Vegetarian Dining Options in Moscow Abound
You just made a dinner date with a beautiful Russian woman in Moscow and she tells you she is vegetarian - what do you do?
Don’t panic, there are vegetarians in Russia. Leo Tolstoy became one in 1885. Russian monks and Eastern Orthodox Christians observe meat and dairy free fasts, including the Great Lent which began on February 19th this year and ends on April 8th (Easter). The Soviets called the movement a cult and abolished it, but now it is back.
If you are looking for vegetarian restaurants in Moscow, you have a choice of two plus a café. Avocado, located at 12 Chistoprudny Bulvar has a selection of 8 fruit cocktails, salads and fish-free sushi and rolls. The restaurant Dzhagannat, found at 11 Kuznetsky Most, has Russian shchi, miso soup and wheat gluten or seitan and soy-faux-meat products like sausages.
If you are looking for more of a café environment, Café Ganga at 37b Leningradsky Prospekt on the third floor has salads, baked pastries and fresh fruit juices. The café in part of the Ganga Vegetarian Center and features Bollywoodesque lighting.
In addition, you can also get meat-free dishes at most of the Georgian or Indian restaurants in the city. The Om Café at 15 Novy Arbat Building 1 has a vegetarian section featuring a steak made from “vegetarian meat” along with salads, soups and rice noodles. You can also check out the Shesh Besh Azeru restaurant chain and the Yolki Palki chain for other vegetarian dining options.
