Moscow Food: What to eat, what to expect

Appetizers

You'll probably have worked up quite the appetite after visiting all of the different cultural attractions in Moscow, so you should start your meal off with a traditional Russian appetizer. Russia is known for its fish dishes, so you may want to begin your dining experience with some Selyodka Pod Shuboy ("Herring in a Fur Coat"). Pickled cucumbers are a popular appetizer in Moscow, and caviar is another option for tourists with fine taste.

Soup and Salad

Moscow food also includes some fantastic soups, which is especially important if you're visiting the city during the frigid winter months. Borcsh is a soup featuring beets and meat, while Shchi is a cabbage soup. Rassolnik includes kidneys as an ingredient, while Chicken Lapsha is a soup with chicken and noodles. Tourists visiting Moscow during the summer may prefer to try a cold soup like Okroshka. If you'd like to start your meal with a salad, the salad Olivier is a classic Russian salad that combines chicken, eggs, pickled cucumbers, and other vegetables in a mayonnaise-based dressing.

Entrées

The most filling type of Moscow food is, of course, the entrée itself. One main dish that's sure to please is the Beef stroganov. While you're in Moscow, you should also make sure to order pelmeni, or dumplings, and golubtsy, which is stuffed cabbage. Shashliks, which are kebabs of vegetables and meat, are another popular Russian entrée.

Deserts and Pastries

Some of the tastiest Moscow food is the country's desserts and pastries, which you can enjoy at any time of day. Pirozhki is a pastry that can be filled with vegetables to be savory, or with fruit to be sweet. While you're in Moscow, you should definitely try blini, which are Russian pancakes. Pashka is a cake featuring cheese, while vatrushka is a pastry filled with cottage cheese. Russian teacakes are another traditional pastry that's especially popular during the winter holidays and are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Drinks

Russia is known for its vodka. If you're of legal age and enjoy alcoholic beverages, complementing your meal with a vodka drink is one way to live like a Russian while you're on vacation. Looking for the inside scoop on Russian brands of vodka? Here are ten of the top brands.

Now that you've learned all about Moscow cuisine, check out five of the best Moscow restaurants and make a reservation!