10 BEST places for gastro tourism in Russia in 2025
Exotic dishes from different regions, delicious local wines and cheeses, authentic ice cream and apple pastila. Where can you try these and other main specialties of Russian cuisine and, at the same time, have a nice relaxing time? Below, we’ve picked out the main places from ‘The 50 Best Tastes of Russia’ travel guide’s latest ranking and guide.
The annual ‘50 best places for gastronomic tourism’ in 2025 was compiled based on a vote of 500 experts, including restaurateurs and hoteliers.
1. VDNKh, Moscow
VDNKh, which is an abbreviation as the ‘Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy’, has transformed from a Soviet-era architectural park and trade center into one of the country's main exhibition complexes and a fashionable attraction for Muscovites and tourists alike.
There, you can get acquainted with both new global gastronomic trends and traditional dishes from the regions of Russia – the corners of 15 different cuisines are gathered in the new ‘House of Russian Cuisine’ food hall.
2. Abrau-Durso, Krasnodar Territory
This village near the big port city of Novorossiysk is famous for its wines and vineyards. There, you can taste the famous sparkling wine with the same name, which even Russian tsars drank, and visit the underground wine storages – some with a length of 5 km!
And, of course, you can then dine at the local restaurants with an emphasis on local products!
3. Kolomna Pastila, Moscow Region
In the 21st century, enthusiasts of the ancient Moscow Region city of Kolomna resumed the production of a once popular apple-based sweet called ‘pastila’, according to 18th century recipes. And they turned it into a famous brand.
Now, Kolomna is a popular weekend destination, where people not only adore the view of the ancient local kremlin, but also visit the pastila factory and museum.
4. ‘Chistaya Liniya’ ice cream factory & museum, Moscow
The world’s highest ice cream factory is located on the 89th floor of the ‘Federation Tower. Vostok’ in the Moscow City business center, at an altitude of 327 meters. There’s even a mini museum in its honor on the same floor.
Ice cream under the ‘Chistaya Liniya’ (‘Чистая линия’) brand has been produced since 2001 and has managed to set itself apart from other brands with its quality and variety, which has won the hearts of many Russians, both young and old!
5. WinePark, Crimea
The wine park at the Mriya resort in Yalta, Crimea, intends to revive Russia's status as one of the centers of world wine culture. A whole infrastructure has been created there for high-quality gastronomy: there are vineyards and a winery, a cheese factory and restaurants with modern Crimean cuisine.
You can also go on guided tours and attend master classes there and, of course, there are plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities and hotels for every taste.
6. The ‘Vadim & Yevgeniya Dymov’ project in Suzdal, Vladimir Region
Vadim Dymov’s name is known in Russia thanks to the ‘Dymov’ sausage brand, which he created back in 2001. But, in the recent 10 years, he has become one of the entrepreneurs and enthusiasts, thanks to whom the ancient city of Suzdal has received a second life to become a fashionable tourist attraction once again.
Dymov established ‘Dymov Ceramics’, the production of tableware using traditional technologies, in the city and also created a hotel complex and a chain of restaurants that have revived the local gastronomy, taking into account many new culinary trends. Russian cuisine and the traditions of Russian tea drinking in the fairy-tale city will sparkle with new colors for you.
7. Oleg Sirota Istra Cheese Factory, Moscow Region
Oleg Sirota's cheeses are known far beyond Moscow Region and the capital itself. His cheese factory hosts festivals, workshops and guided tours for cheese lovers.
There, you can try onion & cheese soup, fondue, burgers with local cheese and other unusual cheese and dairy dishes.
8. St. Petersburg Bread Museum
“Bread is the head of everything,” they used to say in Russia. And this St. Petersburg museum is entirely dedicated to the production, sale and consumption of bread from ancient times to the present day. It is also noteworthy that the museum is located in a wooden mansion built in the first half of the 19th century!
There, you can learn about different bread recipes, check out archaeological finds, including baking molds, utensils and hand mills, as well as learn about the importance of bread in besieged Leningrad during World War II.
9. Arkhyz, Karachay-Cherkessia Republic
This fairly new resort (opened in 2013) in mountainous Karachay-Cherkessia is famous for its drinking water from local springs and delicious variations of the Caucasian cuisine.
There, you can visit gastronomic excursions, dine with a national flavor, attend master classes on cooking ‘khychin’ (traditional flatbreads with different fillings) and even gamble in a wine casino. But, the main dish of the local cuisine is, of course, Caucasian barbecue, aka the ‘shashlik’!
10. Chateau de Talu, Krasnodar Territory
Chateau de Talu calls itself “a piece of France on Russian soil”. This winery and restaurant complex in Gelendzhik offers not only tastings and guided tours of the winery with excellent sea views, but also master classes in wine and photo shoots in luxurious interiors with views of the vineyards.
The main restaurant's menu features traditional French and Russian cuisines made from local products using new technologies and original reinterpretations of classics.
The full list of the best places of gastronomic tourism in Russia in 2025 is available (in Russian) at tastesofrussia.ru
