Alyona CheWhoever knows that I am Russian constantly asks me where to eat in Moscow. There are so many cafes, restaurants, fast-food restaurants, that foreigners often get lost with all the options that you can find in the capital. So I came up with these top 5 places to eat in Moscow, that are my favorite.
Here I need to mention, that if you are looking for really cheap meals for a low-budget trip, you should read this article first. However, I would recommend every low-budget traveler to visit one or two places from the list below at least for a beer or coffee.
My top 5 places to eat in Moscow
Lepim i Varim
These guys started from 2 self-service restaurants in Moscow, and very fast become really popular so now they have 4 restaurants in the capital and several in other cities. Why? Because they cook real Russian pelmeni at the open kitchen, so you can actually watch the process. They claim also that they use only natural ingredients including the highest quality meat that has never been frozen.
Our pelmeni are 50% dough, 50% mince and 100% love, and we are proud of each one regardless the dough colour!
It is not a fancy place, actually it is very simple and basic, but with the nice vibe and you can also find several beer or mead types from Siberia and other regions of Russia.
Korchma “Taras Bulba”
Everybody knows that Ukranian and Russian cuisine have so much in common, that it is difficult to separate them. So even though this restaurant is called to be Ukranian, do not miss it if you want to try all the traditional dishes that Russian families cook as well. The menu is so huge, there are hundreds of options to choose from. Moreover, the design of the restaurants itself shall be attractive to any tourist.
Tip: there are several 24*7 working restaurants in this chain, so if you are staying in the Moscow center and looking for a very early breakfast, might be a good option.
Kvartira 44
“Kvartira” means an apartment, so this is not a typical restaurant, but small cozy and very special piano-bar. However, it is very common in Russia to serve all kinds of food and drinks in bars or cafeterias. They have several Russian and European plates in the menu, lovely homemade desserts and great cocktails. So for me it is one of my favorite places to enjoy a small piano concert in winter inside the cafe, and in summer – on the open veranda.
Grabli restaurant in Detskyi Mir
It is again a self-service place but with a high-quality food and gorgeous design in this specific Grabli restaurant in the Central Children’s Store on Lubyanka. You can combine your visit to the view point on the rooftop of this Detskyi Mir Store and then enjoy your lunch in this lovely place. The panoramic views to Moscow are absolutely free and even the building of the store is very beautiful from inside, so I recommend everybody to visit it.
Grand Cafe Dr.Givago
For something classy and in the very heart of Moscow (just a short walk from the Red Square), I recommend Grand Cafe Dr.Givago at the 1st floor of “National” Hotel. The place is about to prove that Russian cuisine can be modern and this restaurant combines style and tradition in everything, starting from the menu, and finishing with the design.
You’ll experience a real adventure with these gastronomic references to the different stages of Russian history. Even the dishes that every Russian remembers from the early childhood sound differently here, turned into a real delicacy.
If you are lucky, you can get a table with a view to Kremlin. But note, that the reservation might be needed, because the restaurant became really popular. The good thing is, that besides its perfect location and luxury cuisine, it is still very affordable, the average bill for a delicious lunch or dinner for 2 persons is around 5000 rubles (only 80 euro).