Moskva-City Museum
Sky-high history
Located on the 56th floor of the Empire skyscraper in the Moskva-City business district, this museum is devoted to the area’s history and future. There’s currently an exhibition on the history of high-rise buildings. One of the highlights is the “Parallel Reality” multimedia object, where you can see the Moscow that was never built: with horizontal skyscrapers, the Palace of Soviets and other utopian projects.
Varvara
Moscow food goes local
This cafe offers auteur cuisine influenced by traditional Russian dishes made with local produce. The beef is from Voronezh, the trout from Karelia, the honey from the Altai and, oddly enough, the burrata from Tula. Concept chef Alexander Yermakov also works at Winil Restaurant & Wine Bar. Duck breast with mashed root vegetables and sea buckthorn sauce costs 570 rubles ($9.60).
Bottoms Up
New bar chain
This new bar on Pyatnitskaya has been opened by Chief, the restaurant company that manages the Meatless and Dzhondzholi chains. Sergei Kolpakov (formerly of Uley and Prichal) is taking care of the food. All the drinks prices are fixed: Wines are 180 rubles ($3) per glass, shots cost 250 rubles and cocktails go for 350 rubles. The menu has appetizers from around the world: from tacos to nems (Vietnamese fried rolls).
Gorky Park Museum
Concerts above the park
This summer a new concert program will be launched at the viewing platform atop Gorky Park’s main entrance, which at the same time serves as the park’s museum. Several concerts are planned for July, including so-called “bard” music from the 1960s, similar to American folk music. Hear songs by great singer-songwriters like Vladimir Vysotsky, Bulat Okudzhava and Yuri Vizbor while watching the sun set.
