THE NEW RUSSIANS
Winner of the "Russian Bar Crawl" competition presented by Lomography and RUSSIA! Magazine. Two page publication in RUSSIA! Magazine issue n4, New York, U.S., October 2009, "Russian Bar Crawl Competition".
More info on readrussia.com
Russian vibes are felt even before entering the place. The big matryoshka at the entrance makes it easy to spot. First you enter the small restaurant, lit by dim red lights, and then, the basement; maybe once a wine cellar, with a dance floor and a bar.
Victor and Nicole Grichenevski opened Les Nouveaux Russes eight years ago. “This is the only Russian place in Brussels” – Victor told us proudly. They serve typical Russian dishes with a slight “Belgian touch”.
What we were looking forward to most was the vodka. After the Soviet Union break up, – Victor explained – vodka export dissolved. Fortunately, Victor decided to sell quality rather than quantity, and he knows his sources. “We have all sorts of vodka; pepper, bison, melon… and also, a homemade vodka with red fruits served as an aperitif”. Mmmm!
Les Nouveaux Russes tries to break with the traditional style and show Russia in a new light. The decoration is mostly inspired in the story of Tsar Nicolas and his family. Portraits, posters, flags, and a padded ceiling cover the room in a horror vacui style. Even celebrities like Helmut Lotti have visited Les Nouveaux Russes several times, where he also presented his new CD in 2002.
As Victor says: “We Russians are universal!”
text by Victoria Gonzalez
Les Nouveaux Russes & Doucha Bar
Rue Haute, 4 (Sablon)
1000 Brussels
Belgium