Every June, one of the best terraces in the city opens on the roof of Strelka, which is a must-see at least once in the summer: squinting at the golden domes of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and watching boats passing by.
Attached to the Strelka Design Institute, this venue is exceptional in all respects: great views, interesting food, concerts often take place in the courtyard. A separate entertainment - cocktails of exceptional quality. The only drawback is the lack of seats on weekends, so it's better to arrive early and enjoy the sunset.
2.KM20 Food
KM20 is a concept store that opened in the heart of Moscow in 2009. Since then, it has been considered the main place in Russia where you can buy the most unusual things from luxury brands, upcoming designers and find the latest collaborations.
The restaurant and wine bar is located on the third floor. In summer there is a lovely terrace overlooking Stoleshnikov Lane, Tverskaya square, Bolshaya Dmitrovka, and the bell tower of the Temple of Kosma and Damian. I love this place in particular for its stylish crowd.
The main principles of the cuisine are fresh seasonal products and healthy dishes. The menu includes dishes with tofu and tempeh, cashew sour cream, chia, wheat sprouts, and kombucha. Pizza is made with whole-grain flour, yeast-free, and rennet-free cheese.
3.Pavillion
This summer Alexander Rappoport's new Pavilion restaurant opened two terraces at once - on the roof, with really the best view of the Patriarch ponds, and on the pontoon, as close as possible to the water. On both, there is a special menu by Evgeny Tsyganov, with the main menu overlapping by no more than a third and available only in the open air.
Keeping the concept of local products at the head of everything, the Tsyganov summer menu slightly departs from it in favor of seasonal Moscow hits like a salad with avocado or burrata, here it is supplemented with bottarga. But this is adjacent to omul and sea bass tartare, the Caspian salmon on smörrebroda, chicken with chimichurri from lake grasses, as well as other “river” and Russian products so that the balance is observed. It is recommended to book a table on the roof of the Pavilion Patrick's Pond on the day of your visit to avoid bad weather, and you can stay on the pontoon upon availability, the reservation does not apply here.
My favorite things to try out: okroshka with smoked duck, buckwheat ice cream.
4.Buro Tsum
Panoramic restaurant on the fifth floor of TSUM Department Store. Buro TSUM is a joint project of restaurateurs Dina Khabirova and Vitaly Shimansky (Sixty, Buono, Christian, "Birch Bistrot") and digital magazine Buro 24/7. The location in the most popular place in fashionable Moscow influenced the concept of the restaurant. The combination of fashion and gastronomy is evident in the menu and in the interior.
The hall is inspired by the atmosphere of a French cafe and is complemented by details in the spirit of Art Deco: there are many mirrors from the 50s, the ceiling is tiled, and here and there ethnic motives can be seen. In the summer season, there is a veranda with a view of the Bolshoi Theater, Petrovka, and Neglinnaya Street.
Vladimir Chistyakov is responsible for the menu in the Buro. The list of dishes is small but gripping. During the quarantine, it was slightly updated, but the emphasis on the fusion of Europe and Asia remained. The Lyon Grill is their all-time specialty. This summer they introduced the "Green menu" which is vegan, gluten and lactose free.
I recommend trying out: salmon tataki, pinza with taleggio and truffle, svekolnik (cold borsch).
5. Depo Moscow
Depo (translates as ‘depot’ from Russian) is the largest food mall in Europe. It was opened in 2019 on the premises of a former tram depot. Built between 1874 and 1910 in industrial neo-Gothic style, the red-brick Miussky tram depot is considered an important architectural monument.
Depo houses more than 200 stalls, shops, restaurants, and even a farmer's market with fresh fruit, vegetables, and cheeses. From Vietnam and Korea to Israel and the US, there is a selection of flavors from every corner of the world. There are also many options for vegans. In summer it has a large outdoor sitting.
I recommend trying out: Pho Bo soup at Bổ, fried halloumi cheese with avocado at Bright Israeli grill, matcha yuzu eclair at Cremá, mango-maracuja mousse cake at Pearl's deserts.
6.Remy Kitchen and Bakery
“Remy Kitchen” has combined two different formats under one roof and occupied three halls: the first two were given over to a restaurant, and in the third, they organized a culinary bakery.
The Australian co-owner and chef Glen Ballis has been living in Moscow for more than 10 years. His distinctive style is the comfort food and attention to products. The menu of the Remy Kitchen restaurant presents a mixture of Italian, French, Greek, and Japanese flavors. The kitchen follows proven principles: no more than five or six ingredients on a plate, very high-quality products, unexpected combinations;
7.Central market
A four-story restaurant on Rozhdestvensky Boulevard: downstairs is a market and groceries stores, upstairs corners with food that can be bought to take away or can be eaten right on the spot. There are corners with Georgian, Greek, Hawaiian, Italian, Israeli, Armenian, Chinese and Vietnamese cuisines. In summer they open a large terrace on the fourth floor with a lovely view of the neighborhood. Just bear in mind, if you want to eat there you have to order from the waiters upstairs.
We have tried Anhui tofu from Chiho, fresh spring rolls from Phobia, and bibimbap from K-Town. All dishes were of good quality and with authentic flavors.
8.Russian Impressionism Museum
A museum dedicated to Russian art of the late 19th and 20th centuries, from Valentin Serov and Konstantin Korovin to Yuri Pimenov. The building of the museum was converted from the factory building of the Bolshevik factory and equipped with the latest world exposition technology.
Until 29th August there is a temporary exhibition "Art Hunters" dedicated to Soviet collectors who secretly and under the threat of confiscation collected work of art. The exposition includes more than 70 works of Russian and Soviet modernism of the first third of the 20th century, which are rarely shown to the general public.
9. Tretyakov gallery
Regardless if you visited The Tretyakov Gallery or not, it's always great to come back for a new exhibition or to see old masterpieces from a different perspective. The place where you easily can spend five hours walking around different halls but also hide from Moscow summer heat.
The largest collection of Russian art is located here. Now the mansion in Lavrushinsky Lane, the facade of which is decorated with stucco molding, is a famous gallery, and in the 19th century, it was a merchant's house. In 1851, this mansion was bought by a philanthropist, owner of paper mills, and art collector Pavel Tretyakov. Initially, the house was bought for living and much later it was converted into a gallery.
My personal favorite to check out: The Demon Seated by Mikhail Vrubel, The Apotheosis of War by Vasily Vereshchagin, Spanish Beggar Girl by Evgraf Sorokin, Defeated. Requiem by Vasily Vereshchagin.
10. White Rabbit
Upscale "Alice in Wonderland-like" themed restaurant with fine-dining Russian menu, all set in a domed glass rooftop on the 16th floor of "Smolensky Passage" is a must if you come to Moscow! The view itself is worth coming for, the restaurant offers impressive panoramas in most directions across the city, particularly the one of the nearby Seven Sisters (The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia building now).
White Rabbit is currently ranked 13th best in the worldand the award-winning chef Vladimir Muhin appeared in the Netflix documentary season "Chef's Table Season 3. Vladimir Mukhin is famous for taking a modern approach to traditional Russian cuisine. He presents a new tasting menu every season, as is typical of high gastronomy. He uses seasonal products coming from Russia like Black sea oysters and Crimean truffles.
11. VDNH
VDNH is a unique historical and architectural complex located in the Ostankino district. Built-in 1939, VDNKh was designed as the main showcase of the socialist economy and lifestyle. It has several pavilions, each designed in its own unique style to represent all the Soviet republics and various industries, from geology to space exploration. Because it has a huge open space and not many people, I recommend renting an electric scooter to explore all the pavilions.
12. Schastje na kryshe
The "Happiness on the Roof" restaurant is located on the third and fourth floors of house No. 5 in Bolshoy Putinkovsky Lane. I come here for late breakfasts (until four in the evening) and the best syrniki in Moscow. In summer, they open an excellent veranda with a swing and a view of Pushkin Square.
13. Cafe Pushkin
Cafe Pushkin "on Tverskoy Boulevard is one of the most popular and iconic establishments in Moscow, owned by Andrei Dellos. The atmosphere of the restaurant is reminiscent of the appearance of an old noble estate. The solemn interior of the restaurant is stucco molding on the walls and ceiling, carved wooden furniture, rich muted tones of furniture, panoramic windows, frescoes on the ceiling. Exquisite notes play the first violin in a thoughtful setting. You can spend time in the "Pharmacy" or "Library" hall.
The menu is based on Russian noble cuisine with small inclusions from the Soviet repertoire. The names of the dishes on the menu are in the old fashioned way. You can try such dishes as “Sea dwellers, replenished with different vegetables, heaped on green pasta”, “Brain bones tre delicacy”, “Duck stewed in the oven, repaired sinful porridge and liver.
