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Restaurants
These days, with over two thousand restaurants, the city can take pride in offering a wide selection of quality places to dine.
Be forewarned, although Moscow does not lack expensive and trendy restaurants, very few offer food and service, which justify their prices.
A wide selection of cafes and restaurants are available in most areas of the city, even though bright signs usually draw peoples’ attention to the city’s main streets. Restaurants here are always quite busy, have friendly staff and offer fairly tasty food. However if what you want are the top-class restaurants, then you will have to veer off the more popular streets. Very often they are hidden in tiny side streets or gardens and don’t even have a sign to attract the passer-by’s eye. However those who are lucky enough to know of its existence will be presented with the most exquisite cuisine, cooked by some of the best European and Asian chefs, a wide selection of the best wines, flawless service from the staff and a unique feeling of belonging to the elite of society. This luxury, however, is far from cheap. Prices found in Moscow’s top-class restaurants can only be compared to those of London and Tokyo.
It is very important to choose restaurants carefully as it is not at all uncommon for the unsuspecting visitor to get locked into a problematic situation of indigestible food and apathetic personnel. If you are not a regular visitor to Russia or are not really in the know when it comes to restaurants in this country, you will be better off getting advice from trustworthy sources.
Clubs and Bars
Moscow can be a city for a quiet and civilized night out. But if partying on after midnight is what you really enjoy then Moscow is one of the best places on Earth.
Picking up on the latest trends from New York and London, the scene here is fresh and hip. However, because of the heavy emphasis on style there is a rather strict “face control” at the more trendy bars and clubs. So unless you look rich, or at least interesting, you may not be allowed inside. That being said, the nightlife here is generally safe, but it’s always wise to be careful with your drinks. It is not unusual for foreigners to have their drinks spiked and wake up the next day without all their valuables. Visitors to Moscow should note that the safest way to get back from late-night events is an official taxi booked in advance.
>>TAXI/CAR RENTAL
Casinos
Moscow has got a lot in store for those who love night life. It can be said that with all the cards, Roulette and dice played, there is no less excitement here than in Monte Carlo or in Las Vegas. Having fun and the irrational need for taking risks are traditions that has deep roots in Russia. Among some of the main characters in Russian literature are gamblers: a landowner, a merchant, a common man who becomes fabulously rich or poor overnight. They can be found in works by Dostoevskii, Tolstoy, Pushkin... It is not surprising that there are more casinos here alone than the whole of Europe, but only by talking in person to these gamblers will you be able to appreciate and understand this side of Russian culture.
Strip-clubs
Moscow’s nightlife has never been a real trend-setter, save for the amount of sultry girls willing to take their clothes off. This place is notorious for its strip clubs and its unbelievably gorgeous girls. In deed, many have come to the conclusion that there is no other place on Earth with just so many glamorous beauties. From the raunchy to the more civilized, new strip clubs are appearing every month. Male strip-clubs are becoming just as popular.