Mexican cuisine

For me, January was delicious. I’ve had a few chances to shake up my taste buds a bit lately. For one, I finally found a proper Mexican spot, so I can now stop jumping at the bit whenever I see at least tacos on a menu – which is a rare find anyway. The place I’m talking about is called Paloma Cantina, and it’s mere moments away from the Admiralteyskaya metro station, on Gorokhovaya St. 4. While I’m no expert on the cuisine, this restaurant looks and tastes very Mexican to me; it has a fun, colorful setting and a solid menu with everything – from tortilla bites to traditional soups and Mexican takes on the classic meals. I had tortilla soup with duck, mushroom and chicken tacos, and a lovely time there – and trust me, I wasn't disappointed at all. – Marina

Winter activities

As if to compensate for the above-zero December, 2026 brought us a proper winter filled with snow and frost. For me, this opened the door to immense outdoor fun that had previously been unavailable. During the winter holidays, my friends and I escaped the city, where, in our free time from being couch potatoes, we dedicated ourselves to making snow angels, having snowball fights, and sledding. As a result, this turned out to be one of the most healing and joyful breaks I’ve experienced. Perhaps it's physical activity or good company, but I always feel more “alive” and energized after these simple pleasures. – Elizaveta

Zootopia 2

In a world of One Battle After Another-s, hope can still be found in Disney cartoons. I got to watch the long-awaited sequel to Zootopia in mid-January and was positively swept off my feet by its kindness, fur-based jokes, and, of course, heart-warming story. For me, everything felt just right not just with the movie, but with the day itself, which brought the rare winter sun with pretty snowflakes circling all around and started with a surprisingly delicious breakfast at Bushe. Perhaps not a discovery per se, but a highlight of the month without a doubt! – Catherine

Fighting the winter gloom with sports

Unfortunately, moving your body without actually doing sports isn’t always enough (although still fun on rest days). Finally enjoying some physical activity is my biggest recent discovery. To trick myself into signing up for a sports class, I actually went to the very first session on December 30, and then followed after the holidays. Because of the end-of-the-year timing, it felt like a one-time thing, not a “starting a new life” endeavor. And once I’ve started, it was pretty easy to keep going, since my body has been definitely craving some physical activity. – Kseniia