City Guides
Moscow
Restaurants
Restaurants
Moscow
Most Popular Hotels in Moscow:
Neglinnaya 4, 109012
Rozdestvenka, 3/6, Bld 1, 109012
11, Malaya Dmitrovka, 127006
Rusakavskaya Str.24, .
We have selected 25 restaurants, which we have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.
Restaurant prices are subject to VAT (18%), which is always included within the prices stated. A service charge may be included (around 10%), however, if it is not, it is common (although not obligatory) for diners to leave 5-10% tip. A crisp US dollar note goes much further than even roubles of the same value.
The restaurants below have been grouped into four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over Rb2,000)
$$$ (Rb1,200 to Rb2,000)
$$ (Rb500 to Rb1,199)
$ (up to Rb500)
The prices quoted above are for an average three-course meal. They include VAT but do not include service charge, tip or drinks.
Once upon a time, food in Moscow meant Russian food only, but the cuisines of the world have come to Moscow since the fall of communism. Dining out in Moscow is now a thoroughly cosmopolitan experience, but be warned that fine dining comes with a stratospheric price tag. Haute cuisine in Moscow goes hand in hand with haute couture and many upmarket restaurants have a very snooty door policy known as elitny or ‘face control'. The doormen at Russian restaurants can be openly rude if you don't look like their regular clientele.
To fit in with the Moscow dining scene, or at least get your foot in the door, it pays to observe the local dress code. For men, jeans and jumpers can be acceptable as long as you have proper footwear - lace-up or slip on leather shoes, never trainers. At more expensive places, diners are expected to dress expensively. Women are always expected to look ultra-feminine - which usually means make-up, showy dresses and high heels. As a general rule, it pays to dress your best - otherwise, you may be refused entry to certain ‘elitny' restaurants, bars and clubs.
Gastronomic
Barashka
Restaurants serving the cuisine of the Caucuses tend to be chintzy and unsophisticated, but Barashka (little lamb) breaks the mould. The graceful dining room is spread over two levels, joined by a spiral staircase which rises in front of a wall of glass jars full or preserved lemons. The imaginative menu is dominated by modern Azeri cooking, which bears more similarity to Greek cuisine than other foods from the region!
Petrovka ulitsa 20/1
Tel: (495) 200 4714.
Price: $$$
Café Pushkin
Close to Pushkin Square, this elegant cafe offers the chance to dine out in 19th-century style as if the 1917 revolution never happened. The Pushkin's food and service are impeccable, with prices to match. The ground floor is decorated in the style of an old pharmacy complete with apothecary's bottles and scales. The more exclusive second floor is set in a handsome library, and there are grand views from the rooftop summer terrace.
Tverskoi bulvar 26a
Tel: (495) 229 5590.
Price: $$$
Kavkazskaya Plennitsa
Named after the classic 1970s film Kavkazskaya Plennitsa (Caucasian Prisoner), this fine Georgian restaurant has a split personality. Half of the restaurant is slightly kitsch, with mock caves and rough wooden furniture, while the other half is modern and multicoloured. However, the menu is traditional and excellent - try the kharcho (stewed beef in a walnut sauce) and khinkali (spiced dumplings). Evenings feature live and loud folk music and maybe even some dancing.
Prospekt Mira 36
Tel: (495) 280 5111.
Price: $$$
Noev Kovcheg
There are restaurants in Moscow serving dishes from the furthest corners of the former Soviet Union, offering some surprising tastes that are well outside the experience of most travellers from outside the region. Noev Kovcheg (Noah's ark) specialises in authentic Armenian cooking, served in a rustic dining room with plush red divans. Try the basturma, a spicy smoked beef dish, or the bean stew in a casserole dish made from black bread.
Maly Ivanovsky pereulok 9
Tel: (495) 917 0717.
Website: www.noevkovcheg.ru
Price: $$$
Yapona Mama
Japanese food is all the rage in Moscow - for the freshest and best quality ingredients, head for Yapona Mama. The sleek, modern interior is lit by natural light from a floor to ceiling wall of glass that leads out to the summer terrace. Japanese prints and wooden furniture ensure that the atmosphere is welcoming rather than austere. The atmosphere is lively; bookings are essential at weekends when a DJ plays to aid digestion.
Smolenskiy bulvar 4
Tel: (495) 246 9967.
Price: $$$
Trendy
Bosco Café
Set inside the famous GUM shopping arcade, Bosco has fast become as much of a fixture on any tourist itinerary as Red Square, which it overlooks. The restaurant's futuristic Barbarella-style (think plastic orange chairs around a space-age bar) is a great contrast to the historic sights outside and the view are especially welcome on cold winter days. Work your way through a long and sophisticated menu that runs from Russian staples to sushi and salads.
3 Red Square
Tel: (495) 620 3182.
Website: www.bosco.ru
Price: $$$
Galareya
Appearances are everything at Galareya: from the eclectic menu of Japanese, European, Asian, Italian, French and Russian fusion dishes, to the ‘elitny' people who dine there. Galareya (Gallery) describes itself as an 'art cafe' and there are always quirky prints, photographs or paintings for sale on the walls. Dark polished wood and low lighting give Galareya an intimate feel that attracts the glamorous ‘modniki' set.
Petrovka ulitsa 27
Tel: (495) 937 4544.
Price: $$$
Pavilion
Overlooking the Patriarch's Ponds, this stylish cafe is set in a 19th century boathouse, with huge bay windows looking over the water. The outlook at Pavilion is modern and upbeat, attracting many young professionals, who come for fresh-tasting, healthy dishes that combine ideas from Russian, European and Asian cooking. It's a trendy spot, with a DJ soundtrack, but the face control is not too oppressive.
Bolshoi Patriarshy pereulok 7
Tel: (495) 203 5110.
Price: $$$
Vogue Café
Vogue Café is arguably the place to be seen, and 'face control' is predictably strict, but it's undeniably an elegant and sophisticated place to dine. In keeping with Muscovites' obsession with haute couture, walls are adorned with fashion photography from the archives of British and Russian Vogue. The menu mixes classic and contemporary dishes, offering a genuine fusion of global ingredients and ideas. Advance bookings are essential.
Kuzneckiy most 7/9
Tel: (495) 923 1701.
Website: http://eng.novikovgroup.ru/restaurants/vogue
Price: $$$$
Budget
Kruzhka
Beer halls are a Russian institution and this cheerful chain does the concept proud. Appropriately, the logo of the Kruzhka (which means mug) chain is a distinctive foaming beer mug set between a knife and fork. The beer is excellent and the simple but tasty food covers a broad spectrum from hearty soups to roast trout and chicken wings. There are branches all over Moscow, including one near the Ploshchad Revolutsii Metro station.
Nikolskaya ulitsa 15
Tel: (495) 710 7199.
Website: www.kruzhka.ru
Maki Café
Maki is a breath of fresh air in Moscow - good food, informal service and atmosphere and very reasonable prices. As well as the namesake maki rolls, you can enjoy varied dishes from Asia and across the former Soviet Union - there is even a good selection for vegetarians. The interior of Maki is ‘remont-chic' - a playful twist on the idea that everything is Russia is permanently ‘in remont' (under refurbishment).
Glinishchevsky pereulok 3
Tel: (495) 292 9731.
Price: $$
Matrioshka
If you want to sample hearty and authentic Russian but don't want to pay Café Pushkin prices, head to folksy Matrioshka. True to its name, the restaurant features a giant matrioshka (Russian doll) in the middle of the room! It's kitsch, but not too kitsch, and prices are excellent for Russian favourites such as borscht and blinis (Russian pancakes) with mincemeat and sour cream. The ‘bisness lanch' represents excellent value for money.
Triumfalnaya Ploschad 1
Tel: (495) 727 9651.
Price: $$
Moo Moo
Look out for the life-sized model of a Friesian cow on the ‘old' Arbat street, marking the way to cheap, tasty Russian food, served canteen style. You'll find all the classics, from borscht and dumplings to chicken fillets, lamb shashlik and salads. But the beauty of the Moo Moo concept is the cafeteria-counter where you can point to the dishes that appeal, even if you don't know the names in Russian.
Ulitsa Arbat 45/23
Tel: (495) 241 1364.
Price: $
Yolki Palki
Students, travellers and families have come to love Yolki Palki for its bottomless salad bar, its bargain prices and its home-style Russian cooking that reminds locals of the food that mama used to make. With rustic, wooden furnishings and waitresses in traditional sarafan (tunic-like dresses), there is a definite folk theme running through these restaurants but all the branches of the chain offer excellent value for money and late opening hours.
Klimentovsky pereulok 14/1
Tel: (495) 953 9130.
Price: $
Personal Recommendations
Aist
Aist - the Stork - is a swish ‘elitny' restaurant with a lounge featuring divans and low tables for more intimate dining. The imaginative menu covers everything from sushi to beef carpaccio with black truffles and asparagus. For the full formal dining experience, head to the first floor, with its oak tables, plush red velvet armchairs and view over the open kitchen. Face control is very much in evidence and booking is strongly advised.
Malaya Bronnaya ulitsa 8/1
Tel: (495) 736 9131.
Price: $$$$
Coffee Mania
Coffee Mania is a small chain of coffee shops serving a fantastic range of teas, coffees and juices, as well as soups, risotto, pasta and meat dishes and delectable cakes. The decor at each branch of Coffee Mania varies to match its location: the outlet next to the conservatory is classic with huge windows and stylish wooden furniture, while the branch near the Detskiy Mir children's department store has pop-art comic strips of Hollywood stars.
Rozhdestvenka ulitsa 6/9/20 (corner of Rozhdestvenka and Pushechnaya)
Tel: (495) 924 0075.
Website: www.coffeemania.ru/eng
Price: $$
Glavpivtorg
A blast from the Soviet past, Glavpivtorg roughly translates to Central Beer Restaurant No.5, and it manages to exude a sense of nostalgia without descending into pantomime. As well as superior beers brewed on site, you can sample some excellent Russian fare, while performers sing rousing revolutionary songs on the stage downstairs. Prices are moderate and the location is perfect - the notorious Lubyanka KGB headquarters is just down the road!
ulitsa Bolshaya Lubyanka 5
Tel: (495) 928 2591.
Price: $$
One Red Square
You would struggle to find a more ostentatious address than One Red Square, but refreshingly, the restaurant at the State Historical Museum is not a 'elitny' hang out for the rich and famous. Instead, One Red Square offers a trip back in time through Russian cuisine, at prices that won't bankrupt ordinary travellers. For something truly extravagant, check out the themed historical dinners, using menus that were actually served to the tsars.
Krasnaya ploschad 1
Tel: (495) 292 1196.
Website: www.redsquare.ru
Price: $$
Most Popular Hotels in Moscow:
Neglinnaya 4, 109012
Rozdestvenka, 3/6, Bld 1, 109012
11, Malaya Dmitrovka, 127006
Rusakavskaya Str.24, .
We have selected 25 restaurants, which we have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.
Restaurant prices are subject to VAT (18%), which is always included within the prices stated. A service charge may be included (around 10%), however, if it is not, it is common (although not obligatory) for diners to leave 5-10% tip. A crisp US dollar note goes much further than even roubles of the same value.
The restaurants below have been grouped into four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over Rb2,000)
$$$ (Rb1,200 to Rb2,000)
$$ (Rb500 to Rb1,199)
$ (up to Rb500)
The prices quoted above are for an average three-course meal. They include VAT but do not include service charge, tip or drinks.
Once upon a time, food in Moscow meant Russian food only, but the cuisines of the world have come to Moscow since the fall of communism. Dining out in Moscow is now a thoroughly cosmopolitan experience, but be warned that fine dining comes with a stratospheric price tag. Haute cuisine in Moscow goes hand in hand with haute couture and many upmarket restaurants have a very snooty door policy known as elitny or ‘face control'. The doormen at Russian restaurants can be openly rude if you don't look like their regular clientele.
To fit in with the Moscow dining scene, or at least get your foot in the door, it pays to observe the local dress code. For men, jeans and jumpers can be acceptable as long as you have proper footwear - lace-up or slip on leather shoes, never trainers. At more expensive places, diners are expected to dress expensively. Women are always expected to look ultra-feminine - which usually means make-up, showy dresses and high heels. As a general rule, it pays to dress your best - otherwise, you may be refused entry to certain ‘elitny' restaurants, bars and clubs.
Restaurant prices are subject to VAT (18%), which is always included within the prices stated. A service charge may be included (around 10%), however, if it is not, it is common (although not obligatory) for diners to leave 5-10% tip. A crisp US dollar note goes much further than even roubles of the same value.
The restaurants below have been grouped into four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over Rb2,000)
$$$ (Rb1,200 to Rb2,000)
$$ (Rb500 to Rb1,199)
$ (up to Rb500)
The prices quoted above are for an average three-course meal. They include VAT but do not include service charge, tip or drinks.
Once upon a time, food in Moscow meant Russian food only, but the cuisines of the world have come to Moscow since the fall of communism. Dining out in Moscow is now a thoroughly cosmopolitan experience, but be warned that fine dining comes with a stratospheric price tag. Haute cuisine in Moscow goes hand in hand with haute couture and many upmarket restaurants have a very snooty door policy known as elitny or ‘face control'. The doormen at Russian restaurants can be openly rude if you don't look like their regular clientele.
To fit in with the Moscow dining scene, or at least get your foot in the door, it pays to observe the local dress code. For men, jeans and jumpers can be acceptable as long as you have proper footwear - lace-up or slip on leather shoes, never trainers. At more expensive places, diners are expected to dress expensively. Women are always expected to look ultra-feminine - which usually means make-up, showy dresses and high heels. As a general rule, it pays to dress your best - otherwise, you may be refused entry to certain ‘elitny' restaurants, bars and clubs.
Gastronomic
Barashka
Restaurants serving the cuisine of the Caucuses tend to be chintzy and unsophisticated, but Barashka (little lamb) breaks the mould. The graceful dining room is spread over two levels, joined by a spiral staircase which rises in front of a wall of glass jars full or preserved lemons. The imaginative menu is dominated by modern Azeri cooking, which bears more similarity to Greek cuisine than other foods from the region!
Petrovka ulitsa 20/1
Tel: (495) 200 4714.
Price: $$$
Restaurants serving the cuisine of the Caucuses tend to be chintzy and unsophisticated, but Barashka (little lamb) breaks the mould. The graceful dining room is spread over two levels, joined by a spiral staircase which rises in front of a wall of glass jars full or preserved lemons. The imaginative menu is dominated by modern Azeri cooking, which bears more similarity to Greek cuisine than other foods from the region!
Petrovka ulitsa 20/1
Tel: (495) 200 4714.
Price: $$$
Café Pushkin
Close to Pushkin Square, this elegant cafe offers the chance to dine out in 19th-century style as if the 1917 revolution never happened. The Pushkin's food and service are impeccable, with prices to match. The ground floor is decorated in the style of an old pharmacy complete with apothecary's bottles and scales. The more exclusive second floor is set in a handsome library, and there are grand views from the rooftop summer terrace.
Tverskoi bulvar 26a
Tel: (495) 229 5590.
Price: $$$
Close to Pushkin Square, this elegant cafe offers the chance to dine out in 19th-century style as if the 1917 revolution never happened. The Pushkin's food and service are impeccable, with prices to match. The ground floor is decorated in the style of an old pharmacy complete with apothecary's bottles and scales. The more exclusive second floor is set in a handsome library, and there are grand views from the rooftop summer terrace.
Tverskoi bulvar 26a
Tel: (495) 229 5590.
Price: $$$
Kavkazskaya Plennitsa
Named after the classic 1970s film Kavkazskaya Plennitsa (Caucasian Prisoner), this fine Georgian restaurant has a split personality. Half of the restaurant is slightly kitsch, with mock caves and rough wooden furniture, while the other half is modern and multicoloured. However, the menu is traditional and excellent - try the kharcho (stewed beef in a walnut sauce) and khinkali (spiced dumplings). Evenings feature live and loud folk music and maybe even some dancing.
Prospekt Mira 36
Tel: (495) 280 5111.
Price: $$$
Named after the classic 1970s film Kavkazskaya Plennitsa (Caucasian Prisoner), this fine Georgian restaurant has a split personality. Half of the restaurant is slightly kitsch, with mock caves and rough wooden furniture, while the other half is modern and multicoloured. However, the menu is traditional and excellent - try the kharcho (stewed beef in a walnut sauce) and khinkali (spiced dumplings). Evenings feature live and loud folk music and maybe even some dancing.
Prospekt Mira 36
Tel: (495) 280 5111.
Price: $$$
Noev Kovcheg
There are restaurants in Moscow serving dishes from the furthest corners of the former Soviet Union, offering some surprising tastes that are well outside the experience of most travellers from outside the region. Noev Kovcheg (Noah's ark) specialises in authentic Armenian cooking, served in a rustic dining room with plush red divans. Try the basturma, a spicy smoked beef dish, or the bean stew in a casserole dish made from black bread.
Maly Ivanovsky pereulok 9
Tel: (495) 917 0717.
Website: www.noevkovcheg.ru
Price: $$$
There are restaurants in Moscow serving dishes from the furthest corners of the former Soviet Union, offering some surprising tastes that are well outside the experience of most travellers from outside the region. Noev Kovcheg (Noah's ark) specialises in authentic Armenian cooking, served in a rustic dining room with plush red divans. Try the basturma, a spicy smoked beef dish, or the bean stew in a casserole dish made from black bread.
Maly Ivanovsky pereulok 9
Tel: (495) 917 0717.
Website: www.noevkovcheg.ru
Price: $$$
Yapona Mama
Japanese food is all the rage in Moscow - for the freshest and best quality ingredients, head for Yapona Mama. The sleek, modern interior is lit by natural light from a floor to ceiling wall of glass that leads out to the summer terrace. Japanese prints and wooden furniture ensure that the atmosphere is welcoming rather than austere. The atmosphere is lively; bookings are essential at weekends when a DJ plays to aid digestion.
Smolenskiy bulvar 4
Tel: (495) 246 9967.
Price: $$$
Japanese food is all the rage in Moscow - for the freshest and best quality ingredients, head for Yapona Mama. The sleek, modern interior is lit by natural light from a floor to ceiling wall of glass that leads out to the summer terrace. Japanese prints and wooden furniture ensure that the atmosphere is welcoming rather than austere. The atmosphere is lively; bookings are essential at weekends when a DJ plays to aid digestion.
Smolenskiy bulvar 4
Tel: (495) 246 9967.
Price: $$$
Trendy
Bosco Café
Set inside the famous GUM shopping arcade, Bosco has fast become as much of a fixture on any tourist itinerary as Red Square, which it overlooks. The restaurant's futuristic Barbarella-style (think plastic orange chairs around a space-age bar) is a great contrast to the historic sights outside and the view are especially welcome on cold winter days. Work your way through a long and sophisticated menu that runs from Russian staples to sushi and salads.
3 Red Square
Tel: (495) 620 3182.
Website: www.bosco.ru
Price: $$$
Set inside the famous GUM shopping arcade, Bosco has fast become as much of a fixture on any tourist itinerary as Red Square, which it overlooks. The restaurant's futuristic Barbarella-style (think plastic orange chairs around a space-age bar) is a great contrast to the historic sights outside and the view are especially welcome on cold winter days. Work your way through a long and sophisticated menu that runs from Russian staples to sushi and salads.
3 Red Square
Tel: (495) 620 3182.
Website: www.bosco.ru
Price: $$$
Galareya
Appearances are everything at Galareya: from the eclectic menu of Japanese, European, Asian, Italian, French and Russian fusion dishes, to the ‘elitny' people who dine there. Galareya (Gallery) describes itself as an 'art cafe' and there are always quirky prints, photographs or paintings for sale on the walls. Dark polished wood and low lighting give Galareya an intimate feel that attracts the glamorous ‘modniki' set.
Petrovka ulitsa 27
Tel: (495) 937 4544.
Price: $$$
Appearances are everything at Galareya: from the eclectic menu of Japanese, European, Asian, Italian, French and Russian fusion dishes, to the ‘elitny' people who dine there. Galareya (Gallery) describes itself as an 'art cafe' and there are always quirky prints, photographs or paintings for sale on the walls. Dark polished wood and low lighting give Galareya an intimate feel that attracts the glamorous ‘modniki' set.
Petrovka ulitsa 27
Tel: (495) 937 4544.
Price: $$$
Pavilion
Overlooking the Patriarch's Ponds, this stylish cafe is set in a 19th century boathouse, with huge bay windows looking over the water. The outlook at Pavilion is modern and upbeat, attracting many young professionals, who come for fresh-tasting, healthy dishes that combine ideas from Russian, European and Asian cooking. It's a trendy spot, with a DJ soundtrack, but the face control is not too oppressive.
Bolshoi Patriarshy pereulok 7
Tel: (495) 203 5110.
Price: $$$
Overlooking the Patriarch's Ponds, this stylish cafe is set in a 19th century boathouse, with huge bay windows looking over the water. The outlook at Pavilion is modern and upbeat, attracting many young professionals, who come for fresh-tasting, healthy dishes that combine ideas from Russian, European and Asian cooking. It's a trendy spot, with a DJ soundtrack, but the face control is not too oppressive.
Bolshoi Patriarshy pereulok 7
Tel: (495) 203 5110.
Price: $$$
Vogue Café
Vogue Café is arguably the place to be seen, and 'face control' is predictably strict, but it's undeniably an elegant and sophisticated place to dine. In keeping with Muscovites' obsession with haute couture, walls are adorned with fashion photography from the archives of British and Russian Vogue. The menu mixes classic and contemporary dishes, offering a genuine fusion of global ingredients and ideas. Advance bookings are essential.
Kuzneckiy most 7/9
Tel: (495) 923 1701.
Website: http://eng.novikovgroup.ru/restaurants/vogue
Price: $$$$
Vogue Café is arguably the place to be seen, and 'face control' is predictably strict, but it's undeniably an elegant and sophisticated place to dine. In keeping with Muscovites' obsession with haute couture, walls are adorned with fashion photography from the archives of British and Russian Vogue. The menu mixes classic and contemporary dishes, offering a genuine fusion of global ingredients and ideas. Advance bookings are essential.
Kuzneckiy most 7/9
Tel: (495) 923 1701.
Website: http://eng.novikovgroup.ru/restaurants/vogue
Price: $$$$
Budget
Kruzhka
Beer halls are a Russian institution and this cheerful chain does the concept proud. Appropriately, the logo of the Kruzhka (which means mug) chain is a distinctive foaming beer mug set between a knife and fork. The beer is excellent and the simple but tasty food covers a broad spectrum from hearty soups to roast trout and chicken wings. There are branches all over Moscow, including one near the Ploshchad Revolutsii Metro station.
Nikolskaya ulitsa 15
Tel: (495) 710 7199.
Website: www.kruzhka.ru
Beer halls are a Russian institution and this cheerful chain does the concept proud. Appropriately, the logo of the Kruzhka (which means mug) chain is a distinctive foaming beer mug set between a knife and fork. The beer is excellent and the simple but tasty food covers a broad spectrum from hearty soups to roast trout and chicken wings. There are branches all over Moscow, including one near the Ploshchad Revolutsii Metro station.
Nikolskaya ulitsa 15
Tel: (495) 710 7199.
Website: www.kruzhka.ru
Maki Café
Maki is a breath of fresh air in Moscow - good food, informal service and atmosphere and very reasonable prices. As well as the namesake maki rolls, you can enjoy varied dishes from Asia and across the former Soviet Union - there is even a good selection for vegetarians. The interior of Maki is ‘remont-chic' - a playful twist on the idea that everything is Russia is permanently ‘in remont' (under refurbishment).
Glinishchevsky pereulok 3
Tel: (495) 292 9731.
Price: $$
Maki is a breath of fresh air in Moscow - good food, informal service and atmosphere and very reasonable prices. As well as the namesake maki rolls, you can enjoy varied dishes from Asia and across the former Soviet Union - there is even a good selection for vegetarians. The interior of Maki is ‘remont-chic' - a playful twist on the idea that everything is Russia is permanently ‘in remont' (under refurbishment).
Glinishchevsky pereulok 3
Tel: (495) 292 9731.
Price: $$
Matrioshka
If you want to sample hearty and authentic Russian but don't want to pay Café Pushkin prices, head to folksy Matrioshka. True to its name, the restaurant features a giant matrioshka (Russian doll) in the middle of the room! It's kitsch, but not too kitsch, and prices are excellent for Russian favourites such as borscht and blinis (Russian pancakes) with mincemeat and sour cream. The ‘bisness lanch' represents excellent value for money.
Triumfalnaya Ploschad 1
Tel: (495) 727 9651.
Price: $$
If you want to sample hearty and authentic Russian but don't want to pay Café Pushkin prices, head to folksy Matrioshka. True to its name, the restaurant features a giant matrioshka (Russian doll) in the middle of the room! It's kitsch, but not too kitsch, and prices are excellent for Russian favourites such as borscht and blinis (Russian pancakes) with mincemeat and sour cream. The ‘bisness lanch' represents excellent value for money.
Triumfalnaya Ploschad 1
Tel: (495) 727 9651.
Price: $$
Moo Moo
Look out for the life-sized model of a Friesian cow on the ‘old' Arbat street, marking the way to cheap, tasty Russian food, served canteen style. You'll find all the classics, from borscht and dumplings to chicken fillets, lamb shashlik and salads. But the beauty of the Moo Moo concept is the cafeteria-counter where you can point to the dishes that appeal, even if you don't know the names in Russian.
Ulitsa Arbat 45/23
Tel: (495) 241 1364.
Price: $
Look out for the life-sized model of a Friesian cow on the ‘old' Arbat street, marking the way to cheap, tasty Russian food, served canteen style. You'll find all the classics, from borscht and dumplings to chicken fillets, lamb shashlik and salads. But the beauty of the Moo Moo concept is the cafeteria-counter where you can point to the dishes that appeal, even if you don't know the names in Russian.
Ulitsa Arbat 45/23
Tel: (495) 241 1364.
Price: $
Yolki Palki
Students, travellers and families have come to love Yolki Palki for its bottomless salad bar, its bargain prices and its home-style Russian cooking that reminds locals of the food that mama used to make. With rustic, wooden furnishings and waitresses in traditional sarafan (tunic-like dresses), there is a definite folk theme running through these restaurants but all the branches of the chain offer excellent value for money and late opening hours.
Klimentovsky pereulok 14/1
Tel: (495) 953 9130.
Price: $
Students, travellers and families have come to love Yolki Palki for its bottomless salad bar, its bargain prices and its home-style Russian cooking that reminds locals of the food that mama used to make. With rustic, wooden furnishings and waitresses in traditional sarafan (tunic-like dresses), there is a definite folk theme running through these restaurants but all the branches of the chain offer excellent value for money and late opening hours.
Klimentovsky pereulok 14/1
Tel: (495) 953 9130.
Price: $
Personal Recommendations
Aist
Aist - the Stork - is a swish ‘elitny' restaurant with a lounge featuring divans and low tables for more intimate dining. The imaginative menu covers everything from sushi to beef carpaccio with black truffles and asparagus. For the full formal dining experience, head to the first floor, with its oak tables, plush red velvet armchairs and view over the open kitchen. Face control is very much in evidence and booking is strongly advised.
Malaya Bronnaya ulitsa 8/1
Tel: (495) 736 9131.
Price: $$$$
Aist - the Stork - is a swish ‘elitny' restaurant with a lounge featuring divans and low tables for more intimate dining. The imaginative menu covers everything from sushi to beef carpaccio with black truffles and asparagus. For the full formal dining experience, head to the first floor, with its oak tables, plush red velvet armchairs and view over the open kitchen. Face control is very much in evidence and booking is strongly advised.
Malaya Bronnaya ulitsa 8/1
Tel: (495) 736 9131.
Price: $$$$
Coffee Mania
Coffee Mania is a small chain of coffee shops serving a fantastic range of teas, coffees and juices, as well as soups, risotto, pasta and meat dishes and delectable cakes. The decor at each branch of Coffee Mania varies to match its location: the outlet next to the conservatory is classic with huge windows and stylish wooden furniture, while the branch near the Detskiy Mir children's department store has pop-art comic strips of Hollywood stars.
Rozhdestvenka ulitsa 6/9/20 (corner of Rozhdestvenka and Pushechnaya)
Tel: (495) 924 0075.
Website: www.coffeemania.ru/eng
Price: $$
Coffee Mania is a small chain of coffee shops serving a fantastic range of teas, coffees and juices, as well as soups, risotto, pasta and meat dishes and delectable cakes. The decor at each branch of Coffee Mania varies to match its location: the outlet next to the conservatory is classic with huge windows and stylish wooden furniture, while the branch near the Detskiy Mir children's department store has pop-art comic strips of Hollywood stars.
Rozhdestvenka ulitsa 6/9/20 (corner of Rozhdestvenka and Pushechnaya)
Tel: (495) 924 0075.
Website: www.coffeemania.ru/eng
Price: $$
Glavpivtorg
A blast from the Soviet past, Glavpivtorg roughly translates to Central Beer Restaurant No.5, and it manages to exude a sense of nostalgia without descending into pantomime. As well as superior beers brewed on site, you can sample some excellent Russian fare, while performers sing rousing revolutionary songs on the stage downstairs. Prices are moderate and the location is perfect - the notorious Lubyanka KGB headquarters is just down the road!
ulitsa Bolshaya Lubyanka 5
Tel: (495) 928 2591.
Price: $$
A blast from the Soviet past, Glavpivtorg roughly translates to Central Beer Restaurant No.5, and it manages to exude a sense of nostalgia without descending into pantomime. As well as superior beers brewed on site, you can sample some excellent Russian fare, while performers sing rousing revolutionary songs on the stage downstairs. Prices are moderate and the location is perfect - the notorious Lubyanka KGB headquarters is just down the road!
ulitsa Bolshaya Lubyanka 5
Tel: (495) 928 2591.
Price: $$
One Red Square
You would struggle to find a more ostentatious address than One Red Square, but refreshingly, the restaurant at the State Historical Museum is not a 'elitny' hang out for the rich and famous. Instead, One Red Square offers a trip back in time through Russian cuisine, at prices that won't bankrupt ordinary travellers. For something truly extravagant, check out the themed historical dinners, using menus that were actually served to the tsars.
Krasnaya ploschad 1
Tel: (495) 292 1196.
Website: www.redsquare.ru
Price: $$
You would struggle to find a more ostentatious address than One Red Square, but refreshingly, the restaurant at the State Historical Museum is not a 'elitny' hang out for the rich and famous. Instead, One Red Square offers a trip back in time through Russian cuisine, at prices that won't bankrupt ordinary travellers. For something truly extravagant, check out the themed historical dinners, using menus that were actually served to the tsars.
Krasnaya ploschad 1
Tel: (495) 292 1196.
Website: www.redsquare.ru
Price: $$
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