My Favorite Italian Restaurant In Moscow: Garda
- Konrad Tillman
- Sep 7
- 3 min read
Intro
You know me, always diving into the real local cuisine 😅. Well, following a long wait at immigration, and a Yandex into the city, I dropped my bags off at a hotel close by, and my friend and I headed out to a restaurant close by. My gosh, if you like Italian food and you are in Moscow, you have to come to Garda.
The Experience
For reference, Garda is a chain that operates across Russia. I’m not sure how many there are, but I saw at least two in Moscow, and the one I happened to venture into was just a 10-minute walk from the Bolshoi theatre.
Once arriving, I could tell that this wasn’t just a dinner, it was proper luxury. I mean, take a look at some of these glasses and stemware. Please don’t make fun of me, I really had no idea what Russia was like going in, and you only hear stories from the media 😅.
I digress, we racked up quite a tab through the night, with my unbelievably delicious pizza coming out to about 17 USD (one of the best I’ve had), and cocktails sitting right around 13-14 USD, we ended up spending close to 160$ in a few hours. All while my online class was going on in the background, talking about sexual fantasies. Class (see what I did there 😉).
Granted, a beer came out to a whopping 8 USD. Not cheap for a Peroni. All in all, what a lovely night
What I Learnt From My First Meal In Russia
Okay, so this is not just about the meal but something actually quite a bit deeper. This was my first meal in Russia, and hence, also the first interaction I had with the country (properly). Here are some things I learnt:
Even at high-end restaurants, English isn’t widely spoken. People will try, but try and brush up on Russian if you can.
You are going to have to use Google Translate. Thankfully, I was with a woman who spoke Russian and English, but when I wasn’t, I had to constantly use Google Translate.
It’s expensive. I don’t say this lightly, but after traveling to most countries in the world, I think Moscow is slightly cheaper than New York, but still one of the most expensive cities in the world. Especially when it comes to dining at upscale restaurants. A really good way to gauge if a country is expensive is based on the Four Seasons price (weird, but it works). If you look at Jakarta (200$), Bangkok (400$), London (7-800$), and Moscow (900-1000$), this puts these cities right into perspective. Yes, as a whole, Moscow is more expensive than London…
They have it all at restaurants. Yes, what is supposed to be sanctioned, they still have. Oregon wines? They have them. CocaCola? Upscale restaurants have them. Etc. Etc.
Final Thoughts
Throughout my 6 days in Moscow, I visited a restaurant named Garda quite a few times. While it was certainly expensive, I found that the food was quality, the location was lively, and it was a great atmosphere. If you happen to be around the Bolshoi Theatre, check this place out! Just make sure you have Google Translate (or some sort of translator), and a very large wallet 😅. Say goodbye to US credit cards, as they won’t work here…
Russia Series
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