In the Russian Empire, there was a saying "to have breakfast before the cranes," which may seem strange to a modern person. However, in pre-revolutionary Moscow, only wealthy individuals could speak this way, and it was related to the hotel-restaurant complex "Slavic Bazaar."

This tavern operated around the clock, and often dinner smoothly transitioned into breakfast. If a visitor stayed until morning, they were served a crystal decanter adorned with golden cranes, containing expensive cognac worth 50 rubles. The person who paid for the drink could take the decanter home. At that time, it was fashionable to collect such decanters and show them to guests.

The restaurant was designed with the latest technology and amazed with its luxury. Writer Dmitry Boborykin described it as follows: "A row of wide windows on the second floor with busts of Russian writers displayed draperies, wallpaper resembling tiles, ornate doors, and staircases from the inside. A pool with a fountain added the sound of water to the soft patter of feet on the asphalt, creating a sense of greenery or a grotto. Along the walls were sofas made of dark raspberry fabric, which calmed the eyes and invited people to tables covered with fresh linen."

Sometimes, due to this luxury, amusing incidents occurred, as journalist Gilyarovsky recounted: "Once at 'Slavic Bazaar,' two con artists were having breakfast. One said to the other: 'Do you see, I have some grids in my plate. What does that mean?' To which the second replied: 'It means you are destined for prison! It's a bad omen!' In reality, the grids in the plate were reflections of the window frames from the glass ceiling."