A Midday Feast: Where to Lunch in Moscow
Where to eat between sightseeing – six delicious stops
There is a quiet pleasure in sitting down for a long lunch while the city rushes outside your window. In Moscow, that pleasure comes in many forms: a bowl of solyanka in a wood‑panelled room, a slice of miso tiramisu after perfect sashimi, or a terrace lunch with the Bolshoi Theatre at your feet. Discover the places where the afternoon meal is worth lingering over. And don't forget to take the first issue of the printed magazine Discover Moscow with you.
BURO TSUM
On the fifth floor of TSUM (Moscow's iconic department store), you’ll find a panoramic restaurant in the authentic style. In summer, there’s a terrace with a view of the Bolshoi Theatre. All day long they serve breakfast: shakshuka with stracciatella and prawns, goat’s ricotta gnocchi, truffle labneh.
For lunch, you can have tom yum with squid, Murmansk cod, or lobster kebab with guacamole. The wine list includes Russian wineries, as well as Tuscan and Burgundy wines.
Address: Petrovka Street, 2
Matryoshka
Look for home‑style cooking à la russe at Matryoshka. The interior is decorated with antique luxury: oak cupboards, cast‑iron railings. On the menu you’ll find Olivier salad, vinaigrette (russian beet salad) with pickled mushrooms, and pirozhki (small, savory or sweet Russian pastries). Try the cabbage soup with sturgeon and fish solyanka (a thick, spicy, and sour Russian soup). From the fish section, you must try the young sterlet, fried smelt, and the six‑layer kulebyaka (a traditional Russian hot pie) with salmon and pike perch. Also, Matryoshka takes part in Moscow Tea Time (June 1 – August 31), offering a special tea set with traditional pastries and Moscow tea.
Address: Kutuzovsky Avenue, 2/1с6
Yura
The restaurant is located on the second floor of the five‑star design hotel StandArt. They cook with local seasonal ingredients: pumpkin soup, porcini mushroom risotto, cauliflower with gorgonzola. With tea, you can have Pavlova dessert or petits fours. The wine list features sparkling wines from Russia, Spain, and France, white wines from Uruguay, and reds from California. Don’t miss the Moscow Tea Time set — available daily from 16:00 to 19:00 as part of the citywide festival (June 1 – August 31).
Address: Strastnoy Boulevard, 2
Cafe Pushkin
The restaurant recreates the spirit of a nobleman’s mansion — with stucco mouldings, carved wooden details, and antique lampshades.
In 2021, Cafe Pushkin received a ‘Michelin Recommended’ status and entered the guide. The restaurant has seven rooms, one of which is the popular ‘Library’ with floor‑to‑ceiling bookshelves and antique study pieces.
The menu has old Russian recipes updated, while preserving their pre‑revolutionary names, such as ‘French vinaigrette with Baltic sprats in lenten oil’ and ‘Imperial ukha with ginger vodka’. The menu also features dishes from Pushkin’s era, blending Russian and French cuisine.
Address: Tverskoy Boulevard, 26А
Aina
A place bringing together dishes from different people groups living in Russia, from Karelian trout to Caucasian lamb. Depending on the season, the focus shifts to specific regions and local products, and the menu is refreshed.
For lunch, you can order a pie with northern fish, pike cutlets, or reindeer with lingonberry sauce. For dessert — honey bread or grape Pavlova.
Address: Ostozhenka Street, 14/2
IMA
An intimate Japanese restaurant located near Zaryadye Park. The menu features sashimi, nigiri, robata, and teppan grill dishes, wagyu, tempura, and noodles. For lunch, you can order Chilean sea bass in miso sauce, eel rice, or wagyu beef steak. For dessert — mochi or miso tiramisu.
Address: Varvarka Street, 14