Moscow's Best Courtyard Bars

Drink the night away under Moscow's starry skies

By Andrei Muchnik

May 15, 2018

Noor Electro

After-theater cocktails

Noor has recently been redecorated, expanded and renamed Noor Electro. “Electro” stands for the avant-garde Electro Theater that shares the same building with Noor. The cocktails are legendary and it's always crowded on the weekend. In the warm season Noor opens a cute courtyard between the buildings with a few tables and chairs and some green plants.

23/12 UlitsaTverskaya. Metro Mayakovskaya.+7 (903) 136 7686.www.noorbar.com

Powerhouse

19th-century mansion with courtyard

This bar and club, located in a mid-19th-century wooden mansion, is mostly famous for funk and hip-hop nights. The food by up-and-coming chef Kim Yerunov is more than just pub grub, and there's a separate whisky tasting bar for connoisseurs. When the weather is warm, Powerhouse opens its huge courtyard with a summer terrace, where markets and festivals are organized on a regular basis.

7/4 Goncharnaya Ulitsa. Metro Taganskaya. +7 (495) 698 0550. facebook.com/dewars.powerhouse

32.05

When a park becomes courtyard

32.05 is one of Moscow's most popular bars with a patio. Try any of the classic cocktails (from 380 rubles) and chill amongst the greenery, while gazing at the visitors to the Hermitage Garden, one of Moscow's best parks. The menu is rather innovative — be sure to try Beef Stroganoff with mashed potatoes squeezed into a drinking glass.

3 Ulitsa Karetnyy Ryad. Metro Trubnaya. +7 905 703 3205. www.veranda3205.ru

Entuziast

Berlin-style bar

Nestled in one of the courtyards on the pedestrian street Stoleshnikov Pereulok, Entuziast is a bar and motorbike repair shop. When the weather is warm, the bar spills into expansive courtyard which fills up with people drinking beer and cider (the only alcohol served at Entuziast) or doing a barbecue. The scene would not be out of place in Berlin's trendier neighborhoods.

7/5 Stoleshnikov Pereulok. Metro Okhotny Ryad. facebook.com/enthusiastmoscow

Dom 12

A bar for intellectuals

Located just off Ostozhenka, dubbed Moscow's golden mile, Dom 12 is a restaurant-cum-wine bar beloved by the city's intellectuals. Dom 12's schedule includes lectures, book presentations and film screenings, while in the summer time guests migrate to a lovely courtyard. The food is quite good and not too Westernized, and the wine list is extensive.

12 Mansurovsky Pereulok. Metro Park Kultury. +7 (903) 968 8897. dom12cafe.ru

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue