Café Cossachok

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

Cossachok successfully embraces multiple identities: it's part gallery, part cultural centre and part music venue, yet still essentially a restaurant. Temporarily relocated until 2009 (while their ten-year home on the other side of the Trongate is transformed) owners Lev and Julia Atlas have lost no time in making Albion Street their own. The folk-art ceiling and newly painted murals create a vibrant and homely space, which is a nice starter for the downstairs gallery showcasing art and sculpture collections (many crafted by their own multi-talented staff). The menu is a festival of flavours from around the former Soviet territories. Georgian lamb kebabs or Armenian moussaka are given richness and piquancy by authentic imported spice blends. Borscht, the classic country beetroot and cabbage soup, is hearty and flavoursome and served with the traditional Russian staples of rye bread and smetana (sour cream). A range of nightly specials further extends the range of food on offer, with some dishes, such as the tzimes – tender duck in a rich, fruity sauce – eventually graduating to the menu proper. Rich home-made cakes, many majoring on honey, nuts and cream, are worth leaving room to enjoy. Sunday music nights include Lev's own virtuoso violin performances and can also extend the cultural journey to include flamenco and South American guitar.

• High point: A Russian showcase of food, art, music and family hospitality
• Low point: Not for light appetites