9 Best Restaurants in Side Trips from Moscow, Russia

This spot right across from the Lavra draws lots of tour groups, who are served traditional fare, including golubtsi, meat cooked inside cabbage leaves, and several types of vodka by waiters dressed in peasant costumes. Service is pleasant but can be slow when the big groups pack in for lunch.

Not to be confused with the restaurant of the same name in the Convent of the Intercession (which is now open only to pilgrims), this pleasant Russian-style eatery within the Suzdal kremlin is arguably the best restaurant in town. Even so, the quality of your meals may depend on the day of the week you visit; it's likely to be better on weekdays, when the crowds are thinner. If you don't want to order a full meal, consider trying some tea and keks (cakes) or pirozhnoye (pastries), all-day selections in Russia.

The extensive menu of traditional Russian food served at this stylish inn makes it a solid choice for lunch or dinner, and so does the fact that it's right across the street from the central gate of the Abramtsevo estate. If you don't feel like dining in, order a few pirozhki (small pies of cabbage, apple, or potatoes) to go. They're particularly delicious with mors, a traditional Russian cranberry drink.

Live music, a decent alcohol selection, and a menu of traditional Russian food makes this place popular with locals. Favorites include borscht, meat dumplings, and salmon steak. Be prepared for slow service.

Ukrainian food is the specialty at this pleasant eatery not far from the Tolstoy estate. Try borscht, the traditional Ukrainian soup served here with garlic bread, and follow with cherry-filled vareniki, or dumplings, for dessert. The colorful interior, designed by the same Moscow studio that decorated several properties of famed restauranteur Arkady Novikov, adds to the pleasant dining experience.

St. Petersburg–brewed Baltika beer accompanies the traditional Russian dishes served at this trendy café behind the Volkov Theater.

This "Old Town" restaurant serving Russian and European cuisine is a good option for a meal, in part because it's just steps away from the cathedrals on ploshchad Sobornaya. The place is quiet, the staff is friendly, and the summer terrace, open May through September, is a delightful place to linger.

This cosy café with blue domed ceilings serves moderately priced Russian specialties made on the premises. Vareniki and pelmeni, or dumplings with meat and other fillings, rasstegai, or pie with different fillings, can be paired with borscht for a filling lunch.

Borscht, solyanka, and blini with caviar are among the good Russian dishes served at this cozy spot in front of the kremlin.