THE DISH: Mindal Cafe
Mindal Cafe//26 Angliiskaya Naberezhnaya//Tel: 312 3238//Open daily from noon to 2 a.m.//Menu in Russian and English//Lunch for two with alcohol 2,110 rubles ($69.50)
Published: September 19, 2012 (Issue # 1727)
Third time lucky?
It’s easy to see why at first Angliiskaya Naberezhnaya seems to be an attractive proposition to the restaurateur. It’s just around the corner from the Bronze Horseman and St. Isaac’s Square, and boasts a row of historic mansions and commanding views across the Neva River to the Academy of Arts.
Taking advantage of these indisputable assets, Mindal Café opened this summer in the handsome mansion previously occupied by Bella Vista and before that, Kashtany, and besides the interior decoration has inherited the style and quality of its predecessors. However, it has also inherited a problem that appears to be inherent in its location.
But let’s begin with the good things. An outdoor terrace offers unobstructed views across the river, while inside the décor is elegantly restrained: Unvarnished floorboards, brushed light wood paneling, a graceful chandelier, white tablecloths and upholstered beige chairs. A vase of fresh Michaelmas daisies stands on each table. The understated but tasteful mood is highlighted by a handsome white dresser, shelves of preserves in aquamarine glass jars, and a live — but oddly quiet — canary perched in a cage on the windowsill. Complimentary ramekins of salted almonds (Mindal is Russian for almond) made a pleasant first impression as we deliberated our choice. The only gripe was the mainstream dance music playing on the radio, which was particularly noticeable given the lack of other diners.
The title of ‘café’ is somewhat disingenuous here: The atmosphere is that of a restaurant for the well-heeled, and so are the prices. Soups and salads cost around 300-400 rubles ($10-$13), appetizers begin at 180 rubles ($6), and main courses range from around 300 rubles to 1,300 rubles ($10-$42). Whereas its precursor focused largely on seafood, Mindal Café’s chef Marina Naumova offers a menu that is heavily accented toward Georgian and other Eurasian dishes. As devotees of the spicy cuisine from south of the Caucasus, we were keen to see how some of our old favorites measured up, so there was no way we were giving the khachapuri (330 rubles, $10.80) a miss. Our choice was vindicated: The famous cheese bread was golden, moist and perfectly baked. A lively Georgian salad (250 rubles, $8.15) complemented the rich khachapuri with juicy cucumber and the welcome zest of fresh red chili. The dry red Georgian house wine (150 rubles, $4.90) was well balanced and fruity and was excellent value for money. However, the adzhabsandal (400 rubles, $13.70) turned out to be not quite what we expected — instead of the traditional ratatouille-like mix, we were presented with a bowl of roasted peppers, eggplant and zucchini lacking in any sauce. The vegetables were firm and aromatic, although our enthusiasm was slightly dampened by the presence of that old culinary rogue, dill — a very Russian twist on a Georgian dish.
After a substantial pause, the fresh red chili made its second appearance of the meal, bringing extra vim to a colorful interpretation of the Georgian classic, kharcho (spicy beef soup, 300 rubles, $10). The roundup of the greatest hits of Georgian cuisine concluded with an exemplary bowl of tender chakhokhbili (chicken in tomato sauce, 390 rubles, $12.75) spangled with fresh coriander.
So Mindal Café gets top marks for food, and the service also merits mentioning: Throughout the meal our waiter was courteous and attentive, and was happy to assist us in the choice of dishes. The mains did take rather a long time to arrive but given the quality of the food that can be overlooked. However, the elephant in the (empty) room is the lack of clientele. We spent the best part of our meal dining alone, which doesn’t bode well for the attempts of this restaurant to escape the fate of its short-lived predecessors. The problem with this location is that it is difficult to see where customers are going to come from. In the summer months the steady stream of cruise ship passengers from the dock nearby and wedding guests from the palace next door should be enough to fill tables, and the terrace is an extra draw. But the big question is whether this excellent restaurant is capable of attracting the custom it deserves during the winter months. A tough nut to crack.