Kruzhka
Kruzhka (Russian: Кружка) is a chain of "beer restaurants" in Moscow. The name is Russian for "mug".
Style
Kruzhka restaurants can usually be identified outside by their orange КРУЖКА signs, which are often illuminated and difficult to miss. The orange theme continues inside, where the brick walls and wooden furniture give most Kruzhka restaurants a somewhat rugged character.
It is common in Moscow and other Russian cities for there to be relatively little difference between bars, restaurants, clubs, and cafes, and Kruzhka is no exception. These "beer restaurants" tend to be popular with students, though the cheap food and beer attracts expatriates as well as Russians. However, that does not necessarily mean that Kruzhka has a "Western" character.
Sports events, such as Russian football internationals, are regularly shown in many Kruzhka, either on televisions or big screens (alternatively French music channels are, for some reason, also put on quite a lot).
Advertising
In late 2005 a television advert was created to highlight the advantages of going to Kruzhka for Russian football fans. The ad shows a Russian man excitedly returning home to watch an important match (clips show Russia's 1 - 0 victory over Wales at the Millennium Stadium which meant Russia qualified for Euro 2004). However, he finds both of the televisions in his flat are already in use; his wife is tearfully watching a soap opera, while his daughter is jumping around watching a t.A.T.u. concert. The punchline of the ad is that he can watch the match at Kruzhka.
Menu
The majority of items available at Kruzhka are relatively cheap (only the pricey Courvoisier Cognac is over 300 roubles). This is one of the major appeals of the chain.
Several main dishes include kebabs (Shashlik) or Shaurma, usually with potato fries and/or sauerkraut. Sauces like ketchup and mayonnaise are typically included free with most meals (though that is not always the case in Moscow.) Perhaps a slightly more unusual offering is grilled trout for 160 roubles.
Kruzhka attempted to cash-in on the fashion for Japanese food in Moscow by putting sushi on the menu at its Arbat Restaurant in December 2004. However, this item was removed from the menu a year later, reportedly because it took too long to prepare.
For dessert, various flavours of ice cream (including cherry, peach, and black-currant), as well as cake are available. Customers can also choose to take-away any dish on the menu.
The most famous drink on offer is Kruzhka's own beer, which, at 50 (2008) roubles for half a litre, is one of the most popular items on the menu. Other beers on tap include Sibirskaya Korona and Staropramen. A wide range of spirits and non-alcoholic drinks (including Mors, a traditional Russian juice drink) are also available.
Service
Kruzhka are not fast food restaurants like McDonald's or KFC, nor are they self-service "cafeteria" style restaurants, which can be found at places like Kaferii and Moo-Moo and were common in Soviet times. Instead orders are taken by orange t-shirt wearing waiters and waitresses and food is served at your table. As in many cafes and restaurants these jobs are relatively poorly paid, and so are usually taken by young people or Gastarbeiter (Russian: Гастарбайтер) from the former Soviet republics. Menus are available in English as well as Russian.
Locations
The first Kruzhka opened in Konkovo in April 2002. From there it spread throughout Moscow and has recently begun expanding into the Moscow suburbs. The chain now has over 20 locations. This kind of expansion has been experienced by other restaurants chains, as the popularity of eating out in Moscow has increased dramatically. Despite arguably being slightly down market of other restaurant chains such as Moo-Moo (Russian: My-My), many Kruzhka can be found in surprisingly prime locations. For example, there is one on the Arbat and another very close to Lokomotiv Stadium. In March 2006 a large Kruzhka opened at Ploshchad Revolutsii, about 200 metres from Red Square. In a move that seems targeted to the many tourists present in the area. Many Kruzhka are close to metro stations. This, together with their distinctive signs, give the restaurants a ubiquitous presence in the city.
In March 2004 the opening of an outlet in the Okrug of Zelenograd marked the first Kruzhka restaurant to be located significantly beyond the MKAD. The first Kruzhka outside of Moscow was opened in July 2006, in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. There is also one Kruzhka in the Belarus capital Minsk.
External links
- http://www.kruzhka.ru/ - Official page (in Russian)
- http://www.kruzhka.com/ - Official page (in English)
- http://www.waytorussia.net/Moscow/Pubs.html - Review, scroll down page.