It’s true, locals in Moscow love their cafés along with their coffee, especially because the weather outside is often not very pleasant, so they prefer to spend time indoors. To feed the city’s love for the bean, the Moscow café scene introduces something new almost every month, resulting in some of the most innovative, unusual and absolutely unexpected cafés for art and photography lovers, so people can share their experiences on Instagram as well. Here are the most exciting and arty locations for your perfect afternoon coffee craving.
David B. Cafe
Coffee Shop, Coffee, $$$
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A real Russian ode to Ziggy Stardust aka David Bowie and perhaps one of the most Instagrammable, musical, and independent cafés of the capital, this is the original central location for this growing coffee chain. Besides the standard lineup of high-quality espresso drinks, there are two special Raf drinks here, a classic and a citrus one. Both are served at the chains. This is also a great place to hang out for a while with friends and relatives, talk about art and music and make some photos. There’s free Wi-Fi up front and a turntable with an extensive vinyl collection.
Another small local café chain that looks exactly like a Soviet-era living room inside. The café owners take their coffee menu seriously. All of the beans are roasted right next door, the espresso and Raf drinks are top quality, and there’s plenty of space to sit and feel like a local…but one from 50 years ago.
This cafe is open 24/7, 365 days a year, and it’s located right near some of the most important theatres in Moscow. The place designed in a traditional old Russian way with huge lamps on the walls and wooden tables, so you may feel like a character from the one of Dostoevsky’s books. Visitors will find the pastry counter filled with options like Russian pancakes, croissants with jam, apple pies, chocolate desserts, Russian ice cream, and much more. When it’s nice out, Moloko will open up the old windows, creating an extension of its lovely sidewalk café.
Another historical café right in the heart of town that is open 24/7, this time it’s all about Russian literature and a classic interior. It’s not a secret that this place is very famous among visitors, however it’s even more famous among locals. Here they serve a classic Russian breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as tea and wine. Coffee drinks are taken very seriously here, too. Besides well-made espresso drinks, Cafe Pushkin offers different coffee drinks made from different beans. That the service here is perfect goes without saying.
