After a hard day's Moscow sight-seeing, the Baltschug Hotel's Baltschug Buffet restaurant is a peaceful and savory haven to round off an otherwise hectic day.
The same would be true for any wheeling and dealing entrepreneur looking for a low-key atmosphere to unwind in.
The Baltschug has all the qualities that make a good restaurant -- location, atmosphere, service, an extensive wine list and fine food.
Situated just across the river from the Kremlin in the Baltschug Hotel, the Baltschug offers different buffet presentations for breakfast (DM29 a head -- $20), lunch (DM52 -- $37) and dinner (DM78 -- $55), as well as a special Sunday brunch wild game selection for DM45 ($32) per diner.
When my partner and I dined at the Baltschug, we did so on a blustery November evening after a day shopping and sightseeing in central Moscow.
The restaurant's warm pastel decor is nicely set off by soft lighting, creating an atmosphere that was surprisingly intimate considering the restaurant's size.
We were shown to a table with an excellent view of the Kremlin and decided to peruse the wine list and make our selection before making our way towards the buffet.
Choosing the wine for our meal was an enjoyably complex undertaking, as we turned the pages of an extensive wine selection, arranged in geographical order.
After glancing at French, German, Italian and US wines, my companion and I decided to sample a semillon from home, Australia -- a Peter Lehman's Barossa Valley semillon that was crisp and clear as an Australian outback dawn.
The season demanded that we begin with something warm, so both my partner and I went for the mushroom soup to begin our meal. It was thick and tangy the way mushroom soup should be.
The appetizers section of the buffet contained a fairly standard selection of cold meats and salad items, plus some simply superb rolled herrings and slices of exquisite smoked salmon.
The highlight of this part of the meal was something that Sally Albright would have appreciated -- the sauces and dressings available "on the side."
After considering the merits of the horseradish, thousand island, French, Bernaise and mushroom sauces and dressings, I spooned myself out a generous helping of the Rochefort cheese sauce.
While my reaction was not quite as ecstatic as Ms Albright's in that scene of "When Harry Met Sally," it was several steps down the same road. I was just about jumping out of my chair at this sharp-edged, flavor-filled sauce; the perfect accompaniment to the fresh greens and cold meats I had piled onto my plate.
Main course presented a tough choice between beef stroganoff, plaice and tortellini with tomato and basil sauce.
I went for the plaice, which came with a buttery sauce and steamed potatoes with dill. My partner chose the stroganoff. A generous array of vegetables, rice and pasta were available as accompaniments to the main course, the king of which was the steamed and succulent cauliflower.
We also took some of the pasta salad, and my companion opted for a sizable helping of mushrooms.
All of the above disappeared rapidly, with the exception of the stroganoff which my partner complained was a touch too oily.
Perhaps one of the reasons for my partner's reluctance to finish the main course was that she had spotted the Aladdin's Cave of dessert riches awaiting us.
Cakes and confectionaries to delight the stomach and the eye were piled high beside sumptuous puddings, pies, tarts, souffles and a well-stocked fruit basket.
And then there was the ice cream, which proved to be the highlight of the evening. There were several flavors, but I was unable to resist the strawberry ice cream, which was deliciously creamy and loaded with real strawberries; I didn't want to stop eating it.
Call me a glutton, but after consuming all of the above, I still found room for a selection from the cheese platter, washed down with excellent coffee and cream.