Frau Marta

Frau Marta is a "beer cafe" that opened in the heart of Moscow in February 2004. It's a good looking place with a good atmosphere, located in the basement of a building around the corner from where you would expect based on the address. The place is one big room, about 40 meters by 10 meters, with ceilings that range from 5 to 10 meters high. Definitely a beer hall. A huge mural covers one long wall depicting a traditional German village. The bar runs the length of one short wall, while the cooking area is nestled under the stairs at the opposite end. A long bench runs the length of the wall below the mural, with another 20 or so tables providing seating for a total of about 75. Add another ten stools at the bar. The floors and furniture are dark wood, while the ceiling is industrial cement painted blue and white. There is what looks like a catwalk running the length of the wall opposite the mural. Not much decoration other than the mural, with just a few beer signs.

The pride of this place is the beer that bears its name. "Frau Marta" is contract brewed in the provincial town of Ufa, and goes for just over US$2.00 per half liter (and during the day, 1/4 liter sets you back a bit less than US$0.75). It's a pilsner, and a pretty good one at that. The menu listed the following other tap options: Guinness, Holsten, Zolotaya Bochka, Pulsner Urquell and Andechser Hell and Hefeweizen. I was very excited about the presence of the Andechs products, but unfortunately the bar just changed its beer offerings, hadn't yet updated the menu, and no longer carried Andechs. Oh, cruel fate. The new beer list featured Guinness, Krusovice, Brinkhoff, König Ludwig and Warsteiner. Still, not a bad selection, full of brews not available elsewhere in this part of the city. The food menu was limited, the prices OK. The Frau Marta beer came in a plain juice glass, without coaster. I spotted a König Ludwig logo glass as well. The service was attentive to the point of being over eager, but given that only three tables were occupied when I was there, I give them credit for trying. It's a shame they dropped the Andechs, but go for their namesake brew anyway. Director Aleksander has a good head on his shoulders and some encouraging ideas for the future. I'll certainly be back..