Moscow's Educational Restaurant Staffed Solely by Students: A Review

An unusual restaurant recently opened at the Palace of Pioneers on Moscow«s Sparrow Hills. It»s probably the first establishment in the modern capital that exists primarily not for profit. All staff here, from waiters to pastry chefs, are students from «culinary» and «hospitality» colleges undergoing practical training.

Yesterday, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin visited, and MSK1.RU decided to find out what is served and for how much at this first «educational» restaurant.

What is the restaurant like?

The famous Palace of Pioneers on Sparrow Hills is a symbol of childhood for several generations. The building from the 1960s, a monument of Soviet modernism, has now been restored. In the cold season, a large venue for the «Winter in Moscow» festival with an ice rink and a fair now operates there. As part of this same venue, the capital«s colleges» restaurant «Meeting of Friends» (Vstrecha Druzei) has appeared. By the way, a cafeteria was previously located in this space.

It«s hard to find the establishment from the street: on maps, there is no separate point for the restaurant or its entrance yet. From the Vorobyovy Gory metro station, you need to walk through a snowy park past the ice rink.

From the outside, everything is cute and homely: the entrance area is «wood-like», with little fir trees, branches—in short, New Year«s vibes. On the side, logs are stacked »for kindling«.

As with a theater, the restaurant begins with the coat check. At the entrance by the cloakroom stands a modest young man who stands up and greets guests when they appear. You can see this is new to him: just yesterday, he was probably sitting at a school desk. Maybe this is his first shift ever?

Inside, it«s bright and spacious. Panoramic windows look out onto snowdrifts—a reminder of the recent snowfalls in the capital.

A large «fireplace» also catches the eye, which consists of four screens displaying a fire. Below the «fireplace» are gifts and logs.

The waitress is no older than the boy at the host stand, and she seems to be trying even harder. There«s no accounting for taste, but in a regular establishment, such reverence for the guest would put many people off. Here, you have to keep in mind: these are very young people, they simply cannot present themselves as equals to an adult guest. When you consider this factor, you are instead touched by their efforts.

The kitchen is open, and there is a bar counter. Overall, everything is simple, modern, and in neutral tones—beige, white, brown, muted green, matte black. And around the hall, young people run in stylish beige uniforms with an embroidered logo… not the restaurant«s name (the establishment has virtually no identity), but that of »Moscow education«.

What is served at the restaurant where only students work?

The heart of the restaurant is its menu. It was entirely developed by students together with mentors. It«s quite extensive: from breakfasts and pizza to complex hot dishes like grilled halibut. There is also a children»s menu with those very «baby dumplings» (pelmeshki-malyshariki) that parents will appreciate.

The first page of the menu «bound» with metal rings is a couple of paragraphs about the restaurant«s concept.

The children«s menu is one of the main features of the restaurant. The establishment, as we remember, is located in the Palace of Pioneers, and the target audience is children and parents waiting for their kids from clubs and sections.

Prices for the children«s menu are truly childlike for a restaurant with a kitchen. The average bill at the nearest restaurant on Sparrow Hills starts from 5000 rubles (about $55 at current rates). Here, a snack for a child and parents will cost much less.

We arrived during breakfast time—from 09:00 to 12:00. You can assemble it yourself from simple components—eggs, omelet, bread, desired vegetables.

But we prefer to try the signature dishes. There are two «sweet» breakfasts—syrniki (cottage cheese pancakes) and oladii (pancakes), the other dishes are based on eggs, red fish, bread, or vegetables. By the way, you won«t hear the words »porridge, sir« in the restaurant—there is no porridge on the menu.

We take fried eggs with salmon and cottage cheese cream for 590 rubles (about $6) and a separate toast for 69 rubles (about $1).

Next comes the «bar menu». There are no alcoholic drinks on the menu: remember, this is a restaurant for children and their parents. There are lemonades, smoothies, milkshakes, and other cool drinks—water, soda, juice.

The «tea card» had several interesting items—in particular, «Winter on Sparrow Hills». But we are simple people, we take a regular cappuccino.

We get to the main menu. It«s compact, fitting on one sheet. Several appetizers, three soups, five salads, meat, fish, sides, pizza, pastries, and desserts. By the way, these are also made in-house, not brought in frozen like in coffee shops. So we order »orekhiki« (little nuts) with condensed milk.

Prices for the average person, accustomed to cooking for themselves, might be called average for Moscow. But if you are a restaurant-goer, you know that such prices were from several years ago. Beef Stroganoff for 340 rubles (about $4) you can«t even get for delivery now.

And at the end of the menu, a reminder that the restaurant is an educational project. Apparently, that«s why the prices are lower. It»s like getting on a bus with a «trainee driver» sticker, as if allowing new specialists to learn «on you». Wouldn«t it be cool if the fare on a »trainee« bus were cheaper?

Coffee with the little nuts was brought early. We take a sip and, while waiting for the main dish, head off to walk around the restaurant—to examine the interior and talk with the founders.

What is the concept?

It«s as simple as can be: the goal is to get kids out of the classrooms and let them work with their hands not only during »summer practice«, but right alongside theory. If students aren»t allowed into a real kitchen and a real dining hall, how will they find their first job later?

The project, as the creators say, had been brewing for a long time. Anna Melnikova, director of the «Zapad» (West) educational complex, called this a continuation of a major reform in colleges.

«70% of learning [in secondary vocational education programs] is now practice,» Anna Melnikova said.

The only employees «outside» the education system here are the cleaning staff. Everything else literally rests on the students. They cook (under the supervision of their mentors, of course), they bake, greet guests, carry dishes.

Students in their second and third years of college work here; they are 17–19 years old. You can get here through your educational institution: the project creators regularly offer students receiving education in relevant specialties to do their practical training here. It is paid like a regular job. Salaries were not disclosed to MSK1.RU correspondents, but they assured that it is «market rate».

The main visitors, as we already said, are children who study at the Palace of Pioneers and their parents. Families from the ice rink and winter fair also come.

Why a restaurant? Why not a cafe, bakery, coffee shop, or fast food?

«Children come to clubs, they need a snack—and let it not be a pie with tea, but chicken soup, some meatballs, favorite pasta. Their parents will be with them. The concept of a family restaurant assumes that the family will gather at the table, and it will not be just some snack on the go, but a full meal,» explained Anna Melnikova.

As for whether the project will be commercially successful, it«s not so important.

The workers here have an individual study plan—they have fewer classroom «lessons». They say this doesn«t prevent them from passing their exams.

It also happens that a teacher works here in tandem with their students. Such a situation developed in the pastry shop—a teacher with extensive experience oversees three of her students. And then they meet at exams. And who can be more loyal than a teacher who sees how you actually work, not just how you cram a textbook?

Is the food good? Verdict

So, back to the main dish. It turned out great: eggs of the right consistency, quality lightly salted salmon, and a delicate cream hidden behind spinach. The downside—the eggs were almost cold by the time they were served.

We also unexpectedly got to test the staff«s resilience. Our correspondent»s hand shook, and coffee spilled on the table. Polina, the 17-year-old waitress, said as was appropriate: «No problem,» returned with a rag, and cleaned up the entire mess.

The little nuts with condensed milk also didn«t disappoint. Remember that the pastry chefs here are a team of a teacher and her students? Well, they work excellently: the sweets here are truly beautiful.

So, what«s the verdict? Our correspondent gives a solid »4« on a five-point scale. The establishment will appeal to lovers of neutral tones and a calm atmosphere. It lacked a »face«, an identity—something by which it could be identified. It seems the »student« theme could be played up more in the interior, staff uniforms, or dish names. This would attract a young audience, which is sometimes intimidated by »serious« restaurants even before entering.

Earlier we reported on interesting restaurants that will open in Moscow in 2026.