Shalva
Google
Let's begin... The signature meat dish is simply fantastic! I can't describe it; try it for yourself. The setting and atmosphere are truly homey, very cozy and comfortable. The waiter who served us was very smart, very polite, very patient – which speaks volumes about his professionalism. Well done, thank you. And now, the main curiosity of the evening we spent there:
On the shelf above the wardrobe, I noticed an icon. It turned out to be an icon of the Prophet Elijah. It's rare to encounter an Orthodox icon in a restaurant in Switzerland. Since we were attending Liturgy that morning, I was very happy to see it.This was a sign that we were in the right place. I asked the waiter who owned this icon, thinking that the owner was an employee of the restaurant. They pointed to a man at the next table and told me that this icon belonged to him. After talking politely with him, I found out that this icon was painted by his mother and was given to him for his 44th birthday. This is evidenced by the congratulatory text on the back. It was very nice and so sweet: a mother paints an icon for her son and blesses him.This is very unusual for Switzerland. Afterwards, I took a closer look at the large photograph hanging on the wall in front of our table. It depicted the restaurant's façade with several people, a family I assumed. The photo is black and white, giving it a retro feel. But upon closer inspection, I recognized the man I'd spoken to just minutes earlier.Who is the owner of that very icon of the prophet Elijah.Without thinking twice, I called the waiter and asked: is that the man from the next table in the photo? He answered affirmatively, that's him. Then I asked him the next logical question: Is he the owner of this establishment? And again the waiter gave me a positive answer.I got nervous and went out for a smoke. On the wall of the house across the street, I saw a church image of an Orthodox cross.Naturally, I crossed to the other side of the street and... Oh my God! It turns out to be the entrance to the courtyard where the Orthodox church is located, in which I received communion at the liturgy during the Covid pandemic several years ago. It was so touching and meaningful for me! Overall, this is the right place to be, the one that has a good menu,good staff, good owner! I'm sure the locals know the history of this restaurant and this family,know a lot of good stories about them. I decided to add a story about this place and the icon of the Prophet Elijah. Now it's a place I'll visit whenever I'm in this glorious city.
