One of the best places to have a beer in Moscow, ‘The Central Beer Restaurant’ is located on the premises of the former Soviet Foreign Ministry.
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rnAs you walk into the main dining area, or ‘conference hall’, and take in the Ampere decor with imitation ‘office desks’ as tables, floor-to-ceiling windows and red carpets, you cannot fail to detect an atmosphere of nostalgia for the Stalinist style of the 1950s and ’60s.
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rnEver popular with the Russians is the nightly live music from 8pm to 11pm, ranging from classic folk songs to Beatles tribute bands. Upstairs booths have individual speakers, which you can control, but if your wish is for something quieter, then the ‘library’ room is altogether a calmer and more refined option.
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rnThrough the ‘Secretariat’ room, you’ll find your way up to the ‘boss’s office’ – which predictably has the best view down to Lubyanka Square. The menu, entitled ‘Book about Tasty & Healthy Food’, contains a wide choice of simple, old-fashioned Russian dishes, all very reasonably priced.
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rnTwo house beers, Stolovoye light and Vantarnoye amber, are on offer while a diverse range of flavoured vodkas, such as horse-radish, are also available as well as rather interesting beer cocktails.