Starlite Diner (with Russian Politics Presentation) Breakfast and presentation included as part of SRAS Cultural Program Summer, 2017 Locations throughout Moscow; Hours vary Otherwise, meals available for about $12-15 In celebration of the Fourth of July, the students of SRAS Moscow were invited to breakfast at an American-themed restaurant called, “Starlite Diner.” Starlet Diner takes the […]

Dzhon Dzholi in Moscow Locations across Moscow – Hours vary Dinners from $15-40 Our summer program with SRAS is unfortunately coming to an end. To celebrate the end of a great experience, our group was invited to a Georgian feast where we ate some of the tastiest food in the city. We went to Джон […]

ToDaSyo / ТоДаСе Locations around Moscow Meals for around 600ru ($10) Website After hearing a very positive recommendation from a friend, I decided to take a trip to a really cool Japanese restaurant, ТоДаСе (ToDaSyo.) This place is worth checking out if you are planning a sushi night with friends, or if you would like […]

Шоколадница / Shokoladnitsa Locations across Moscow Hours vary by location Budget: ~600 rubles for meal Website Looking for a quiet place to enjoy great food and get some studying done? Check out one of Moscow’s ubiquitous Шоколадница (Shokoladnitsa) branches—they are absolutely everywhere! With around one hundred cafés in Moscow alone, you will have no trouble […]

The Coffeeshop Company Multiple locations throughout Moscow Hours vary by location Budget: 300 rubles for coffee, 900 rubles for a snack included (maximum) Website Coffeeshop Company is a unique franchise founded in Vienna, Austria and the menu reflects its cultural roots. Moscow boasts harboring about thirty Coffeeshop Company cafés across the city. While I was […]

Chaihona 01 / Чайхона №1 Multiple locations across Moscow Hours vary by location, many are 24 hours Snacks for 200 rubles Meals for 1000-1500 Website You know that feeling you get when you try a new type of food and suddenly become obsessed with it and want to eat it all the time, everyday for […]

Moskovskaya Kykhmisterskaya in Moscow Embodying the Old, Embracing the New 12:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. daily Meals from $10 Located conveniently just outside the heart of Moscow, not far from the busyness of the center but far enough for a quieter mood, Moskovskaya Kykhmisterskaya (Muscovite Cafeteria) can make one forget you are even in the […]

Laflafel Malyy Kazennyy per., 16, 11 am – 11 pm Budget: 600+ Rubles Laflafel has recently made its full entrance onto Moscow’s restaurant scene, serving up Middle and Far Eastern dishes with Russian dishes interspersed throughout the menu. The friendly owners speak English and will take time to explain the dishes to you. The foreign […]

The following article originally appeared in Russian on Vegetarianskij.ru. It has been translated and adapted by SRAS for presentation here. History of Vegetarianism in Russia The official coming of vegetarianism to Russia was inaugurated with the opening of the first vegetarian society. This was in Saint-Petersburg in the mid-1860s. The society was humorously called “Ни […]

With the current exchange rates, Moscow is a remarkably affordable place for foreign students. However, we should all be careful with budgets – even as we are adventurous in trying to new places. Here is a line up of remarkable and affordable places to eat around Moscow. This list was originally offered by the Facebook […]

White Rabbit БЦ “Смоленский Пассаж”, Смоленская пл., 3, Москва Hours: 12:00 pm-2:00 am Prices: 900 rubles+ Whiterabbitmoscow.com For the not-so-wealthy student who is “cursed” with the love of exquisite food, the opportunity to dine at a fancy, yet accessible establishment is quite rare. By accessible, I mean a restaurant that is affordable, local, and doesn’t […]

Руккола/Rucola Arbat St, 19, Moskva, 119002 Hours: 10:00 am – 12:00 am Prices: 450 rubles+ Rucola.com.ru As a huge fan of Italian food, I’ve been really excited about the ubiquitous presence of Italian cuisine in Moscow. So far, one of my favorite places is Rukola. Like many restaurants in Moscow, it is much bigger than it […]

Восточный Квартал/Vostochnyi Kvartal г. Москва, ул. Арбат, 45/24 Hours: 12:00 pm-11:00 pm Prices:8+ vkvartal-arbat.ru Central Asian food seems to be all the rage in Moscow. These restaurants are often decorated with beautiful Central Asian designs and décor, and often have a “hip” theme. There is often hookah served, furniture upholstered in a Central Asian or […]

Бенто Wok/Bento Wok  Адрес: Авиамоторная улица, 39 Hours: 10:00-23:00 Prices: $5+ Bentowok.ru Sushi is extremely popular in Moscow. You’ve probably noticed that everyday cafes offer a variety of sushi along with other dishes, whether Italian or Armenian. In fact, Russians eat more sushi than the Japanese. Fresh fish is flown in everyday to Moscow on […]

A Night Out: Noodle Mama and the Red October Factory Metro: Kropotkinskaya After a long day of studying and finishing up homework at the Higher School of Economics, I’m usually back in my dorm room before nighttime. However, one day, I managed to stay out a little later and explored the city with some of […]

Кафе Николай/Nikolai Cafe Старая Басманная, 5 Hours: 9:00 – 20:00 Prices: 175 rubles+ Nikolay.ee If you are studying at the Higher School of Economics through SRAS, there is a restaurant that you’ve probably missed on the way to the classroom building on Staraya Basmannaya. On the outside, the faded purple sign that says”Nikolai” may lead […]

Cafe 42 ул. Красноказарменная, 23, Москва Hours: 9:00-23:00 Closed: Sunday Meals from 350 rubles+ Tea42cafe.ru 8 (919) 992-62-11 Tea 42 is located about 15 minutes walking distance from the Higher School of Economics dormitories at Aviamotornaya. This is my favorite place in the area to get work done or relax. It’s quiet and spacious. Like […]

Чайная/Chainaya Andropova Ave., 39 Prices: 450 rubles+  Shashlyk is a simple meat dish that is made by literally putting meat to fire. However, the way it’s done here in most restaurants is usually attributed to Central Asia / the Caucasus. It’s usually marinated sheep, beef, chicken or fish skewered on a metal stick and barbecued. […]

Вареничная №1 / Varenichnaya №1 Arbat St, 29 (and other locations) Hours- 10:00-0:00 Prices: 175 rubles+ Varenichnaya.ru At first, I wasn’t too keen on going to this cafe. The menu at Varenichnaya seemed similar to any other cafe or food stand in Moscow, yet the food was more expensive. I ordered kotleti po-kievski, or chicken cutlet […]

OMG! Coffee ул. Старая Басманная, 6, стр. 3 M-F: 08:30 – 23:00 Sat-Sun: 11:00 – 23:00 Prices: 300 rubles + OMGcoffee.net I think I’ve found my go-to cafe for lunch near the Higher School of Economics classroom building on Staraya Basmannaya. Apparently, it’s also the go-to place for many other local business people. When we […]

Florentini City Cafe ул. Старая Басманная 9/1, Москва, 105064 Hours: 12:00-23:00 Prices: 400 rubles + FlorentiniCafe.ru If you are studying at the Higher School of Economics (HSE) and need a break from the food at the stolovayas, try some of the cafes located nearby. Florentini City Cafe is located on Staraya Basmannaya Street, which is […]

Лефортовский Pынок / Lefortovskii Rinok Ул. Авиамоторная, 39, Москва, 111024 Hours: 8:00-20:00 Although newer students might feel inclined to head to a familiar supermarket style store for groceries, I urge you to give the local рынок a visit. A рынок is a bazaar-style market that often has clothes, meats, tea, vegetables, fruits, cookies and candy. Sometimes […]

While there are far fewer vegans and vegetarians in Russia than there are in the US, and while being a vegan in Moscow is still a bit of an oddity, vegetarianism and veganism in Russia is on the rise. Resultantly, the number of eating establishments that cater to vegans and vegetarians are also on the […]

Зю/ Zu Restaurant http://www.zucafe.ru Multiple Locations/ Hours vary (see website) Zu is one of those rarities in Moscow: a full-service restaurant in the heart of the city where the majority of entrees cost less than 400 rubles. The Thai-fusion chain has locations in most of the highly trafficked areas inside the garden-ring, including Tverskaya, Noviy […]

Czech House/ Чешский Дом www.cesky-dum.czechcentres.cz 3я Тверская-Ямская, д. 36/40 Hours: vary, call ahead +7-495-787 78 51 Many countries with an economic and diplomatic presence in Russia will likewise have a cultural center somewhere in the Moscow area, where anyone interested can sample said country’s food, art, and/or music without buying a plane ticket. These centers, […]

Кулинарная лавка братьев Караваевых/ Karavaev Brothers’ Culinary Shop karavaevi.ru ул. Щепкина, 33 Hours: 8:00 – 23:00 Average meal: $12-15 (20% discount on entire menu after 19:00) The network of «Кулинарные лавки братьев Караваевых» (Karavaev Brothers’ Culinary Shop) seems to be exploding in popularity as of late. With 13 locations scattered throughout the center of Moscow […]

Greetings dear readers! As this is an opinion piece, you should first know who I am: an American who finds marketing and pop culture fascinating and who has lived in Russia for more than 10 years. What follows is a list of a few local Russian brands that I’ve personally come to prefer over western […]

Dear reader, By merit of reading this piece, I assume that you have some interest in Jewish life in Moscow. I came to Moscow June 2012 to study with SRAS’s Russian as a Second Language Program at Moscow State (MGU) without any knowledge of the local community. This list represents the culmination of my observations […]

Сам пришел/Sam Prishel Москва, Лубянский проезд, дом 7, метро Китай-город, Лубянка тел: +7 (495) 628-73-30 Hours: 11:00 to midnight Meals starting from $15 www.sam-prishel.ru A fellow SRAS student/roommate, Hunter, and I have fallen in love with Georgian cuisine since being in Moscow. We have had the pleasure of trying some of these delicious dishes twice […]

Пицца экспресс/Pizza Express Москва, Новокузнецкая, 40 Телефон: +7 (495) 951-22-88 Hours: 12:00-24:00 каждый день (Everyday) Pricing ranges from $6 to $15 per item www.pizzaexpress.ru.com During my time in Moscow, I have tried to focus on staying away from restaurants that offer entrees I could easily be served in America. That being said, two completely different […]

Восточный квартал/кафе восточный квартал Vostochnyi kvartal Address: улица Арбат, 45/24, Moscow 119002 Telephone: 8 (499) 241-38-03 Meals from $12 www.vkvartal-arbat.ru One of the first restaurants I ate at when I arrived in Russia was an Uzbek restaurant that claimed to serve traditional food from Uzbekistan, but that also serves some traditional Russian dishes! Восточный квартал, […]