Гид по Москве

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
  • Sandunovsky Banya - real experience of an authentic Russian bath with brooms, good food service right in your chill out area too!
  • 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:

  • Scandinavia – famous meeting point for expats
  • Cafe Pushkin– classic & expensive, but good quality! All tourists are usually taken there for typical Russian food
  • Starlite Diner – American 60th in Moscow
  • Jerusalem – Jewish kosher restaurant on top of the synagogue on B.Bronnaya
  • Coffeemania (coffee chain’s best outlet) - on Bolshaya Nikitskaya – near the Moscow state conservatory
  • 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

  • Cafe Pushkin– classic & expensive, but good quality! All tourists are usually taken there for typical Russian food
  • Mari Vanna – book a table!
  • Vatrushka café by Ilya Shalev – contemporary Russian cuisine
  • SchiSliva – contemporary Russian, nominated as the best restaurant 2013

CIS Cuisine

  • Shinok– Ukrainian cuisine, book a table!
  • Cheburechnaya – Tishinskaya sq, funny place a-la Soviet style with all accessories of that time – red flags, herbs and other symbols of past. Low prices!
  • 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
  • Sim Sim – Azerbaijani restaurant (small chain)
  • Uzbekistan – book a table and enjoy samosa pies and delicious pilaff
  • Chaikhona #1 – uzbek chill-out restaurants, very authentic design; good sheesha (small chain)

Bars/restaurants (good food everywhere)

  • Gipsy – Red October, must do! A drink till you drop place) Facecontrol
  • LOOCH – cool huge bar, love it!
  • 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, Ivan Shishkin –  chef and owner – book a table! 5 min drive from Mayakovskaya – don’t miss the burger!
  • 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
  • Ragout, Ragout 2.0 (Olimpiysky)
  • Bontempi on Red October
  • Osteria Numero Uno
  • Black Market
  • Chaika  - Sanpellegrino rated restaurant by chef Ilya Shalev
  • Mechta – by Ilya Shalev
  • L’Albero – super romantic italian restaurant!
  • Maxim Bar – posh and very moscovite
  • Sky Lounge
  • Tapa de Comida – by Ivan Shishkin
  • Dodo
  • Sakhli
  • Tsveteniye Sakuri – best (in my opinion) of Japanese
  • Lastochka – on a ship
  • Tsuker – Jewish/ ginza
  • Reka – ginza
  • Hand Made Pelmen – pelmeni fast food shop on Tverskaya
  • Kamchatka Bar – casual beer bar by A.Novikov
  • Meat Point – Turkish koffta kiosk near Moscow Conservatory – till 4am
  • Latuk – vegetarian café
  • Muchachos – best burrito in town
  • Fresh – vegan café

Bars

  • Klava – 2 min walk from MariVanna
  • Belka – Red October, next door to Gipsy, no smoking, CC, very cozy!
  • 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
  • Time out Bar – just another great cool place – 13th floor of the Peking hotel, very laid back although set in rich Stalin’s interiors, open terrace
  • Melodiya (back of Tverbul)
  • Noor
  • Rolling Stone bar – the open terrace – summertime only!
  • Mendeleev
  • Jagger
  • Don’t tell Mama – Putinkovsk pereulok
  • Zjiguli – amazing old school bar/restaurant near Arbat
  • I like bar – Shabolovka
  • Martinez
  • Bobri I Utki
  • Ogonek
  • Carabas
  • Kisa bar
  • Sky Lounge – just classics – a beautiful bar on the 22nd floor of the Russian Academy of Science

Clubs/Restaurants

  • Soho Rooms –posh muscovite multispace for rich and famous
  • Solyanka Club, Restaurant, Bar – hipster place, usually cool, CC, try before 22.30 and stay in till late, later admission to members only

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

  • Gelsomino - Ginza run fine karaoke club
  • October – in October cinema complex on New Arbat
  • Trubadur – Radisson Royal Ukraine, 33 floor – best view

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
  • Dari Prirodi – first food truck in Russia by Ivan Shishkin
  • 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