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VIVA: The $250 Million Superyacht Of UFC Owner Frank Fertitta III

From his current position as CEO of Station Casinos to how he – alongside brother Lorenzo and childhood friend Dana White – transformed the UFC into a multi-billion-dollar promotion , there’s virtually endless information about how Frank Fertitta III made his fortune. How he chooses to spend said fortune, however, is a little more mysterious (at least for the fun stuff). One such indulgence we know the elder Fertitta brother has treated himself to is the ultra-luxurious Feadship-built superyacht known as Viva, which comes with an eye-watering price tag of US$175 million / AU$252 million.

Conceptualised by Azure Yacht Design & Naval Architecture in collaboration with De Voogt Naval Architects, while also showcasing interiors accomplished by Peter Marino, Viva was only completed in the Netherlands last year and delivered shortly thereafter.

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Back to the matter of Viva, it boasts an overall length of 308 feet / 94 metres with a 13.6-metre beam and gross tonnage of 2,999 – making it the 85th largest superyacht in the entire world; seventh largest ever constructed by Feadship – and can comfortably accommodate 14 guests across seven cabins alongside a capable crew of 18.

Viva has been called the “most environmentally-friendly luxury vessel of its kind” due to it featuring a hybrid propulsion system that allows the boat to cruise using diesel-electric power, as well as a waste treatment plant and heat recovering systems.

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• Formal dining area
• Beauty salon
• Helipad w/ helicopter registered as N702FF (believed to have been chosen for Frank’s initials)

Viva has a steel hull and aluminium superstructure.

The annual running cost of this enviable billionaire’s toy? Over US$17.5 million / AU$25 million. 

Viva was last sighted en route to Martha’s Vineyard by way of Nantucket — but you can check it out for yourself via the Superyacht Times’ video below.

NOTE : As interior photos have yet to be released, the shots embedded are just samples.

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Billionaire Anchors Two Super-Yachts Off Santa Barbara Coast

Former UFC Owner Brings 285-Foot Ship and ‘Garage’ Ship with Helicopter Pad to Santa Barbara

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Two massive super-yachts appeared in the Santa Barbara Channel last Thursday, drawing awe and questions from beachgoers and residents.

According to Harbormaster Mike Wiltshire, the two offshore vessels are the Lonian — a 285-foot super-yacht built by Feadship of Florida and the Netherlands — and the Hodor , its 216-foot companion ship. Both are owned by billionaire Lorenzo Fertitta, former CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

The Lonian was purchased for $160 million in 2018 and can hold up to 12 guests and 27 crew members, including the captain. According to superyachttimes.com , the ship is ranked as the 117th largest super-yacht in the world, and its sister ship, the Hodor serves as a trailing garage, housing the “toys,” which include ATVs, motorcycles, and a helicopter; the ship has its very own helicopter pad.

The ships have led to a number of calls to the Harbor Patrol from Santa Barbara residents, some of whom wondered if the Hodor ’s helipad indicated a military ship.

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Wiltshire said the ships’ captains and crew contacted the Waterfront Department on the evening of Thursday, August 26.

“We provided them with anchor coordinates at that time,” he said. “They have not indicated how long they will be here.”

The two ships were anchored off of Newport Beach a couple of days before their trip to Santa Barbara. Wiltshire said that boats anchoring off the Santa Barbara coast is not unusual, as the department frequently sees large ships requesting to stop by the channel.

“Nothing overly out of the ordinary as we occasionally provide anchor coordinates for vessels too large to moor in the harbor, and they typically shuttle into port using tender boats,” Wiltshire said.

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Superyacht with 66-metre support yacht spotted off Victoria

A pair of multimillion-dollar yachts sailed past Victoria on Monday, both owned by billionaire brothers who made the bulk of their fortunes as owners of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

The 87-metre yacht Lonian was trailed by its 66-metre support yacht Hodor, described by Boat International magazine as "the world's largest floating toy box."

While the Lonian can accommodate 12 guests, 27 crew and a helicopter of its own, the catamaran-style support ship acts as a kind of floating garage, carrying speedboats, jet skis, motorcycles and ATVs.

"The idea was to get all the clutter off the mothership and on board a dedicated vessel," the Hodor's first officer told the magazine last year.

"There was no need to restrict the quantity of toys we put on board. The owner just let us go ahead and fill it with cool stuff."

The Hodor's designer, Incat Crowther, says the support ship "accommodates an astounding number of toys, facilities and personnel," which includes a submarine garage and a scuba-diving platform complete with onboard air compressors and "a hospital with decompression chamber."

According to financial transparency website OpenCorporates , the vessels are owned by a pair of holding companies controlled by Fertitta Enterprises, the family company of Lorenzo Fertitta and brother Frank Fertitta III.

According to Forbes magazine, the casino-magnate brothers bought the UFC for US$2 million in 2001 and sold it in 2016 for US$4 billion, while retaining stakes in the company which sold in 2017 at a US$5-billion valuation.

Vessel-tracking website marinetraffic.com indicates the yachts were en route to Vancouver from Seattle.

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Monday is an Official Holiday in Mexico

U.s. ambassador to mexico visits la paz, new tour boats arrive in mulege, fishing tournaments this weekend, let’s celebrate st. patrick’s day and help the kids, real estate summit around the corner, rooms booking apps produce millions for cabo, hurricane season starts in 2 months, why are most pharmacies in cabo closed, march 11, 2024 edition, cabo bay welcomes three mega-yachts.

Lorenzo Fertitta, who in 2016 along with his borther Frank sold the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand for US$ 4 billion, owns the Lonian yacht.

They are the Attessa IV, Lonian and Ramble On Rose, which are traveling without passengers, reported the marina management company (API). The 332 feet long Attessa IV is valued at $250 million USD, including its helicopter. The 87 meter long Lonian sleeps 12 guests in 6 rooms and is valued at $160 million USD.  60 meter long Ramble on Rose also sleeps 12 guests in 6 rooms and can be chartered for $375,000 a week. Any takers?

These Trumpy Billionaire Bros Are in Hot Seat Over Union-Busting Claims

Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta may have to testify about allegations of union-busting at their casinos.

Noah Kirsch

Wealth and Power Reporter

Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photo Getty

A labor dispute of cartoonish proportions is playing out in Las Vegas, pitting two Trump-supporting casino billionaires against one of the largest private union drives in the country.

Brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta have been ordered to testify about allegations that their gaming business, Station Casinos, egregiously tried to undercut labor organizing efforts. It is just the latest chapter in a complex saga that has played out for a decade. An administrative trial involving some of the claims is underway before a National Labor Relations Board judge.

The Fertittas are best known for Ultimate Fighting Championship—the mixed martial arts promoter they sold for more than $4 billion in 2016—and for donating millions of dollars to Donald Trump and his dark-money machine , America First Action. Much of their wealth, however, lies in a gambling operation founded by their father, which is now the subject of the union-busting allegations.

“It's extraordinary that you would bring in the very, very top person in the company [to testify],” says Bill Werner, an associate professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who researches employment disputes. “What the union is saying: the Fertittas made this decision.”

The trial follows a blistering opinion issued by a federal judge in July, which ordered Station to begin negotiating a contract with roughly 1,350 culinary workers over a contested 2019 union vote at Red Rock Resort.

In the run-up to that vote, Station had announced that it would grant employees new benefits, including a pension plan, reduced health-care contributions, and a medical center, according to court documents. The union ultimately lost the right to organize by a margin of 627 to 534.

“​​Red Rock’s offer of benefits was a hallmark violation,” Judge Gloria Navarro wrote in her opinion. “Many employees admitted not voting for the Union because they feared losing the new health care and 401(k) benefits that Red Rock had just promised.”

A 2019 union vote at the Red Rock Resort is at the center of the legal drama.

Ethan Miller/Getty

Adam Christian, a union supporter who has been a server at one of Station’s properties for 15 years, believes that many of his co-workers were intimidated into voting no.

“They decided to throw the kitchen sink at everybody and not even give detailed information to us to be able to even make an informed vote,” he says. “I just want to be treated fairly by a company and have something in writing.” Christian claims the casino stopped letting him serve Frank Fertitta meals once he started wearing a union button on his shirt, even when the billionaire sat in his section.

A spokesperson for Station Casinos denies that the new benefits were related to the union drive, saying it made “changes before it even knew there was to be an election.” In an appeal to the July ruling, the company called the decision “not only unjust, but also unprecedented.”

The Fertittas are likely to challenge the order to testify until the last moment, Werner says. In the meantime, supervisors at their casinos are choosing sides.

Last month, dozens of managers arrived at the union’s offices wearing matching shirts and chanting, “We despise union lies.” Most were not even eligible to join the unit.

“In our nearly nine decades of organizing, the Culinary Union has never seen company managers or supervisors picket, especially on their day off when it is 99 degrees outside,” the union’s secretary-treasurer, Geoconda Argüello-Kline, said in a statement . “We hope that they stay hydrated and cool.”

Union activity at Station Casinos has bubbled for a decade, driven in part by a history of harsh workplace practices, some employees claim.

Steve Bailey, a bellman at Red Rock Casino, says that he was pressured to skip breaks when he first started at the company 14 years ago. He bristled at other policies too, including a requirement that on-call employees be available 24 hours a day if managers decided to summon them into work.

“If you did not answer that call within five minutes, it was considered a refusal,” Bailey says. Three refusals resulted in automatic termination, he said. “I was so apprehensive about missing a call that I would put my phone in a plastic bag… and I would take it in the shower with me.”

Bailey also claims that employees have faced pressure to work private events for the Fertitta family, and that managers have sometimes used surveillance tapes to nitpick job performance. There is little recourse, he says, when employees are asked to perform tasks outside of their job descriptions.

As one example, Bailey was recently asked to drive a gambler to another property, he said. He resisted, since he lacked formal training, and ultimately said no, but he worried about repercussions: “I felt like my job was in jeopardy,” he said.

A Station spokesperson says that “the Culinary Union has a fraught relationship with the truth from the top down. The very few of our employees who have complained typically have an agenda.”

The years of tumult have not impeded the Fertittas’ financial success—including the massive UFC sale five years ago.

The brothers had purchased the fight promoter for just $2 million in 2001 after growing addicted to martial arts while taking classes in the basement of one of their casinos.

“What makes UFC so great,” Lorenzo Fertitta told Forbes in 2008, “is that every single man on the planet gets it immediately. It’s just two guys beating each other up.”

Previously, gambling had been the true family trade. The Fertittas’ dad, also named Frank, founded Station Casinos in 1976, and it grew to specialize in properties off the main Vegas strip, catering to locals over crapulent tourists.

Lorenzo Fertitta, left, and his brother Frank, right, with artist Damien Hirst at the Palms Casino Resort in 2018.

David Becker/Getty

The company is technically still private, though it is partly owned by Red Rock Resorts, a publicly traded business that the Fertittas control. Red Rock’s stock is up more than sixfold since the start of the pandemic—when it suffered a precipitous drop—and it’s now worth over $5 billion, an all-time high. Each Fertitta brother is personally worth $2.7 billion, Forbes estimates.

The brothers have not been shy about that money.

In late August, Lorenzo’s 285-foot megayacht, Lonian, caused a stir when it docked off the coast of Newport Beach; some locals believed it was a naval ship. Lonian, which cost a reported $160 million, features a glass-bottomed pool and helipad. It even travels with its own special friend, a 217-foot support yacht called Hodor outfitted with a spare helipad and additional gear.

Frank is known to splash out, too. His daughter’s 2018 wedding reportedly cost $25 million, thanks to a cake that stood more than two stories tall, a blinding amount of crystal, and an entertainment lineup that included Seal, John Mayer, and Bruno Mars. According to the Review-Journal , event staff were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements.

As for the labor dispute, the ongoing trial is unlikely to end the war, since the Fertittas could easily drag out the fight for another decade or longer.

“This will all be resolved when the culinary union has a contract with each Station property,” says Werner, the University of Nevada professor, about one slice of the battle. “I predict that happens never.”

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Sail The Ocean With The $250 Million Superyacht Of UFC Owner Frank Fertitta III

Frank Fertitta III's superyacht is the definition of luxury in the ocean.

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One of the most expensive superyachts in the world, opulent interior and exterior, the legendary makers of the superyacht.

It has only been a few months since Frank Fertitta, who also owns the UFC, received delivery of the magnificent yacht "Viva" in June. "Viva" is a 94-meter-long luxury yacht built by Feadship at their shipyard in Kaag, Netherlands.

Viva was recently completed and delivered in the Netherlands. She was designed by Azure Yacht Design & Naval Architecture in collaboration with De Voogt Naval Architects, while Peter Marino designed her interiors. Let’s take a look inside the $250 million superyacht of UFC owner Frank Fertitta III.

There is an almost endless amount of evidence regarding how Frank Fertitta III acquired his wealth, ranging from his current position as CEO of Station Casinos to how he, along with his brother Lorenzo and childhood friend Dana White, turned the Ultimate Fighting Championship into a multi-billion dollar business.

However, the manner in which he chooses to spend such wealth is somewhat less evident (at least for the fun stuff). The ultra-luxurious superyacht Viva, which was built by Feadship and has a jaw-dropping price tag of $250 million, is an example of such a luxury acquisition. The eldest Fertitta sibling stated that he made this transaction for himself.

It should be noted that Feadship appears to be the Fertitta family's preferred shipbuilder. Lorenzo Fertitta is the owner of the 285-foot-long (87-meter-long), Feadship-built Lonian , which costs $160 million. Tilman Fertitta, the cousin of the Fertitta brothers, is the happy owner of a more modest Westport Yachts-built vessel in Boardwalk. This vessel achieves a maximum length of 163 feet or 50 meters and costs $27 million, which is significantly more reasonable than the preceding vessel.

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Peter Marino designed the interior, and Azure Yacht Design designed the exterior. At the stern of the upper deck are a gym, a beach club, a theater, a beauty salon, underwater lighting, an elevator, and a helipad. In addition, the ship has a cinema and a beauty salon. The hull of Viva is composed of steel, while the superstructure and decks are made of teak and aluminum, respectively. It has two diesel-electric MTU engines , each with 16 cylinders, 3,916 horsepower, and 2,050 revolutions per minute. It can achieve its top speed of 20 knots while maintaining a cruising speed of approximately 12 knots.

Its freshwater tanks have a capacity of around 71,000 liters, while its fuel tanks can hold approximately 280,000 liters of gasoline. The owner wanted their new mega yacht, which is 94 meters long and built by Feadship like their prior mega yacht, which was 32 meters shorter, to have a smaller environmental impact than their previous mega yacht. In addition to adopting hybrid propulsion, the owner requested that the exterior and interior design of the superyacht adhere to a minimalist aesthetic because they belong to the "less is more" philosophical school.

Consequently, one can witness clean lines and an abundance of glass. The interior design of the superyacht is reminiscent of a beach cottage. In order to reduce fuel consumption, the hull has been made more aerodynamic. The motor yacht Viva measures 94 meters in length. The superyacht has a beam of 13.6 meters and can carry 2,999 gross tons of cargo. On board the superyacht Viva, there is space for a maximum of 14 passengers.

RELATED: The $4.8 Billion Vessel: Here's What Makes History Supreme The Most Expensive Yacht In The World

The Viva is the seventh-largest yacht manufactured by Feadship. In April 2021, Viva departed the Dutch shipyard and steered with extreme caution through the Dutch canals, coming dangerously close to colliding with canal-side structures. Feadship, which has its headquarters in the Netherlands and a history dating back to 1849, is frequently recognized as the most successful company in the sector of manufacturing pure custom million-dollar superyachts .

Each vessel in the Feadship fleet sets a new standard for craftsmanship, design, engineering, and construction. This is because each new Feadship indicates an improvement over their prior efforts. This is what the corporation refers to as its unrelenting pursuit of excellence. In every manner, the brand-new superyacht Viva exhibits this degree of excellence.

In addition, the year 2022 will mark 73 years since the founding of Feadship. Although the three key players in the First Export Association of Dutch Shipbuilders each had histories dating back several decades further, the official creation of what is now the world's foremost superyacht brand took place in an Amsterdam café in 1949.

Every new Feadship is an accomplishment in and of itself, as its builders constantly strive to redefine what defines perfection and ensure that each new model is structurally and technologically greater than the one that came before it. This strategy produces yachts that cannot be duplicated because they include space-age technologies and ultramodern design techniques. The Viva superyacht is, without a doubt, the finest of its kind.

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Sources: Boss Hunting , Superyacht Times , Superyacht fan

• The Woodlands

Tilman Fertitta's 252-foot, $150 million superyacht Boardwalk courses through canals after departing Feadship's Aalsmeer shipyard in The Netherlands on its way to sea trials. (Photo courtesy of Feadship)

Tilman Fertitta's Boardwalk by Feadship encountered 19 locks and bridges on its way to sea trials. (Photo courtesy of Feadship)

Momus Queen Blayne Fertitta and Tilman Fertitta in 2019 partying port side of his first Boardwalk yacht during The San Luis Salute in Galveston. (Gary Fountain Photo)

The Feadship team moves Tilman Fertitta's super yatch, Boardwalk, through the narrow canals of The Netherlands on its way to sea trials. (Photo courtesy of Feadship)

An areal view of Tilman Fertitta's Feadship Boardwalk of which he is expected to take possession in April. (Photo courtesy of Feadship)

Tilman Fertitta's super yacht, Boardwalk, by Feadship makes a beautiful departure as it heads for sea trials.

Tilman Fertitt's 77-meter Boardwalk from Feadship passes the last bridge on the to sea trials, passing the city of Rotterdam. (Photo courtesy of Feadship)⁠⠀

Tilman Fertitta Gets a New $150 Million Super Yacht — Take a Look at the Floating Paradise

Houston billionaire adds boardwalk to his empire.

I n the stratospheric world of billionaire Tilman Fertitta, more is more. And bigger is better. Consider the hospitality mogul’s ever-expanding business empire and then add his newest toy —  a superyacht set to splash through the waters of the Med in April.

Our curiosity was piqued when we saw info on a 77 meter (252 foot) Feadship yacht that “was commissioned by an experienced yachtsman, the project has been designed by De Voogt Naval Architects,” according to Boat International . The extraordinary yacht’s launch has additionally captured the attention of Super Yacht Times , Mega Yacht News , and  Yacht Harbor .

The name of the floating behemoth: Boardwalk . The same name as Fertitta’s 50 meter (163 feet) Westport motor yacht that has ridden the Fertitta family across waves of the Mediterranean and the Caribbean for a decade.

A little more research reveals that indeed the new vessel, which is headed this month for sea trials, was commissioned by Fertitta in 2016. Four years is fairly standard for yacht construction from the hull up. It was launched from the Feadship’s Aalsmeer shipyard in The Netherlands and in early January.

With an estimated price tag of $150 million, the yacht has seven staterooms, a swimming pool, and, of course, a helipad accommodating Fertitta’s favored mode of travel.

The original Boardwalk remains in Fertitta’s possession and there is no indication that he will sell or charter it. As he has often said, he has no intention of letting anyone but family rest their heads on Boardwalk pillows. We would guess that deep-pocketed Fertitta will keep the smaller yacht in the Caribbean where the larger yacht would have difficulty maneuvering through the waters there.

Set your Easter Table with Bering's

In the world of superyachts , Boardwalk is a serious contender but falls short of the ridiculously huge mega yachts such as Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ Bravo Eugenia, which measures 356 feet, or the 351-foot Benetti Lana, which charters for $1.9 million a week.

Get a closer look at Tilman Fertitta’s new yacht in this video:

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Restaurant-Yacht Chaika

Ratings and reviews, location and contact.

Pleasantly surprised, service is good so is the food. Great selection of Fusion food, a mixture of Italian, Japanese, European, Asian etc. A pleasantly nice dining experience, highly recommended, a must try!

Thank you for your feedback and invite you to have lunch or dinner again aboard the ship in an atmosphere of high standards of yacht hospitality.

everything was perfect - the food, the service, the desserts were the best, nice atmosphere and the location - magical

Best food, best view in Moscow. absolutely faultless from arrival to finish. Best risotto i had for many years absolutely perfectly cooked. The view on Ukrainian hotel and the white house by night is amazing

Had to wait for the food for 1.5 hours and then another 20 minutes for the check. Finally called for the manager and he offered... a 10% discount as a compensation. Simply pathetic! The food is mediocre at best. Not bad per se, but one... would expect something better considering the prices. There are many places to eat in area that are much better. Avoid this one at all costs. More

Hello, Alexander Your comment is extremely important for us, thank you a lot for it. We are terribly sorry for your time that you`ve spent waiting your order and we have already taken actions to improve quality of our service and it would be realy... More

Food is very expensive,very pretentious, doesn't worth that money. Portions are very small. We ordered ravioli and there were 4! Four raviolis! For almost 15 euros. Then we asked to bring us dessert menu but nothing, they didn't even bothered, so we payed and left... without dessert. Very poor service for that price. More

This is a very good restaurant. The food is really good, maybe the best in Moscow. The service is also good. The view from the restaurant is great. The prices are very high.

I often visit this restaurant and must say it’s one of the best in Moscow in terms of quality and service. Staff really try hard to make sure that you are happy and satisfied. Customer service is a huge problem in Moscow but Chaika sets... a great example for others in the industry! Food is delicious and the menu has lots of options for everyone! Atmosphere is great and view is beautiful on the embankment. Special thanks to German & Oleg! More

Thank you for your feedback! Again aboard the yacht restaurant "Chaika" in accordance with the high standards of yacht hospitality.

Highly recommended, great location in the city center of Moscow with a superb atmosphere. Too many menu choices, though all delicious!

Thx a lot for your review! We are looking forward to see you in our restaurants.

Visited this lovely restaurant with a friend of mine. It was relaxingly warm August evening - so the place on the river seemed like a good idea. We came quite early and the restaurant was not full. The hostesses kindly offered several places to sit... and we chose to sit on the sofas. We had some wine, which was good. We struggled a bit when deciding about the food as few options (scallops) were not available. Fish on ice on display did not look very fresh. To be honest it was an unusually hot August and it is probably understandable that some see food options were not available. However, we did manage to order something and sat waiting and looking onto the river. My long-legged friend struggled sitting at the low sofa and the manager noticed that, offering as a very good, proper table beside the open window. It was nice touch and I was very pleased by their polite observations and immediate reaction to solve the problem. Food was quite good and presentation was perfect. Perhaps I can something about the food, but 1 visit is not enough to criticize or make a definitive opinion. Overall, quality place, which of course, does not come cheap. I would recommend this restaurant without hesitation. More

Good afternoon! Thank you for your detailed feedback! We are looking forward to seeing you again, we are sure that you will be delighted with our dishes!

I've been here several times during two business trip in Moscow. The overall quality for both service and food is absolutely top-notch, plus the location is very unique.

Hello! Thank you for your feedback! We are looking forward to visiting again!

Located on a boat at Krasnopresenskaya River Bank this 5 Star Restaurant transforms into a party location due to multiple groups hosting events. Impressive wine selection, Asian and European kitchen...

Thx a lot! We are waiting for you!

It is a nice place to gather specially at the lounge The service and staff very good I like the river view The food is almost like all restaurants in Russia they serve different cuisine. Staring Russian appetizer till Asian dishes Presentation and taste amazing... I consider it overpriced little bit More

Good location. Nice views. Good choice of food and drinks. European and Asian menu. Nice service. Pricey enough.

Had a large group dinner here. Food was above average and service quite good. The real attraction is the view of Moscow from the river on a nice night. Great place for a larger group dinner. More

Hello, John We are really pleased by reading that you and your friends were satisfied by our service, client`s experience is the highest value for us. We will be happy to see you again, come and enjoy some new dishes from our chef and nice... More

The luxurious atmosphere of this place, the view and the location make it quite outstanding. We had dinner here with friends and the dishes were amazing, accompanied by a chilled bottle of Chablis, it really made me feel as if it was a part of... the classic Russian movie. More

RESTAURANT-YACHT CHAIKA, Moscow - Presnensky - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

• Service: 4.5
• Atmosphere: 4.5