Moscow has built up a reputation for unparalleled hedonism and flowing rivers of vodka. As one the world’s most expensive cities, young moneyed Muscovites love glamour and glitz, so make sure you’re properly dressed up before taking on Moscow’s infamous club scene or suffer from the practice of feis kontrol (face control). Don't forget you need a visa to enter the country.
Karen Millen
Moscow has most of the world’s leading brands and fashion outlets. Your first port of call should be the Karen Millen store at Evropeskly.
Karen Millen, Trade Centre Evropeyskia, Kievskia vokzal sq, 2, Moscow (+7 495 229 61 87)
There are six Karen Millen stores in Moscow to choose from. Use the store finder for further details.
Izmailovsky Vernissage
For traditional Russian souvenirs, collectables, etc, it’s best to time your shopping for a weekend and head to the Izmailovsky Vernissage, or flea-market (Metro Partizanskaya).
Red Square
To get the measure of the ritzier end of Russian shopping, you should start at GUM filling an entire side of Red Square.
Stoleshnikov Pereulok
More exclusive still are the shops along Stoleshnikov Pereulok.
WinZavod
Those with an eye for more alternative designers will find what they need in the new Cara & Co, located in art complex WinZavod, a former wine factory that positions itself as Moscow’s Chelsea.
Tretyakovskaya Proezd
Don’t miss Tretyakovskaya Proezd, the New Bond Street of Moscow, a mews that is home to the world’s most exclusive fashion houses.
Ritz Carlton
3 Tverskaya Ulitsa
Tel: +7 095 225 8888
Located within sight of the Kremlin, rooms at the Ritz, which start at $1,000 per night, evoke 18th century Tsarist opulence with dark cherry wood furnishing and marble from Russia’s Altay Mountains. An elevator ride to the rooftop bar on the 11th floor will take you to The O2 Lounge, with its dramatic glass dome, although if you want to venture out you can call on the services of the nightlife butler, whose connections are guaranteed to gain you access beyond the velvet ropes.
Swissotel Krasny Holmy
52 Kosmodamianskaya Nab, Bldg. 6
Tel: +7 095 787 9800
The city’s best panorama can be found here on the banks of the Moskva River. Head up to the 34th floor of this modern, elegantly designed towering building to the City Space Bar which has terrific views towards the centre of Moscow.
Golden Apple Hotel
11 Malaya Dmitrovka, Pushkinskaya
Tel: +7 095 980 7000
Moscow’s only candidate for hip hotel status is quirky and fun. LenKom Theatre is around the corner, Novaya Opera on the next street and the area throbs with the louche lounges beloved of the smart, moneyed, young set.
Café Pushkin
Tverskoi Bulvar 26a, Pushkinskaya
Tel: +7 095 229 9411
Prepare to step back into the pages of a Tolstoy novel with thousands of books and artifacts from the 19th century and waiters dressed in old servant frock coats. The menu mixes Russian and French dishes.
Bon
Bon, 4/4 Yakimanskaya Nab., Bldg. 1,
Tel: +7 095 737 8008
French designer Philippe Starck handpicked Moscow as the location for his third Bon, a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the New Russian. Its dark Gothic interior is outfitted in the bizarre mismatched trappings of wealth, from stuffed owls wearing jewellery to Kalashnikov gun lamp-stands.
Turandot
26/5 Tverskoi Bul.,
Tel: +7 095 739 0011
If anywhere encapsulates the sheer madness of excess in this city then this is it. The palatial Turandot (the name harks back to a Puccini opera) serves Russo-Asian fusion food. But it’s not about the food - you’re paying for the luxury of dining in a $50 million recreation of a Baroque palace where the staff don powdered wigs. Bizarre, surreal even, but impressive. As the New York Times says: "If Marie Antoinette were alive today and living in Moscow, chances are she would dine at Turandot".
Vogue Café
Kuznetsky Most Ulitsa 7/9, Tverskaya
Tel: +7 095 923 1701
Arkady Novikov, the Conran of Moscow, is known for haute hotspots such as this one. Strike a pose at Moscow’s alpha version of Central Perk in Friends, a joint venture with Vogue publisher Conde Nast. This cosy and chic spot has shelves crammed with back issues of Vogue but you’ll probably be too busy watching the off-duty models strut past. You could also try GQ Bar, the newest of the glitterati hotspots in Arkady Novikov’s empire.
Red Bar
22-24, Kutuzovsky Prospekt, Kutusovsky Most
Tel: +7 095 730 0808
For a great view of the city take the private elevator up to the 27th floor. Plush red leather booths and a low-key DJ make for a less high-maintenance atmosphere that comes as something of a relief from the showy drama of Moscow’s hectic nightlife.
Fabrique
2 Kosmodamianakaya Nab.
Tel. +7 095 953 6576
Moscow clubs have a legendarily short shelf life, sometimes less than a season, as the fickle crowd continually defect to the newer and more over-the-top. It can be exhausting keeping up. As access to clubs Dyagilev and Rai is legendarily difficult, a safer bet for Moscow virgins might be Fabrique, a favourite for its relatively relaxed face control policy (remember use what you’ve got and flaunt it!). With an excellent summer terrace and a young clientele, there’s the added bonus of no entry charge (this might change of course) and drinks are surprisingly inexpensive.
Culture
Absorb the history of Red Square and all it holds: the Kremlin, St Basil’s Cathedral, the Faberge eggs, and the awesome spectacle of Lenin’s Tomb. Catching a ballet or an opera at the Bolshoi Theatre (www.bolshoi.ru) is a Moscow must, although most venues are closed between late June and early September. The Moscow Metro, built in the 1930’s, is the most elaborately decorated Metro you’ll ever see, with gilt chandeliers and ornate mosaic decoration. Gorky Park is one of the world’s most famous parks and is a great place to escape the hubbub of the city – there’s a beach club for summer and in winter you can go for a skate on the ice rink.
