Moscow

Two years ago, I made an amazing journey through Russia. It was a special occasion, since my husband and I just got married. We are both great lovers of Russian 19th century literature and music and so we chose romantic Russia as our honeymoon destination. And romantic it was!
We visited Moscow and St Petersburg and made a trip to the country in between, to Suzdal, to be precise.

Suzdal is located 26 km northeast of Moscow. It's part of the Golden Ring: a ring of ancient towns that played an important role in the formation of the Russian Orthodox Church. Nowadays, it's hard to imagine that Suzdal used to be the capital of several Russian prinicipalities; it has been reduced to a small picturesque town, with only one main road. However, don't think you'll get bored in Suzdal; the many grand cathedrals, convents and churches are still worth your visit. But if you've become tired of sightseeing, do as the Russians do, and rent your own sauna cabin with attached living room and terrace. After a steamy time in the sauna, cool off outside in the river and give yourself the venig treatment (where you beat yourself with birch leaves)!

Fairy-like Suzdal

When in Russia it's great to see some different parts of the country. Suzdal is very quiet and green, a total opposite of Moscow. We started our journey here and, although it took us some time to get used to the grandeur and richness, Moscow soon became a very beautiful and interesting city. We even recognized a bit of the Moscow from War and Peace and Jevgeni Onegin. What I like about this city is that it feels raw and authentic. In comparison, St Petersburg felt very familiar (and how could it not, since Peter the Great used Amsterdam as a source of inspiration when he built it).

In Moscow there is so much to see, shop and eat! To prevent that this article is getting way too long, I will only give a short description of the great Moscovian restaurants I visited.

Russian food
The food in Russia is rich and can feel a bit heavy on the stomach. Not so strange, if you think of how cold it can get in Winter. You can eat a lot of fish (haring), meat, bread and potatoes. My favorite Russian dish is the pelmeni (dumplings with meat), but I also very much liked the kulebyaka (fish or meat pie). Also very Russian are the blinis (thin pancakes, which you eat with o.a. caviar, salmon or cheese).

Café Pushkin

The most beautiful restaurant we've been to was Café Pushkin 
(26a Tverskoi Bulvar, www.cafe-pushkin.ru/en/). More like a palace than a café and restaurant, Café Pushkin is situated in a 19th century town house. So it feels like you're dining with the Russian aristocrats. Serving Russian food with French influences, the food also helped sculpting this scenery. Every dish was a piece of art and very delicious. The pelmeni were the best I ever had!

When you enter the restaurant, don't forget to visit the downstairs cloakroom first (especially in Russia, it's not proper to walk into a restaurant with your coat on!) The main dining room and private rooms (on the second floor) can be entered from the grand stairs or the antique elevator. Although very tempting, you're not allowed to make any pictures of the room (something to do with the other guests wanting to stay anonymous...)

Restaurant Mari Vanna

Another restaurant that takes you to a different time is: Restaurant Mari Vanna (Spiridonyevsky per. 10a, www.marivanna.ru). This restaurant is decorated as a home, with tables between cupboards containing all sorts of pre and post Soviet Union objects; it's as if you are invited to have dinner at  Ms. Mari Vanna's. The food is great and typical Russian; the menu contains blinis, pelmeni, haring, borsch (beat soup) and vareniki (or pierogi - a sort of dumpling filled with potato and/or mushroom).

Sausage platter at Dymov #1

At pub and grill Dymov #1 you can eat sausages, sausages and... sausages! And drink all kinds of beer with it. 

The interior of this place feels industrial, with a lot of wood and high windows. You find Dymov #1 on 1905 Goda Ul. 11.

The Coffeemania at Bolshaya Nikiskaya ul.

One of the hippest places in Moscow is a café/restaurant called Coffeemania. It has several branches in Moscow, but the one on the Bolshaya Nikiskaya ul., close to the Moscow Conservatory, is the most popular (see also www.coffeemania.ru). This is where the trendy and famous come to have dinner and drinks. On the inside the place has an industrial, but more popular is the terrace outside. At Coffeemania they serve easy western food, such as sandwiches, hamburgers and quesadillas. If you prefer to eat more local cuisine, that's also possible; they also have blinis, rabbit and beef stroganoff on the menu. For dessert, you can choose between several homemade pies and cakes. 

Opposite of Coffeemania is another nice place on the Bolshaya Nikiskaya ul.: Prostiye Veshi (Simple Things). This is a wine bar with a porch, where you also can have a small bite. They serve Russian/Italian delicacies and a very delicious home-made lemonade. My boeuf bourguinion for lunch was devine!

Kulebyaka at Stolle

Also for lunch, I highly recommend pie-café Stolle. Here you can eat all sorts of kulebyaka: a rectangular pie filled with either sweet or salty ingredients. If you find choosing is difficult, simply order a few pieces. There are several Stolles scattered around town, but the first Stolle in Moscow is located on Malaya Pirogovskaya Ul. See for more information: www.stolle.ru.

Wolkonsky Kaiser

A great bakery in Moscow is Wolkonski Kaiser (Bolshaya Sadovaya Ul. 2/46, www.wolkonsky.com). This is a great address for breakfast and lunch, with all kinds of cakes, cookies and coffee available.

In the coming weeks I will continue my food trip through Russia. Next stop: St Petersburg!