Hipster's guide to Moscow's restaurants, bars and clubs
Moscow has a reputation of a big busy city and is home of the most billionaires in the world. It's the 6th most populated city in the world and rich in interesting history, unique architecture, world famous theaters and museums.
The center of Moscow is full of international restaurants, design bars and stylish clubs to assimilate into the Hipster scene, even if Russians try to keep away from the word 'hipster', and call themselves trendies instead. Moscow’s club and bar scene is exciting and there are many amazing places, chic and special, far way from Russians cliches. In this multi-culltural city there is also space for hipster culture, actually there are whole streets and areas which are very popular among hipsters. We picked out a few places to introduce to you:
Club Solyanka (Solyanka Street, 11)
Since the opening of this club, it became the most popular location for hipsters in Moscow. It is not only a meeting place for dancing and drinking, but also has an educative mission. There are monthly magazines, host lectures, exhibitions and a cool fashion-restaurant. For Moscow's hipsters Solyanka is a really special mecca for clubbing.
Ping Pong Club Moscow (Neskuchny Garden, Leninsky Prospekt 18)
Located at the ground of the former chocolate factory Red Oktober, which hosts many alternative clubs, bars, art galleries and also the design hostel Fabrika Hostel & Gallery and the PPCM, a really charming club for ping ping lovers. It is a popular meeting place in the heart of Moscow for all creative and stylish people. It is a nice place to waste time with with playing, chatting and having fun.
Strelka Bar
Strelka Institute, named after the Soviet space dog Strelka, is a young Russian educational organization for Media, Architecture and Design in Moscow. The Strelka bar at campus became a popular place for socializing. The eclectic interior with art deco elements, a variety of colorful cocktails, seasonal dishes with local ingredients and the rooftop terrace with amazing view over the Moscow River attracts students and hipsters. Every weekend the bar hosts parties with a special music program.
Gavroche Bar (Timura Frunze str. 11)
This design bar is a „must-see“ for wine lovers in Moscow. Hipsters frequent the bar, because of its relaxing atmosphere, modern decor and good quality wine. Essentially this place is just a short stop for hipsters, where they can have a light dinner and meet inspiring people, before heading to the main event.
Probka (Tsvetnoy bulvar, 2)
The high quality restaurant in Moscow is owned by famous chef Aram Mnatsakanov from St. Petersburg. This place not only uses fresh ingredients and offers an innovate menu, it is „state-of-the-art kitchen, adorned with a homely display of assorted copper utensils." (Wallpepar, 2012). The restaurant really attracts the local hipster scene.
Friends Forever Cafe (Bolshoy Kozihinky prl.18)
Hipsters love sweets, and colorful American cakes are also identification marks of hipster culture. Thus, it is not surprising that the Friends Forever Cafe chain is so popular with Moscow's hipsters. Guests have the opportunity to enjoy tasty cakes and pastries, smell the aroma of fresh crepes: The company only uses quality products and unique recipes, very hard to resist!
Gorky Park
There are no problems at all to find a right place as a hipster. Gorky Park is the place-to-be during summer and hosts many nice bars and cafes, such as Pelman Bar with the interior of a bustling New York bar and fresh coffee or Olive Beach, a nice open-air café located directly on the Moscow riverfront with a holiday-feeling, sunshades and olive trees. All Moscow fashion lovers hang around to check new places in Gorky Park.