Roman Abramovich with Rabbi Alexander Boroda at Basil Pizza. Photo: COL Live.

Roman Abramovich, the Russian Jewish billionaire who Forbes at one point listed as the eleventh richest man in the world, recently stopped by for lunch at the acclaimed Basil Pizza & Wine Bar, a kosher restaurant in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, reported local blog Collive. Abramovich has been based in New York since February, when he docked his mega-yacht The Eclipse on the west side of Manhattan.

Abramovich was accompanied by Rabbi Alexander Boroda, a Russian Chabad rabbi. In the past, Abramovich has been a supporter of the Chabad movement, reportedly donating $5 million to build the Marina Roscha Synagogue and Jewish Community Center which was constructed under the auspices of Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar.  Abramovich also has business ties with  Chabad philanthropist Lev Leviev.

Reviewing Basil in in 2010, the New York Times wrote about the restaurant’s diverse clientele, including many from beyond the Jewish community. “With its deliberately diverse staff, (Basil) courts the black residents there. The trendy menu of individual-size pizzas, raw-fish compositions and pasta dishes is also meant to appeal to them — and to the young, liberal-minded professionals who, in slowly growing numbers, are choosing Crown Heights as a cheaper alternative to the Williamsburg or Prospect Heights sections of Brooklyn. Basil wants everyone under one roof,” said the review.

Roman Abramovich with the chef at Basil Pizza. Photo: COL Live.