Interesting information

Moscow guide

Taste of Russia recommends:

Moscow Sightseeing 

  • The Kremlin, Museums and Cathedrals of the Kremlin, Red Square and St. Basil
  • The Tretiyakov Gallery – a guided tour advised, after the visit a nice walk towards Bolotnaya square and on to the Red October creative district
  • Old Arbat Street – souvenirs, very nice walking area, historical houses. Tourist cafes usually not suitable for good food
  • Gorky Park – a recently brought back into its original 40ies aesthetics, turned into a cool fun retro central park with cafes, ice rinks and other attractions
  • The Moscow Metro
  • VDNKh – wide walking area with examples of Soviet Union magnificent architecture, now shopping area and other attractions, suitable for children and bicyclists. A bit further along Prospect Mira you’ll see the famous Mukhina’s “The Worker and Collective Farm” sculpture
  • The Museum of Cosmonautics – very interesting Museum, but it’s difficult with English translation, better take someone with you to translate.
  • GUM central shopping mall on the Red square – gorgeous!

Food and drink

Breakfast 24 hours

Pushkin Sq must visit:

  • Cafe Pushkin– classic & expensive, but good quality! All tourists are usually taken there for typical Russian food
  • Starlite Diner – American 60th in Moscow
  • Khachapuri - a chain with modern interpretation of Georgian classics, casual cafes
  • Djonjoli – a Ginza (Company running multiple concepts both singe-unit and chains) run Georgian café near Pushkinskaya sq

Russian Cuisine

CIS Cuisine

  • Shinok– Ukrainian cuisine, book a table!
  • U Pirosmani – facing Novodevichiy monastery
  • Saperavi café – on Tverskaya Yamskaya, modern Georgian Cuisine with some regional specialities
  • Khachapuri - a chain with modern interpretation of Georgian classics, casual cafes
  • Djonjoli – a Ginza (Company running multiple concepts both singe-unit and chains) run Georgian café near Pushkinskaya sq
  • Uzbekistan – book a table and enjoy samosa pies and delicious pilaff
  • Chaikhona #1 – uzbek chill-out restaurants, very authentic design; good sheesha (small chain)

Moscow

Bars/restaurants (good food everywhere)

  • Gipsy – Red October, must do! A drink till you drop place) Facecontrol
  • Strelka – Red October, upstairs is closed for winter; downstairs bar is very nice too
  • Delicatessen – closer to Tsvetnoy Bulvar, - hard to find but definitely worth it
  • Denis Simachev Shop and Bar – legendary, must try… FC can be tough so try rather early
  • Michel – Krasnaya Presnya - French
  • Moloko – NY stylish café/bar
  • Zu café – New Arbat – pan Asian
  • Black Market
  • Chaika - Yacht Restaurant
  • L’Albero – super romantic italian restaurant!
  • Sky Lounge
  • Sakhli
  • Tsveteniye Sakuri – best (in my opinion) of Japanese
  • Pelman cafe – pelmeni fast food shop in Gorky Park
  • Kamchatka Bar – casual beer bar by A.Novikov
  • Latuk – vegetarian café
  • Fresh – vegan café

Bars

  • Dorogaya ya perezvonu (Darling I’ll call you later) – chain of cool casual fun alco-bars (Kitay Gorod, Mayakovskaya) darlingbars.ru; Jenya Goncharov-art director, Dima Levitsky-owner
  • Melodiya
  • Noor
  • Rolling Stone bar
  • Mendeleev
  • Jagger
  • I like bar – Shabolovka
  • Martinez
  • Ogonek
  • Sky Lounge – just classics – a beautiful bar on the 22nd floor of the Russian Academy of Science

Posh new fine dining

  • White Rabbit – top floor of Smolensky passage, very Moscow-style, best view)) – book a table!
  • Tatler Club - in Radisson Ukraine hotel, Ginza project – means quality and chic
  • Buono - in Radisson Ukraine hotel
  • Bolshoi – Novikov’s most pretentious place with contemporary art, Ralph Lauren interiors,
  • best location and extremely expensive menu

Karaoke

Food Shops

  • Yeliseevsky Central Supermarket – best food in fabulous 19th cent Imperial interiors on Tverskaya (near Pushkin square)
  • Dorogomilovsky market – the most famous food market in Moscow
  • Danilovsky market – nice and cozy recently renovated to propagandize local food
  • Xleb &Co – chain of bread, coffee and culinary shops
  • Bakhetle – supermarket in front of Sheraton, a huge selection of Tatar Culinariya, savory pies and potato pancakes are my special recommendation!
  • Bulka – bakery and café
  • Shtolle – best pies! chain, central branch near Mayakovskaya sq
  • Kulinariya Bratiev Karavayevix (Кулинария Братьев Караваевых), chain – cheap cool lunch menu, CIS, one branch near Klava (district of Patriarchiyi Prudi)
  • LavkaLavka – from farm to table – selecting and delivering best local farmers produce, meats, milk and condiments

Alcohol is hot sold anywhere in shops after 23.00