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In a city where onion domes and Soviet-era monoliths bespeak a long, varied, and storied past, it's easy to forget that the dining scene is relatively new, having emerged with democratization in 1991. Now, nearly twenty-five years later, the Moscow restaurant scene is still going through growing pains and has yet to find its pa
In a city where onion domes and Soviet-era monoliths bespeak a long, varied, and storied past, it's easy to forget that the dining scene is relatively new, having emerged with democratization in 1991. Now, nearly twenty-five years later, the Moscow restaurant scene is
In a city where onion domes and Soviet-era monoliths bespeak a long, varied, and storied past, it's easy to forget that
In a city where onion domes and Soviet-era monoliths bespeak a long, varied, and storied past, it's easy to forget that the dining scene is relatively new, having emerged with democratization in 1991. Now, nearly twenty-five years later, the Moscow restaurant scene is still going through growing pains and has yet to find its pace. This is good news for adventurous diners. You might still find yourself being served by pantaloon-and-ruffled bedecked "serfs" beneath glittering chandeliers in one of the showy, re-created settings that arose in the post-Soviet era—and that even a tsar would find to be over the top.
But many restaurants now approach their food sensibly and seriously. A new crop of chefs is serving traditional Russian fare, often giving it some innovative twists. One European cuisine to invade the city anew is Italian, and scores of dark-haired chefs from the Mediterranean are braving the cold to bring Muscovites minestrone and carbonara. Other ethnic restaurants have long since arrived as well, and you can sample Tibetan, Indian, Chinese, Latin American, or Turkish cuisine any night of the week.
One welcome, long-standing Russian tradition that remains in place is a slow-paced approach to a meal. It's common for people to linger at their tables long after finishing dessert, and you're almost never handed the bill until you ask for it. Keep in mind that chef turnover is high in Moscow, which means restaurants can change quickly—and that there's always a new culinary experience to be had in this ever-evolving city.
Steps away from ploshchad Lubyanka, chef Marc de Passorio serves pared-down takes on his haute- fusion cuisine for reasonable prices. The long menu includes now-familiar international dishes like chicken quesadillas and beef spring rolls, as well as such Russian classics as borsch and beef Stroganoff. Especially noteworthy are some of the more creative options, such as grilled goat cheese and fig salad.
As if to reward you for locating the place (it's hidden in a courtyard with a front sign that says "Thanks for finding us"), staff members seem driven to make you join in their revelry. Greetings come first from the pirate-moustached owner, then from the team of gregarious bartenders, who will soon cajole you into trying one of the house-made liquors. Fresh flowers brighten the windowless space; menus are presented on clipboards; and the drink list is written in chalk across a wall. The casual fare includes well-prepared pizzas and pastas, and a selection of juicy burgers.
2 ul. Sadovaya-Karetnaya, Moscow, Moscow, 127051, Russia
Students and a sizeable portion of the local office-worker population flock here for the three-course lunch special, and in the evening, the low lighting and soft wood tones provide a warm and intimate setting. The eclectic menu veers from the Alps to the Andes, and the salade niçoise and the steak with peppercorn sauce are standouts.
3 per. Krivokolenny, Moscow, Moscow, 101000, Russia
This may be one of Moscow's most popular clubs, but before the dance floor opens up, it lays out the tables for its own hearty, delicious food, for some of the most reasonable prices in the city center. The cuisine ranges over all the continents, from Indian to Thai to Russian, but the dishes are kept simple, and service is quick. The filling sandwiches and pastas, with such accompaniments as curried chicken and porcini mushrooms, are particularly good values. Warning: the place gets smokey at night.
7 per. Bolshoi Zlatoustinsky, Moscow, Moscow, 101000, Russia
A row of windows and the blond-wood patio provide you with a panorama of the Moskva River, the Kremlin, and the white marble monolith of Christ the Savior cathedral. Though the location alone warrants a visit, a reliable menu offers an interesting mix of salads, pastas, and grilled meats, and service is solicitous. The place buzzes with hipster youth and a velvet rope appears on Friday and Saturday nights, but, as at many Moscow clubs, foreigners don't usually have a problem getting in.
5 nab. Bersenevskaya, Moscow, Moscow, 119072, Russia
Ornate decor and elaborate, modern interpretations of Russian, Continental, and Asian Fusion fare make quite an impression—which is the point, and why this over-the-top rendition of a baroque palace is one of the preferred eateries of the city's power elite. Beneath elaborate frescoes, domes, and columns, a waitstaff in brocaded waistcoats serves everything from dim sum to smoked venison; there's something for just about everyone willing to pay the bank-breaking prices. Weekend brunches are an expensive indulgence, while the pre-theater set menus are quite a bargain.
26/3 bul. Tverskoi, Moscow, Moscow, 125009, Russia
One of the most fashionable restaurants in town is distinctly Russian, serving a menu that's a throwback to Soviet times, with items such as Russian cured sausage and kefir, a sour-milk drink. The interior is sophisticated and understated, with gold-and-black-suede booths and walls lined with photos of fashion models, many of whom are regulars.
7/9 ul. Kuznetsky Most, Moscow, Moscow, 107031, Russia
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