Markets are in hype now. Farm foods, scarce types of typical things and definitely international cuisine. Moscow markets are mostly still shabby places, but there are a few exceptions: Gastroferma is one of them. I saw it on my friend’s Instagram and expected to see a big space with lines of different foods. This spot turned out to be a cozy two-storey market hidden in an industrial landscape to the north of Baumanskaya metro near a deserted bell-tower. The outlook of the building suits better an old soviet-type science institution but the owners of the spot made an attraction point for hipsters.
What’s inside? Let me speak in a roundabout way. Russians can’t buy genuine parmesan or burrata at home: a piece of prosciutto can be a perfect gift. Sanctions and stuff. Well, Russian farmers try to make equivalents of European specialties, the best examples of them can be found in Gastroferma.
What I like most about this place is a food court. It’s getting trendy to eat in the markets. Small DIY-outlets now offer quite a lot there. In Gastroferma you can a cup of coffee by LES (I assume they are a real top of coffee-making in Moscow), some Georgian food or Serbian meals, falafel by HUMMUS or real Uzbeki plov by PLOV.com. But the spot I want to recommend is Dagestanskaya Lavka. It features traditional Caucasian food. So don’t forget to try kutab with cilantro there and grab a piece of Russian mozarella in the market!