Italian restaurants in Russia
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A
Vox
On a quaint corner of the pedestrian-friendly Stolyarny per and ul Pestelya, Vox has a prime spot for a sidewalk café. It’s a delightful setting to sip a cool drink on a summer afternoon, especially when the Museum of Decorative & Applied Arts has a street exhibition, as it is sometimes prone to do. The interior is equally appealing and very upscale. Dim lighting, white linens and stripped-down décor provide a suitably sexy environment for antipastos, pastas, meats and seafood. This place maintains a cool ambience, despite the constant crowds. Reservations recommended.
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B
Cheese
Not to be confused with its French neighbour, Cheese Hole, this place also has an interior resembling a block of cheese. The decor might seem silly, but the pizzas, pastas and other Italian dishes are expertly prepared. The salad buffet is hard to resist, overflowing with vegetables, olives, cured meats and cheeses - all the elements of an antipasto.
If the mouse's perspective does not sound so atmospheric, request a table on the patio, shaded by umbrellas (yellow, of course) and flanked by terracotta-potted plants.
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C
Syr
Not to be confused with its French neighbour, Syrnaya Dyrka, this place also has an interior resembling a block of cheese. The decor might seem silly, but the pizzas, pastas and other Italian dishes are expertly prepared. The salad buffet is hard to resist, overflowing with vegetables, olives, cured meats and cheeses – all the elements of antipasto. If the mouse’s perspective doesn’t sound atmospheric, request a table on the patio, shaded by umbrellas (yellow, of course) and flanked by potted plants.
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D
Vapiano
Crispy, thin-crust pizzas and `zillions' of kinds of homemade pasta are ample reward for any diner making the trek out to Vapiano. This place is stylish, but not snobby; comfortable, but not crass. The highlight of the interior is the open kitchen, where patrons can watch the pasta being made. The atmosphere is enhanced by stressed wood furniture, subdued colours, and jar upon jar of uncooked pasta.
The latter is also available for purchase by the half-kilo, for those who wish to play Italian chef at home.
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E
Cibo E Vino
Italian for `food and wine', Cibo e Vino is a classy but unpretentious restaurant and wine bar. The menu is short and selective - a few modern dishes accompanied by a modest selection of French and Italian reds and whites. The understated dining room is intimate enough to bring a date, but comfortable enough to dine alone (especially considering the free WiFi access). After dinner, slip downstairs to the exotic chill-out room to sip an after-dinner drink or smoke a hookah.
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F
Il Patio
Patio Pizza was one of the first post-Soviet restaurants to gain widespread popularity for its tasty pizza and extensive salad bar, all at prices that were manageable for Olga and Ivan Russian. Branches quickly spread around Moscow, and then across the country. Now this tried-and-true favourite has gone slightly upscale, with a new, more Italian name, and a new, more stylish look. Wood-oven pizzas and fresh salad bars are still the highlights of the menu.
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G
La Strada
The atrium-style dining room, accented with tile floors, streetlights and mural-painted walls, evokes la dolce vita. And somehow, the otherwise Soviet-looking buildings that are visible through the glass ceiling are rendered more romantic in this context. It’s an exceedingly pleasant atmosphere to feast on fresh pasta and delectable pizza – not too trendy and certainly not too cheap, but so satisfying.
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H
Mama Roma
Mama’s menu is almost too long, as it’s hard to choose between the grilled meats and fish, the hardy homemade pastas drowning in delicious sauces and the crispy thin pizzas topped with your favourite meats and cheeses. The latter is the hands-down favourite because it is so affordable, but all of Mama Roma’s offerings are fresh and delicious and prepared to order.
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I
Testo
Take your pick from a wide range of homemade pastas and top them with your favourite sauce, whether tomato-based bolognese or a rich, creamy salmon sauce. A few options for soup, salad and pizza round out the menu, but the pasta is the main drawcard. The modern space is not too fancy, but low light and Italian accents provide just enough ambience that you could bring a date here.
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J
Il Cucinino
Sweet and simple, this tiny trattoria is a refreshing change from the elaborate eateries that are the norm in Moscow. There are two big windows, five tables and an open kitchen. You’ll receive a hand-written menu, but it’s hard to resist the spread of sandwiches and antipasti that are on display. Beware: the restaurant charges by weight and it adds up quickly.
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Akademiya
Somebody at Akademiya knows real estate. That’s the only way to explain how this upscale pizzeria is able to find all the sweetest spots. The obvious example is this outlet on Kamergersky per, the pedestrian strip that is prime for people-watching. Not surprisingly, you’ll also find Akademiya near the Arbat.
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K
Pasta & Basta
The faux classical facade on Sretensky bul hides a popular little pasta house that really capitalises on a theme. With funky spaghetti-shaped lamps hanging from the high ceiling and noodle art on the walls, it’s no secret what this place is all about. When they say ‘ Basta pasta ’, they mean it.
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L
Farfalle
A few blocks south of the Glinka Garden, this Italian restaurant strives to play the part, with a painting of Venice along one wall and the occasional aria playing overhead. Though far from authentic (no pasta on the menu!), the decent pizzas and salads provide a nice respite from eggs, mushrooms and bliny. Carlsberg on tap.
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M
Pinocchio Pasticceria
Strolling across the pedestrian bridge over the Moscow River, you’ll run smack into this little bakery and café, which is in the tall tower on the embankment. It’s not just for sweets and snacks, as it also serves soups, salads and pastas. Snag a table on the balcony for a windy view of Moskva-City.
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N
Fidelio Café
Pressed white linens and serious scrubbed waitstaff lend an upscale atmosphere to this surprisingly affordable café. The menu is not extensive, but what the café does, it does well: crispy pizzas and pastas with various tomato- and cream-based sauces. The three-course business lunch is a steal.
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O
Rvanye Parusa
The fun, slightly silly sailing-ship theme upstairs comes with netting and golden mermaids. Meals range from potted elk (R195) and reindeer in blueberries (R195) to some good-value creamy fish dishes (R220). Downstairs choose from pizza, kebabs or steak washed down with beer from their microbrewery.
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P
La Pizzeria
One of many restaurants scattered along the sea embankment. It has a large canopied bar at the front and a rustic Italian interior. A menu in English reveals a large range of pizzas and pasta. The salmon pizza is probably the best but order ‘small’ unless you have a huge appetite.
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Il Patio
This ubiquitous chain has a slew of outlets, each representing a different Italian city. The most inviting one, near the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, has a large glass-enclosed seating area, making a perfectly pleasant setting for feasting on wood-oven pizzas and fresh salads.
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Q
Pinocchio
This classy trattoria evokes 1930s Italy, with its black-and-white tiled floors, comfy leather armchairs and sky-high ceilings. Music from the era imbues the neoclassical dining room, creating a luxury setting to sip wine and feast on pasta and grills.
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R
Il Patio
There are not too many places to eat at the far end of Nevsky pr. Fortunately, Russia’s favourite pizza place comes through for hungry travellers who want to grab lunch after visiting the monastery.
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S
Papa Vito
High ceilings and tall windows overlooking pl Slavy make this pleasant Italian restaurant a popular lunch spot. The menu features salads, pastas and a huge selection of pizza.
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Park Dzhuzeppe
Dine on crispy pizza and creamy pasta dishes at this appealing Italian restaurant overlooking the Mikhailovsky Gardens. It has a pleasant outdoor area in summer.
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U
Pinta Taverna
Waitresses in peasant costumes and a stunted model cow star in this cosy farmyard-styled cellar restaurant beneath the Vulkan slot-machine casino.
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V
Mama Roma
Reliable Italian fare from decent pizza to risotto and pasta, not to mention an excellent breakfast.
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