Where to eat oysters
in Kaliningrad?
“Moreca”

This time we decided to treat ourselves and went to Moreca for lunch. “Moreca” is an atmospheric restaurant in the centre of Kaliningrad, near Lower Lake and the Crystal House hotel. At the entrance we were impressed by a big aquarium with fresh oysters. The hostess showed us both halls and offered us a choice of table. Overall, the interior is dominated by languid brown and blue shades with rare white accents, which makes the atmosphere calm and elegant. I could not pass by several interesting design solutions and took photos.

In the end we settled on a sofa by the window. They brought us the menu — truly a sea of wine and seafood! Although breakfast at Moreca is served until 15:00, we were still late for it :)

So we did not get to try either the crab omelette or the sweet potato waffles with salmon and green salad. And it is a pity that we are not fans of oysters and sea urchins, of which Moreca has a huge variety, and their freshness is beyond doubt. But we could not deny ourselves the pleasure of fish tartare, so to start we chose tuna tartare and eel tartare with pine nuts. Alas, I was unwell and had to drink tea instead of wine, while my friend, as usual, ordered himself a wheat beer.

As a compliment we were served marinated patty pan squash. As a lover of everything pickled, I wolfed down both portions. :)

While we waited for our order I decided to count the number of wines on the wine list. And there turned out to be... (drum roll!)... 180!
Sparkling, white, rosé, red, non-alcoholic; wines from France, Italy, Hungary, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Austria, Greece, Georgia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and South Africa! There is even orange wine!

My amazement was interrupted by the tartares arriving at the table. The tuna tartare, as usual, was a hit with me: fresh tuna, soft avocado, a little dressing — nothing superfluous. The eel tartare with pine nuts we tried for the first time: an interesting combination of pine nuts and eel together with avocado and some kind of magical sauce.

In general, as the waiter said, all the dishes at Moreca come with light sauces that bring out the taste of the product. It is worth noting that the eel in the tartare is not raw but fried.

Naturally, we were still hungry and went back to looking at the menu.
Besides oysters, sea urchins and tartares, there are appetisers of langoustines, octopus, crab and shrimp, starters of duck and beef, and even jamón. There are only two soups: borscht with beef and fish soup. Pasta and risotto with seafood, as well as main courses including chicken, sea bass, halibut, black cod, octopus, scallops...

We chose the shawarma with Kamchatka crab and black ravioli with octopus.

I have never eaten a tastier shawarma in my life. Thin fried lavash, fresh vegetables, a light sauce and the most tender crab meat... No wonder this dish (1,300 ₽) is one of the most expensive on the menu. Although Moreca has three most expensive dishes, and they are:

1. Grilled scallops with romaine leaves and mushroom mousse — 1,800 ₽ (at the time of writing).
2. Filet mignon steak with celery purée, foie gras and demi-glace sauce — 1,750 ₽ (at the time of writing).
3. Moroccan octopus with baked potatoes, spinach and romesco sauce — 1,700 ₽ (at the time of writing).

I did not try the octopus ravioli because I do not like mushroom sauce, and there is a lot of it :) But according to my friend the octopus is incredibly tasty, especially combined with red caviar and the mushroom sauce.

So we sat and ate a hearty meal in a unique place in the very centre of Kaliningrad for a little more than 4,000 ₽.
When we asked for the bill, the waitress offered us their signature limoncello — a tincture of about 20% strength. Once again I had to decline (because of my illness I am missing all the fun), but my friend happily drank it and appreciated it.

By the way, Moreca has delivery through the “MORECA” app, so you can enjoy fresh seafood without leaving home ;)
The Moreca restaurant is dog-friendly for dogs up to 35 cm tall.
In the warm season the restaurant has a terrace.