Temple Bar touts itself as having an Irish flavor. It is, after all, named after an area of Dublin. However, despite their best efforts - waitress in Irish-style serving uniforms and convincing interior decor, for example, plus the magnificent view of the Kremlin (Temple Bar is located right by the monument to the Unknown Soldier) - it's a perpetual reminder that you are in Russia, not on the Emerald Isle.

After turning into Temple Bar from out of the still-chilly Moscow evening air, my dining partner and I checked our coats and took a seat. This was more difficult than we had anticipated... Temple Bar, though opened only a month ago, already draws a large crowd, no doubt because of both its location in the city's tourist Ground Zero, and positive word of mouth.

As starters, I ordered a Caesar salad (230 rubles) and my partner opted for Mozzarella and tomatoes topped with Parmesan (170 rubles). (Temple Bar may be an Irish venue in name, but the menu is far more eclectic.) Perhaps the word "starter" is a misnomer? My Caesar salad was - not to mince words - huge. And delicious, especially due to the addition of bacon alongside the traditional ingredient, chicken. The Mozzarella was also top-notch.

For main courses, we went with rabbit with vegetables under sauce (340) and shrimp, tomatoes and onion drenched in white wine sauce (550 rubles). The rabbit was satisfying - that is, what little of it I could get down my throat after the enormous salad - but the shrimp superb, though my dining partner, a person of no mean manual dexterity, did have problems extracting the shrimp from their shells. But, as they say, effort just makes things sweeter in the end. The complimentary basket of bread, obligatory in Russia, was an order of magnitude better than the typical fare.

For drinks - no teetotalers we - ordered martinis with pineapple juice (80 rubles) and the classic Sex on the Beach (120 rubles). As one can see, prices at Temple Bar, while not low, are not at all wallet-busting.

All in all, a satisfying evening out, and I will definitely be back. A mild complaint, however - volume. The live music, at least on the night we were there - slow jazz with an added be-bob flavor - was good, but it was far too loud. One does not come to a restaurant primarily for the music. One comes for the food, atmosphere and conversation, and the music should be just that - background.

But that's a minor quibble. All in all, Temple Bar has good food (and good service), a great atmosphere and a spectacular location. And, all food - including the bread - is produced on site. It is a great new addition to Moscow's spots to dine out.

27.03.03