Restaurants in Moscow
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Gallery
At the end of the night, the best of Moscow socialites find themselves at this Arkady Novikov hot spot. This place is popular around the clock, but it’s most crowded in the wee hours, when the beautiful people come to refuel after a night out on the town. And they are beautiful…by the looks of things, high heels and short skirts are part of the dress code. Art on the walls and sushi on the menu complete the trendy picture.
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Kishmish in Arbat District
Serving simple spicy standards like shashlik and plov at the cheapest prices you will find. The dastarkhan, or salad bar is chock-full of veggies and salads to fill up the herbivores. This place is decked out like an Uzbek chaikhana, or teahouse, complete with plush Oriental carpets, waitstaff in national costume and painted ceramic place settings. All the decoration was imported from Tashkent, except the waitstaff, presumably.
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Filimonova & Yankel Fish House
Head to this fish house when you can’t stand the sight of another grilled salmon. At Filimonova & Yankel, you can take your pick from 10 varieties of fish – baked, grilled or fried – not to mention other seasonal specialities such as lobster and Kamchatka crab. The fruits of the sea are expertly prepared and efficiently served in an upscale, stylish setting. There is another outlet in Basmanny.
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Jean-Jacques
In a prime location on the Boulevard Ring, this friendly wine bar welcomes everybody wanting a glass of wine, a bite to eat, a few songs and a few smiles. The basement setting is cosy but not dark, making it an ideal spot to share a bottle of Bordeaux and nibble on brie. Bottles of wine start at R350, although most are priced around R1000 – still refreshingly reasonable in this town where wine is usually ridiculously overpriced.
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Khodzha Nasreddin in Khiva
Khodzha Nasreddin is an Uzbek literary folk hero who epitomises the exoticism and eroticism of the mystical East. The restaurant attempts to do the same. Dine upstairs and you will be invited to remove your shoes and recline on plush pillows around low tables. The house specialty is undoubtedly the plov (pilaf rice with diced mutton and vegetables).
The showcase of the evening entertainment is, of course, belly dancers.
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Yakitoria in Chekhovskaya
In recent years, this chain of sushi restaurants has expanded rapidly throughout the capital (and beyond), drawing rave reviews for efficient service and excellent, fresh fish. This branch features an actual sushi bar, which is ideal for solo diners, who can entertain themselves watching the chefs prepare their meal. Otherwise, the woody dining room is slick and modern, with a more upscale atmosphere than the other branches.
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Grably
The big buffet features an amazing array of fish, poultry and meat, plus salads, soups and desserts. After you run the gauntlet and pay the bill, take a seat in the elaborate winter-garden seating area. This Zamoskvorechie outlet is particularly impressive, with two levels of tiled floors, vines draped over wrought-iron rails, and chandeliers suspended from the high ceilings. Beer and wine are available at the bar upstairs.
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Shesh-Besh
Following the rhyming restaurant trend, Shesh-Besh is a chain offering hearty Azeri fare. The thick soup is easily a meal in itself, as is the extensive salad bar. The place is not overly atmospheric – this being the TGI Friday’s of Azeri cuisine – but the food is still spicy and prices are affordable. There are more rhyming restaurants in Presnya and Zamoskvorechie.
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Correa's in Barrikadnaya
This New York-style deli has become a Moscow institution in just a few years of existence, often known among the expat community as Isaac's, the name of its American chef. The sandwiches are wonderful, and the fresh supplies unrivalled. There's also a great and extremely popular breakfast menu (book on weekends) and a delivery service available. This is the original branch; there's another on ul Bolshaya Ordynka.
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Bosco Cafe
Sip a cappuccino in view of the Kremlin. Munch on lunch while the crowds line up at Lenin’s Mausoleum. Enjoy an afternoon aperitif while admiring St Basil’s domes. This café on the 1st floor of GUM is the only place to sit right on Red Square and marvel at its magnificence. Service can be slightly harried, but overall its a pleasant – and not outrageously overpriced – experience.
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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.
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Syrnaya Dyrka
Fondue, fromage plates and other cheesy specialities are the highlights of the menu at this hole in the wall. Besides the warm basement with windows looking on to the Boulevard Ring, there is also a summer terrace out the back. Both are perfectly delightful settings for a romantic date or even a solo meal. The place is Swiss-owned, which means French, Italian and German fare all show up on the menu.
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Vesna Cafe
Spring is in the air! Fashion designer Igor Chapurin is responsible for the fresh, fertile decor at this excellent fusion restaurant. The menu brings together all corners of the world, offering Asian-style noodles, handmade pasta and risotto, seafood and grills. Save room for one of the delightful, delectable desserts. The chef is Sicilian, and you won’t get cannoli like this anywhere else in Moscow.
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Sherbet
Sitting amid plush pillows and woven tapestries, you’ll feel like a sheik in this extravagantly decorated eatery. Feast on plov (rice mixed with lamb and vegetables), shashlyk and other Uzbek specialities. And of course, it wouldn’t be Moscow if they didn’t also offer hookahs and an evening belly-dance show. There is another outlet of Sherbet in Tverskoy.
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Veranda U Dachi
Arkady Novikov’s unassuming Veranda u Dachi has been dubbed ‘a love letter to one’s home’. The well-worn rugs and slightly shabby furniture do not exactly jive with the fusion menu, which features Asian and Italian specialities at soaring prices. Nonetheless the cosy café and the adjoining art gallery are eternally popular spots among local residents.
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Drova
The self-serve buffet at Drova features offerings ranging from solyanka (a salty vegetable and meat soup) to sushi to sweet-and-sour pork. It’s not the best place to sample any of these items, but the price is right. Hungry student types really take advantage of the all-you-can-eat option: it’s not always pretty. There are also Drova restaurants in Kitay Gorod and Basmanny.
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Drova
The self-serve buffet at Drova features offerings ranging from solyanka (a salty vegetable and meat soup) to sushi to sweet-and-sour pork. It’s not the best place to sample any of these items, but the price is right. Hungry student types really take advantage of the all-you-can-eat option: it’s not always pretty. There are also Drova restaurants in Kitay Gorod and Arbat.
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Simple Pleasures
For a place called Simple Pleasures this is unexpectedly chic, with plush couches and low tables taking the café scene up a level. The menu is varied, featuring the chef’s selection of speciality cheeses and wines, as well as grilled fish and meats, pastas and salads. The common denominator is fresh ingredients and simple cooking techniques, an ideal match for this uncluttered space.
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Skromnoe Obayanie Burzhuazi
The main draw of the ‘Bourgeoisie’ is the cool, casual setting. It’s an attractive space, with its arched ceiling, tiled floor and sun motif – ideal for settling into the comfy couches and reading the newspapers that are left lying about. The menu is reasonably priced and wide-ranging, from pizza to sushi and nice, fresh salads, but don’t expect gourmet fare.
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Drova
The self-serve buffet at Drova features offerings ranging from solyanka (a salty vegetable and meat soup) to sushi to sweet-and-sour pork. It’s not the best place to sample any of these items, but the price is right. Hungry student types really take advantage of the all-you-can-eat option: it’s not always pretty. There are also Drova restaurants in Basmanny and Arbat.
reviewed
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Pinocchio in Tverskoy District
This little pizza cafe evokes the hospitality and conviviality of the Mediterranean, complete with free-flowing wine and crispy pies topped with fresh ingredients. One of the highlights of this spot is the konditerskaya, or dessert bar, with an irresistible selection of sweets and pastries. The pizzeria is a small version of the larger (and pricier) restaurant on Kutuzovsky prospect.
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Tiflis
‘Guests are a gift from God.’ So goes the Georgian saying, and Tiflis will make you believe it. The name of this restaurant comes from the Russian word for the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, and when you enter this restaurant you might think you are there. Its airy balconies and interior courtyards recall a 19th-century Georgian mansion – a romantic and atmospheric setting.
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Santa Fe
If the Moscow winter is getting you down, head south of the border at Krasnaya Presnya park. The long-standing expat favourite Santa Fe has a big atrium that lets in the sunlight, even when temperatures outside are subzero. Exotic fruit juices add to the tropical ambience. Big plates of nachos, burritos and other Tex-Mex specialities will tantalise the taste buds and warm your soul.
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Druzhba
Druzhba earns high marks for authenticity, and as far as Sichuan cuisine goes, that means spicy. Chinese restaurants in Moscow are notorious for turning down their seasoning to appeal to Russian taste buds, but Druzhba is the exception, which goes a long way towards explaining why this place is often packed with Chinese patrons. The chicken with peppers gets red-hot reviews.
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La Casa
This airy, elegant trattoria serves uses high-class (and high-priced) Italian fare - fresh pasta with homemade sauces, grilled seafood and steaks - with a wine list to match. The place is lovely: neutral tones, tile floors and plush couches create a sophisticated Mediterranean setting. However, you might get some attitude from the staff if they feel you don't complement the decor.
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