RESTAURANT: CAFE PUSHKIN

This is a must-visit restaurant in a sumptuous setting. Housed in a building modelled on a 19th-century Russian aristocrat’s home (above), the menu features classics like pelmeni and borscht. Try them all – just save space for one of the luscious desserts. Tverskoy Blvd 26a, +7 495 739 0033, cafe-pushkin.ru.

FARMING COLLECTIVE: LAVKALAVKA

The ethos at this progressive cafe and farming collective is all about farm-to-fork – still a relatively new concept in Russia. Muscovites line up for whatever is on offer that day, then enjoy their meal at the cafe’s communal table. Nizhniy Susalniy Ln 5/10, +7 495 724 3532, lavkalavka.com.

BAR: 02 LOUNGE, RITZ-CARLTON

Wash down exorbitantly priced sushi with an O2 Classic cocktail (the Moscow Sangaree is divine). The panoramic views over the city and into Red Square and the Kremlin are simply stunning. Tverskaya St 3, +7 495 225 8888, ritzcarlton.com.

MARKET: DANILOVSKY MARKET

With freshly picked berries, forest mushrooms, racks of smoked fish, whole suckling pigs, pickled cucumbers and more, a visit to this bustling market is a great way to explore the sights and sounds of the countryside without leaving Moscow. Mytnaya St 74, +7 495 985 1725, danrinok.ru.

CULTURAL HIGHLIGHT: KREMLIN

The Moscow Kremlin is a cultural and historical treasure chest. Spend a day or more exploring the beautiful cathedrals, majestic palaces, famous museum exhibits and the grandiose Kremlin wall.