Arkady Novikov

Arkady Novikov was born in Moscow in 1962.

Arkady Novikov: «I grew up late and at school even didn’t think about who I wanted to be. Till fifteen years I read fairy-tales»…

After school he graduated from culinary college №174, later – from department of food service economics at Academy of the National Economy named by Plekhanov. He started professional career as a cook at the restaurant “Universitetsky”, where he worked for about five years. Later he worked as a sous chef at the restaurant “Havana”, as a head chef at the restaurant “Olimpiyskie ogni”. In 1990 he became head chef at “Hard-Rock Cafe”, opened by Stas Namin at the Green Theatre in Gorky Park.

Arkady Novikov: «Before entering the college I didn’t know how to cook, but I loved to watch how my Granny cooked. And she always sent me away with the words: “This is not men’s work!”

The 90s became the first decade of the real success. The creation of numerous original and successful projects brought to Arkady Novikov deserved reputation of “the first city’s restaurateur”.

Arkady Novikov: «When I was a student – everything was very interesting. I delved into the books, dreamt of cooking something new. But hardly somebody believed that time, that there will be a use of me. Instead in the college there is a memorial plate now “Arkady Novikov studied here”.

In 1992 Arkady Novikov opened his first restaurant — «Sirena». Restaurant became the first seafood restaurant of the capital, introducing to Muscovites the most exotic (for that time) fish products. And to the present day successfully working in the same conception, “Sirena” at that time became one of those first restaurants with qualitatively new approach to cuisine, service, interior and atmosphere, which gave a beginning to the new, post-Soviet level in the development of the Russian restaurant business.

Arkady Novikov: «Working on this project largely determined our strategy. We fixed for ourselves, that the perfect cuisine – is a necessary requirement, but not complete condition for the success of the restaurant business. Our every next project was a search for the interesting, always new theme and laborious work on the realization of our purpose».

Arkady Novikov not without reason is considered the author of principal things, which are commonly referred to as “staging”.

To this “stages” it is worth to attribute the creation of French cuisine restaurant in 1994 – “Club T”, which for many years according to the numerous ratings was the best restaurant of French cuisine in the capital.

In 1996 “Tsarskaya Ohota” was founded — the first post-Soviet restaurant of Russian cuisine. At that time famous dinner of two presidents – Russian president Boris Eltsin and French president Jacques Chirac – took place here. The restaurant becomes the “visiting card” of the city, returning the interest of the visitors in Russian cuisine.

Arkady Novikov: «At that time intuition entirely substituted marketing… Inflow of the visitors to “Tsarskaya Ohota” was so large, that they had to close the restaurant and redo everything. “Telega” –buffet with appetizers became one of the solutions of the problem with the catering.

In 1996 special restaurant style becomes available for the wider audience – tavern “Yolki-Palki” opened – the first affordable project with a Russian conception. Today “Yolki-Palki” - is the biggest Russian chain of affordable restaurants serving Russian cuisine.

Arkady Novikov: “I was asking each waiter — what would you like to try in the restaurant? What would you go there for? What haven’t you seen yet? They told me, and everything what I heard later was turned into reality”.

In 1997 the opening of the restaurant “Beloe soltse pustyni” made popular the new restaurant genre – thematic and nostalgic locations.

In 2002 with the opening of the restaurant “Biscuit” one more trend got popular: fashionable restaurants-lounge. Vogue café, “Galereya”, “Vesna” followed.

Arkady Novikov: “How do I know what kind of restaurant to open? Every person can understand, having tried the soup, what it is necessary to add – salt or pepper. So I can approximately identify when and what restaurant to open. As soon as I start to do mistakes, to add too little or too much salt – I will be done.”

In total since 1992 in partnership with different restaurateurs and investors Arkady Novikov has created more than 30 different restaurant projects. Among them: restaurants “Tsarskaya okhota”, “Sirena”, Uzbekistan”, “Syr”, “Market”, “Vanil”, Vogue-café, “Galereya”, Cantinetta Antinori, “Biscuit”, China Club, “Barashka”, chain projects with original conceptions in affordable price segment “Yolki-Palki, “Malenkaya Yaponiya”, “Pyat zvezd”, “Sushi vesla”, “Kish-Mish”…

Arkady Novikov: “Visitors come to “a Novikov place” only the first time, then they choose the place, where they like cuisine and service".

In 2002 Arkady Novikov organized his own greenhouse facility “Agronom” in Gorki-10 (Rublevskoe highway). And since 2005 he has been engaged in the creation and promotion of organic products under the brand Novikov.

Arkady Novikov: “Sophisticated dish —it is first of all high quality products. Ingredients can harmonize with each other or contradict to each other. Necessary accents – are sauce, special degree of readiness and elegant decoration. Only chef of a very high level can combine all this”.

In summer of 2005 Arkady Novikov took part as a presenter in the new intellectual reality-show “Candidate”, co-project of TV channel TNT and TV Company Junior TV. TV project presented the analogue of American show The Apprentice with Donald Trump, premiere of which took place in the January of 2004 and immediately gained the highest broadcast ratings. In the Russian version of the reality-show 16 candidates fought for the right to become a top-manager in the Arkady Novikov Group with the annual 15 000 000 contract.

Arkady Novikov — is one of the founders and member of the coordinating council of the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers. Laureate of the National Award “Hospitality 2004” in category “For personal contribution to hospitality industry development”. Laureate of the award “Man of the year GQ - 2004” in the category “Restaurateur of the year”. Laureate of the First Public Award “Golden Bridge 2009” in the category “Business” for the contribution to the development of Italian-Russian relations.

Arkady Novikov: ”I am often asked – whether I plan to continue expanding. I always tell myself – “It’s enough. Stop”. But I just can’t stop”.