Moscow restaurants

May 22, 2011 7:03 AM

My wife and I will be in Moscow in the latter part of June and would like to learn of some reasonably priced restaurants from some of you who might be living there now or who might have visited there recently. We’re willing to consider most cuisines. Thanks in advance.
posted by NinaLee to Travel & Transportation around Moscow, Russian Federation (6 answers total)

My favorite restaurant in the world is in Moscow. It's called "Guria," and is a Georgian restaurant across the street from the Park Kulturi metro. I don't know if it's still there or if so how much it costs, but in 1993 I'd go there and get khatchapuri, lobio, and satsivi for about one dollar. Bonus: all the other customers were in the mafia and would put their large guns on the table when they ate. Go to Park Kulturi and stand on the sidewalk and say "Gdye Guria?" to anyone who passes by. Also, Baku, near Moscow's first McDonald's, had excellent, very cheap schwarma.
posted by staggering termagant at 7:10 AM on May 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Where are you staying? I can give you a few around Red Square. There's an English Pub called just straight up Angliskii Pub right by the fairy tale fountains in front of the WW2 Memorial. There's a great place called Cafe Esenin (after the writer) like 4 or five blocks from Red Square which is reasonable and good. There's Coffee Mania in the same area that is fun.
posted by spicynuts at 11:00 AM on May 22, 2011

"Gdye Guria?" to anyone who passes by.

If say that and don't speak Russian, how will you parse the response? You're better off saying "Vee govoritye po angliski" and then getting directions in English.
posted by spicynuts at 11:03 AM on May 22, 2011

I was thinking they'd just point. It's really close to the metro.
posted by staggering termagant at 11:18 AM on May 22, 2011

Oddly enough, the restaurant in the Courtyard Marriot Red Square is good and you can get a burger or fish and chips or pasta or a bit of Russian fare (the borscht is hearty). It's called Flat Iron. It's on Voznesensky Pereulok. Also near there on Bolshaya Nikitskaya Ulitsa is an amazing Belorussian place. I can't remember the name but if you are walking away from the Marriott towards Red Square it will be on the left next to a huge rug store. It might even be called something like Belorusski Cafe. You could also head over to Kamergerski Pereulok off of Tverskaya where there is an entire row of restaurants and outdoor cafes.

If you want to splurge, go to the sushi joint at the top of the Ritz Carlton on Tverskaya - the view is awesome.
posted by spicynuts at 11:19 AM on May 22, 2011

Shinok, which is designed to look like a Ukrainian farm/peasant house, is worth the trip, if only to see the place. I believe it was made by craftsman who had worked in the Moscow film studios. Live animals wander around, but not by your table. Lonely Planet readers marked it as the #1 thing to do in Moscow.
posted by Ideefixe at 12:37 PM on May 22, 2011