4 Best Restaurants in Moscow, Russia

The name comes from a legendary Soviet film from 1970, White Sun of the Desert, and the specialty is Uzbek food, which incorporates Russian, Persian, and Chinese elements. Sun-bleached walls instantly sweep you down to Central Asia and the illusion continues with a diorama with a ship marooned in the desert, waitresses dressed as Uzbek maidens, and intricately carved wooden doors. The Dastarkhan, a set meal, overwhelms you with food—unlimited access to the salad bar, a main course such as mutton kebabs and manty (large mutton ravioli), plov (a Central Asian rice pilaf), and numerous desserts.

This massive Uzbek café and lounge on ploshchad Pushkin is part of a chain with almost 20 locations around the city and offers diners the chance to sample traditional dishes like plov, a rice pilaf with lamb, and succulent kebabs. Each pillow, light fixture, painting, and plate is worthy of note. The only downside is that hookahs are a major part of the concept, so don't be surprised if the flavor of your neighbor's aromatic tobacco smoke infuses your meal.

Gilded ceilings and low lighting provide a dark and romantic setting in which to enjoy fresh Pan-Asian cuisine that appears to be irresistible to a smart crowd. A long list of cocktails prepared by expert bartenders keeps the place hopping late into the night.

The tangy and savory Uzbek food here is served in a palatial dining room that appears to have been decorated by a particularly extravagant sultan. Walls are swathed in Persian rugs, transparent curtains, embroidered pillows, and turquoise-and-white tiles, and the food selection is just as lush. On the menu is a choice of more than 20 fresh salads, plus grilled meats, tandoori breads, and such classics as plov, the Central Asian take on rice pilaf, served with lamb and dried fruit. Another choice is a hearty lamb-and-noodle soup called lagman. Servers are friendly but can be a bit pushy, so be firm if they offer something you don't want.