Where to Eat Pelmeni in Moscow
Pelmeni | © stafichukanatoly / Pixabay
Arguably the best-known
Russian dish,
pelmeni are ubiquitous in Moscow and come in more variations than you can imagine. Every restaurant has its own way of making and cooking
Russian dumplings, so picking the right one will define your pelmeni experience. Here is a list of places where you can try this delicious delicacy in Moscow.
Lepim i Varim
Cafe, Russian, $$$
Ironically referring to themselves as a ‘pelmeni boutique’, Lepim i Varim claims to have the best pelmeni in Moscow and offers six different kinds of Russian dumplings: fish, shrimp, lamb and spices, pork and beef, tvorog and Georgian sulguni cheese. Apart from that, they also serve inventive soups, delicious salads and home-style desserts. Saratov
Restaurant, Russian, $$$
A cosy family restaurant, Saratov cherishes the food traditions of the Volga region, including pelmeni. Here you can try five different types, and the various fillings include the classic mix of pork and beef, tender rabbit meat, potatoes and fried onion, and cherries and Russian cottage cheese, or tvorog. Вареничная № 1
Cafe, Russian, $$$
A popular restaurant chain, Вареничная № 1 boasts the widest assortment of dumplings in Moscow and at the lowest price too. There are nine kinds of savoury dumplings, including those with lamb and beef liver, and six types of sweet ones, all of which you can try in a pot with a topping of your choice. Restaurant C.D.L
Restaurant, Russian, $$$
This famous restaurant where Boris Pasternak and Maya Plisetskaya used to dine has a culinary aesthetic of its own, offering its visitors home-style Siberian pelmeni, pelmeni with morel mushroom sauce, and black ravioli with Kamchatka crab. Pelmeni
Restaurant, Russian, $$$
With more than 30 years of experience in making pelmeni, this café in Moscow’s centre has an impressive pelmeni menu. It offers five kinds of pelmeni, including deer and salmon, four kinds of vareniki, Uzbek manty and Georgian khinkali. Lucien
Restaurant, Russian, $$$
The haute-Russe dining ambience of Lucien will transform your pelmeni experience. The restaurant offers four kinds of pelmeni, all of which are traditionally cooked and beautifully served. You can try the Kamchatka crab, lamb, or trout, pike and caviar varieties along with the classic ones with pork and beef, served with truffle oil.
Durdin
Restaurant, Russian, $$$
This beer restaurant has a reputation for its inventive take on traditional recipes. There are four kinds of dumplings to choose from: the classic variety served with a rich broth, the lamb pelmeni with Georgian adjika sauce, one with salmon and red caviar and savoury potato dumplings. Omulevaya Bochka
Restaurant, Russian, $$$
Omulevaya Bochka is the place you should visit if you want to try traditional Siberian pelmeni. There are the classic varieties with meat (boiled or fried), the Taiga-style versions with fried beef liver and fern, the North-Baikal pelmeni with omul and muksun, the deer pelmeni, the steamed Buryat ‘Buuzy’ dumplings, and pelmeni baked with cream sauce. 
