Food in Moscow varies sharply in price and quality. Since you are visiting for just a short period of time, I would suggest staying away from exploring cheap places on the outskirts of the city. All major fast food chains have made it to Moscow in the past few years and you won't miss McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC outlets. I would recommend Russian fast food place called Russkoe Bistro. They serve a thousand different kinds of pirogi and it is cheap, safe and delicious.
For more substantial dining, see the restaurant and cafe listing below courtesy of the Moscow Times Restaurant Guide. Most of the places have brief reviews and recommendations that I find very much to the point. A word of advise on tipping. It is not required but customary. However, there is no set percentage that you must leave and at the more modest establishments you can just round your bill to the nearest hundred. In finer restaurants with better service, one may leave up to 10% tip.
Restaurants: Afgan, African, American,
Armenian, Brunch Places, Bulgarian,
Cafes and Coffee Shops, Chinese, Czech, European, French, Georgian, German, Greek, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Jewish, Korean, Mexican, Miscellaneous, Russian, Scandinavian, Seafood, Thai, Tibetan, Ukranian, Uzbek, Vegetarian
Afgan Restaurants:
Cafe Ariana $
An inexpensive Afghan cafe made popular by students from the nearby People's Friendship University. Deliciously spicy meat entrees and dirt-cheap beer.
3 Ulitsa Miklukho-Maklaya, Bldg. 1. Metro Yugo-Zapadnaya. Tel. 431-2865. 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Credit cards: none.
African Restaurants:
Bungalo Bar $$
Helpful staff and a thatched roof bar. Animal lovers will want to avoid the exotic main dishes, the main ingredients of which consist of alligator, ostrich, shark and kangaroo. The Shepherd's Snack of cottage cheese, peppers, garlic and a mild goulash called Addis Ababa is delish. Definitely worth the trip.
Bungalo Bar. 6 Zemlyanoi Val. Metro Kurskaya. Tel. 916-2432. 11 a.m. to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, AE.
American Restaurants:
American Bar and Grill $$
Smiling ex-pats sampling Moscow decadence for the first time; Russian girls smitten with foreigners; hearty breakfasts and sizzling steaks. Alternative to the diner for the after-bar breakfast crowd.
2/1 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya Ulitsa. Metro Mayakovskaya. Tel. 251-7999. 24 hours. À 59 Zemlyanoi Val. Metro Taganskaya. Tel. 912-3615. Weekdays noon to 2 a.m., Fri. and Sat. noon to 5 a.m. À 50 Vorontsovskaya Ulitsa. Metro Proletarskaya. Tel. 276-4096. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
American Steak House $$
An American-style steak house in the Renaissance Moscow Hotel satisfies cravings for succulent, juicy steaks served in true Texas style. Blues music compliments the incongruous Mediterranean decor.
In the Renaissance Moscow Hotel, 18/1 Olimpiisky Prospekt. Metro Prospekt Mira. Tel. 931-9000/9833. 6 to 10:30 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
B.B. King $$$
Good service, good food, good music. Read the writing on the wall while you wait for your food.
4/2 Sadovaya-Samotyochnaya Ulitsa. Metro Tsvetnoi Bulvar. Tel. 299-8206. Full menu from noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
B.B. King $$$
Good service, good food, good music. Read the writing on the wall while you wait for your food.
4/2 Sadovaya-Samotyochnaya Ulitsa. Metro Tsvetnoi Bulvar. Tel. 299-8206. Full menu from noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Bell's $$$
Lunch, dinner and mouth-watering desserts. Very crowded on weekends.
51 Ulitsa Bolshaya Polyanka. Metro Dobryninskaya. Tel. 951-4900, 959-3737. Noon to 6 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC.
Boar House $$$
Ribs etc. in a joint that only narrowly avoids being completely depressing when it's packed.
26 Zemlyanoi Val. Metro Kurskaya. Tel. 917-0150. 24 hours. Credit cards: V, MC, AE.
City Grill $$$
Average New York or Philly fare, including good salads, stir fry, fries and sandwiches.
2/30 Sadovaya-Triumfalnaya Ulitsa. Metro Mayakovskaya. Tel. 299-4189. Noon to 2 a.m. Credit cards: none.
Country Bar $$$
Also offers Ethiopian and European dishes.
50/2 Ulitsa Pokrovka. Metro Kurskaya. Tel. 917-2882. Noon to 4 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC.
Johnny the Fat Boy $$
Nasty waitresses in very short skirts serve decent pizza. The wet T-shirt contests downstairs may result in a loss of appetite for more discriminating diners. Delivery.
22 Myasnitskaya Ulitsa. Metro Chistiye Prudy. Tel. 755-9554. Weekdays 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri. and Sat. 8 to 6 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC, AE.
Louisiana Steakhouse $$$
Straight from 19th-century America's Wild West, the steakhouse is laid out like a typical saloon of that era. Enjoy enormous portions of Black Angus or filet mignon in the company of Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill.
30 Pyatnitskaya Ulitsa. Metro Tretyakovskaya. Tel. 951-4244. 11 to 12:30 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC.
Sports Bar Fox Terrier & Co. $
Waitresses will make you feel right at home if you're a recent parolee. Service with a kick in the arse probably explains why the place is always empty.
5 Nizhnyaya Radishchevskaya Ulitsa, Bldg. 1. Metro Taganskaya. Tel. 374-1874. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: none.
Starlite Diner $$
An authentic American diner ***sans*** truckers and waitresses who call you honey. The bathrooms, however, are the real thing. Delicious milkshakes and grilled cheese sandwiches. Enormous portions, but don't worry about your waistline once you've paid the bill, you won't be able to afford groceries for a week. Don't bother with the Mayakovsky location's in-house library, though, unless you're a fan of egg-smeared Henry Higgins novels.
16 Bolshaya Sadovaya Ulitsa. Metro Mayakovskaya. Tel. 290-9638. 24 hours. À 9 Korovy Val. Metro Oktyabrskaya. Tel. 959-8919. 24 hours. Credit cards: V, MC, AE.
Stones Steak House $$
Grill your own steak on a heated slab of marble. A whole lot of busy work makes talking to a date almost impossible, for better or worse. Side dishes are nothing special, but the homemade doughnuts are delish.
Steik Na Kamnyakh. 3 Maly Kislovsky Pereulok. Metro Arbatskaya. Tel. 290-1298. 1 p.m. to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC.
T.G.I. Friday's $$
Good American burgers, steaks, salads and sandwiches.
18/2 Tverskaya Ulitsa. Metro Pushkinskaya. Tel. 200-3921. Noon to 1 a.m. À In the Okhotny Ryad Shopping Center, 2nd level, 1 Manezh Square. Metro Okhotny Ryad. Tel. 737-8384. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
RECOMMENDED! Uncle Guilly's $$$
A downtown haven for steaks, burgers and sandwiches. They now have lunch specials, with a different dish each day. Russian fare, too.
6 Stoleshnikov Pereulok. Metro Pushkinskaya. Tel. 229-4750/2050. Noon to midnight, Sun. 2 p.m. to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, AE, EC.
Uncle Sam's $$
Play pool while you wait for your Tex-Mex dinner. Oddly, Russian ***pelmeni*** and shashlik, which we doubt that bearded symbol of American patriotism would ever have deigned to dine on, are also on the menu.
Dyadya Sem. 5 Zatsepsky Val. Metro Paveletskaya. Tel. 235-6530. Noon to 5:30 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC, UC.
Wild Horse $$
The decor is America's Wild West, but they serve ***pelmeni*** and ***vareniki***. They also serve steaks and burgers, although the burgers are just Russian ***kotlety*** on a bun. Bad food for cowboys, and just about everybody else.
Dikaya Loshad. 2 Okhotny Ryad. Metro Okhotny Ryad. Tel. 960-2021. 8 a.m. to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, AE.
Zoo $$
Decent American food with some Mexican, French and Japanese (sushi) from the people who brought you Le Gastronome.
1 Kudrinskaya Ploshchad. Metro Barrikadnaya. Tel. 255-4144. Weekdays noon to midnight, Fri. and Sat. noon until last customer. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Armenian Restaurants:
Moosh $
Armenian food at rock bottom prices. The sturgeon shashlik is a must taste.
2/4 Oktyabrskaya Ulitsa. Metro Novoslobodskaya. Tel. 284-3670. 10 a.m. to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, AE.
Noyev Kovcheg $$$
Live music most nights beginning at 7 p.m. Enjoy a glass of good French wine with succulent shashlik and a bewildering variety of eggplant appetizers, or order takeout for lower prices.
9 Maly Ivanovsky Pereulok. Metro Kitai-Gorod. Tel. 917-0717/4699. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, M, DC, AE.
Brunch Places:
Baltschug $$$
"Linner," the hotel's Sunday brunch, includes unlimited amounts of sparkling wine, red and white wine, beer, juices, tea, coffee and fresh fruit, plus buffet brunch. Supervised playroom for children. Children under 6 eat for free. Live music.
In the Baltschug Kempinski Hotel, 1 Ulitsa Balchug. Metro Tretyakovskaya. Tel. 230-6500. Brunch ($33+VAT) is served from 12:30 to 7 p.m. on Sundays. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Cafe Taiga $$$
Cozy dining room. Everything from breakfast food to lamb and pigeon dishes; also salads, bliny, cheeses, desserts and sparkling wine. Sunday brunch combines Russian, Asian and Mediterranean cuisine, plus live music and wine. Day care available. Children under 12 eat for free. Live entertainment.
In the Aerostar Hotel, 37 Leningradsky Prospekt, Bldg. 9. Metro Dynamo. Tel. 213-9000, ext. 2741. Brunch ($31+VAT) is served from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
RECOMMENDED! Four Seasons $$$$$
Russian and international chefs prepare a wide selection of superb dishes. Brunch includes juice, vodka, champagne and much, much more.
At the Le Meridien Moscow Country Club, Volokolamskoye Shosse. Tel. 564-4110, ext. 3209. Brunch ($35) is served from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Gratzi $$$
Live jazz. Entertainment for the kids.
In the Marriott Grand Hotel, 34 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya Ulitsa. Metro Belorusskaya. Tel. 258-3036. Brunch ($19 or $25 with alcohol) served from noon to 4 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Lomonosov $$$
Wine, breakfast and lunch fare. Live music and children's entertainment.
In the Sheraton Palace Hotel, 19 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya Ulitsa. Metro Belorusskaya. Tel. 931-9700. Brunch ($33) served from noon to 5 p.m. Credit Cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Radisson Slavjanskaya $$$
Beet salad, sweaty cheese, smoked salmon and high-volume Muzak.
In the Radisson Slavjanskaya Hotel, 2 Berezhkovskaya Naberezhnaya. Metro Kievskaya. Tel. 941-8020. Brunch ($33.60) is served from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Samobranka $$$
You'll feel like a Soviet worker who's landed in an American supermarket: blown away. At the monthly theme brunch, you'll find, in addition to the de rigor danishes, salads, meats, fish, cheeses, cakes, cocktails and fruit, tables full of specialty dishes in accordance with the day's country theme. But, despite the enormity of the 10-mile spread, you may miss the staples of a good brunch: The tried and true are sacrificed here in honor of diversity.
In the Marriott Grand Hotel, 26 Tverskaya Ulitsa. Metro Belorusskaya. Tel. 935-8500. Buffet brunches ($16 and $23) are served from 7 to 11 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE. Call for information about theme brunches.
Bulgarian Restaurants:
RECOMMENDED! Mekhana Bansko $$
The best Bulgarian food this side of Transylvania. And it's packed every night, so make reservations at least a day ahead. The food is heavy on feta cheese, red pepper and tomato. Wash it down with something from their wide selection of Bulgarian wines. Live Bulgarian music every evening.
9/1 Smolenskaya Ploshchad. Metro Smolenskaya. Tel. 241-3132. Noon to midnight. Fri. and Sat. noon to 2 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC, EC.
Cafes and Coffee Shops:
Alexandria Coffeeshop $
Serves a number of coffees and some very rich desserts.
25 Tsvetnoi Bulvar, Bldg. 1. Metro Tsvetnoi Bulvar. Tel. 299-7712. 10 a.m. to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC.
Caffeine $
Cozy cafe offering 20 varieties of coffee and some main courses. Cakes and pastries. Business lunch (150 rubles) from 12:30 to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
Kofe In. 16 Ulitsa Bolshaya Dmitrovka, Bldg. 1. Metro Teatralnaya. Tel. 229-4652. 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Credit cards: none.
Coffee Bean $
Seattle-style coffee shop serving giant cappuccinos, lots of alcoholic varieties and the best coffee in Moscow. Watch out f the Kuznetsky Most branch is toiletless and often all the tables are taken.
18 Ulitsa Pokrovka, Bldg. 3. Metro Chistiye Prudy. Tel. 923-9793. Mon. to Thurs. 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. À 9/6 Pushechnaya Ulitsa. Under the arch next to metro Kuznetsky Most. Tel. 923-0219. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. À 10 Tverskaya Ulitsa. Metro Pushkinskaya. Tel. 788-6357. Mon. to Sat. 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Credit cards: none.
Coffee Club $
Coffee and pastries.
In the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, 4/31 Triumfalnaya Ploshchad. Metro Mayakovsaya. Tel. 299-4284. 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Credit cards: none.
Coffee House $$
Coffee, cakes, Belgian chocolate, wine and cognac.
In the Actor Gallery, 16 Tverskaya Ulitsa. Metro Pushkinskaya. Tel. 937-5494. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. À In the Ramstore complex, 60 Sheremetyevskaya Ulitsa. Metro Rizhskaya. Tel. 937-2694. 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Credit cards: none.
Coffee Republic $$
Thirty kinds of coffee.
Respublika Kofe. 21 Novy Arbat. Metro Arbatskaya. Tel. 202-3982/2649. 24 hours. Credit cards: none.
DeliFrance $$
Packed, enormous lines, but still the best place to have a cup of tea and savor a few minutes of that special kind of anonymity only an over-crowded coffeehouse can provide.
In the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, 4/31 Triumfalnaya Ploshchad. Metro Mayakovskaya. Tel. 299-4284. 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Fri. and Sat. until 11:30 p.m.
Donna Clara $$
Cozy cafe with huge bay windows near Patriarshiye Prudy. Serves breakfast.
21/13 Ulitsa Malaya Bronnaya. Metro Mayakovskaya. Tel. 290-3848. 10 a.m. to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Doutor $
Great, inexpensive coffee, thick doorstop toast and a great view of the Old Arbat.
Closed for renovations. 19 Arbat. Metro Arbatskaya. Tel. 203-6714. 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Credit cards: none.
Gostinaya $$
With its soft couches, woolen blankets and working fireplaces, this cafe f named for the 19th century's gostinayas, or sitting rooms used for entertaining guests f is a true haven of tranquility.
3 Shmitovsky Proyezd. Metro Ulitsa 1905 Goda. Tel. 256-0881. Thurs. to Sat. 1 p.m. to 3 a.m. Sun. to Wed. 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. Credit cards: none.
Great Canadian Bagel $$
This popular cafe serves the standard array of bagels, cream cheese, soup, chili, sandwiches, desserts and salads. Business lunch (100 rubles) served from 1 to 4 p.m. weekdays.
27 Tverskaya Ulitsa, Bldg. 2. Metro Mayakovskaya. Tel. 299-9702. 10 a.m. to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Here and Now $
This somewhat out-of-the-way tearoom offers a large selection of teas and tea-based drinks at reasonable prices. Evenings feature live music, lectures and readings.
Zdes i Seichas. 18 Yuzhnoportovaya Ulitsa. Metro Kozhukhovskaya. Tel. 279-4787. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Credit cards: none.
Kofetun $
Coffee, tea, cakes and pastries.
18 Tverskaya Ulitsa. Metro Pushkinskaya. Tel. 209-1494. 24 hours. Credit cards: V, MC.
Moscow-Berlin $$
Service comparable to what you'd expect on the Moscow-Murmansk express: grim and sleepy. Performances by hip DJs, late-night appearances by the Circus crowd. Don't go for breakfast: Although signs posted say Moscow-Berlin is open round-the-clock, employees have been known to call ""technical difficulties"" and close the cafe for as long as two hours, which they spend chatting, smoking and drinking hot chocolate in full view of the cold, hungry patrons waiting outside.
Kofeinya Moskva-Berlin. 52/2 Ploshchad Tverskaya Zastava (in front of Belorussky Station). Tel. 251-2282. Open 24 hours. Credit cards: V, MC.
Robin Bobin $$
Serves just about what you'd expect a slick little lunch stop in the Smolensky Passazh mall to serve: overpriced, average food on shiny plates.
On the fourth floor of the Smolensky Passazh Shopping Center, 3/5 Smolenskaya Ploshchad. Metro Smolenskaya. Tel. 937-8013. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC.
Soleil Express $
Lovely, relaxing cafe. Patrons are left alone to linger for hours and even use the telephone for free. Business lunch (200 rubles) served noon to 3 p.m. on weekdays.
24/27 Sadovaya-Samotyochnaya Ulitsa. Metro Tsvetnoi Bulvar. Tel. 725-6474. Weekdays 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sat. and Sun. 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. À 1 Valovaya Ulitsa. Metro Paveletskaya. Tel. 937-0533. 8:30 a.m. to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC.
Via Spiga $$$
Formerly known as the Grand Cafe, now named for Spiga Street in Italy. This is an expensive cafe in a posh mall. Pleasant place to sit and watch the shoppers.
In the Actor Gallery, 16/2 Tverskaya Ulitsa. Metro Pushkinskaya. Tel. 935-7798. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC.
RECOMMENDED! Zen Cafe $
Great coffee and all the trimmings. The Belorusskaya location boasts an art gallery.
5/6 Ulitsa Bolshaya Dmitrovka, Bldg. 4 (enter from Kamergersky Pereulok). Metro Okhotny Ryad. Tel. 292-5114. Mon. to Thurs. 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri. 8 to 1 a.m., Sat. and Sun. 9 to 1 a.m. À 1/2 Lesnaya Ulitsa. Metro Belorusskaya. Tel. 234-1784. 24 hours. Credit cards: none.
Chinese Restaurants:
Ancient China $$$
Chinese tea ceremony, plum wine, Chinese sake and Chinese beer, plus 135 dishes available.
Drevny Kitai. 5/6 Kamergersky Pereulok. Metro Okhotny Ryad. Tel. 292-2900. Noon to 11 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC.
China City $$
Pleasant service. Try the bamboo shoot and mushroom soup or the pork in lemon sauce.
11 Korovy Val. Metro Oktyabrskaya. Tel. 237-1537. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC. Takeout available: 237-1368.
RECOMMENDED! China Garden $$$$
Some of the best spicy Chinese food in Moscow.
In the Mezhdunarodnaya Hotel, 12 Krasnopresnenskaya Naberezhnaya. Metro Ulitsa 1905 Goda. 12:30 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 10:30 p.m. Tel. 967-0586. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
RECOMMENDED! China Town $$$$
Considered by many to be the best Chinese restaurant in Russia with a chef who hails from Beijing. Live music every evening. Chinese bottled beer.
18/2 Ulitsa Panfilova. Metro Sokol. Tel. 158-6338. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC.
Dynasty $$$$
Chinese and Japanese food with a wide selection of seafood dishes. Try the shark fin soup. Ten percent discount on all menu items before 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Dinastia. 29 Zubovsky Bulvar. Metro Park Kultury. Tel. 246-5017. 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Five Spices $$$
The extensive menu includes some kebabs. The chef tends to overdo the MSG. Generous portions. Business lunch ($10) served noon to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Delivery.
3/18 Pereulok Sivtsev Vrazhek. Metro Kropotkinskaya. Tel. 203-1283. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
RECOMMENDED! Formosa $$$
Superb Chinese cuisine. Chinese and Japanese beer. Business lunch (390 rubles) served noon to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
23 Leontyevsky Pereulok, Bldg. 1. Metro Tverskaya. Tel. 299-7216. Noon to 11 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Golden Dragon $$$
Traditional Chinese cuisine with some exotic choices like snake and alligator. Try the Dragon's Assortment f a mixture of seafood, pork and other ingredients cooked in five sauces. Business lunch served noon to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
Zolotoi Drakon. 15 Kalanchovskaya Ulitsa. Metro Krasniye Vorota. Tel. 975-5503/5566. Noon to 5 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC.
Hong Kong $$
Hong Kong fare, plus European menu.
1/5 Bolshaya Sadovaya Ulitsa. Metro Mayakovskaya. Tel. 209-2456. Noon until last customer leaves. Credit cards: V, MC, DC.
House of the Dragon $$
Seafood-heavy Chinese fare.
Dom Drakona. 4 Leningradsky Prospekt. Metro Belorusskaya. Tel. 257-0152. Noon to midnight. Credit cards V, MC, AE.
Junk Boat $$$
Dumplings taste more like ***pelmeni*** than self-respecting Chinese dumplings ought to, but the venue offers diners a good opportunity to hone chopstick dexterity without paying an arm and a leg for the pleasure of spilling your chow mein on your lap. Business lunch (185 rubles) served noon to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
Dzhonka. 22 Tverskoi Bulvar. Metro Pushkinskaya. Tel. 203-9420. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC.
Ki Ka Ku $$$$
Ki Ka Ku's toned-down Chinese food is a hit with the public, but the place is about as popular among Chinese restaurant-goers as the Cultural Revolution. Try the buffet, which is half price during the week, or some of the odd-ingredient dishes f one uses shark fins, another chicken feet. Unless you're prepared to lose all feeling in your face and neck for at least a week, avoid the Fire Bowl. Business lunch (600 rubles) served noon to 4 p.m. on weekdays, noon to 3 p.m. on Fridays.
28/30 Begovaya Ulitsa. Metro Begovaya. Tel. 945-3031. Noon until last customer leaves. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Lily Wong $$$$
Small, pleasant dining room with an expansive Chinese menu. Karaoke.
3/5 Tverskaya Ulitsa. Metro Okhotny Ryad. Tel. 956-8301. Noon to 6 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC, AE, DC.
Mao $$
Asian cuisine from China, with Russian and nouvelle-cuisine influences. Special "open kitchen," where dishes are prepared in front of the customer. Business lunch (168 rubles) served noon to 5 p.m. on weekdays. Twenty percent discount on all menu items before 6 p.m.
2 Ulitsa 1905 Goda, Bldg. 2. Metro Ulitsa 1905 Goda. Tel. 255-5955/5942. Noon to midnight, Fri. and Sat. until 2 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Panda $$$$
Meat-heavy menu with very few seafood dishes.
Closed for renovations. 3/5 Tverskoi Bulvar. Metro Pushkinskaya. Tel. 202-8313. Noon to 11 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Pekin $$
Business lunch (190 rubles) served from noon to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
In the Pekin Hotel, 5/1 Bolshaya Sadovaya Ulitsa. Metro Mayakovskaya. Tel. 209-1865. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC.
Temple of the Moon $$
One of the capital's oldest Chinese restaurants, Temple of the Moon serves a wide variety of tasty dishes in a cozy setting.
Khram Luny. 1/12 Bolshoi Kislovsky Pereulok. Metro Arbatskaya. Tel. 291-0401. 1 to 11 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Zen $$$
Just off Pushkin Square, Zen boasts an enormous dining room equipped with a waterfall and a set of limestone cliffs. Plenty of red lanterns and silk. Try the delightful hors d'oeuvres sampler or the juicy duck with Chinese mushrooms and baby corn.
3 Bolshoi Putinkovsky Pereulok. Metro Tverskaya. Tel. 299-5444. Noon to 11:30 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC.
Czech Restaurants:
Schweik's $$$
Mediocre Czech food will make you thirsty. Quench your thirst by drinking lots of beer. Deep-fried cheese and sausage are tasty, but the Czech specialty ***knedliki*** fails to impress.
U Schweika. 2 Barrikadnaya Ulitsa. Metro Barrikadnaya. Tel. 252-1107. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, AE.
European Restaurants:
Amadeus $$$$
Located on the territory of the Conservatory, this restaurant has a musical bend: They offer Adagio Pork and Fiery Fugue beef f tender slices of beef laced with burning cognac.
15/9 Bolshoi Kislovsky Pereulok. Metro Arbatskaya. Tel. 229-0507. 11 a.m. to midnight. Credit cards: none.
Amadeus Cafe $$$$
Traditional European food including salads, pasta and seafood at affordable prices.
In the Radisson Slavjanskaya Hotel, 2 Berezhkovskaya Naberezhnaya. Metro Kievskaya.Tel. 941-8020. 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Amazonia $$$
The fare here is far superior to this restaurant's noisy, tacky atmosphere. Mouth-watering salads including a salmon Caesar. Try the crðme bràlïe.
14 Strastnoi Bulvar. Tel. 209-7487. 11 a.m. to 6 a.m. Metro Chekhovskaya. Credit cards: V, MC.
Ampir $$$$
Don't be put off by the name, a cross between a vampire and an armpit. The food is good, even if the service isn't. The quail and the rabbit are highly recommended. For some reason, the frogs here have only three legs.
4/10 Sadovaya-Triumfalnaya Ulitsa. Metro Mayakovskaya. Tel. 299-7974. Noon to 6 a.m. Credit cards: V, M, DC, AE.
Cabana $$$
Delicious continental cuisine in a colorful dining room. The bread pudding is divine.
4 Raushskaya Naberezhnaya. Metro Tretyakovskaya. Tel. 238-5006. Noon to 6 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Cafe Taiga $$$
Buffets for the armchair traveler: Mon. Arabic; Tues. Russian; Wed. Italian; Thurs. American; Weekend lobster dinner. Sunday brunch combines the Russian, Asian and Mediterranean, with live music and free Russian champagne.
In the Aerostar Hotel, 37/9 Leningradsky Prospekt. Metro Dynamo. Tel. 213-9000 ext. 2741. 6 to 11 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Crazy Milk $$$
Tavern-style restaurant with homestyle European fare and live music on weekends.
54 Ulitsa Bolshaya Polyanka, Bldg. 1. Metro Polyanka, Dobrininskaya. Tel. 230-0305/7333. Noon to 6 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC.
El Rincon Espanol $$$$
Revisit the romantic Spain of your fantasies. Just keep reality in perspective if the quest for your dreams turns up a few windmills. Good Spanish food served in a neo-Gothic atmosphere.
In the Moskva Hotel, 2 Okhotny Ryad. Metro Okhotny Ryad. Tel. 229-2893. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Embassy Club $$$$
Beautifully presented dishes served in a quiet dining room. Extensive selection of cognacs, wines and cigars. Live jazz and classical music.
In the House of Composers, 8/10 Bryusov Pereulok. Metro Okhotny Ryad. Tel. 229-6563. 5 p.m. to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Exchange, The $$$$
Upmarket restaurant with prices to match. The food is a mixture of European and Russian, ranging from grilled veal to Russian-style rib-eye steak with porridge and mushroom sauce.
In the Radisson Slavjanskaya Hotel, 2 Berezhkovskaya Naberezhnaya. Metro Kievskaya. Tel. 941-8020. 6 to 11 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Grot $$$
This intimate restaurant hidden away in a cellar serves up a wide selection of fish dishes and a wonderful cut of beef stuffed with bacon and capers. Top of the menu is the Golden Autumn, which consists of mushrooms, eggplant and tomatoes with a delicious nutty sauce.
10 Dobrovolcheskaya Ulitsa. Metro Taganskaya or Ploshchad Ilyicha. Tel. 911-2141. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Le Bazar $$$
Formerly called B-69, this restaurant serves European fare with an emphasis on seafood and plenty of Mediterranean influences. Try the duck livers. Business lunch (170 rubles) served from 1 to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
69 Ulitsa Vavilova. Metro Profsoyuznaya. Tel. 132-7281. Mon. to Thurs. noon to midnight, Fri. and Sat. 1 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sun. 2 p.m. to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Le Club $$$
Great European, Mexican, American and Russian food if you avoid the nachos. Excellent live jazz most nights.
Cover: 100 to 200 rubles. 21 Bolshaya Radishchevskaya Ulitsa (next to the Taganka Theater). Metro Taganskaya. Tel. 915-1042. Noon to 2 a.m., Fri. and Sat. until 5 a.m. Credit cards: V, AE.
RECOMMENDED! Metropol $$$$
Vast selection of mouth-watering dishes served up in stately surroundings. Weight watchers will appreciate the special diet menu that gives calorie counts for all the dishes. But if you're more worried about taste than fat, indulge in some of the national specialities. Buffet 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
1/4 Teatralny Proyezd. Metro Ploshchad Revolyutsii. Tel. 927-6061. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, M, DC, AE.
Museum $$
Try the Greek salad with tofu or the bilberry pancakes with cognac. Terribly trendy clientele.
11 Tverskaya-Yamskaya Ulitsa. Metro Mayakovskaya. Tel. 251-6444. 2 to 6 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC.
New Vasyuki $$$
This quiet restaurant has four rooms. Some are decorated in summer country style, while one looks like a prison cell with chains and bars on the walls. The menu includes steak in cheese and mushroom sauce, kebabs and salads. A good selection of Russian and French wine is available.
2 Starokonyushenny Pereulok, Bldg. 2. Metro Kropotkinskaya. Tel. 201-3888. 2 p.m. until last customer leaves. Credit Cards: none.
Old Castle Mephisto $$$$
If the decor (Gothic meets Disney haunted house) doesn't overwhelm you, the beer selection will: more than 60 brands.
10 Shmitovsky Proyezd, Bldg. 1. Metro Ulitsa 1905 Goda. Tel. 259-6497. Noon to 6 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC.
Old Square Piano Bar $$$
Dine on European cuisine in the Kremlin's backyard to the accompaniment of live jazz every evening. Disco opens at 11 p.m.
8 Bolshoi Cherkassky Pereulok. Metro Kitai-Gorod. Tel. 298-4688. 11 to 6 a.m. Credit cards: none.
Pirr $$$
Standard European fare.
19 Bolshaya Nikitskaya Ulitsa. Metro Arbatskaya. Tel. 203-2137. 5 to 11 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, AE, EC.
Place, The $$
This stylish bistro offers a wide selection of well-prepared European dishes, plus more exotic fare like Thai chicken kebabs and New Zealand lamb chops, both of which are particularly tasty.
In the Riverside Towers, 52 Kosmodamianskaya Naberezhnaya, Bldg. 5. Metro Paveletskaya. Tel. 725-4070. 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Praga $$$
Praga houses seven different restaurants on its premises including Italian, Czech and Brazilian. The risotto di mare from the Italian menu is sumptuous and the carpaccio del barcaiolo starter is equally appetizing. For dessert, try the homemade ice cream.
2 Arbat. Metro Arbatskaya. Tel. 290-6171. Noon to 5 a.m. Credit cards: V, DC, AE.
Pyramid $$$$
Club and restaurant magnate Arkady Novikov's latest creation is an odd half-breed with dual themes of Egypt and the cosmos. The result is an airy interior built around high-tech decor and the odd faux ancient pillar: Star Trek meets IKEA meets Cleopatra's living room. The food is beautifully presented, but don't go to Pyramid if you're in the market for a quiet meal. The music is loud. Try the sturgeon in cheese sauce or the pumpkin cappuccino.
14 Tverskaya Ulitsa. Metro Pushkinskaya. 24 hours. Tel. 200-3515. Credit cards: V, MC, DC.
Reporter $$$
Extensive selection of French and Russian food. The mousse is scrumptious.
8 Gogolevsky Bulvar. Metro Kropotkinskaya. Tel. 956-9997. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Sadko $$$
Extensive selection of coffees, plus many delicious desserts.
116 Prospekt Mira, Bldg. 1. Metro Alekseyevskaya. Tel. 287-7872. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC.
Sirena $$$$$
Make sure you get a seat in the room with the glass floor so you can watch the trapped sturgeon swim under your feet. High-quality seafood.
15 Bolshaya Spasskaya Ulitsa. Metro Sukharevskaya. Tel. 208-0200. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
White Swan $$$$
The piano tinkles in the background, the waiter slides over as if on wheels and you salivate over the gourmet food at this restaurant specializing in Italian, French and Russian fare. Elegant, expensive and thoroughly soothing. Excellent caviar.
Bely Lebed. 12 Chistoprudny Bulvar. Metro Chistiye Prudy. Tel. 924-8636. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
French Restaurants:
Balaganchik $$$
Named for a traveling theater and located in the heart of Moscow's theater district, Balaganchik was decorated by a professional theatrical set designer and boasts a French menu prepared by a Russian chef. Try the frog's legs and just about any of the meat dishes.
10/2 Tryokhprudny Pereulok. Metro Mayakovskaya, Pushkinskaya. Tel. 209-5444. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, AE.
Borodino $$$$$
This plush restaurant in the Aerostar Hotel boasts smoked bison carpaccio and pan-seared John Dory fillet among its specialities.
37 Leningradsky Prospekt, Bldg. 9. Metro Dynamo. Tel. 213-9000. 6 to 11 p.m (bar open from 5 p.m.). Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Brasserie du Soleil $$
The big leather chairs in the bar are so comfortable you might never get up to eat, but you'd be missing out on a fine meal.
23 Taganskaya Ulitsa. Metro Taganskaya. Tel. 258-5900. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Butterfly $$
Mediocre French food in an elegant atmosphere. Its sister restaurant next door, U Babushki, offers Russian food in a less formal environment.
Closed for renovations. Babochka. 42 Ulitsa Bolshaya Ordynka. Metro Tretyakovskaya. Tel. 230-2797, 953-2110. Noon to 11 p.m. (closed Mon). Credit cards: V, MC.
RECOMMENDED! Cafe des Artistes $$$
Delicious food in a romantic setting. The Swiss chef prepares French fare, bistro style. Seasonal kitchen featuring fresh fish, black caviar and delicious truffels.
5/6 Kamergersky Pereulok. Metro Okhotny Ryad. Tel. 292-0673. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Count Orlov $$$$
Located in the former home of Catherine the Great's favorite count, Orlov, this restaurant serves delicious French-Asian fare. Try the banana flan.
Graf Orlov. 2 2nd Verkhny Mikhailovsky Proyezd. Metro Shabolovskaya. Tel. 954-0583. 5 p.m. to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, AE.
Grand Alexander $$$$$
You don't eat at the Grand Alexander, you dine. The waiters will positively fawn over you, and the food is exquisite, especially the steak. Unfortunately, the decor is nothing special.
In the Marriott Grand Hotel, 26 Tverskaya Ulitsa. Metro Belorusskaya. 937-0028/0025. 6:30 to 11 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Le Chalet $$$$$
Located in the Chaika sports center, Le Chalet serves French and Swiss classics, and specializes in fondue.
1/2 Korobeinikov Pereulok. Metro Park Kultury. Tel. 202-0106. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Le Duc $$$$$
Classy venue with an extremely formal atmosphere, with waiters dressed in tails and white gloves. Try the warm goat cheese and the chocolate soufflï with pistachio ice cream.
2 Ulitsa 1905 Goda. Metro Ulitsa 1905 Goda. Tel. 255-0390. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Le Gastronome $$$$$
Delicious international cuisine. Live lobsters, clams, salmon and even shark.
1 Kudrinskaya Ploshchad. Metro Barrikadnaya. Tel. 255-4433. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Musketeer $$$$
The business lunch (100 rubles) is an excellent value.
10 Novaya Ploshchad, Bldg. 2. Metro Lubyanka, Kitai-Gorod. Tel. 797-3190/92. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC.
Versai $$$$
Refers to itself as an ""elite French restaurant."" Menu includes a wide selection of French wines and cigars, plus fresh oysters all year 'round.
9/2 Uitsa Spiridonovka, Bldg. 1. Metro Mayakovskaya. Tel. 202-4540. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, AE.
