chicken (270Rbs) (you can also order a Caesar with Kamchatka crab), while pengwn9 ordered the salmon steak (650Rbs). The Caesar was almost perfect, certainly one of the best I've had in Moscow. I was particularly pleased with the thin slices of fresh Parmesan. The dressing was excellent, not at all mayonnaise-y. Pengwn9's salmon was, she said, fabulous and fresh. The only real disappointment was the brussel sprouts that came with the salmon. That is not to say they were prepared badly at all. They were pretty good for brussel sprouts. But for most Americans, brussel sprouts have been and forever will be right up there with lima beans and other foods grown specifically for torturing young children. But the mashed potatoes - and, well, especially the superb salmon - made it all OK.
As for refreshing beverages, pengwn9 could not resist another Leffe Blond, and I decided to try the Pauwel Kwak, which had a very distinct wine-like taste and was very sweet, and struck me as rather strong. Personally, not my favorite. The novelty of drinking with an awkward wooden holder also wears off rather quickly.
At this point I should, or maybe I shouldn't, mention that we were hot. Really, really hot. Sweating. Boiling. Melting. I may have lost five pounds by just sitting there next to that heater, which I imagined having been set to 'volcano hot' like in the cartoons. I probably should have said something, but I didn't feel comfortable asking the waiter to change the restaurant's whole temperature on my account. Although I'm pretty sure he would have done it anyway. The service was really excellent - attentive, but not overbearing.
To end the evening, we decided to try two more beers and the chocolate fondue, which is priced at 450Rbs for a 2-person portion. The dark-chocolate fondue is served with squares of Belgian waffles and chunks of kiwi, banana, apricot and strawberries. This dessert definitely gets two thumbs up, and pengwn9 even said it was one of the best things she's ever tried, ever. The word 'scrumptious' was used, as were many other words of praise and perhaps even worship.
Since the blazing heat beside me had started to make me feel woozy, I got all wussy and ordered another Stella as my last beer. Thankfully, pengwn9 was braver than I and opted for Belleville's Chimay Triple, which was undoubtedly the best beer we had tried all evening. I would go back just to have another go at that beer, seated further away from the heater of course. And I have no doubt whatsoever that pengwn9 is considering going back for another round of chocolate fondue.
All in all, we had an excellent dinner and overall experience at Belleville, and I would certainly recommend giving it a try if you have the cash – not everything on the menu is affordable to the average expat. And for those who pooh-pooh anything beyond the ring line: give it a shot! Venture out beyond the Garden Ring - there’s good stuff to be had!
04.04.05.
