The alcohol-and-snack buffets that started on Sretenka and spread across Moscow are neo-shot-bar masters: the format made its name in St. Petersburg, but the capital is catching up fast. House infusions, hard liquor, and beer are knocked back from faceted glass mugs and chased with shashlik skewers, lyulya kebabs, forshmak, and sandwiches. Karelia skis in the corner, a carpet on the wall, Blondie follows VIA Vesolye Rebyata, Agutin comes after Tsoi. It's nostalgia as pastiche, and leisure at the Shashlychnayas is definitely postmodern — listen to Mytishchi v ogne, call actor Pavel Tabakov over to the bar, and invite food bloggers to fry capelin. This is where Gen X, boomers, zoomers, and hospitality workers fresh off their shift come together, everyone equal before the unifying power of horseradish vodka and lightly salted cucumbers.

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• shotbar
• russian
• livemusic
• petsallowed
• delivery