2018 FIFA World Cup Russia: Best rooftop restaurants & bars in Moscow

Moscow is brilliant during the summer. Try to imagine, if you can, how the locals have struggled through the bitterly cold and long, dark winter. Finally, after nearly 8 months, they can delight in the lighter days and the warmth of the sun. You will definitely feel their happiness in the air!

The sky in Moscow is something that I miss the most, and if you follow at least one of the recommendations below you will understand why. Just keep your phone ready to Instagram it and thank me later.

So let’s get started. Here is my top choice for Moscow’s best rooftop terraces to wine and dine with a view:

TWINS GARDEN

Address: Strastnoy Boulevard, 8a

Opened in November 2017, this is super sleek and stylish restaurant with a stellar view of Moscow and its own farm (expect everything organic!). The menu offers handpicked healthy, fresh artisan treats with a burst of flavours. The main concept of this place is simplicity.

Twins Garden also claims to have the largest wine cellar in Russia. At the moment it includes already more than 1000 labels, from popular democratic wines to the rare and exclusive positions which are carefully selected by experts of the restaurant.

So if you’re up for something different and healthy, then you should definitely come and enjoy the view from here.

WHITE RABBIT

Address: Smolenskaya Square, 3

I personally love White Rabbit because it is such a cool place and its interior reminds me of my favourite Sketch in London. It has been even included in The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2017 so I’m sure you’re now interested! As the name may suggest, the restaurant whimsically embraces an Alice In Wonderland theme – think lots of rabbits and rococo furniture. Its glass dome gives diners a spectacular 360-degree view of Kremlin, Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Foreign Ministry, "Ukraine" hotel, Moscow-City and the embankments of the Moscow-River.

The food menu is truly exceptional. For example, bread is made from the birch bast, meat has a sweet flavour, chips are based on the skin of a viscous bird, milk is made from corn, ice cream is made from needles, and they even managed to squeeze fresh juice from the truffles!

O2 LOUNGE AT RITZ HOTEL

Address: The Ritz-Carlton, Tverskaya Street 3

Perched on the hotel’s 12th floor, O2 Lounge is all about glamour, infused cocktails and Moscow views. And so just you know, there’s no rooftop terrace closer to Kremlin.

Their menu features caviar, seafood and sushi as well as house-made ingredients, including gin-infused tea and truffle tinctures. I think this is going to be the most expensive options on my list but I still believe that such an Instagramable panoramic view on Kremlin might worth it. For example, just  a portion of beef rib eye will cost you around $55 and a glass of Moet & Chandon - $30. I know, Moscow is weird sometimes!

KARLSON

Address: Ovchinnikovskaya Naberezhnaya, 20

Located on the Central City Tower roof, Karlson restaurant & bar offers panoramic views of the Kremlin and Moscow historical centre. 

This is a fun place. The cartoon character “Karlson” (from stories by Astrid Lindgren) is reflected in every detail of the restaurant, from its interior to the staff’s uniform, creating a home-like atmosphere of warmth and hospitality.

The kitchen serves high end Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, which is delivered to your table by waiters sporting blue denim jumpsuits. Try one of their perfectly tender steaks or opt for a fresh seafood dish like the Murmansk cod with pesto and caramelized carrots. As you might expect from the setting, prices are toward the upper end of the scale, but there’s no better spot from which to view the Moscow river from the comfort of your dining table.

INSIGHT

Address: 1st Krasnogvardejsky proezd, 21

Asian restaurant and bar Insight attracts everyone not just because of the view but also because of quite peculiar interior design. Finishing, furniture and decor elements bring direct associations with Russian nature. Columns of translucent concrete "come to life", forest flowers in bloom, or jellyfish swimming, like in the Arctic ocean.  With the help of tricky 3D-mapping technology, the interior turns into a colour collage, supplemented with constantly changing audio, visuals and even smells and flavours!

The menu is concentrated on a large number of rare products and exotic delicacies, many of which are flown in from Japan and Sri Lanka. Fugu fish, marble Japanese horsefish, three hundred-kilogram Japanese tuna, blue crabs, wagyu beef and much more.

This bar is just floor below RUSKI restaurant which I mentioned in my previous blog. Perhaps a good idea to come here for a drink after!

JERUSALEM

Address: Bol'shaya Bronnaya street, 6

Jerusalem is a kosher restaurant that has the added cachet of being located on the roof of the glass-fronted synagogue in the heart of Moscow. Despite its gated exterior and posh neighbourhood, the spot is very relaxed and welcoming a lunchtime feast or dinner at the sunset. Its beautiful and spacious terrace with a very Mediterranean feel opens up an incredible view over Moscow’s roofs. If you like experimenting you will be pleased with their wide range of wines: for example, you can even try  a pomegranate one.

Funny fact: the restaurant does not have its own entrance, you need to go through the main entrance to the synagogue and ask security guard to take you to the elevator.