The Y — Moscow, Russia

The adage ‘go big or go home’ may not have been coined in Russia, but it may as well be the country’s motto. Take restaurateur Kira Baybakova’s newest Moscow venture, The Y – an expansive multifaceted culinary experience.
Spanning 6,000 s ft and two floors of a newly built residential structure in the city centre, the 200-cover restaurant offers big adventure in a series of small doses. The vision of New York-based design studio Asthetíque, the venue brings together a café, private and public dining rooms, a bar and a secret playroom, all of which come together in a maze of delicate pastels and a 1970s aesthetic for a sequence of larger than life encounters.
Theatrical from every angle, the variety of areas at The Y is intended to reflect the diversity of generation Y, as the name indicates. Rooms are spacious and lofty, and created to accommodate a multitude of functions and needs, while Asthetíque’s nod to the 1970s could equally be mistaken for a Wes Anderson homage, with bold hues and geometric symmetry present in every space. On the ground floor tall metal framed doors give way to a dining room defined by a rhythm of arches — seen in wall panelling and bespoke chandeliers — alongside botanical wall art and a surplus of brass, velvet and marble that together create an image reminiscent of a French bistro. Elsewhere, in The Y’s café, polished concrete flooring and brass panelled walls offer the same old-world charm, albeit with a casual accent, while an upstairs restaurant mirrors this aesthetic with the more stately addition of dark wood and steel framed internal windows.
The end result is a smooth blend of contemporary design flavoured with a dash of nostalgia on the grandest of scales that could only be pulled off with aplomb here.
ADDRESS
Malaya Pirogovskaya st. 8
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Melina Keays is the entertaining director of Wallpaper*. She has been part of the brand since the magazine’s launch in 1996, and is responsible for entertaining content across the print and digital platforms, and for Wallpaper’s creative agency Bespoke. A native Londoner, Melina takes inspiration from the whole spectrum of art and design – including film, literature, and fashion. Her work for the brand involves curating content, writing, and creative direction – conceiving luxury interior landscapes with a focus on food, drinks, and entertaining in all its forms
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressing
Part of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
By Orla Brennan
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationship
Announcing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
By Hugo Macdonald
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craft
The heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico
By Chadner Navarro
-
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland
By Daven Wu
-
Tattersalls Hotel — Armidale, Australia
By Dimity Noble
-
KLoé Hotel — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
By Jennifer Choo
-
Casa Hoyos — San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
By Daven Wu
-
Littlenap — Hangzhou, China
By Daven Wu
-
Casa Santa Teresa — Corsica, France
By Daven Wu
-
Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune designs K5, a new hotel in Tokyo
Step inside Claesson Koivisto Rune’s design as a 1920s bank turns hotel
By Danielle Demetriou