When people think of Russian food, beef stroganoff, caviar and borscht usually come to mind, and it being vegetarian friendly is often the last thought.
Luckily, Moscow is a very modern capital and today there are plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans alike.
All the restaurants and cafes listed below have both English and Russian menus and are reasonably priced, so go check them out now!
1. Verde Cafe / Verde Кафе
A raw, vegan cafe, not far from Moscow’s Victory Park, Verde Cafe is the perfect place to detox your body with their light and healthy Asian/European fusion menu. Whilst it can be hard to find, as the cafe is located at the back of a business park, it is worth hunting down, as their pho was amazing and the other soups, salads and pasta dishes on the menu looked yum too.
• Address: Moscow, Kutuzovsky Avenue, 36 (business park “Kazakova”), str.4, entr. 4 / г. Москва, Кутузовский проспект, д.36, стр.4, под. 4
2. Fresh / Фреш
With two locations in the centre of Moscow, this hip vegetarian cafe serving buddha bowls, green burgers and Mexican inspired wraps cannot be missed. The staff here are friendly and happy to help you choose which of their many delicious dishes to go for. Whilst this cafe is one of the pricier ones, if you do find yourself in the centre of Moscow and in need of veggie food, this place will sort you out.
• Address: Moscow, Bolshaya Dmitrovka str, 11 / Москва, улица Большая Дмитровка, 11 + Moscow, Ermolaevskiy pereulok 10/7 / Москва, Ермолаевский переулок 10/7
3. Vokrug Sveta / Вокруг Света
Food courts are very popular in Moscow and a great way to unite your friends if they all have different food preferences, allergies or needs, but Vokrug Sveta, located just a few hundred metres from Red Square, is perhaps the best.
Some of the cuisines featured include Russian, Israeli, Korean and Indian and almost every stall has at least one veggie option. The self-service system at Vokrug Sveta means you can easily fit in a quick bite here with some sightseeing around Red Square.
• Address: Moscow, Nikolskaya Street 10 / г. Москва, ул. Никольская 10
4. Jagannath / Джаганнат
An Indian-inspired canteen style cafe with several branches across the city, probably makes Jagannath one of the more accessible veggie eateries in Moscow.
Whilst it may not be the most modern of places, its hippy vibe, passion for India and low prices will mean you keep on coming back. The biggest bonus of Jagannath is that if you live in Moscow, most of the cafes have a small shop attached to them for all of your tofu and plant-based milk needs.
• Addresses: Moscow, Kuznetsky Most street, 11 / Москва, Кузнецкий мост, 11 + Moscow, 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya, 13 / Москва, ул. 1-я Тверская-Ямская, 13 + Moscow, + Moscow, Maroseyka, 4 / Москва, ул. Маросейка, 4 + Moscow, Prospekt Mira, 31 / Москва, Проспект Мира,31
5. Lepim i vari / Лепим и Варим
This dumpling restaurant proves that Russian cuisine can be made veggie-friendly. Whilst you will find the traditional fillings such as beef, pork and lamb, there are several innovative veggie options on the menu such as cottage cheese and black currant, beans and walnuts and four cheeses, meaning you can try Russian food but still stay veggie.
• Addresses: Prospekt Mira 26/1, Moscow 129090 / Проспект мира 26 стр. 1, Москва 129090 + Stoleshnikov pereulok 9/1, Moscow 107031 / Столешников переулок 9/1,Москва 107031
6. Khachapuri / Хачапури
Georgian food is always a great go-to for vegetarians, as it has surprisingly large amount of plant-based dishes, due to the majority of the population is Orthodox Christian, so they often fast and don’t eat meat during that time.
Their food is also incredibly popular in Russia, so it’s worth trying some of their delicious dishes, such as lobio, khachapuri bread and khinkali dumplings, during your stay here.
Whilst there are many Georgian restaurants in Moscow, Khachapuri is my favourite, as their food is always excellent and reasonably priced and sometimes they even have live pianists in their restaurants.
• Addresses: Bol’shoj Gnezdnikovskij lane, 10 / Большой Гнездниковский переулок, дом 10 + Ukrainskij bul’var, 7 / Украинский бульвар, дом 7 + Prospekt Mira 26, 1 / Проспект Мира 26, стр.1
7. Pita’s
This relaxed shawarma/falafel/burrito bar, located just 5 minutes from Lubyanka metro station, is a great place to get together with both your meat-eating and veggie friends as the wide-ranging menu, low prices and great food mean that everyone will be happy. My top recommendations are the mushroom and cheese shawarma and their potato wedges.
• Address: Moscow, Myasnitskaya Ulitsa, 11 / Москва. Мясницкая ул. 11
General Tips for Visiting Russia
Now remember before you jet off to a land of taste sensations: English still isn’t widely spoken, so it might be a good idea to learn some basic Russian words and phrases. SIM cards and data are incredibly cheap in Russia, so it can be worth investing in one so you can use Google Translate when out and about.
Finally, it is the law in Russia to always have your passport and migration card on you at all times (and no, photocopies don’t count!), so if you leave those at the hotel, expect to pay a fine if you’re caught without them.
If you need further help before jetting off to Russia though, make sure to check online for all the latest advice and guidelines.
