Restaurants

With yellow walls, leather chairs and spare decor (save for an incongruous bird-bath affair), Zorya is undoubtedly attractive, but it can get stuffy. A quiet summer evening saw everyone rush to the terrace despite thundering traffic, the odd police siren and music cranked up to disguise the din. Service was very friendly, but many menu choices were unavailable – just like eastern Europe in the old days. Cocktails are awesomely strong; try a yummy Vojito (‘v’ for vanilla vodka) with fresh mint galore, or Baltika or Zywiec beer. The Hungarian chef’s East-Central European fusion cooking works to a point. Shashlik with roasted veg was made from prime steak mince, but seemed more like a posh burger. Pierogi were almost lasagne-like, with mushroom and sour cabbage in tangy sour-cream sauce, and slightly over-the-top spicing. A very tasty but visually unappealing three-meat goulash came on mash with a massive steaming pile of leeks. Having saved room for delectable-sounding walnut pancakes and fruit dumplings, we were dismayed to learn that a ‘rethink of the dessert menu’ meant only stodgy, tasteless cheesecake was available. Zorya shows promise, but still has a way to go.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009