Eating Out in Moscow

Well, it's July now and we are in the peak of 'tourist' season in Moscow. 

If you want to visit the capital of Russia, the best time to do it is in the period from May to September.

Surprisingly enough September can be absolutely gorgeous: it's Indian summer so it is generally quite warm (+15/+19C) and nice and you can enjoy all those wonderful autumn colours without inevitable for this season  rains and winds.

  A couple of months ago I wrote this post http://morethaneverexpected.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/hostile-moscow.html about Moscow being unfriendly towards visitors. However, I will always keep saying that Russia is worth coming to because of its very different and unique culture. Moscow 'architectural treasures' are worth seeing - most of Western people I have known who came to Moscow either for holiday or on business have always pointed out how impressively different it is from anything they saw before.

  The infamous Moscow prices which are quite often ridiculously high can be a total deal-breaker if you want  to visit Moscow. It is the city where they can charge you 10 pounds for a cup of coffee in a coffee-shop and your coffee will still be a disappointment. 

  So I am going to be 'painfully honest' with you: visiting Moscow for high-class dining out experience might not be a very good idea. If posh dining out isn't something you are looking for, if you are travelling to Moscow to see the Kremlin, St. Basil's Cathedral, famous Moscow churches, beautiful 'palace parks' like Ostankino or Tsaritsino and you only need good though probably not very sophisticated food to keep you happy I suggest you stick to fast food restaurants.

So here they are:

1. Macdonald's, KFC and some other familiar brands: noisy, usually crowded, but safe and very predictable.  So far, living in the UK and visiting Macdonald's (I like their toffee sundae) I haven't spotted any principal differences between the menu here, in the UK, and in Moscow. 

Though you shouldn't expect the staff to speak English there will always be a manager who will help you out and even if he or she fails to understand your, for instance, Black Country accent, which is absolutely fantastic but I have to admit it sounds extremely frustrating to a Russian ear, - even in this case you will always be able to simply point to food you want on a picture.

  Moscow prices in Macdonald's are more or less the same as in the UK, might be slightly higher though.

2. 'Elki-palki' or, in Russian, "Елки-палки". It's a chain of fast food restaurants where you in fact get proper service - with waiters and so on. It is Russian national cuisine or, to be precise, stylized Russian cuisine.

  It's all about Russian pancakes and dumplings and traditional meat or fish dishes.

  Here is the link to their website http://www.elki-palki.ru/moskva/

  Unfortunately the menu is in Russian only, but as I have been in their restaurants with my English speaking friends quite a few times I can say (basing on experience) that the staff there can speak basic English quite often.

  If you are curious about their menu now please ask - I can translate bits of it for you, dear readers:)

  In fact if there is any Moscow equivalent to British family pubs - 'Elki-palki' must be it.

  Dinner for 2 people (without alcohol) will cost you around 25-30 pounds, there are a lot of restaurants all over Moscow, the menu is always more or less the same and though I can not say that it's posh or fine dining but it's as tasty, nice and welcoming as it can be.

  

In this photo you can see the so called 'telega' (a cart in Russian) which is basically a buffet with a variety of salads, dips, lots of which are vegetarian and trust me - not all of them contain cabbage or beet-root, something you would expect from Russians! Quite tasty and filling :)

3. 'Mou-mou' fast food restaurants ("Му-му" in Russian), means 'moo', yeah, you got it right - it's what a cow says. Why a cow and 'moo'? Do not get over-excited and think that it means a good piece of steak. No :)

  The chain actually got its name from  famous Soviet sweets called 'Moo-moo', which are basically caramel toffees and you will be given a sweet for free every time you buy something from 'Mou-mou'.

  Like 'Elki-palki' it's a chain of restaurants so you can find a 'Mou-mou' place almost everywhere. Unlike 'Elki-Palki' though you don't get waiters' service there - it's like a canteen.

 Which means you come there, grab a tray and move along the line with food where you are asked what you would like. It starts with all types of salads, then soups, then hot dishes, then desserts and drinks.

  Here is the link to their menu http://www.cafemumu.ru/menu/

  Sadly - again in Russian only. Explaining to a person behind the counter what you would like without knowing Russian is a tricky bit of course but all the foods are displayed so you can simply have a look and point to something you like. Or bring your Russian speaking friend with you :) Or ask me to translate something from the menu for you :)

  Here is what their places look like:

  

Quite nice, actually. The biggest advantage is the price, your full dinner (not including alcohol) will cost you 15 pounds or so for two.

4. 'Taras Bulba'. Again a chain of restaurants. It's Ukrainian cuisine, not Russian basically, but it is rather similar. It's named after a famous Ukrainian war hero Taras Bulba (you can google a book about him, written by a great Russian 19th century writer Nicolay Gogol').

  Though the interior might seem OTT or even tacky the food is nice and filling and you will definitely enjoy the experience.

  

It's a more expensive option than 'Elki-palki' but they do have - if I remember that right - English menus in their restaurants.

  So these have been my recommendations for dining out places in Moscow. Hopefully you will find them helpful if you are planning on travelling to the capital of Russia.

  And if there are questions you want to ask, then go ahead :)