Dominated by a textile plant, Savvinskaya Naberezhnaya—naberezhnaya means "embankment"—was in desperate need of a facelift. So the plant’s real estate manager rented a large portion of the facility to designers, retailers, and restaurateurs. Instantly a hot spot was born. Here, a quick guide to the new neighborhood:
A restaurant, lounge, wine bar, and visual sensation, The Apartment was inspired by wine bars in New York and London. At nearly 11,000 square feet, it is designed to resemble a loft and features a study, a bedroom, live jazz, a French-trained Russian chef, and a first-floor wine boutique.
For Bistrot, the Moscow branch of Italy’s Bistrot Forte dei Marmi, Russian director Fyodor Bondarchuk and his partners transformed a nondescript structure into a Tuscan home. The fireplace, fountain, furniture, vases, chandeliers, and 17th-century tiles are just some of the items that were brought in from Italy to recall the atmosphere of the original Italian restaurant.
Maisoncafé, with its French chef, French chanson performances, and striking industrial interior, feels like something right out of a Parisian quay. Bar 1171, a block away, is the perfect post-meal spot for the dancing crowd.
Bargain hunters, take note: Discount Center, a Century 21–style store, is cavernous—and we saw a Stella McCartney white leather jacket marked down from $1,560 to under $170. At JNBY, conceptual Chinese fashions are sold in a no-frills interior. Bosco di Ciliegi, a luxury retailer best known internationally for its distinctive Russian Olympic team uniforms, has a discount store here called Rimanenze Dolci.
Not bargain shopping? Igor Chapurin, a Russian designer with an Armani aesthetic, features both made-to-order pieces and prêt-à-porter. A fringed sheath in black or white, crafted from a silklike cotton, is just over $900 off the rack. Lide, meanwhile, carries A. F. Vandevorst, Dries Van Noten, and Comme des Garçons. An A. F. Vandevorst silk dress runs about $1,000.
