Russian restaurants in Moscow
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TsDL (Central House of Writers)
The acronym stands for Tsentralny Dom Literatov, or Central House of Writers, which is the historic building housing this fancy restaurant. A glittery chandelier above, plush carpets under foot and rich oak panelling all around create a sumptuous setting for an old-fashioned Russian feast.
reviewed
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B
Glavpivtorg
At the ‘central beer restaurant No 5’ every effort is made to re-create an upscale apparatchik drinking and dining experience. The Soviet fare is authentic, as is the russky crooner music (maybe too authentic for some tastes). But the three varieties of beer brewed on site are decidedly New Russia.
reviewed
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C
Taras Bulba in Zamoskvorechie
Servers dress up in traditional embroidered outfits and Ukrainian tapestries and wood floors provide a homey atmosphere. There's no salad bar, but specialties like pork stuffed with vegetables and spicy smoked beef are tender and tasty.
reviewed
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Taras Bulba on Ul Petrova
Servers dress up in traditional embroidered outfits and Ukrainian tapestries and wood floors provide a homey atmosphere. There's no salad bar, but specialties like pork stuffed with vegetables and spicy smoked beef are tender and tasty.
reviewed
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Shield & Sword
In an all-too-appropriate location opposite the former Lubyanka prison, this novelty place is also known as the `KGB bar'. You can't miss it, with the emblem of the former security service hanging prominently in the windows. Inside, the Soviet paraphernalia continues: the centrepiece in the dining room is a replica of the Felix Dzerzhinsky statue that once graced Lubyanka Square.
The menu features Soviet specials - mains like chicken Kiev and pelmeni, served more often than not with 100g of vodka. The place is total kitsch, but it actually attracts real-deal old-timers, who may be longing for yesteryear.
reviewed
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Mari Vanna
Remember when the best Russian food was served in somebody’s crowded living room, on tiny mismatched plates, on a table cluttered with dried flowers in vases and framed photographs? Mari Vanna invites you to recall these days – don’t look for the sign (there is none), just ring the doorbell at No 10. You will be ushered into these homey environs, complete with overstuffed bookcases and B&W TV showing old Soviet shows. You will be served delicious Russian home cooking and, just when you begin to think it is 1962, you will be handed your bill with the prices of modern-day Moscow. Ouch.
reviewed
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Beryozka
At first glance this little place appears to be your typical kitschy pelmeny bar, decorated with faux birch trees and serving up the Siberian speciality. Indeed, you’ll find more kinds of pelmeny on the menu than in any other restaurant. But you’ll also find freshly brewed beer, sometimes available for self-service from the table-side taps. Each table is also equipped with a mini-TV, often showing cartoons, old movies and other nostalgia. Pelmeny, pivo and moving pictures: what more can you ask for?
reviewed
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Shchit I Mech
In an all-too-appropriate location opposite the former Lubyanka prison, this novelty place is also known as the ‘KGB bar’. You can’t miss it, with the emblem of the former security service hanging prominently in the windows. Inside, the Soviet paraphernalia continues: the centrepiece in the dining room is a replica of the Felix Dzerzhinsky statue that once graced Lubyanskaya pl. The menu features Soviet specials – mains such as chicken Kiev and pelmeni, served more often than not with 100g of vodka.
reviewed
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Expedition
This outrageous themed restaurant takes diners on an expedition to the great white north, capturing the adventure and excitement of Siberia. You can imagine you arrived by helicopter, as the vehicle is the centrepiece of the dining room. Feast on typical ‘northern cuisine’ – famous Baikal fish soup (ukha); pelmeni (Russian-style ravioli) stuffed with wild boar or Kamchatka crab; and venison stroganoff. There is also an expensive but authentic Siberian banya (hot bath) on the premises.
reviewed
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Varvary
Touted as ‘the first Russian haute cuisine restaurant’, this is the latest venue of molecular chef Anatoly Komm. Komm – Russia’s only chef with a Michelin star – is an artist who employs scientific process to break ingredients down to their most basic component and present the flavours in new forms. As you might expect, Vavary is an elegant affair, offering a sophisticated new take on familiar flavours, eg black bread and beet salad in the form of foams and gels.
reviewed
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Red Square, 1
Appropriately for a place located in the State History Museum, the chefs are real historians, successfully re-creating the cuisine that was enjoyed in the days of yore, complete with old-fashioned ingredients and recipes. For real culinary history buffs, check out the schedule of historic dinners, re-creating specific meals in history, such as Nicholas II’s Easter dinner in 1900. The only drawback is the dark basement setting, a drab venue for an otherwise exciting eating experience.
reviewed
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Red Bar
On the 27th floor of a skyscraper overlooking the Moscow River, Red features funky decor and a fabulous view. The name refers to its colour, not its politics: the whole place is draped in swanky red, except the glistening white piano. The menu is mostly small plates - overpriced, but tasty. The real draw is the floor-to-ceiling windows and their vantage point of the city skyline. Come for a sundown drink before heading out to paint the rest of the town red.
reviewed
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Novy Yar
The 90-year-old restaurant was once a favourite among Moscow's elite, including the opera singer Fyodor Shaliapin and the merchant Savva Morozov. These days, an evening at Yar means dining on gourmet fare and taking in a glittering cabaret, complete with showgirls. Even if you don't stay for dinner, stop by this historic spot for peak at the gold-gilded, chandelier-strewn dining room. Inside the Sovietsky Hotel.
reviewed
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N
Kitezh
Kitezh is named after a legendary town that, as a defence mechanism, could magically disappear from the sight of an enemy at the sound of a bell. This welcoming eatery re-creates a 17th-century interior in the basement of a building near the Upper St Peter Monastery. The Russian standards are tasty and reasonably priced.
reviewed
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Sindibad's
The previous entirely Lebanese and Arabic menu here has been adapted to Muscovite taste and now includes sturgeon and pikeperch. However, you can still enjoy the excellent hummus, baba ganoush and pitta, among other Levantine specialities, in a cosy, convivial setting. Bookings advised on weekends.
reviewed
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Yolki-Palki
This excellent Russian chain is beloved for its country-cottage decor and its well-stocked salad bar. Outlets all over the city specialise in traditional dishes and cheap beer. Other Yolki-Palki locations include Arbat, Zamoskvorechie and Taganka.
reviewed
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Q
Café Pushkin
The tsarina of haute-russe dining, with an exquisite blend of Russian and French cuisines – service and food are done to perfection. The lovely 19th-century building has a different atmosphere on each floor, including a richly decorated library and a pleasant rooftop café.
reviewed
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Tsarskaya Okhota
Tsarskaya Okhota is a much-loved Russian restaurant, located on the ritzy Rublyovka. A favourite destination of former presidents Yeltsin and Putin, the rustic restaurant is reminiscent of a hunting lodge, with animal pelts on the walls and game on the menu.
reviewed
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Yolki-Palki in Arbat District
This excellent Russian chain is beloved for its country cottage decor and its well-stocked salad bar. Outlets all over the city specialise in traditional dishes and cheap beer. This particular location boasts an outdoor seating area that is often packed at lunchtime.
reviewed
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Mama Nina
Formerly Mama Zoya, this dark and divey place has changed its name but little else. This Moscow institution serves up tasty, filling Georgian food - possibly the cheapest in town. Famed for slow service and bad music, which is all part of the charm.
reviewed
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Soup
This aptly named restaurant takes the most appetising element of Russian food to new heights, offering 12 hot and six cold varieties on any given day. The atmosphere is loungey: dim lights, modern furniture and DJs spinning house music from 21:00.
reviewed
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Mama Zoya
Mama Nina and Mama Zoya have been serving cheap shashlik and other Georgian favourites for years. This branch is on a floating platform on the Moscow River, opposite Gorky Park.
reviewed
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Yolki-Palki
This excellent Russian chain is beloved for its country-cottage decor and its well-stocked salad bar. Outlets all over the city specialise in traditional dishes and cheap beer.
reviewed
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Yolki-Palki
This excellent Russian chain is beloved for its country-cottage decor and its well-stocked salad bar. Outlets all over the city specialise in traditional dishes and cheap beer.
reviewed
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Yolki-Palki
This excellent Russian chain is beloved for its country-cottage decor and its well-stocked salad bar. Outlets all over the city specialise in traditional dishes and cheap beer.
reviewed
