Mark i Lev Russian Cuisine Farm Restaurant

Mark i Lev is one of the best Russian cuisine restaurants you will ever find and this is not an exaggeration. Everything they have on the menu is sourced from the local farmers. Try their very special cold borsch (traditional Russian beetroot soup): it's served cold with all the ingredients separately, you can then mix them and eat it all fresh.

They also have amazing main courses: everything is made in the Russian tradition but with a special flair. For example, for you can try their Polba porrige with root vegetables and also don't forget to order the traditional Russian Ivan Chai tea.

The interior of the restaurant is pleasant, but it could have been better and cozier: the light in the main hall is a bit cold, they would benefit from a few warmer table lamps or candles. The terrace has a nice view to the cottages and the pond and is especially great during the day. 

The restaurant is located outside of Moscow. The best way to get there is to drive with a car (you can take a car sharing or rent a car in Moscow) — it takes about 1 h 40 m but it's worth it. If the restaurant alone is not enough of a reason for you to take this ride, you can stop at Bolotov Dacha countryside residence about 2/3 of the way (it has a coworking space and nice cottages to rent for €60 a night) and also travel another hour south to see the beautiful meadows on Voronka river. If you decide to stay in Moscow a similar place is Lavka Lavka farm restaurant, located in the very center of the city.

The restaurant is opened from Wednesday to Monday from 12.00 until 23.00 (last orders at 22.00) and there's almost always some place (even though it's quite small), but you should call them before you come to reserve and to make sure they're open.