Food in Moscow is neither an easy nor a cheap subject, this is why you will struggle to find a restaurant matching your tastes. The Russian cuisine is heavily influenced by the Georgian and Ukrainian, with the flavors of dishes being rather heavy but plenty tasty. In the Russian menu you will find many soups, as the Russians main concern is to eat something that will warm them up in the cold winter days. Apart from vegetables, beef is very high in preference, which in fact is even included in salads, pasta and more.
Do not leave Moscow without having tried some of the more traditional dishes, such as the fluffy Pirozhki, the beloved Beef Stroganoff, the rich Pelmeni (Dumplings) with many kinds of stuffing and origins from Georgia, the Russian Khinkali pizza boats, the world-renowned Borscht soup (beet, beef and sour sauce) and the well-known Russian salad, or Olivier Salad, as is its real name (boiled potatoes, carrot, peas, mayonnaise and meat). Another well-known dish is the Solyanka soup, which is made with many kinds of meat, fish or mushrooms, sour cream and vegetables.
To satisfy your sweet tooth, ask for Syrniki, namely local pancakes with cheesy cream, traditional Morozhenoe ice-cream or the (Turkish originated) Chak-Chak crunchy bites. Also buy Vatrushka, sweet buns with cottage cheese and jam filling. And as for accompanying as well as finishing off your meal, drink lots of Vodka… Russia’s national drink is being consumed before every meal, in order to warm the Russians’ insides and start the appetite. In fact, in some restaurants it is cheaper than bottled water! In the city there must be tens, if not hundreds, of vodka labels, and you simply must try as many as you can… Finally, the red juice you will see on many tables, is the well-known Mors, a cold drink made with slightly spicy berries and sugar!
At the 15,000(!) restaurants that exist in Moscow you will find dishes at high prices, as for a complete two-person meal you will need to pay 50 to 80€, without wine! For something more economical, you can try street food that you will mostly find inside or outside metro stations. The most popular fast-food options are hot dogs (sasiski), pizza, crepes, stuffed potatoes (Kroshka Kartoshka) and more.
Fast Tips: a) At many restaurants you must make reservations, especially on weekends. b) Take some Vodka with you! Prices of famous brands are up to three times lower! c) With a tip of around 400RUB (at the start of the meal) you will enjoy a much more favorable service by the waiters.