The beheaded and pigeon-dropping-adorned statue of Lenin outside Red Square only hints at the near-profane delights on the interior. Inside you will find decayed posters that once glorified the Worker, cheek by jowl with a patchwork mix of remnants of Czarist trappings, as pillaged from toppled Bolsheviks and Stalinists. It is disconcerting to see the hammer and sickle so blithely and irreverently displayed, but then again, what better way to drain it of its power than to exploit it in a palace of capitalistic decadence? And then there's the ice-covered bar -- all the better to keep your drinks nicely chilled. After all, they have 150 different kinds of vodka, perhaps the largest collection in the world. It's all just one big post-Communist party. (Sorry, we had to say it.)

Anyway, if you can tear your eyes away from the theme-run-amok, you might notice the menu is quite good, one of our favorites around. Blow your expense account on some caviar (we found we liked nutty Osetra better than stronger Beluga), properly chilled in ice, served with the correct pearl spoon. Or try some steak tartare, mixed (with egg, onion, crème fraîche, and so forth) at your table, but if you don't like food with a generous kick to it, ask them to go lighter on the mustard sauce. Or, more affordably, nosh on Siberian nachos -- smoked salmon, citron caviar, and crème fraîche. Arugula and spinach salad has slivers of pears, a bit of Stilton, and apple cider vinaigrette. The chef's special is a Roquefort-crusted, tender filet mignon, with some soft caramelized garlic and a fine reduction sauce; it's a grand piece of meat, one of the best in town and more cheaply priced than similarly ranked places. We also very much liked the pan-seared halibut with a roasted beet vinaigrette and basil oil on a mushroom risotto. Try a silly-themed drink, such as the "Cuban Missile Crisis," which is rain vodka, dark rum, sugar-cane syrup, and lime juice, or better still, take advantage of that vodka menu and try a tasting flight of four kinds, joined by theme (in our case, the "Ultimate Flight" paired Polish, Russian, Scottish, and Estonian vodkas). Desserts are not as clever but are worth saving room for, especially the warm chocolate cake with a liquid center and the strawberries Romanoff.