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  • 1. Visa
    • 1.1. Invitation to Russia
      • Should I indicate nights on the train in the application for an invitation letter or Russian visa?
      • Russian visa invitation. What is it and how to get it in 5 minutes?
      • How do I get the invitation to Russia if I’m staying with Airbnb?
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    • 1.2. Visa to Russia
      • How to obtain a Russian Visa in an easy and cost-effective way in 2019
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      • Flight Stopover in Moscow: What to See and How to Obtain a Transit Visa
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      • How to go from Pulkovo Airport to St. Petersburg
      • Russian airports: immigration card and customs formalities
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      • Traveling between Moscow and St. Petersburg: Which is the best way?
      • Trains in Russia: How to buy tickets on-line without the middle-man
      • Train stations in Russia: luggage storage, Wi-Fi and other services
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      • How to use the Moscow Metro and what stations to visit
      • How to catch a taxi in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, or in other Russian cities
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      • Is it worth to rent a car in Russia? Recommendations and requirements
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    • 3.1. Accommodation in Russia
      • Accommodations in Russia: How to choose and where to make a reservation cheaply
      • Ostrovok: the best alternative to Booking.com
    • 3.2. Restaurants in Russia
      • Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin
      • How to book a restaurant in Moscow, St. Petersburg or other Russian cities
      • What do you eat in Russia? Typical dishes and Russian restaurants
  • 4. Destinations
    • 4.1. Moscow
      • What is the Moscow Kremlin and how to buy tickets online
      • Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow: tickets and guided tours
      • What to see and do in Moscow in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 days
      • Flight Stopover in Moscow: What to See and How to Obtain a Transit Visa
      • Shopping in Moscow: from GUM to Izmailovo market
      • Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin
      • Guided tours in Moscow: by foot, by bicycle, by boat, or by tour bus?
      • The Free Visit to the Lenin Mausoleum in Moscow
      • St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. Visits, tickets and schedules
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      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
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      • Star City Moscow, where the cosmonauts live – What to see inside?
      • Moscow City: Skyscrapers & Observation Decks (You can go up to enjoy for its views)
      • Traveling to Moscow with children: What to see and do as a family
      • The Tretyakov Gallery: Russian art like you’ve never seen before
      • VDNH (VDNKh), my favorite park in Moscow: Back to the USSR!
    • 4.2. St Petersburg
      • The Hermitage of St. Petersburg: What to see and how to avoid queues
      • What to see and do in St. Petersburg in 1, 2, 3 or 4 days
      • The Palaces and Gardens of Peterhof, a must-go site in St. Petersburg
      • Catherine’s Palace in St. Petersburg: how to buy tickets online
      • The main cathedrals of St. Petersburg: Tickets and schedules
      • Opera and ballet in St. Petersburg: Where to go and how to buy tickets
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • St. Petersburg’s Public transport: the Podorozhnik card
      • How to buy tickets for the Russian circus in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • Russian Folklore Shows in Moscow and St. Petersburg
      • The Church of the Savior in St. Petersburg: How to buy tickets and schedules
      • Saint Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg: how to buy tickets and schedules
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg: Guide to not get lost
      • White Nights of St. Petersburg: When the city doesn’t sleep
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      • Visiting St. Petersburg on a cruise without a visa (visa-free) and with a tourist visa
      • Drawbridges (and Pedestrian Bridges) of St. Petersburg: Schedules and Recommendations
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      • Organizing a Trans-Siberian Train Trip
      • Russia Travel itineraries: Big capitals, the Trans-Siberian Route and the Golden Ring
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
      • What to see (and do) at Lake Baikal between Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude
      • Yekaterinburg, where Europe and Asia come together
      • Next stop: Novosibirsk. Welcome to Siberia!
    • 4.4. The Golden Ring of Russia
      • The Golden Ring of Russia: from Sergiyev Posad to Suzdal
    • 4.5. Veliky Novgorod
      • Trip to Veliky Novgorod: the birthplace of Russia
    • 4.6. Kazan
      • The Kazan Kremlin: it will captivate you
  • 5. Practicalities
    • 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices
      • How to send money to Russia: WesterUnion, PayPal or TransferWise?
      • Is Russia an expensive or cheap country to travel? Tips to reduce expenses
      • Where is it better to change dollars for rubles?
      • How to request a VAT refund in Russia (Tax Free)
      • How to pay for purchases in Russia without losing money in ruble exchange?
    • 5.2. Weather, health and safety
      • Is Russia a safe country for tourists? Travel tips
      • When is the best time to travel to Russia (and which clothes to wear)
      • What is a Russian banya and why you should visit it
    • 5.3. Telephone and Internet
      • How to buy a Russian SIM card for your smartphone (online or in a store)
    • 5.4. Russian products
      • Which souvenirs to buy in Russia? From Matrioskas to Cheburashka
      • 15 maps that will give you a better insight of Russia
      • Traveling to Russia with a travel agency or on your own? What is better?
      • Holidays and celebrations in Russia in 2020 (and important days)
You are here: Home / 3. Sleep and eat / 3.2. Restaurants in Russia / Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin

Where to eat in Moscow: from Teremok to Café Pushkin

Posted on: 03.30.16 | by Irena Domingo

In Moscow you can find a variety of restaurants of typical Russian cuisine, from Russian fast food and buffets (such as Teremok, Kroshka Kartoshka, Mu Mu, or Yolki Palki) to Russian haute cuisine end restaurants (such as Cafe Pushkin, Mari Vanna or Farenheit). I would add the cuisine of former Soviet republics such as the Georgian, Uzbek and Ukrainian gastronomy, just to name a few.

Cafe Pushkin - Moscow

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Introduction
  • 1. Russian fast food establishments (300 to 800 rubles)
    • 1.1. Teremok: Crepes for everyone
    • 1.2. Kroshka Kartoshka: Potatoes cooked in a thousand ways
  • 2. Self-service buffets of Russian cuisine (from 800 to 1500 rubles)
    • 2.1. Mu Mu
    • 2.2. Stolovaya 57
    • 2.3. Grabli
    • 2.4. Yolki Palki
  • 3. Haute cuisine restaurants (from 1500 rubles to infinity)
    • 3.1. Top-rated restaurants
    • 3.2. How to book in Russian restaurants

Introduction

In Moscow you can find a variety of Russian cuisine restaurants, either fast food or buffets, as excellent restaurants serving local cuisine. Also, you can find very good international cuisine restaurants: Asian, Italian, Mediterranean, etc.

In this article I want to focus in Russian cuisine restaurants (both fast food and the more elaborate cuisine restaurants) but also in the restaurants of the countries of the former Soviet republics (Georgian, Ukrainian and Uzbek cuisine, for example), that are widely spread.

Prices. The prices indicated in the article are approximate and depend on many factors, but in a fast food restaurant is possible to eat a menu for between 300 and 800 rubles, in a buffet the price can range between 800 and 1500 rubles, while in high-end cuisine, the restaurant menu prices are usually upwards from 1500 rubles.

Schedules. In Russia, food is served from noon to 4 pm, while dinner is usually served between 6 pm and 11 pm, though it is rather from 8pm when restaurants start to fill up.

Tips. The normal thing is to leave a tip that can vary between 5 and 10%, if the service deserves it.

1. Russian fast food establishments (300 to 800 rubles)

In Moscow you can find many McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and Subway, but for tourists visiting Russia it is much more interesting to test the Russian fast food restaurants offering typical local food (blini, grechka, pelmeni, borsch, sirniki, etc.).

They are a good alternative if you are looking for something affordable, if you have little time or if you go with children, since the meals are adapted to the tastes of the smaller ones. The two major chains are Teremok Russian fast food and Kroshka Kartoshka. The first, based on the world of blinis (crepes), and the second in the world of the potato. You can find them in central locations and in the city’s shopping centers, sometimes in the form of restaurant and the other in street kiosks.

1.1. Teremok: Crepes for everyone

Teremok (“Теремок”) is one of the most widespread and known Russian fast food chains. The menu is based on blinis (crepes that are stuffed with multiple ways, including caviar), but you can also try the pelmeni, Russian salad, etc. You can also try traditional Russian beverages such as kvass (a drink made of bread).

The company was founded in 1999 and has 174 establishments in the two major Russian cities (Moscow and St. Petersburg)

  • Website: http://www.teremok.ru

Teremok - Fast food - Moscow

1.2. Kroshka Kartoshka: Potatoes cooked in a thousand ways

Kroshka Kartoshka - Moscow

The other Russian most widespread fast food chain is Kroshka Kartoshka (“Крошка Картошка”). Its name would mean something like “small potatoes” and all their food revolves around the potato, the second most important product in Russia (after the bread) and consumed in all possible ways: in soups, salad, boiled, mashed, fried, etc.

Despite its name, they serve large potatoes in all possible ways (baked and wrapped in foil with butter or cheese, herbs, meat or mushrooms). But they also offer other Russian food dishes like pelmeni, vareniki (dumplings with cheese) or potato salad.

They opened their first store in 1998 and it already has more than 200 locales not only in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also in other major Russian and Ukrainian cities.

  • Website: http://www.kartoshka.com

Kroshka Kartoshka Web - Moscow

2. Self-service buffets of Russian cuisine (from 800 to 1500 rubles)

In Moscow you can also find chains of self-service or buffet style restaurants. The most common system is to take a tray and choose the dishes you want (you pay what you consume), though there are buffet restaurants where you pay whatever you consume by a fixed amount.

It is a more elaborate food than what you can find in fast food chains mentioned above. Prices also tend to be fairly inexpensive.

The good thing about these chain restaurants is that the dishes are in sight and you simply have to point your finger at anything that looks good or that catches your attention. Some of these chains also display their signs in English, so it is not mandatory to understand Russian to know what you are eating.

The major chains are Mu Mu, Grabli and Yolki Palki, to which I would add the self-service restaurant Stolovaya 57 in GUM Galleries, located in Red Square.

2.1. Mu Mu

Mu Mu (My-My) is the most known, but it’s probably the most basic and economical. You can find these buffets through the central streets of the city and they’re easily identified by the exhibited cow at the door of each establishment. They offer all kinds of Russian cuisine dishes.

  • Website: http://www.cafemumu.ru

Mu Mu - Buffet - Moscow

2.2. Stolovaya 57

If you’re in Red Square and you’re looking for a cheap and quick place to eat, on the third floor of Gum Galleries you will find Stolovaya 57 self-service, where you can find a variety of dishes at fairly inexpensive prices. Perhaps the employees don’t know a word of English but the service is usually quick and inexpensive. On the third floor you will find also another similar self-services.

  • Websites: http://www.gum.ru/en/projects/s57/

Stolovaya 57 - Galleries GUM - Moscow

2.3. Grabli

The quality of food in Grabli is better than what you can find in Mu Mu. The atmosphere is more modern and spacious, and with a variety of dishes.

  • Website: http://grabli.ru

Grabli restaurants - Moscow

2.4. Yolki Palki

Another known restaurant chain is Yolki Palki, decorated as traditional taverns. It is an excellent choice to try typical good Russian food at very reasonable prices.

  • Websites: http://www.elki-palki.ru/moskva/

Yolki Palki - Moscow

3. Haute cuisine restaurants (from 1500 rubles to infinity)

Aside from fast food outlets and self-served restaurants, in Moscow you can find a great variety of gourmet restaurants for all tastes and budgets, where the order is a la carte or you choose from a menu.

Many websites publish lists of “the best restaurants in Moscow” but this is always very subjective and variable, as you always see the same restaurants. Moreover, it is impossible to try all the restaurants to make a list with these features.

For these reasons, I always recommend consulting TripAdvisor’s guide to restaurants in Moscow. The good thing about this guide, constantly updated, is that:

  • You can select the type of cuisine: Russian, Georgian, Uzbek, Ukrainian, etc.
  • You can see the approximate price of the menu to have a reference of what it will cost you (though sometimes the prices are not very accurate).
  • You can see the restaurants on a map to find those near your location.

Teh best restaurants in Moscow - TripAdvisor

3.1. Top-rated restaurants

It is curious that the top rated restaurants in TripAdvisor Moscow are the Bison Steak House (an American food restaurant) and Dolkabar (Italian restaurant), but if you look for only Russian cuisine restaurants, you can find classic restaurants such as:

  • Café Pushkin: probably the most famous restaurant in Moscow and that you’ll see on all lists of restaurants in Moscow (see photo at the beginning of this article).
  • Grand Café Dr. Zhivago: another known and famous restaurant.
  • White Rabbit: a restaurant that appears on some lists of the top 50 restaurants in the world and has spectacular panoramic views of Moscow (see photo below).

Restaurant White Rabbit in Moscow

Among the first places you can also include the following restaurants in which you can find the most varied prices:

  • Mari Vanna: excellent restaurant, decorated like an apartment, which also has branches in St. Petersburg, London, New York and Washington.
  • Farmers Restaurant Lavkalavka: vegetarian Russian cuisine.
  • Chestnaya Kuchnya: excellent Russian Haute cuisine restaurant.
  • Expedition: Siberian food inside a room decorated with real helicopter.
  • Fahrenheit: restaurant with a cozy and distinguished atmosphere, close to Café Pushkin
  • Lepim i Varim: Modern restaurant opened in late 2015 with great reviews.
  • Bolshoi Restaurant: one of the best restaurants in Moscow just behind the theater.
  • YAR: restaurant with shows.
  • Restaurant Metropol Hall: the restaurant of the centric Metropol hotel.
  • Anatoly Komm for Raff House: restaurant run by one of Russia’s most internationally renowned chefs.

Among Georgian cuisine restaurants, very widespread through Moscow, I would highlight 3 of them:

  • Genatzvale: in Arbat area (see photo below).
  • Khachapuri: a Georgian food chain which has several restaurants in the center of Moscow.
  • DzhonDzholi: Georgian chain restaurants.

Genatzvale - Arbat street - Moscow

As for Uzbekistan cuisine, you can find the colorful restaurants of Uryuk chain (pictured below), whereas in regards to the Ukrainian cuisine, it’s worth mentioning the good valuation that the Taras Bulba chain receives with 16 establishments in Moscow (they also have 1 restaurant in Kiev and one in New York).

Uryuk restaurants - Moscow

3.2. How to book in Russian restaurants

In some restaurants, especially the most famous, you need to book in advance. If you are staying in a hotel it is easiest to ask the receptionist who will make the reservations in your name, as in restaurants they do not always speak English.

Another option is to book on the restaurant site itself, but the truth is that few have their website in English. An example is the famous Café Pushkin:

Booking - Cafe Pushkin - Moscow

There are also some websites in English, recommended by the official Moscow Tourism website, where it is possible to book restaurants in Moscow, though I have never used them:

  • http://en.restoran.ru/msk/
  • http://en.resto.ru/

 

I hope this article helps you choose a good restaurant in Moscow. You can help me too by sharing this article on your social networks. Thank you very much.

 

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Categories: 3.2. Restaurants in Russia, 4.1. Moscow

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About the Author

Irena Domingo's avatar

Hello, my name is Irena. I was born in Russia in 1974 during the Soviet era. I worked as a Russian teacher and as a translator and interpreter for the past 15 years. One of my main hobbies is traveling. Therefore, through this blog I want to help those people who want to travel to Russia.

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Hey! I’m Irena Domingo

I was born in Russia in 1974 during the Soviet era. I started this blog with one goal: to create the most complete guide ever written to travel to Russia and beyond!

I want to know about …

  • 1. Visa
    • 1.1. Invitation to Russia
    • 1.2. Visa to Russia
    • 1.3. Registration and immigration
    • 1.4. Visa to China, India and post-Soviet states
  • 2. Transport
    • 2.1. Arriving by plane
    • 2.2. Russian trains
    • 2.3. Metro, bus and taxi
    • 2.4. Car rental
  • 3. Sleep and eat
    • 3.1. Accommodation in Russia
    • 3.2. Restaurants in Russia
  • 4. Destinations
    • 4.1. Moscow
    • 4.2. St Petersburg
    • 4.3. Trans-Siberian
    • 4.4. The Golden Ring of Russia
    • 4.5. Veliky Novgorod
    • 4.6. Kazan
  • 5. Practicalities
    • 5.1. Ruble exchange and prices
    • 5.2. Weather, health and safety
    • 5.3. Telephone and Internet
    • 5.4. Russian products

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