Agree with Anthony. I will give Buddies a chance simply because the management seems open to constructive criticism and committed to improving their restaurant. This is something which is completely absent on the Moscow hospitality market. Moscow is a place where the "customer is always wrong". Moscow is a place where you pay top dollar for rubbish. A place where whatever you order is "nyetu". If I want potatoes with my chicken instead of vegetables, this would be fine in any other city. In Moscow I would never DARE to try to change something on the menu, because the answer will always be "nyet, nevozmozhno". Just hope to god that your meal is not spoilt in some way, if you try to demonstrate your food is not up to scratch then you are AUTOMATICALLY WRONG and an idiot. If you ask them to take the bad food back and order something else instead then you will be paying for both meals. Moscow is the only place I've ever been where you have to shout at the waiters to get their attention. I could never imagine shouting "BOY" or "GIRL" in any other place on Earth (though I'm not very well travelled). But in the end, every place you go is full. You can't get a seat anywhere on a Friday or Saturday night (unless, of course, you leave a "depozit" of 1500 rubles per person several days in advance). It's unbelievable that people are paying so much money to be disappointed by the food and insulted by the waiters (ok, the service is not always offensive, but 99% of the time, you leave the restaurant feeling agitated instead of satisfied).
Favourites: Darbar - Leninsky Prospekt True Indian service. I've never waited more than 30 seconds for a beer here. I've been there three times and got a discount every time, though I have no idea why... Plus free ice-cream and dessert on my birthday. Yes, I said "FREE"... in Moscow. Skaza Vostoka - Frunzenskaya Naberezhnaya (on a boat) Good food, good prices, extremely efficient service. I'm always surprised at this place. Been there about 12 times. Try the hatchapuri. Lootch - Bolshaya Pirogovskaya I'm sure most of you have heard of it. I think the quality of cocktails is very good here for Moscow. Although it is quite expensive, the prices are definitely justified. Service could be worse. Good atmosphere. Recently booked a table here for a Saturday night and was NOT asked to make a depozit! Shaurma kiosks (especially the one outside Real McCoy, and the one nearby Polyanka metro). At least here, you're getting what you pay for. I've had some bad ones, but, in the end, my level of satisfaction is far higher than after eating at a Moscow restaurant Worst: In general I hate almost all Moscow restaurants, but there are some which really stand out: Beloe Solntse Pustynya - Trubnaya Can someone explain why the Sweet and Sour Chicken costs 750 rubles? I ate it in about 1.5 minutes, and thought it was crap. Went home and made it myself for a fraction of the price and thought it was brilliant. This place is one of the worst I've been to recently. None the less, there were very few empty tables. I got the feeling that the people at the next tables were quite impressed - 10 points to this restaurant for its screwing capabilities!! Vrednye Privichki - Chistiye Prudy The name says it all. Bad habits of post-Soviet service. Walked in, no-one met us at the door. Stood there for several minutes. Noticed several waiters standing by the bar chatting, ignoring us. Had to go and physically tap them on the shoulder to "activate" them, so we could sit down. Sat us at the only table where the lamp didn't work. Asked to move to the neighboring table(s) where the lamps were working. "Nevozmozhno". Resisted the urge to pick up the lamp and smash it over the waiter's head. Eventually just stood up and moved to the table with the working lamp. Nothing was said. Food wasn't too bad though. Service was extremely rude. Didn't leave a single ruble tip out of spite. Kofe Khauz (Coffee House) - it's everywhere, when you see it, avoid it. Recently discovered something REALLY GOOD about this place! It's possible walk out unnoticed without paying the bill! Once, a waitress here tried to convince me that the espresso she brought to the table was actually a cappuccino (which I had ordered). This deserves a place as one of the worst cafes in the history of the galaxy. Now that some major global coffee chains have opened here, Coffee Hauz will most likely die a quick death. In any case, 90% of Moscow's population is praying for this. Anyone had worse? Roger Scott | Property Advisor CB Richard Ellis | Corporate Services Trubnaya Street, 12 | Millennium House | Moscow | Russia | 107045 T +7 495 258 3990 | F +7 495 258 3980 | M +7 903 112 7046 [email protected] | http://www.cbre.ru <http://www.cbre.ru/> | http://www.cbre.com <http://www.cbre.com/> P Please consider the environment before printing this email. ________________________________ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Anthony Crawford Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 5:05 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Expat List Moscow restaurants I have not been to Buddies, but I will give it a chance. It sounds like their management is open to constructive criticism and is trying to be responsive to customer complaints and suggestions. When was the last time you got that from one of the other restaurants that were previously mentioned? I don't know about everybody else, but I am sick and tired of walking into restaurants in Moscow and being overwhelmed by the pretentiousness of the maître d', who gives you a quick up and down glance and then condescendingly asks , "Is someone expecting you?". Despite how much of the former USSR is still challenged to provide good customer service, the ironic part is that one of the first books on "how to provide superior customer service and grow a new business" was written by the Eliseev brothers - the founders of the Eliseevski Magazin in Moscow and St. Petersburg. After 1917, however, the fundamentals of customer service were sadly lost. ________________________________ Hotmail® is up to 70% faster. Now good news travels really fast. Find out more. <http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_70faster_032009> NOTICE TO RECIPIENT: THIS E-MAIL IS MEANT FOR ONLY THE INTENDED RECIPIENT OF THE TRANSMISSION, AND CONTAINS INFORMATION OF CB RICHARD ELLIS THAT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND/OR PRIVILEGED. IF YOU RECEIVED THIS E-MAIL IN ERROR, ANY REVIEW, USE, DISSEMINATION, DISTRIBUTION, OR COPYING OF THIS E-MAIL IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. PLEASE NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY OF THE ERROR BY RETURN E-MAIL AND PLEASE DELETE THIS MESSAGE FROM YOUR SYSTEM. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR COOPERATION.
<<image001.jpg>>
_______________________________________________ Expat mailing list [email protected] http://www.lists.ru/mailman/listinfo/expat http://www.expat.ru/forum/
