Where to go in Moscow tonight

No. Visa and Mastercard cards issued outside Russia have not worked in Russia since March 2022, in bars, restaurants or ATMs. Bring cash to exchange for roubles, and if you are staying longer, open a local account with a Mir card. Almost every place on this list takes cash.

Our guide to changing money in Moscow →

Face control is door staff choosing who gets in, based on how you are dressed, the size of your group and how you come across. It is common at clubs and some late-night bars, and rare at the restaurants and pubs on this list. Dress one step above the listed dress code, arrive in small groups, stay polite and book a table on busy nights.

Dinner usually runs from about 19:00 to 22:00, bars fill up from around 22:00, and the late crowd keeps going well past 02:00. Some bars stay open until 05:00 or 06:00 at weekends. That is why every place on this list is tagged for the start, middle or end of the night.

No. Michelin published one Moscow selection, the 2022 guide, in October 2021 and suspended it in March 2022. The stars and Bib Gourmand awards shown here come from that edition. We keep them because those kitchens are still open and still among the best in the city.

English comes easiest at the expat favourites, especially the Irish and British pubs such as Katie O'Shea's, Mollie's, O'Donoghue's and Punch & Judy, where staff and regulars are used to foreigners. Elsewhere, menus are often in Russian only, so a phone camera translator helps.

Our full guide to English-speaking bars in Moscow →

On this list, a pub or a local legend costs roughly 1,500 to 3,500 roubles per person with drinks, a cocktail bar around 2,500 to 5,000 roubles, and dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant from about 4,500 roubles up to 25,000 for the full tasting menu. Every card shows the typical spend per person.