Top Bars in Moscow – Most Viewed (2025)

Mendeleev Bar is a renowned speakeasy-style cocktail bar located in the heart of Moscow. Accessible through a discreet entrance inside the Lucky Noodles eatery on Petrovka Street, this hidden gem transports guests into an atmospheric, vaulted cellar adorned with exposed brickwork and ambient lighting. The bar is celebrated for its innovative mixology, offering a diverse menu of signature cocktails that blend Eastern and Western influences. Patrons can savor these unique concoctions alongside light Pan-Asian dishes, enhancing the overall dining experience. Mendeleev Bar also serves as a cultural hub, featuring live jazz and piano performances on weekdays, and transforming into a vibrant venue with deep house and techno DJs on weekends. The establishment maintains a strict face control policy, ensuring an exclusive and refined atmosphere for its guests. With its combination of clandestine charm, exceptional beverages, and eclectic music offerings, Mendeleev Bar stands as a must-visit destination for those seeking a sophisticated night out in Moscow.

Nestled in the basement of a building on Aleksandra Solzhenitsyna Street, Craftland Cultural Bar is a hidden gem in Moscow's Taganka district. The bar boasts a warm, inviting atmosphere characterized by exposed red brick walls and a rustic interior. Craftland is renowned for its extensive selection of craft beers, featuring both local and international brews that rotate regularly, ensuring a fresh experience for patrons. Complementing the beer offerings is a menu of hearty dishes, with the "Cocky Tony" burger being a standout favorite among visitors. The staff at Craftland are noted for their friendliness and enthusiasm, contributing to the bar's reputation as a welcoming spot for both locals and tourists. Whether you're a craft beer aficionado or simply seeking a cozy place to unwind, Craftland Cultural Bar provides a unique and enjoyable experience in the heart of Moscow.

Nestled in the tucked-away courtyard of Starovagankovskiy Lane in central Moscow, RULE taproom is a destination for serious beer lovers and anyone wanting a break from the usual nightlife scene. The bar is the flagship taproom for the Zagovor Brewery and boasts 27 handmade taps rotating craft beers from Russia and beyond — from bold IPAs and imperial stouts to tart sours and rare seasonal brews. Inside, the vibe is raw and authentic: rough-edged décor, vinyls spinning punk, hardcore and minimal techno, and a laid-back crowd of locals, expats and craft beer pilgrims alike. Reviewers highlight how the staff know their beer and will switch between English and Russian with ease. Because there’s no heavy food menu (snacks only), the focus stays firmly on the beer exploration — this is less about being seen, more about discovering. One traveller wrote: “The selection of the been is amazing… Nice ambience with punk music in the speakers.” It’s centrally located, easy to get to after sightseeing around the Kremlin or Kitay-Gorod area. Evening entry is from around 16:00 (4 pm) on most days, with later closing hours on Fridays and Saturdays. For those who cherish craft rather than cocktails, and who appreciate a confident, low-pretension space for high-quality beer, RULE is exactly the kind of bar you’ll remember.

Perched on the 34th floor of Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy, City Space Bar & Restaurant is one of Moscow’s classic sky bars – a circular, glass-walled lounge that feels like a spaceship hovering above the city. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrap around the room, giving you a full 360-degree panorama: the Moskva River curling below, the Kremlin and city center in the distance, and a sea of lights after dark as the city switches on. Inside, the vibe is polished and contemporary. Low armchairs and glossy tables are arranged along the windows so almost every seat gets a view, while the central bar is lined with premium spirits and a serious backbar of liqueurs and infusions. It’s elegant without being stiff: think date-night couples, hotel guests lingering over martinis, and well-dressed locals who come specifically for the view and the drinks. Cocktails are the main event here. The menu leans into modern hotel-bar mixology: reworked classics, seasonal signatures, and vodka-forward recipes with a distinctly Russian twist. Expect things like fruit-driven sours, herbaceous long drinks, and spirit-forward signatures that pair well with the nighttime skyline. The bartenders are used to international guests, so off-menu classics or tweaks are usually no problem, and presentation tends to be refined rather than gimmicky. The bar also runs as a restaurant, with a menu that fits the upscale setting: snacks and bar bites if you’re just here for a sunset drink, plus mains and desserts if you want to make an evening of it. Prices are on the higher side by Moscow standards, but part of what you’re paying for is the setting – 140 meters above the city with a front-row seat to the skyline. The mood shifts over the course of the day. Early evening is all about sunset views and quieter conversations. As the sky darkens, the lights of Moscow flicker on in every direction and the bar takes on a more glamorous, almost cinematic feel. On weekends especially, a DJ adds a soft club-lounge soundtrack without overwhelming the room, keeping it firmly in “sophisticated night out” territory rather than full-on nightclub. If you’re visiting, it’s worth booking ahead, especially if you want a table right by the window. Dress smart-casual at least – it’s not an overly rigid dress code, but the setting and prices naturally attract a more polished crowd. Whether you’re celebrating, showing off Moscow to visitors, or just treating yourself to a drink with a view, City Space is one of those places that feels special the moment the elevator doors slide open onto the top floor.

Tucked away on Solyanka Street in the heart of Moscow, The Black Swan pub & shop is far more than your average bar. Born of the Russian “PubLife” group, it combines the feel of an Irish/English gastropub with theatrical décor, antique furnishings and even a hidden basement “secret room”. From the exterior, you might expect a typical bar—but inside, you’ll discover richly painted walls, old-world woodwork, rooms each themed around different architectural or historical styles, vintage objects for sale, and what some describe as a “Hogwarts-meets-pub” vibe. One reviewer put it this way: “It’s basically Harry Potter for adults… A really cool little English-style pub…” What about the drinks and food? The Black Swan offers a broad beer selection (draft and bottled), a full cocktail menu, and pub-style food. The basement area (“Hidey Hole” / “Secret Room”) includes a gothic wine cellar, organ pipes, grand arches and a unique atmosphere—all adding to the sense of discovery. In terms of ambiance, it suits a variety of moods: whether you want to unwind with a well-crafted drink in an atmospheric bar, go deeper for the cryptic secret room, or linger for food with friends. Given its location near Kitay-Gorod and convenient metro access, it’s also a good spot to stop in while exploring central Moscow. That said—because of its popularity and themed spaces—booking ahead or arriving early is wise. Reviewers flag that it can be busy and some rooms fill up.