Moscow Restaurant Tips by MrBill Top 5 Page for this destination

Kavkazskaya Plennitsa: themed after the classic movie by the same name Georgian Cuisine Review

Thank goodness for the variety of Ukraine, Uzbek and other regional food dishes in Moscow from the former USSR especially Georgian my favorite! I have tried many Georgian restaurants in Moscow and this one was particularly good. Ironically I have read some negative reviews (see attached links) that the price, service and tipping policy were inconsistant. I cannot comment on that other than to say that we were there quite early on a Sunday afternoon, and with Russian friends, so perhaps we got better service and fair pricing due to their influence? Who knows? I enjoyed it. Many such theme restaurants are quite cheesey that clumsily try to recreate an outdoor atmosphere indoors. Kavkazskaya Plennitsa restaurant - named after the classic Russian film of the same name - does not suffer from this shortcoming. It is very tastefully done and looks great. It creates a nice ambiance. The food was excellent. The bill although a little on the high side was no more than the pizza restaurant from the day earlier, so therefore those are just Moscow prices. Sometimes you get what you pay for. Enjoy!

Address: 36 Prospect Mira

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: 20 meters from the metro exit on Prospect Mira

Other Contact: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060

Phone: 7-095-2085177

Price: US$41 and up

Rating: 4

Theme: Local

Website: http://moscow-hotels-russia.com/restaurants/62.htm

Fashionable/Top end: Sirena Fashionable/Top end Review

The interior of the restaurant looks and feels like the galley of a ship. There are aquariums which line the walls with many different species of fish in them, and nautical themes throughout. The waiters wear the uniform of a salior's mate. In one room, there are clear, plexi-glass floor, with aquariums under the floors, so that you can dine while watching fish swim underfoot. Quite interesting. The food is good. The prices quite high. A good restaurant for special occassions, but not for everyday dining.

Comparison: more expensive than average

Other Contact: fax 7 495 208 4203

Phone: 7 495 208 1412

Price: US$41 and up

Rating: 3

Theme: Seafood

Website: http://www.sirena.ru

Vesna: Middle Class Drives Restaurant Boom Yolki-Palki chain Review

Vesna, a sleek restaurant on Novy Arbat, is one of Moscow's 3,500 eateries.

London may have 5,000 to 10,000 restaurants, depending on how you count them, but in Moscow business is booming, with 20 new eateries opening in the capital every month, according to the Moscow Times.

As Russia's economic expansion reaches broader segments of the population, eating out is no longer the privilege of the super-rich. There are more restaurants popping up all over the city. By 2003, there were more than 70 restaurant chains in the city, with 530 venues, according to a report commissioned by The Moscow Times last year.

Last year, the share of mid-range restaurants, where bills per person hover between 600 rubles and 800 rubles ($20 and $27), grew by 15 percent There is in particular a shift away from single-location high-end restaurants to chains, which bring in higher returns. Indeed, chains account for much of the growth.

Favorite Dish: In 2003, almost 30 new restaurant brand names were launched, The Moscow Times report found, and chains expanded by 20 percent, over 7 percent more than other segments of the catering business."The difference is that people have actually started opening restaurants outside of the center in residential areas.

A big change is that tourists and residents can now find more alternatives to the expensive and flashy downtown restaurants and more restaurants built outside the city center.

Address: Novy Arbat

Comparison: about average

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 3

Theme: Local

Website: http://www.themoscowtimes.com

Fashionable/Top end: Vesna Fashionable/Top end Review

Belongs to the same group of restaurants as the China Club and Sirena, which are trying to fill a void between basic restaurants and the high-end.

Address: Ulitsa Noviy Arbat 19 no. 1

Comparison: more expensive than average

Other Contact: 783 6968

Phone: 783 6966

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 3

Theme: Local

Asian Cuisine: China Club Asian Cuisine Review

Belongs to the same owners as Vesna and Sirena. Upscale dining for businessmen and wealthier Russians. Good food, pleasant atmosphere.

Address: Kracina Street 21

Comparison: more expensive than average

Phone: 232 2778

Price: US$41 and up

Rating: 3

Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim

Asian Cuisine: TAO Asian Cuisine Review

Great lay -out to this restaurant with lots of private little nooks and crannies, so you can have a private business meeting or a party without sitting shoulder to shoulder with the party next to you.

They serve Japanese and Chinese food. The crispy, Peking duck was quite good. I do not like to eat with chop sticks off a plate, but prefer bowls. Other than that, a nice dining experience with friends.

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Located near Belaruskaya train station in the direction of Smolensky Boulvard. It is the only restaurant on the street with a distinctly Chinese pagoda exterior, so you cannot miss it.

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 3

Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim

German style beer brew pub & restaurant: Tinkoff Cafes/Bars/Pubs Review

This is not a bad place to go for international style cuisine and good unfiltered, half litres of Pilsner beer. Kind of a cool ambiente of Moscow's young, rich and beautiful.

On football nights, the tables in front of the the big screen TVs are fully booked in advance. I tried to book a table for the Lokomotiv vs. Arsenal game, and was told they do not accept reservations. When I showed up with friends an hour before the game, I was told all the tables were reserved. When I asked how this could be, the look from the waitress was akin to "I wouldn't pish in your face if your teeth were on fire". Never the less, after some insistance, and asking to speak to the manager, she relented and stuck us downstairs in the Sushi restaurant.

No big screen TVs, but a few small ones hanging from the ceiling. I felt like I was watching a movie on an airplane - one was directly above me, so I had to crane my neck, the other was too far away to see properly. Still, it was a good game, and the atmosphere in the place was good.

So, I still do not know how to make a reservation here? I guess only with enough money and status to know the manager personally? I don't care. I stop by, if I get a table, fine, if not, fine.

There are many bars and restaurants in Moscow, so I won't sweat it.

Favorite Dish: I particularly like the dark bread, which is loaded with garlic, and deep fried. It goes well with the unfiltered, Pilsner beer, and makes an excellent starter. I have not had it any other place.

Address: Protochniy Pereulok 11, Moscow, 121099

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Right around the corner from the British Embassy, near Hotel Ukraine, the White House and Noviy Arbat.

When in doubt, Go Left.

Other Contact: Nearest metro: Smolenskaya

Phone: (7-095) 777-3300

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 2

Theme: Pub/Brewery

Website: http://www.tinkoff.ru/

Cafe Pushkin: Without a Doubt the Best Restaurant in Moscow Fashionable/Top end Review

Cafe Pushkin is without a doubt the best restaurant in Moscow, and my favorite.

So much so, that I hesitate to even post it on these pages. The last thing I want is the restaurant to be over-run by loud, obnoxious tourists, which, did I mention, talk too loud. However, in all fairness, I have posted it here with a caveat, do not yell at the waiters, and please turn your stupid mobile phones off.

Cafe Pushkin is spread over three floors, each with their own ambiente - the Pharmacy, the Library and the Mezzanine level. They are open 24/7, but are always quite busy. It is best to make reservations if you are more than a few people.

Last time I was there, we sat beside Mikhail Gorbachev, who was looking years younger, now that he is earning good money on the international speaking circuit, and does not have to worry about running an Empire anymore.

Favorite Dish: The cuisine is traditional Russian, which means wide and varied, as history has endowed Russia with Ukraine, Georgian, Uzbek and other local culinary delights, in addition to homegrown favorites.

They have a good selection of wines, which tend to be quite expensive. Expect to spend no less than $100 per person on the meal, and please give at least 10% tip to the waiters because they are good and they deserve it. This is an experience, so don't be cheap. At home, you would spend more to go to this quality of restaurant.

So go ahead and enjoy my inside tip, but please, just like the wilderness, do not ruin it for those that come after you, or unfortunately must sit beside you and ruin an otherwise perfect evening.

Address: 26 Tverskoi Bulvar, metro station: Tverskaya

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Located on Tverskaya and Chekovskaya metro stations, it is twenty minute walk from the Kremlin along a fashionable shopping street. Outside is a tree lined boulevard, which is nice for a stroll in the summer.

Other Contact: www.wkkfweb.org/fas/fello

Phone: +7 095 787 88 67

Rating: 5

Theme: Local

Website: http://www.jetsetmoscow.com