Trying local cuisine is one of the most pleasant ways of getting acquainted with the culture and traditions of the country you visit, so don’t miss your chance! The Capital of Russia is definitely the place where you can find a huge number of restaurants dedicated to traditional Russian cuisine, so we created this guide to the popular restaurants with the most genuine experience and unusual touch.
01Café Pushkin
Long ago, in 19-century Café Pushkin used to be a combination of a mansion, a pharmacy and a library. Today it remained its interior and different dining halls: you can choose between a Library Hall, Fireplace Hall, Pharmacy Hall and the Summer Terrace. Pushkin offers a wide range of breakfast, lunch and dinner positions, all of traditional Russian cuisine. Special treat is the pastry which is famous and loved by all Muscovites.
Café Pushkin was a mansion combining a pharmacy that serves beverages for its customers and a library which remains an extensive collection of Russian, German, French, Italian, and German literature. There are three halls where you can take a seat: Pharmacy hall, Library hall, and Fireplace hall and each of the rooms has an exquisite design in the spirit of the 19th century. During summer you can enjoy your meal on a Summer Terrace. Café Pushkin serves excellent Russian cuisine, but it is especially famous for its desserts, served either in the restaurant or in the separate confectionery called The Café Pushkin Patisserie. Their eclairs, Russian honey cakes, and Russian Charlotte pie are irresistible!
02Varenichnaya №1
This is a big chain of inexpensive and high-quality cafes all around Moscow. The name of the spot means “A place to eat Vareniki” — traditional dumplings filled with either potato, mushrooms or cabbage or can be served as a dessert with jam filling. Vareniki of different type and various fillings are the main, but not the only dish of Varenichnaya: here you can also find such truly Russian meals like Borscht soup, Kiev cutlets, Herring salad and other dishes (more than 50 options!) from Russian and Ukrainian cuisine. The interior design reminds the natives of the Soviet apartment; some USSR details are nicely fit into the whole athmosphere.
03Grand Café Doctor Zhivago
Grand Café Doctor Zhivago is one of the high-end Moscow restaurants located on the 1st floor of the National hotel. The restaurant skillfully combines the oldest traditions of Russian cuisine with the modern approach which makes this place popular both within Muscovites and tourists.
Unique local products are used for cooking such delicacies like millet porridge with crayfish tail.
The conception of the restaurant implies being dressed in a special way to maintain a bit solemn atmosphere of the place: the dress code does not allow visits to beach or sports clothes.
04Ruski
This restaurant is regarded as one of the trendiest ones in Moscow. Being located on the 85th floor of the Eye Tower in the City has already become a city landmark. The main gem of the place is, of course, its location: mainly for the splendid view from the dining room. In addition to height, Ruski has some more crushing advantages. A Russian three-stove oven weighing 9 tons, a huge open kitchen, something constantly roasting and soaring, a real ice bar where you can drink vodka in a fur coat, and this all is located in a modern stylish interior with Russian spirit. Meals served in Ruski can seem a bit unusual but they are definitely worth trying: it is traditional Russian cuisine with a touch of brand new trends in cookery, like cabbage soup from the oven and crab salad with crème Brulee. Ruski bar has a wide choice of drinks from simple vodka shots to house specialty cocktails.
05Mumu café chain
Mumu is a famous chain of budget Russian cuisine: they are located all around Moscow, including airports. There is nothing posh and very unique about the places, however, it is a great way to get acquainted with Russian traditional family cuisine without spending a fortune to have one lunch or dinner. They offer more than 200 positions in the menu and have good prices for business lunches.
06Matryoshka restaurant
Matryoshka is a cozy restaurant located on Taras Shevchenko embankment and designed in 1920s’ style, with modern and antiquarian elements creating the right atmosphere for a peaceful lunch or night out. For the record: it is included in Forbes list of the most successful restaurants.
Only local products and traditional recipes are used for creating their menu. You can try degustation sets to find out what you enjoy most of the Russian cuisine and use discounts up to 50 percent during weekdays.
