Russia's film industry may not be as healthy as it once was but the only restaurant located in Russia's Hollywood goes from strength to strength. Ranked by some as the best French food in town, the restaurant flies in all its ingredients. Reservations essential. Jacket and tie. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Kievskaya, then trolleybus 34 or 17.

Azteca
11 Novoslobodskaya, str. 1, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/956-8467 or 095/972-0511
$20 to $70
Moscow
Mexican

One of Moscow's most popular places, this noisy watering hole offers a satisfying Mexican menu of traditional southwestern favorites. Among the nachos, guacamole, and fajitas are several chicken dishes and a few more exotic items, such as roasted duck tacos. From the well-stocked bar, you can order a potent margarita. For a final flourish, flag down the roving compadre whose holster packs tequila bottles instead of six-shooters. The walls are covered in a bright Aztec motif, and the staff's mood matches the festive costumes. They have been known to break out in spontaneous dance while taking your order, inspired no doubt by the ensemble of guitar, drum, and pipe players who cheerfully rally the dinner crowd with Latin melodies all night long. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Novoslobodskaya.

Bangkok
10 Bolshoi Strochyonovsky per, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/237-3074
$40 to $70
Moscow
Pan-Asian

Thai chefs bring an authentic feel to this restaurant long popular with politicians and expats. The place may be a bit gloomy and the service not always up to scratch, but the food is excellent. Keep in mind that there are four levels of hot spiciness - mild to four-alarm - and the coconut soup is a must. The prices are high but the huge portions are big enough for two or three people. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Serpukhovskaya.

Beloye Solntse Pustyni
29/14 Neglinnaya ul., Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/209-7525
$40 to $70
Moscow
Pan-Asian

Named after a legendary Soviet film, Beloye Solntse Pustyni (The White Sun of the Desert) is a theme restaurant that specializes in delicious Uzbek food. The restaurant's sun-bleached exterior instantly sweeps you down to Central Asia. Inside, the illusion continues: a diorama with a ship marooned in the desert, Uzbek maidens as waitresses, and intricately carved wooden doors. The Dastarkhan, a set meal, overwhelms you with food - unlimited access to a mouthwatering array of vegetables at the salad bar, numerous desserts, a plov (a Central Asian rice pilaf), and a main course. If you want to understand all the White Sun references, head for the foyer where you can buy the film. Reservations essential. AE, MC, V. Metro: Kuznetsky Most.

Bely Lebed
12 Chistoprudny bulvar, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/924-1172
$20 to $40
Moscow
French

Just a few yards from the picturesque pond of Chistiye Prudy, Bely Lebed can seem a bit imposing. The metal detector at the door gives off the wrong signals but the interior - a soothing display of peach and pastel - is from a different, kinder world. The food goes down easy, too. Black or red caviar served chilled with blini is a delight here as is the crayfish bisque. Service is unobtrusive and excellent. Make sure you sit by the window for a view down the bulvar. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Chisty Prudy.

Bochka
2 ul. 1905 Goda, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/252-3041
$20 to $70
Moscow
Russian

Popular among the after-rave set, Bochka is another of Moscow's numerous open-round-the-clock restaurants and is always a dependable place for good Russian food. Opposite the Mezhdunarodnaya Hotel, it attracts its fair share of New Russians and businessmen. If you're brave, turn up on Fridays, when a giant spit is set up for the roasting of a whole bull or goat. If that doesn't appeal, the salads are all well worth a try, although we're not too sure about the kholodets, a portion of meat served wobbling in its own jelly. AE, V. Metro: 1905 Goda.

Cafe des Artistes
5/6 Kamergersky per, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/292-4042 or 095/292-6073
Over $40
Moscow
Italian

Just off Tverskaya ulitsa and opposite the MKhAT Theater, this is the perfect spot for a pre- or post-theater dinner. Waitresses wearing flowing velvet dresses perfectly fit the vintage, Art Deco-trimmed dining room - a setting that is both elegant and cozy. Autographs of celebrities who have dined here welcome you to the new banquet room upstairs. The Italian menu continues the show-business theme with dishes like "Romeo and Juliet" and "Gone with the Wind," and the range of business lunch deals is one of the best in the city center. The wine list includes French, Californian, and South African vintages. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Okhotny Ryad.

CDL
50 Povarskaya ul., Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/291-1515
Over $40
Moscow
Russian

You'll find one of the city's most beautiful dining rooms - and one of the best places to sample authentic Russian cuisine - located in this elegant mansion. In the 19th century the house served as the headquarters for Moscow's Freemasons; more recently, members of the Soviet Writers' Union met here. (The name is the Russian abbreviation of "Central House of Writers.") Now entirely reconstructed and renovated, with crystal chandeliers, rich wood paneling, fireplaces, and antique balustrades, CDL is one of the warmest and most sumptuous eateries in the city. Everything is extremely well prepared, but it's best to stick to the Russian items on the menu: try the borshch (beet soup) or pelmeni (tender meat dumplings) for starters, and then move on to the rabbit Stroganoff. If you're feeling very adventurous, cleanse your palate between courses with a glass of Russian kvas (bread-beer). AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Barrikadnaya.

Club T
21 Krasina ul., Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/232-2778
Over $70
Moscow
French

This very expensive French restaurant is part eatery and part antiques showroom. Small and intimate, the restaurant attracts Russians splurging on the food and the goods. The menu is typically French and showcases dishes with delicious sauces. Reservations essential. Jacket and tie. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Mayakovskaya, Belorusskaya.

Coffee Bean
18 Pokrovka, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/923-9793 or 095/923-0219
Under $20
Moscow
Fast Food

Seattle-style coffee heaven has finally arrived in Moscow with the opening of Coffee Bean. Giant cappuccinos, service with a smile, and the best coffee in Moscow is available in three stores. The Kuznetsky Most place is a bit poky but the Pokrovka site positively blossoms in its huge space and corner location, ideal for watching the Pokrovkans walk by. No credit cards. Metro: Chistiye Prudy/Kuznetsky Most.

Crab House
6 Tverskaya, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/292-5360 or 095/292-5359
$40 to $70
Moscow
Seafood

Just a few minutes stroll from the Kremlin, this relatively new seafood restaurant is more upbeat and expensive than its American cousins. With its relaxing modern mix of wood and steel, blue marine walls, and exotic fish in aquariums, the spacious, three-deck dining area has the feel of a stylish ocean liner. The staff, clad in sailors' uniforms, is friendly and always at hand. The restaurant offers the largest oysters in town, flown in twice a week from the United States, along with all the other seafood. The menu's showpiece is the positively decadent Imperial Platter, a mixture of stuffed lobster, baked oysters with black caviar, mussels, and scallops with ham and grilled vegetables. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Okhotny Ryad.

Grand Imperial
9/5 Gagarinsky per, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/291-6063
Over $40
Moscow
Russian

This truly old-style restaurant serves superbly prepared and often Croesus-rich dishes, such as roast veal à la Romanoff. The succulent food is well matched by the surroundings - double-headed Imperial eagles, gilded Empire-style chairs worthy of a czar, original art, crystal chandeliers, bouquets of flowers, even the antique silver service personally collected by the owners. The dining room is relatively small, made more intimate by a fountain and an old grand piano, where a pianist plays daily, joined by a guitarist singing tunes of Old Russia in the evening. The Grand Imperial's secretive banquet hall is a favorite dining place for Russian oligarchs who cherish the grandeur and privacy it offers. Reservations essential. Jacket and tie. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Kropotkinskaya.

Grand Opera
2/18 Petrovskiye Linii, near Hotel Budapest, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/923-9966 or 095/921-4044
$40 to $70
Moscow
Russian

Walk into Grand Opera and you find yourself in a splendid auditorium straight out of Odessa in the 1920s. Diners sit at tables in ornate boxes surrounded by plush burgundy velvet and gold decorations, listening to a straw-hatted big band and watching actors sing and dancers can-can the evening away. The restaurant, full of wealthy foreigners and high-ranking chinovniks (bureaucrats) is one of the only cabaret-type venues in Moscow. The menu is an odd mix of Russian, Ukrainian, French, and Jewish dishes that echoes the cuisine of old Odessa, but the food is, unfortunately, not as delicious as the surroundings, which fairly buzz with excitement. The nightly festivities carry a cover charge of $10 per person or $15 if you're in a box. Remember: the show begins at 8 PM. AE, MC, V. Metro: Kuznetsky Most.

La Cipolla d'Oro
39 Gilyarovskogo ul., Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/281-9498 or 095/281-1339
$40 to $70
Moscow
Italian

This modern and bright Italian eatery is definitely above the pizza level, as you'll see if you order one of the fine homemade pastas or opt for seafood selections (many flown in from France and Tunisia). The menu changes every three months, but you can always count on a large number of imaginative and exotic seafood dishes such as swordfish carpaccio. The portions are, unfortunately, not as big as they could be. The impressive wines come direct from Italy and the price reflects the quality. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Prospekt Mira.

Le Gastronome
1 Kudrinskaya Ploshchad, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/255-4433
$40 to $70
Moscow
American, Continental

This gorgeous place looks like a palazzo: marble columns, luxurious stained glass, mosaics, and immaculate, crisp tablecloths. Amazingly, it used to be nothing but a Stalin-era food store whose shelves were empty most of the time. Today, Le Gastronome's tall ceilings and spaciousness add a certain grandeur to your dining experience. Just like the name, the place has a certain French flavor but the chef is American and the mostly continental menu features giant T-bone steaks and other items of American cuisine, served on large, beautifully arranged plates. There are even live lobsters swarming in a large aquarium ready to be prepared for you. Do try the exceptional foie gras with papaya and raspberry or one of the fresh green salads. Live classical piano music enhances the setting. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Krasnopresnenskaya.

Mario's
17 Klimashkina ul., Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/253-6505
Over $70
Moscow
Italian

Mario's has always ranked as one of the top Italian restaurants in Moscow but today some foodies say the two resident Italian chefs have turned it into the best restaurant in town. Using ingredients flown in twice a week from Italy they create consistently wonderful pasta dishes. The carpaccio never fails, but Mario's is excellent whatever you choose. Reservations essential. Jacket and tie. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: 1905 Goda.

Metropol
1/4 Teatralny proyezd, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/927-6061
Over $40
Moscow
Russian

Recalling the splendor of prerevolutionary Russia, the renovated interiors of the Metropol Hotel's grand dining hall are a stunning memorial to Russian Art Nouveau. The nearly three-story-high dining room has stained-glass windows, marble pillars, and a leaded-glass roof, and the beautifully laid tables and formally dressed waiters add to the elegance. The opulent atmosphere is a pleasure, but visitors might find themselves disappointed when it comes to the service. The kitchen offers a selection of French and Russian delicacies for connoisseurs - fried duck with wild cherry sauce and baked apple is a favorite - and there is also a special chef's menu with a different theme each month. Many diners order cheese and wine to cap the meal - the Metropol has an impressive cellar. Live classical music starts at 7 PM on Mondays or Tuesdays; on other nights you'll be listening to loud Russian pop. Reservations essential. Jacket and tie. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Pl. Revolutsii or Teatralnaya.

Praga
2 Arbat, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/290-6171
Under $40
Moscow
Russian

Centrally located on Arbat Square, in a handsome prerevolutionary building, this restaurant once played host to Leo Tolstoy and Ilya Repin. During the Soviet era it was the most prestigious restaurant in town. Now it offers no fewer than nine restaurants to choose from - six Russian, one Brazilian, one Italian, and one Asian. All in all, it's a vast, brash, extravagant, often tasteless, yet appealing place. You could spend days wandering about the luxurious interior; gold and marble abound (even the metal detector is covered in marble) and there's a garish nightclub on the top floor. If you want to be treated like an emperor, go to the Czar's Hall. For $600, excluding drinks, you become Peter the Great himself, served by bewigged waiters in the manner to which he was accustomed. Other restaurants have gentler price tags; the Brazilian buffet is the best all-round bargain. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Arbatskaya.

Rytzarsky Klub
28 Kosygina ul., Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/930-0726
$20 to $40
Moscow
Russian

Located under the ski jump at the Sparrow Hills, the restaurant has one of the best views in the city, overlooking most of Moscow from its highest geographical point. In summer, your best choice is to sit on the bare wood balcony (even though you may not be able to see some Moscow landmarks because of intruding tall trees). Rytzarsky Klub, which means the Knight Club, was designed to imitate the style of the Middle Ages, with chivalric trappings on display throughout. The Knight Room is a medieval vision, complete with fireplace and heavy oak chairs. The restaurant's Georgian owner is a member of the St. Constantin Order for his support of the arts, and he's made the White Room into an elegant art gallery promoting young artists. The elite clientele include diplomats and show-business stars, who may appreciate the live music often on tap. As for the hearty Georgian food, start with the eggplant stuffed with walnuts. For the main course, try the kuchmachi, a dish made from tongue, heart, and liver. None of the staff speak English. V. Metro: Leninsky Prospekt or Universitet.

Savoy
3 Rozhdestvenka ul., Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/929-8600
$40 to $70
Moscow
Russian

In the Savoy Hotel, this restaurant's fancy interior and elegant menu are likely to please Russophiles and gourmands alike. The food - a mixture of Russian and French - is excellent. Ingredients are trucked in from Finland, and the Russian chef has won several international awards for his imperial creations, which include a special Czar's Menu, a re-creation of one of the 12 menus served at the coronation of Czar Nicholas II in 1896. Food aside, the real reason to come here is the setting: With its delicate, gilt wall coverings, long mirrors, and gilt-framed ceiling paintings, the restaurant echoes the opulence of St. Petersburg's Imperial palaces. Dinner can be expensive; you may prefer the more reasonable prix-fixe lunch. Reservations essential. Jacket and tie. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Kuznetsky Most.

Scandinavia
7 Maly Palashevsky per, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/200-4986
$40 to $70
Moscow
American, Scandinavian

Whereas many restaurants in Moscow seem to have gone for glitz, the owners here have opted for cozy and comforting. This is one of the most serene dining rooms in the city: burnt-orange walls with blue-green trim, comfortable wooden chairs and upholstered benches, candles in wine bottles on red-and-white tablecloths, and arrangements of dried flowers on deep window ledges all combine to make you feel as if you're in a Swedish country manor. Three Swedish chefs are in charge of the menu, resulting in a mixture of Scandinavian, modern European, and American cuisines. The proof is in the pudding or, rather, the chèvre cheesecake with cloudberry compote - a nouvelle delight that combines French goat cheese with Swedish sauce in an American dish. If you're out for a purely Scandinavian selection, try the marinated herring with a drop of aquavit, a traditional herbal spirit. Despite being just a few yards away from the bustle of Tverskaya ulitsa, Scandinavia's balcony - which overlooks the avenue's beer garden - is one of the most tranquil places to eat outside in the summer. Reservations essential. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Pushkinskaya.

Shinok
2 1905 Goda ul., Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/255-0204
$40 to $70
Moscow
Russian

Have you ever had a horse stare at you as you eat your meal? This place, located next door to Bochka, offers a unique experience: half Disneyland, half collective, its dining room is a faux-Ukrainian farmyard complete with goats, hens, cockerels, a knitting granny, and said horse. Luckily, the enclosure is completely sound- and smell-proof and the animals don't really encroach on the meal. Ukrainian food doesn't differ that much from Russian, and many of the dishes are the same, such as borshch, vareniki (pelmeni stuffed with cottage cheese, Ukrainian-style) and solyanka (meat and vegetable soup). The helpful staff are adept at giving advice, although not all speak English. Try salo, thin slices of fat, for an unusual taste of the Ukraine. Go on an empty stomach because the food can be very filling. Note that Shinok is open 24 hours daily. AE, MC, V. Metro: 1905 Goda.

Sirena
15 Bolshaya Spasskaya, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/208-1412
Over $70
Moscow
Seafood

There are probably as many live fish as dead denizens of the deep at this seafood showplace, a longtime favorite of the rich and famous. One room has a glass floor beneath which huge sturgeon squirm; in another, aquariums surround you, with numerous fish watching you eat their brethren. The entrance is shaped like the stern of a ship and the waiters are dress as sailors. The wide array of main courses, like the mixed seafood in parchment, rarely disappoint. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Sukharevskaya.

Spago
1 Bolshaya Zlatoustinsky per, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/921-3797
$40 to $70
Moscow
Italian

No, this isn't related to the famed Los Angeles outlet, but it is a sturdily good Italian eatery, located a few minutes away from Lubyanka. Everything is imported from Italy, including the chef - and it looks as if he's brought grandma's tiramisu with him. The seafood also garners top marks; opt for the grilled sea bass with aromatic herbs and balsamic vinegar or the swordfish. The yellow walls and blue ceiling make for an especially relaxing setting. AE, DC, MC, V. Metro: Lubyanka.

Starlite Diners
16 Bolshaya Sadovaya, in the garden by the Mossoviet theater/9Korovy Val, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/290-9638 or 095/959-8919
Under $40
Moscow
American

Open round-the-clock, these two diners are identical to those back in the United States, with the same brightly lit '50s design, large portions, and great value for the price. In Moscow, they're popular options for late workers, exhausted early-morning party goers, and old friends getting together for a weekend brunch, and they're always full of boisterous first-timers to Russia and expats looking for a taste of home. The Mayakovskaya locale is busier, owing to its center-city location and summertime patio. Waiters are young and friendly, speak English, and serve fast. AE, MC, V. Metro: Mayakovskaya/Oktyabrskaya.

Tamerlaine
30 Prechistenka, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/202-5649
$20 to $40
Moscow
Pan-Asian

This superb Mongolian-style restaurant is a tranquilly lit, elegant place that's perfect for a business lunch. Two Kazakh chefs wield enormous chopsticks as they man the giant circular hot plate. You choose the ingredients - laid out before you - and the chefs stir-fry them in a couple of minutes. Set menus are provided to help you narrow the huge choice of meats, fresh vegetables, and spices, or you can create your own potpourri. The eat-as-much-as-you-like deal also includes a delicate pickled salad, homemade bread, and cheese. The business lunch deal between noon and 2 PM is a good bargain. DC, MC, V. Metro: Kropotkinskaya/Park Cultury.

Tibet Kitchen
5/6 Kamergersky per, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/923-2422
Under $40
Moscow
Pan-Asian

A few minutes from the Kremlin, Tibet Kitchen offers an exceedingly high standard of reasonably priced Tibetan cuisine. A huge picture of the Dalai Lama's former palace in Lhasa commands the room, and dolls dressed in costumes made by Tibetan monks sit serenely in little cubbyholes. The food tends to be spiced-up Tibetan, but if you want to try something more traditional, order the Tsam-Thuk, a thick soup made from barley and speckled with slivers of meat and mushrooms. The restaurant is particularly appealing to vegetarians and offers a large number of cheap dishes like the Soen Labuk salad, shredded dyed pink radish with a touch of vinegar. Metro: Okhotny Ryad or Teatralnaya.

Tokio
6 Varvarka ul., in the West block of the Rossiya hotel, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/298-5707 or 095/298-5374
Over $20
Moscow
Pan-Asian

The ambience may be the best imitation of a Japanese dining salon in Moscow, but you might feel it still has all the sterility of a corporate boardroom with its yellow walls, bright lighting, and modern design. Tables wrapped around the stoves allow you to watch the chef cook, but also require you to endure the wafting smells from the other diners' selections. Luckily, there are a few more intimate tables. The chef is Japanese and the menu is in English. Reservations essential. Jacket and tie. AE, MC, V. Metro: Kitai-Gorod.

U Pirosmani
4 Novodevichiy proyezd, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/247-1926
$20 to $40
Moscow
Russian

Named after the Georgian artist Niko Pirosmani, this popular restaurant is located near the Novodevichy Monastery. Its rustic interior, with whitewashed walls and wood-paneled ceilings, re-creates the atmosphere of an artist's studio, and copies of Pirosmani's naive art are part of the decoration. The menu reads like a Georgian cookbook: The specialities of the local Georgian chef are shashlyk po-Mirzaansky, or shish kebab with mushrooms, and adzhakhuri, cutlet with pomegranate seeds; the kitchen also serves delightful khinkali, Georgian meat dumplings. Order a bottle of Georgian wine to accompany your meal. Although the restaurant is very popular and often crowded, the service is very good. Make sure you sit by the window in the main hall so you can enjoy beautiful views of the 16th-century monastery across the pond from the restaurant. MC, V. Metro: Sportivnaya.

Uncle Guilly's
6 Stoleshnikov per, Moscow, Russia
Phone: 095/229-2050
$40 to $70
Moscow
American

Favored by many Americans because of its juicy selection of steaks, Uncle Guilly's is a warren of rooms in a vaulted cellar dating back nearly 300 years. Previously a brothel, a printing house, and home to one of Napoléon's bureaucrats during the 1812 invasion, the cellar was one of Moscow's first private restaurants. It is nicknamed after Vladimir Gilyarovsky, a famous Moscow historian, and specializes in American cuisine (with a dash of Russian thrown in). If you're in carnivorous mode, you'll love the T-bone, buffalo wings, or New York sirloin. Or just settle for pelmeni (beef in a pot, Russian-style). For dessert, the all-time favorite is Bailey's cheesecake. If you pay 10% extra, you can dine in a private room decorated with original 19th-century prints. AE, MC, V. Metro: Okhotny Ryad, Teatralnaya.