With Russia's new-found wealth has come a series of over-the-top eateries in the city. Prepare for Old World glamour, plenty of gold leaf and a bill that will have you counting credit card limits in your head.
Metropol, 1/4 Teatralny Proyezd
metropol-moscow.ru/en
Despite being a hotel restaurant, the Metropol at the Hotel Metropol remains one of Moscow's top dining spots (right). It combines the city's history with authentic Russian cuisine. Look out for boiled eggs stuffed with caviar, Russian shchi cabbage soup and stellate sturgeon stew. The restaurant's cavernous space is lit at lunch by the massive stained glass windows and in the evenings retains the bustle it has witnessed throughout the past century of Moscow's history.
Cafe Pushkin, 26a Tverskoi Bulvar
cafe-pushkin.ru
It's hard to have a 24-hour restaurant and still be classy, but Cafe Pushkin, an institution in Moscow, not only manages to draw in the right crowd, but also manages to keep it. Housed in an 18th-century mansion, the restaurant only dates back to the early 1990s and serves both French and Russian cuisine. For a truly indulgent dining experience, secure a table able at the cafe level in the library. Dishes to look out for include the creamy spiced ukha fish soup and the grilled sturgeon with forest mushrooms.