Lunching at a Russian Doll House in London

This Russian restaurant, Mari Vanna, sits within a rather fancy-schmancy corner of London — just a few skips away from Harrods, along the street from the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, beside One Hyde Park and opposite the Bulgari Hotel London — yet all the glitter of these grand spots seemed to dim the moment we stepped into this relatively unassuming Russian house.

Every nook and cranny of the restaurant was a focal point in itself. The curtains were made of beautiful bobbin lace, joined with delicate crochet; the wallpaper a pale cerulean blue; and the tables and chairs an eclectic collection of antique furniture — some padded, some upholstered, no two quite the same. The polished crystal cuts of the chandelier and the richly coloured petals of the flowers were subtle touches that could easily persuade one that an old Russian family still lived there, clinging gently to the remnants of the Soviet era.

There was scarcely an empty space between the slightly weathered windowpanes, and even less between the overmantel mirror and the bookshelves, which were filled with Russian literature, tea sets, and rows of babushka dolls. The walls were laden with assorted frames — portraits of once splendid characters, now captured in rigid black and white. They felt like quiet guardians, catching curious eyes and unfolding stories meant only for those willing to linger.

But all of that has passed.

Mari Vanna is merely a reinstatement — a tender echo of a poignant and quietly bewitching past.

^ The one on the right is a Russian samovar, traditionally used for making tea. Isn’t it exquisite?

Now, onto the food.

To start, we had a tray of bread served with the usual pot of butter and, rather unusually, a sprig of spring onion — a common accompaniment in Russian meals. This was followed by an aubergine spread with rye bread, and “herring under a fur coat” — a dish of diced salted herring layered beneath thin slices of boiled potatoes, carrots, onions and beetroot. I know the description may not sound particularly tempting, but trust me — after a spoonful, you’ll be on Google searching for the recipe.

(I’m afraid I can’t reliably name all these dishes in Russian — my attempts would be rather futile. “Vodka” remains the only Russian word I know with any confidence.)

^ Herring under a fur coat.

Soon after my obligatory photo-snapping ritual, we all dug in like hungry wolves.

And we made a toast to the (finally) end of my photo-snapping ritual.

On a sweltering British summer’s day like this, we all opted for cool, refreshing drinks. The red ones were raspberry mors — a type of fermented fruit juice with only a negligible amount of alcohol. Sweet, with a slight tang. The darker ones were more intriguing: kvas — a lightly carbonated drink made from black bread, with a flavour somewhat reminiscent of prune juice.

We later ordered another (below), called tarhun. I’ll let Wikipedia do the explaining — it’s a “carbonated soft drink that is flavoured with tarragon or woodruff, and traditionally dyed green”.

For mains, we had dumplings (“vareniki”) and stuffed cabbage (“golubtsy”) — two Russian classics.

^ My traditional dumplings, stuffed with vegetables and topped with caramelised onions and bits of bacon. Below is Huw’s squid ink dumpling, filled with meat.

Don’t be fooled by the size of this dish and over-order. Small as it may seem, it will have you reaching your limits in no time. And of course… the same theory applies to small girls.

^ Stuffed cabbage.

To end the meal, we had Russian Napoleon and a usual shot of espresso each, served with a selection of Russian biscuits and sweets

^ …all of which I sneakily pocketed and brought home. Too cute to resist!

The surprises at Mari Vanna didn’t end there. Along the hallway leading to the gents and ladies was yet another charming sight to behold.

I thought these were all that I could marvel at until I pushed open the ladies’ room.

A quick browse of their website revealed that they started in St Petersburg and now have branches in New York, LA and Washington. A darling of the press, they have been featured in numerous magazines and even won the Best New Design award from Time Out.

I say, do give this eclectic Russian restaurant a visit the next time you’re in Knightsbridge. Forget the shiny food hall at Harrods — and remember not to over-order those deceptively small dumplings.

With love x