World City Guide

Restaurants

We have selected 25 restaurants, which we have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments.

Restaurant prices are subject to VAT (20%), which is always included within the prices stated. A service charge may be included (around 10%), however, if it is not, it is common (although not obligatory) for diners to leave 5-10% of the bill for the waiting staff. A crisp US Dollar note goes much further than even Roubles of the same value.

The prices quoted below are for an average three-course meal and for a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent; they include VAT but do not include service charge or tip.

Gastronomic

Bungalo Bar
One of only two Ethiopian restaurants in Moscow, the Bungalo Bar serves up traditional east African fare, such as spiced and slow-cooked beef and lamb stews, which are eaten with the fingers between chunks of large, thick and slightly sour pancakes called injera. Once past the thatched canopy and garish sign, the interior becomes more authentic with parchment paintings and artefacts hung over the snug wooden booths. More adventurous carnivores may like to try the alligator or kangaroo.

Zemlyanoy val 6
Tel: (095) 916 2432.
Price: Rb800. Wine: Rb800.

Noev Kovcheg
Armenian food is similar to Georgian but is harder to find, however, Noev Kovcheg (‘Noah’s Ark’) is probably the best place to sample it in central Moscow. The restaurant’s special is kyufta – beef that has been thrashed, salted and sun-dried – and it is delivered fresh from Armenia every week. Enthusiastic carnivores can sample the stuffed suckling pig – they will even deliver it if ordered three hours in advance. Service is efficient and pleasant, while the decor is rustic Asian, with whitewashed walls and plain wooden furniture.

Maly Ivanovsky pereulok 7-9/1
Tel: (095) 917 0717 or 4699.
E-mail: kovcheg@noevkovcheg.ru or kovcheg@arknoahs.com
Website: http://noevkovcheg.ru
Price: Rb1200. Wine: Rb800.

Pushkin
To dine out in true 19th-century style, the four floors of Pushkin are the place. Its food and service are impeccable – with prices to match. The solyanka (creamy cabbage soup) and the blini (pancakes) with black caviar are absolute musts. With its old Russia sensibilities, this is where the new Russians like to come and flex the power of their wallet. Ideal for a chic lunch while shopping along the Tverskaya.

Tverskoi bulvar 26A
Tel: (095) 229 5590.
Price: Rb1500. Wine: Rb850.

Settebello
Settebello is an elegant Italian restaurant, with a summer verandah overlooking the fountains nearby. It has a Rococo conservatory feel to it, with period furniture, white tablecloths and plants. It screens retro films, hosts high-quality live acts and operates a music policy that avoids anything after the 1970s. Most dishes on the menu are very good but the carpaccio, grilled lamb and panna cotta are exceptional.

Sadovaya-Samotechnaya ulitsa 3
Tel: (095) 299 1656 or 3039.
Price: Rb1200. Wine: Rb800.

Yar
Yar, a traditional Russian restaurant founded in 1826, was frequented by Pushkin, Tolstoy and Shalyapin. Highlights of the modern menu include black caviar, herring, sturgeon and perch. The beef stroganoff is particularly good as are the borscht (beetroot soup) and shchi (cabbage soup). A gypsy band continues a Yar tradition each night by singing love songs to diners in the mirrored hall that is lined with vaulting serpentine columns stretching up to the ornate domed ceiling.

Leningradsky prospekt 32/21
Tel: (095) 960 2000.
Price: Rb3000. Wine: Rb1200.

Business

Amazonia
Amazonia is a replica rainforest but curiously the menu does not lead off on the trail of South America but serves up Japanese and European dishes. The mixed Spanish cured meat dish (jamon, serrano and chorizo) is particularly tasty and the beef medallions Amazonia are a speciality. Lighter options include algae salad or temaki from the sushi menu, which has become surprisingly popular in Moscow in recent years. On Thursday, the Latin American night offers salsa into the small hours. Prices drop by around a third 1200-1800, although the venue is open until 0600.

Strastnoy bulvar 14
Tel: (095) 209 7487 or 9606.
Price: Rb1000. Wine: Rb850.

Tibetskie Himalai
Take the most genteel service in Moscow, add the Dalai Lama and Tibetan gods looking down at diners from deep red and yellow walls, and the result is an experience that nourishes karma. Tibetskie Himalai (Tibet Himalaya) will slim the wallet, however. Dishes to try include the ongkor salad (aubergine and rice salad with soya sauce), chugdzi salad (cheese, lychee and tomatoes), while sipping sakura, a type of cherry wine, or arag kampu, wine made from apricots and cinnamon. Carnivores should beware of the full moon though, when Tibet Himalaya serves a purely vegetarian menu.

Pokrovka ulitsa 19
Tel: (095) 917 3985.
Price: Rb1500. Wine: Rb850.

Uncle Guilly’s Steak House
Whether in Moscow for five days or five years, it is almost impossible to avoid one of the myriad of steakhouses across the capital. The best steaks in town can be found at Uncle Guilly’s, which has a huge reputation in Moscow with ex-pats hungry for a sizzling taste of home – and a price list to match. In fact, it is so popular that it has a takeaway service too. Set in an old wine cellar, the restaurant prides itself on the freshness of its imported meat. Security is tight here and bookings are usually essential. Tahini spinach salad, filet mignon and New Zealand lamb chops are just some of the other highlights of its great menu.

Stoleshnikov pereulok 6
Tel: (095) 229 2050 or 4750.
Price: Rb2500. Wine: Rb850.

U Pirosmani
U Pirosmani is a treat indeed. The window seats over look the golden cupolas of the beautiful Novodevichy Convent and the pond in front of it. Bill Clinton, Pierre Cardin and Richard Gere have all dined in its warm, folky atmosphere with plain wooden furniture. Fortunately, the traditional Georgian food, such as kchachapuri (cheesy bread) or shashlik (marinated kebab), have not attracted Hollywood prices.

Novodevichy proezd 4
Tel: (095) 247 1926.
Website: www.upirosmani.ru
Price: Rb1800. Wine: Rb900.

Zen
Zen is an authentic Chinese eating place, serving familiar Chinese fare: Peking duck, king-size prawns, scallops and sea eel, or vegetarian dishes like fried tofu with Chinese mushrooms. It is the atmosphere that people come for though – the establishment features feng shui touches like a waterfall over moss-covered limestone rocks and a bridge across a babbling stream to reach the tables. Cheaper deals are on offer 1200-1700, when they do a business lunch for Rb300.

Bolshoi Putnikovsky pereulok 3
Tel: (095) 299 5444.
Price: Rb1500. Wine: Rb900.

Trendy

Kitayskiy Letchik Jao Da
More of a prelude to a big, sweaty, fun night out than a gastronomic gem, Chinese Pilot Jao Da is still a unique dining experience (the counter is made from the wing of an aircraft). Despite the red and green Chinese decor, the food is not traditional Chinese – instead the simple menu includes omelettes, Slavonic plov (a rice, cheese and vegetable dish) and a good variety of tasty cheap salads. Live rock bands kick off at 2300 and it usually stays open until around 0800. No credit cards.

Lubyansky proezd 25
Tel: (095) 924 5611.
E-mail: letchik@jao-da.ru
Website: www.jao-da.ru
Price: Rb800. Wine: Rb805.

Orangeya
One of the newer restaurants in Moscow, the Orangeya (Orangery), with its orange-painted walls and sleek modern furnishings reflects the aspirations of young Muscovites. The menu too is a fusion of modern flavours: the Caesar salad could be savoured in New York and the traditional English trifle could easily be served in London, while the sturgeon steak is a much more local experience. The Orangeya prides itself on its clubby atmosphere and this is reflected in its huge choice of wines and spirits and the cigar room in which to savour them.

Mapaya Gusinskaya 15
Tel: (095) 253 2000 or 0253.
Price: Rb1000. Wine: Rb850.

People
With its five dining halls connected by a maze of corridors, there is something redolent of Philip Stark’s designs at People, a new restaurant on Pravdy ulitsa, Moscow’s Fleet Street. For really good sushi, diners can book a table in the Japanese room, decorated with bamboo and calligraphy, while in the European restaurant, kangaroo and ostrich (increasingly popular in Moscow) can be ordered. Quite obviously aimed at the hip higher wage earners, the restaurant hosts live music and boasts a sumptuous wood-panelled cigar room, as well as a summer terrace with a mini-golf course.

Pravdy ulitsa 21
Tel: (095) 961 2050.
Price: Rb2000. Wine: Rb900.

Syr
One of the newest restaurants in town, the two-storey turreted Syr (Cheese), with model cows at the front door, has attracted a stylish crowd to its two modish dining rooms. The first is light and airy, with milky alabaster walls and twisting columns. The second, with its deep reds and dark greys, is darker and has a much more clubby feel to it. But both floors serve truly fantastic Italian food (fresh salmon carpaccio etc) and although the three-course price is rather steep, a pizza will cost around Rb650.

Sadovaya-Samotechnaya ulitsa 16
Tel: (095) 209 7770.
Price: Rb2500. Wine: Rb2000.

Zhyoltoe More
With its round-the-clock service, patrons of Zhyoltoe More (Yellow Sea) are said not to live life but glide through it. Its frequenters are described as pafosno – knowingly and fashionably pretentious young Muscovites can be seen sipping cocktails from the comprehensive drinks menu. From the Japanese breakfast (chicken rolls, vegetable omelette, green tea), served daily 0430-1100, to the karaoke, which only cranks up from midnight, this really is the place to be seen. The restaurant has a great view of two churches, which ring the bells for their daily services. Despite its Japanese decor, the menu also stretches to its gastronomic neighbours: Chinese and Korean cuisine.

Bolshaya Polyanka ulitsa 27
Tel: (095) 953 9634.
Price: Rb3000. Wine: Rb1000.

Budget

Genatsvale
Great Georgian food and wine is to be found at Genatsvale not far from Park Kultury (Culture Park). Its authenticity and a particular attraction is its decoration in traditional izbushka (peasant hut) style, while the waiters wear rustic tunics too. Georgian food tends to be very meaty and Genatsvale makes no excuses for this with its kharcho (beef broth) and khinkali (meat-filled dumplings). But the khachapuri (cheesy bread) with lobio (spicy red beans) make a tasty alternative for vegetarians. What really has people flocking to Genatsvale though is the barabulka, small fry from the Black Sea.

Ostozhenka ulitsa 12/1
Tel: (095) 202 0445.
Price: Rb800. Wine: Rb800.

Guriya
This cheap traditional Georgian restaurant, just across the Moskva River from Gorky Park, is so popular that diners must arrive early. Russian food is high in fat and sometimes low in taste, which has secured the popularity of the Asiatic flavours from the republic of Georgia. Special dishes include khachapuri (cheese-filled bread), lobio (a red bean dish), pelmeni (dumplings filled with sausage meat) and goloptsi (cabbage rolls). The service is friendly and the decor simple (wooden furniture, stone floor). For those wanting to drink, the neighbouring kiosk sells bottles of wine. No credit cards.

Komsomolsky prospekt 7/3
Tel: (095) 246 0378.
Price: Rb600. Wine: BYO (no corkage fee).

Pizza Sbarro
One of five in the Sbarro chain in Moscow, this pizza parlour just next to the Manezh central exhibition hall is the best located. Simple metal tables and chairs on a stone-flagged floor with a canteen-style counter add to the efficiency of this cheap and pleasant eating place. The terrace is ideal in summer. As well as a selection of pizzas, they also serve lasagne, Russian soups and goulash.

Manezhnaya ploshchad 1
Tel: (095) 737 8393. Fax: (095) 737 8390.
Price: Rb300. Wine: Rb800.

Russkoe Bistro
The Americans may have mastered fast food but the Russians invented it – the word bistro comes from Russian and simply means ‘fast’. McDonald’s has had a strong presence in Moscow since the early 1990s and the Russkoe Bistro (Russian Bistro) chain is a riposte to the American burger’s dominance. Moscow’s mayor, Yuri Luzkov, opened the first in 1995, right across the square from Moscow’s first McDonald’s, with a billboard showing a hearty Cossack. The Russian interpretation of fast food is pies – rasstegai (folded rolls with various fillings) and kulebyaki (rolls stuffed with mushrooms or meat) – salads, kvas (a semi-alcoholic soft drink), Russian vodkas and nalivki (alcoholic fruit drinks served in miniature bottles). Ten minutes’ walk from Red Sqaure makes this particular franchise in the chain ideal for a filling snack while sightseeing. Closes at 2100.

Tverskaya ulitsa 16
Tel: (095) 290 9834.
Price: Rb150. Vodkas: From Rb60.

Yolki Palki
The telega (peasant cart) salad bar at Yolki Palki serves Russian salads galore (vegetable salad, marinated mushrooms etc). However, main courses, such as the Mongolian temircan plate, where diners choose meats and the spices to go with them and they are cooked to order, cannot be missed. The ukha (fish soup) can be good too, if rather pungent. With rustic, wooden furnishings and waitresses in traditional sarafan, there is a definite folk theme running through all these restaurants in the chain.

Klimentovsky per. 14 bulvar 1
Tel: (095) 953 9130.
Price: Rb170 (salad bar); Rb350 (main courses). Wine: Rb800.

Personal Recommendations

El Gaucho
El Gaucho’s beef steaks are legends in their own right and somehow the restaurant’s dark wood seems an appropriate setting to indulge carnivorous instincts. An international franchise, El Gaucho has a strong presence in Israel, which has resulted in kosher specialities. The mixed meat dish comes with char-grilled beef, chorizo, vegetable kebabs, liver and kidneys. El Gaucho has a strong family feel and on Sunday afternoons, parents pay Rb300 for the children’s festival with puppet shows, clowns and a disco to help keep the tots entertained.

Zatsepsky val 6/13
Tel: (095) 953 2876.
Price: Rb1400. Wine: Rb800.

Pancho Villa
Not short of its own revolutionaries, the best Mexican food in Moscow is to be found at Pancho Villa – named after the Mexican revolutionary, Pancho (1910-1917). Diners can choose from the traditional Tex-Mex menu of quesadilla, fajitas, burritos or enchiladas or the more authentic flavours including sopa de Carmera (mutton and haricot bean soup) or legumbres asados (aubergines, peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms). In the heart of the tourist zone, Pancho Villa is a busy, popular place and ideal for a quick bite between shopping on the Arbat and a night of high-culture at the Bolshoi Theatre. The decor is pure Mexicana – plastic stone walls with robust wooden tables and chairs. The covered street terrace is also great in summer.

Novy Arbat 44/1
Tel: (095) 241 9853.
E-mail: panchovilla@mail.ru
Website: http://pvilla.virtualave.net
Price: Rb800. Wine: Rb800.

Taiskii Ban (Baan Thai)
Despite the garish geometric blue and white decor, Taiskii Ban (Baan Thai) should not be missed as there must be no greater food than Thai to keep out the Moscow cold. This is one of the best places in Moscow for a good winter warmer of plar kung (prawn salad with lemongrass and chillies) or pla sam si (steamed sturgeon with black mushrooms, ginger and carrot in oyster and soya sauce). Even vegans will not go away hungry with really tasty dishes, such as the tao hoo kap het (stir-fried tofu and mushrooms in peanut sauce).

B Dorogomilovskaya ulitsa 11
Tel: (095) 240 0597 or 938 8450.
Price: Rb1000. Wine: Rb800.

Taras Bulba
A visit to any of the restaurants in the Ukrainian Taras Bulba chain is well worth it. Based on traditional korchma (taverns), the rustic furniture and traditional dress worn by the staff takes diners well on the way south to the Black Sea. Special dishes include red meat borscht, green spinach borscht, as well as chicken, fresh lobster and vareniki (a type of meat-filled dumpling).

Petrovka ulitsa 30/7
Tel: (095) 200 6082.
Price: Rb1000. Wine: Rb800.

Tsarskaya Okhota
Reputed to be Boris Yeltsin’s favourite restaurant, Tsarskaya Okhota (The Royal Hunt) is one of the most expensive places to eat in Moscow. However, for those with an elastic expense account or wanting to impress a client, there is no better place to do it. Diners can start with traditional Russian salad (beetroot, potato salad in a mayonnaise and dill dressing etc) from the telega (traditional peasant cart) and then launch into something heavier, such as rasstegais (open-top pies), thick soups, shashlik and great pelmeni. Tsarskaya Okhota nestles in woodland to the northeast of the city, although it is still serviced by the metro (Molodyozhnaya). Themed as a hunting lodge, it has a roaring open fireplace and its walls are bedecked with antlers of conquests past.

Rublyovo-Uspenskoye shosse 18a, Zhukovka Village
Tel: (095) 418 7982/3.
E-mail: info@tsarshunt.co.ru
Website: www.tsarshunt.com.ru/index_ie.html
Price: Rb2000. Wine: Rb800.