Bosco Café, Red Square 3, and its more casual sibling, boast the only terraces on Red Square.  They are located in the elegant Gum “High Fashion Center” (the word “mall” just doesn’t work here).

                    

                     Gum (pronounced GOOM)

The cuisine at Bosco is mainly Italian with a few traditional Russian specialties, like borsht, thrown in the mix. 

An arugula salad is dress-it-yourself style, presented with a bottle of a high quality olive oil and one of balsamic vinegar.  It hits the spot. 

The Lasagne Bolognese is beautifully layered and tastes just like a grandmother in Emilia Romagna is at the helm in the kitchen.  The tomato sauce fairs equally well, but this time the grandmother must be from Naples.  

The crowd is chic and the wait staff, smartly dressed in white dinner jackets,  Actually it reminds me of Italy.   Pastas range from 500 to 850 Rubles ($16-30).  Put it on your list, even if it’s just for a coffee.  When will you be back to Red Square?

I am disappointed to learn that the restaurant One Red Square is no longer in existence.  I am in search of traditional Russian cuisine and decide to check out the quaint Kithez, Petrovka 23/10.  A quartet of elderly gentlemen is playing folk music to a room of mainly unoccupied tables.  The menu is comprehensive (read, looong) and not very descriptive. 

Salmon blinis are tasty.  The borsht is peppered with slightly more meat than the other varieties.  Pulmini are a type of dumpling filled with meat.  They resemble ravioli, but are much more dense and rich.  Word to the wise- always share an order ofthese lead bombs with someone else! 

A mixed meat skewer is only fair.  By color I am able to discern which meat is the chicken; however, the beef and pork are unrecognizable from one another by sight or taste.  Boar with figs is overly-sweet and disappointing.  Main courses approach 1000 Rubles ($30).  Not worth it. 

The Tower Restaurant, located on the top floor of a building adjacent to the Okhotny Ryad metro stop (right next to Red Square), is a handy spot to grab a delicious Russian lunch or dinner.  If you are undecided about what to order, just watch the flat-screen in the dining room that shuffles through photos of menu items with their names written in English. 

The smoked duck breast salad (540 Rubles, $15) looks excellent!  And it is! 

Pulmini (430 Rubles, $12) are served in the traditional manner, in a bowl with butter and a side of rich sour cream. The longer I sit here looking at the restaurant’s other options on the television screen, the more I want to come back tomorrow...

One of the great values of Moscow is the bakery/pastry shop X&Co. (several locations throughout the city- one’s on Tverskaya Ulistsa- www.eatout.ru for details).  The vast variety of breads are chewy crusty and delicious.

It’s a great place to stock up on picnic supplies, such as savory meat pies, sandwiches and let’s not forget their main draw, the tempting assortment of pastries, strudels and chocolates, oh my!  Unlike many confections I have sampled in the past, these taste even better than they look. Don’t forget to take something back to your room for breakfast!

Just down the street I find the famous Gastronomia Yeliseyvsky, Tverskaya Ulistsa 14.  It’s a gourmet shop/art deco lover’s paradise.  They have a typical assortment of gourmet fare (sausage, cheese, fish and, of course, caviar!).  

   

Grand Cru, Malaya Bronnaya 22, is a small restaurant with a serious wine focus and a young neighborhood crowd.  Select any bottle from the walls lined with predominantly French and Italian selections. 

The choice then is yours- drink (and pay for) just a glass or take the whole bottle.  I love this commitment-free concept!  What I don’t really love is all the math- the prices on the bottles are “retail” so first I must add 40% to the prices and then convert from rubles to US dollars.  How much is this bottle?  I have no clue, but it sure is good!  For the indecisive, knowledgeable staff will happily offer samples of the numerous open bottles. 

The bruschette are an affordable start.  Both the tuna and pâté varieties are well seasoned.  There are also interesting selections of small production European cheeses and jamón from Spain. 

Pastas include a tagliattini with fonduta (a creamy sauce made with fontina cheese from the Valle d’Aosta region of Italy) and a thick spaghetti with porcini mushrooms and truffle.  They are amply sized and hover around the 500 Ruble range ($15-20).  Both are delicious and enhance the flavors of the wine.  This is a place to add to your list.

Next to the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, on Ostozhenka 1, is Restaurant Vanilla.  I feel very lucky to have landed on such a tony spot.  The restaurant is filled with fashionable Russian couples (by this I mean wealthy mobster-looking men with tall, thin, blond women in stilettos and dressed to the nine’s) enjoying a late weekend lunch. 

A pickled vegetable and smoked salmon appetizer is interesting.  The pickles are the strongest flavor component of the dish, so you have to like that taste.  

Arctic char served on top of mashed potatoes with some briny tomatoes and cucumbers is well seared and perfectly cooked. 

My time is winding down for one last traditional beef stroganoff so I give it a go.  This version is made from the decadent waygu beef (okay, not all that traditional). 

It comes with a rich flavorful sauce and is totally delectable, even though it is presented with the appetizer and not the other main course.  I guess the best strategy here is offense- in Russia let the waiter know when you order that you would like the main courses served at the same time.  Main courses run about 400-700 Rubles ($13-23).  Join the cool, “in” crowd and go!

My most anticipated Moscovian meal is Turandot, Tverskoy 26.  The interior renovation apparently took 6 years and over $50 Million to complete.  The result is a Rococo fantasy land.

The gilt galore works well in the over-the-top space, a compact rotunda capped with celestial ceiling frescos.  

Equal attention is given to upholstery fabrics, crystal, silver and china (all in matching hues, of course). 

The restaurant incorporates the elements we all have come to expect of fine dining establishments (water menus, encyclopedic wine lists, petite chairs for handbags...) and the menu offers both prix fixe menus and à la carte items.    The tasting menus include salads with arugula and shrimp or mixed greens with flower petals, figs and blue cheese wafers. 

Spring rolls filled with shrimp don’t really hold my attentions, but à la carte appetizers, like Russian meat pies surely do.  The one filled with marrow is especially savory.  

Main courses include Peking-style duck with crispy skin and rack of lamb.  One set menu has a decidedly more Asian influence than the other.  This pays homage to the restaurant’s namesake, Turandot, Puccini’s final opera which is set in China.  Lamb chops are tender and perfectly cooked  while the duck’s crisp skin and succulent interior rival those I have sampled in the dish’s namesake, Beijing. 

Desserts also do not disappoint, especially the decadent deep dark chocolate gooey flourless cake toped with cherries and served with pistachio ice cream, and a touch of gold leaf!

The prix fixe menus are approximately 2000 Rubles ($60), of course, with wine and a couple of extras, the tab can run up quickly.  Due to the high caliber of food and the opulent surroundings, I consider Turandot a good value and a highlight of Moscow that should be a part of your itinerary. 

Places for drinks and views:

The roof bars of the Ararat Park Hyatt and the Ritz Carlton’s O2  Lounge both afford fetching views of the city.  The Ritz’s view is looks squarely at Red Square and is closer than that of the Ararat. 

                                                 View from the Ritz Carlton’s Roof

The hipper than thou vibe of the O2 Lounge at the RItz is a little self-conscious for my taste, but this is Moscow and when in Moscow, you need to experience this!  The Ararat’s bar scene is more toned down and has a nice view of the interior of the hotel as well.  On a nice day, sit outside. 

                                                        Ararat Views Out and In

Next door to Gastonomia Yeliseyvsky is a fun bar with a with clubby vibe.  If you are eating in the area, it’s worth popping in for a drink and some nightlife. 

Hotels:

The Ararat Park Hyatt has a wonderful location next door to the Bolshoi Theater, near Red Square.  The rooms and bathrooms are spacious and the friendly staff, attentive.

The Four Seasons is currently building a very large property that will trump even the Ritz Carlton’s view.  It faces the Kremlin and Red Square.  By government mandate, it’s architectural style must replicate what was torn down in order to build it and that style is, what else? Stalin-style!  I have a feeling there will be nothing grim or institutional about the interiors or the service though!

Ciao for now!