Of all the odd little corners in Moscow, perhaps none is quite as endearingly odd as the Armand Hammer-designed World Trade Center. This oversized brown granite structure is certainly ugly, but unabashedly so—much like Moscow itself (at least on its good days). Thus it is altogether appropriate that this complex on Krasnopresnenskaya naberezhnaya is now home to yet another odd little attraction—OSTROV KRYM (Crimea Island), a combination restaurant/upscale billiard club done up in supposedly Crimean style. I don’t really know what that last bit’s supposed to mean, but Ostrov Krym is welcoming enough—whether you dine outside on the cozy veranda with a pleasant view of the river and the Hotel Ukraina, or inside among the impressive pool tables where the cheesy background music is played at a shockingly tasteful low volume. And as far as Continental/Russian cuisine on the pricey side goes, they offer up some pretty serviceable food to boot.

We kicked things off in light summer style with a pair of salads, Greek and Italian (both 210R). The Greek was everything you would expect it to be, with better-than-average Feta cheese and bright red summer tomatoes. The Italian was a Caprese-type number with the addition of some tasty grilled eggplant slices. Overall, it was a bit under-seasoned, but nothing some black pepper wouldn’t fix.

Next I went with a soup, the O.O.O. “Kroshka” (150R) to be exact. This amusingly named (O.O.O. being the standard corporate abbreviation for “limited liability company,” of course) variation on the well-known kvas-based okroshka comes served cool and is a fine accompaniment to a warm summer evening. Those who appreciate things both spicy and tangy will especially enjoy the way the kvas intermingles with the Ukrainian-style khren (horseradish). My fellow eater also kept things cool and unheated with the “Volna” (“Wave”), marinated salmon with dill, pepper, and grated lemon rind (270R). The salmon was delicately flavored, and for once the dill was not out of place.

In keeping with our faux-Crimean setting, we continued to throw caution to the wind and kept the seafood items coming. The fellow eater opted for a hot appetizer rather than an entree, the so-called “Crab Pot”—a pleasant mix of Kamchatka crab, shrimp, white wine, cheese, cream, and carrot (300R). In honor of the return of our own “Doormat” (now known as “Beer Courier”) intern John “Flounder” Heisel, I went with the “Morskaya Zvezda” (“Sea Star”)—little white wine-infused rolls of flounder filet stuffed with carrot and zucchini on a delectable “pillow” of creamy spinach. Those who are familiar with my reviews know that, with very few exceptions, I avoid seafood as a general rule in Moscow. Ostrov Krym, however, will be joining the shortlist of establishments where I indulge in such things on those occasions when the craving becomes too much to ignore.

As for beverages, the agreeable house white wine (French, I believe) went nicely with our selections. The wine list is generally reasonable and features a goodly number of the better Crimean wines, including some quite old vintages. It would also be worth your while to choose one of the refreshing fresh-squeezed juices (120R), the excellent grapefruit perhaps. The slightly more exotic melon juice goes for 210 rubles.

The billiard section of Ostrov Krym is almost seamlessly integrated into the restaurant itself, but there is nonetheless plenty of space around the tables to accommodate even the most vigorous players. At present there is a single table for American pool (7/420R per minute/hour) and four for “Russkaya Pyramida” (10/600R per minute/hour), although one of the Russian tables will be replaced within the coming weeks with an English Snooker table. There’s an additional Russian table in the intimate VIP room, which has its own large dining table and features a one-way mirror through which the curious and paranoid may keep tabs on the goings-on outside. The room costs 20/1200 rubles per minute/hour and can accommodate anywhere from six to eight players. Membership cards offering deep discounts on pool and food (as well as custom-made billiard equipment and guest rooms in the “Mezh”) will become available in the months to come.