The First Organic Café in Moscow Has Opened its Doors

Well, it's finally happened – the first organic restaurant was opened in Moscow on the 24th of March, 2006. This project could be described as a most brave attempt to implement the ideas of an organic lifestyle in Russia and could also be real proof of the development of the Russian market for natural and organic products in general. Igor Artamonov, the co-founder of Moscow's first organic restaurant,  agreed to talk to us about it. He also happens to be one of the most famous chefs in Moscow and he is a person really committed to organics.

Picture: Organic Café in Moscow

In the following interview, we are talking to Igor on the second floor of the «Organic- Cafe» on Bolshaya Sadovaya (part of the garden ring), a very busy location in the ancient centre of Moscow. Outside his window heavy traffic makes a terrible noise, but here in the restaurant you can enjoy the special atmosphere that combines typical Russian comfort with western relaxation.

Igor, how did your dream come true?

All my life I've been working as a chef. This is my favourite activity, the business I have devoted my life to. I have always worried about what I give to my guests. There have been problems: on the one hand, customers want bigger portions and cheaper prices; on the other hand, restaurant owners only want to make huge profits. This made me  crazy, because I wanted to serve better food that is not only delicious but healthy and good for you. So that's how my idea of an organic restaurant arose. I started working on this seriously - looking for products and getting in touch with suppliers, which actually proved to be very difficult. Opening this kind of restaurant here in Russia was not really a practical proposition – but despite everything I managed it.

How did you feel launching this project? Wasn't it scary? Even in Europe and  the United States organic restaurant are quite popular but not very profitable.

Someone had to lay the foundation for the further development of the organic sector in Moscow. I am sure other people would have done it, if we hadn't. Someone opened the first organic shop here, so someone had to open the first organic restaurant, because without such things Russia would never have become a modern civilized country. I think the nature of a society depends not only on the income level of its citizens but also on manners, social etiquette, environmental consciousness and the food culture. Moreover, this is my own project and when launching it I wasn't focused on making money – I wanted to realize my dream.

Who is your target clientele?

This restaurant is mainly for women. They have a greater awareness of food and they are more open to modern trends. So with this project, we were oriented towards females who have already attained a certain lifestyle and have started thinking about their  quality of life. I want this restaurant to attract people who follow healthy lifestyles, who understand the meaning of "organic" and appreciate it as a philosophy of life.

Do you think that there are many people like that in Moscow?

I don't think so. What I do  think is that there is a small group of people with these ideas in Moscow and we really need to create this kind of clientele. This problem should be addressed by everybody in the organic business in Russia. My task as a founder of this project and as a chef in this restaurant is the creation of a concept. I dare say I am going to take Moscow's restaurant business in the 'organic direction', just as we have already gone in the direction of 'simple', 'combining foods', and ' eclectic and ethnic food'.

What is meant by 'Artamonov's Concept'?

"Organic food  for organic people" – that's our slogan and it sums up perfectly our concept and our position. When I try to explain it, I talk too much but in the end I return to this phrase.

Which sort of cuisine is it?

It is cuisine created by myself. That means  I can do something new every day. But, I have to say it is mostly  European cuisine. The menu includes Italian, Spanish and French dishes, and combinations of the different elements – there are no fixed borders. Honestly, the cuisine doesn't really matter. What matter are the products I am going to use. They are my real inspiration - wild salmon, trout from the river Severn, sesame and pumpkin oils, organic grains from Italy and Germany, fresh bread with tomato and bran from our own bakery, and more.

Will the menus consist of 100 % organic ingredients?

I am working on it. But I think we'll get to 100 % organic menus step-by-step. Basically, I work with imported organic products from our suppliers and distributors. If I can't find some organic products, I use farmers' products instead. They may not be certified, but in this case they must be DO (determination by origin). If some Russian products of really good quality don't have an organic certificate, but I can check how they were produced, I will use them. Unfortunately, I can't afford to use only organic products at this stage. Moreover, like every chef I have permanent suppliers I can rely on  - I set them the task of getting or producing a product of a particular quality by a particular method and they  do it.
 
What about wine list?

In this case, I intentionally don't follow the 100 %-organic idea. Of course, there is no Coca-Cola in our restaurant, because it is not in keeping with our ideas, but if a customer prefers some cognac, whiskey or martini that's not organic – I can't refuse to let him have it.

Are there is some special requirements when working with organic ingredients?

Yes, there are some differences, for example in preparing food and also concerning the kitchen equipment. For instance, we have completely removed the old kitchen in this building and rebuilt everything with our work with organic products in mind. We prepare food over charcoal. That's not a grill – it's a sort of charcoal oven. Moreover, there was a gas stove here and that's very expensive. Over and above that, it was very important for us to have all our products prepared over a natural fire. We also ordered a special cooking range (called 'Dobuer') made partly of ferro-alloy. In my opinion, it is completely in keeping with organic products.

Who was the designer of this project?

Olga Karavayeva – she is well-known as a designer who created a coffee house chain, with cafés in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and many other restaurants. Having said that, actually all our team took part in developing the design. All together, we spent a lot of time working out our restaurant's style and interesting ideas. For example, our wooden tables with growing wheat grass in the middle – they were made in Italy according to our plans. And we also decided to open a small shop on the first floor where everybody could purchase prepared food from our organic menu or buy some organic products like wine, oils and vinegars directly from our suppliers.

How many guests can the restaurant hold and what is the average bill?

About 86 people plus, I think.  We are going to open a summer veranda – so we'll be able to accommodate more people. The average bill is about 40 $ (or 35 Euros). That is without alcohol. We don't want to be an expensive place – we are an organic restaurant, but in fact we are closer to a cafe. We wouldn't like to be a restaurant with «Haute Cuisine» – we just want to ttract people with organic ideas and to explain to them that organic food is not something exceptional. All we want to do is show them that this is normal food that can or rather must become a part of the lifestyle of the majority of modern, well-educated, self-assured people.

Who are the companies responsible for this project?

There are two companies involved: «Info light» and «Green House».

Useful contacts:

"Green House"
www.organic-cafe.ru

Moscow, Bolshaya Sadovaya 6/2, Organic-Cafe
Tel: 007 (495) 209 59 98
Azernikov@mail.ru – Azernikov Andrey, Financial Director.

Artamonov Igor, Chef and Co-founder:
i.artamonov@chefs.ru