Restaurants & Cafes

There are hundreds of places to eat in Moscow, with something to suit everyone's taste, from the well-established European and American restaurants, to the trendy Thai, Japanese and Lebanese places, not to mention those offering tasty cuisine from the Former Soviet Union countries including Georgia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and of course Russia. Many places have live entertainment particularly at the weekends. Here are a few of the favorites amongst the expats in IKEA:

Summer Terraces

Scandinavia

7 Maly Palashevsky Per. M: Pushkinskaya

Swedish owned and managed restaurant in the centre of Moscow, serving international cuisine, with an emphasis on Swedish specialities. The summer terrace is a very popular meeting place for expats working in IKEA! Their signature dish is their hamburger but they also serve salads, fish and baked potatoes all cooked by chefs from their open-air kitchen. Mid-high price range.

Academia

2 Kamergersky Per. M: Okhotny Ryad

Very popular modern Italian restaurant with relaxed atmosphere. Serves great homemade pizzas, pasta and salad. Also has a sushi menu like most places in Moscow! Overlooking the busy pedestrian street, their summer terrace great for people watching! Reasonable prices.

American

Starlite Diner

Sadovaya, 16A, Aquarium Garden M: Mayakovskaya

Classic American diner open 24 hours, serving breakfast, burgers, milkshakes and great bloody marys!

City Grill

Sadovaya-Triumfalnaya Ul. 2/30 M: Mayakovskaya

Lively bar and grill serving American food at good prices.

Russian

Cafe Pushkin

Tverskoy blvr, 26a M. Pushkinskaya

Multi-level upmarket restaurant in pre-revolutionary style serving excellent quality Russian cuisine. Very popular with visitors to Moscow. High prices.

1, Red Square

1, Red Square M: Okhotny Ryad, Ploshchad Revolutsii.

Overlooking Red Square in the same building as the History Museum, the menu consists of various traditional Russian specialities all cooked to a very high standard. Expensive.

Central House of Writers

Povarskaya st., 50 M: Barrikadnaya

Formal dining in a fabulous setting with excellent quality Russian food and live classical music.

European / Fusion

La Grotta

Bol. Bronnaya st., 27/4 M: Pushkinskaya

Although this is a basement restaurant with no windows, it has a very pleasant minimal interior and relaxed atmosphere. Serves excellent Italian classics at moderate prices.

Syrnaya Dyrka (Cheese Hole)

Pokrovsky blvd, 6/20 M: Kitai Gorod or Taganskaya

Swiss restaurant made to look like a piece of cheese. Excellent food at the higher end of the price bracket.

Le Gateau

Tverskaya Ul. 23 M: Tverskaya

French bistro style setting with occasional live music. Limited menu but very good quality and excellent prices. Also does breakfast and has a very good patisserie selection.

Cafe Des Artistes

5/6 Kamergersky Per. M: Okhotny Ryad

Swiss-owned and managed upmarket European restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere, excellent quality food and a fabulous summer terrace. Prices are higher than average but worth it for a treat!

Vogue

Kuznetsky Most 1 M: Kuznetsky Most

Owned by the Conde Nast Group and named after the magazine, the walls are adorned with fashion photography. Opulent interior with comfortable sofas in the cafe area, and more formal dining in the back. Excellent quality fusion food in the mid-high price bracket. Reservations recommended.

Galereya

27, Ul. Petrovka, M: Chekhovskaya

Popular with the "New Russian" crowd, this is a great place to people watch, enjoy great food and warm up for a night of clubbing as the DJs play the latest sounds. The menu is fusion with a good choice of sushi, and as with many restaurants in Moscow, it's the drinks rather than the food that push up the cost of dining here!

Middle Eastern and Asian

Shafran

Spiridonievsky Per. 12/9 M: Tverskaya / Pushkinskaya

Excellent value, tasty Lebanese food in a modern setting. The best hummus in Moscow, along with the usual shashliks and more exotic dishes.

Uzbekistan

29/14 Neglinnaya Ul. M. Kuznetsky Most / Tsvetnoi Bulvar

Authentic Uzbek decor and food. Outdoor terrace set in a farmyard garden complete with animals! Belly dancer show at the weekends. Mid-high price range.

Tiflis

Ostozhenka st., 32 M: Park Kultury

One of a growing number of popular Georgian restaurants in Moscow offering authentic cuisine in the mid-price bracket. Lovely summer terrace.

Maharaja

Pokrovka Ul.2/1 M: Kitai-Gorod

Excellent quality dishes in a traditional style. Extremely popular with British expats!

Sushi

Sushi is extremely popular in Moscow, and can be found on the menu in almost every restaurant in Moscow, from the good value cafes to the high end "elite" restaurants. Yakitoria is a very popular Japanese chain with branches all over the city, serving good value Sushi and Japanese specialities.

Vegetarian

Jagannath

Kuznetsky Most Ulitsa, 11. M: Kuznetsky Most

This is the first and the only dedicated vegetarian restaurant in Moscow, offering Indian, Chinese and Japanese vegetarian meals at good prices. DJs in the evenings play reggae and drum'n'bass. Adjacent vegetarian food store and take-away service.

Snacks / Sandwiches

Prime

Kamergerski Pereulok M: Okhotny Ryad

Located on the popular pedestrian street Kamergersky Pereulok, this is a western-style sandwich bar selling freshly prepared sandwiches with bread baked on-site, salads, soups and pastries. Outdoor seating in the summer and a favorite amongst students and local office workers.

Cafes

Zen Cafe

Kamergerski Pereulok 9 M:Okhotny Ryad

Popular and reasonably priced coffee bar on the pedestrian street.

Coffee Bean

Tverskaya Ulitsa 10 M:Pushkinskaya

Very popular coffee house chain throughout Moscow. Good selection of coffees, teas & cakes. Non Smoking.

Shokoladnitsa

29 Ul. Stary Arbat M. Arbatskaya

One of the most popular branches of this chain of coffee shops. Open 24 hours.

Loft Cafe

Nikolskaya Ul. 25, 6th floor, M: Lubyanka

Upmarket cafe situated on the top floor of a shopping centre overlooking Lubyanka and the former KGB headquarters.

Internet Cafes

Net City

Kamergerski Pereulok M: Okhotny Ryad

Internet cafe with coffee bar attached. Approx 70 RUR per hour.

Time online

Manezhnaya Ploschad M: Okhotny Ryad

Huge internet cafe just outside the exit to the Manezh shopping centre. Open 24 hours.

Fast food & Delivery

Jacks

Good quality pizza, salad, tex-mex and party platters delivered to your home. English speaking staff. Very popular with expats.

Sbarro

Pizza, pasta and salad bar with branches all over the city.

Dominoes Pizza

Branches all over the city plus delivery service within central Moscow.

Kroshka Kartoshka Stalls (Baby Potato)

Kiosks all over the city specializing in baked potatoes with various fillings for around $1.