It’s hard to find a nice coffee offering in Russia. The statement is sad, but still holds true. I’m a newbie in coffee drinking, but already have my own preferences about it, and apparently there is little to no understanding among the numerous fast-foods and coffee-houses of what a good cup of coffee should taste like.

This is my personal experience, though, I’m not pretending to sound/act as an expert, but here is the top 2 places I would buy a cup of Cappuccino at:

1. Starbucks. If you’re lucky enough to find a Starbucks nearby, then this is a nobrainer – go get it there! The best coffee one can find in Russia is served at this place.
2. Chockoladnitsa (aka Chocolateer). This is surprisingly good place to get a decent cup of Cappuccino. Even though the range of products is not as wide as in Starbucks, the taste still holds close to original.

Now, lets take a look at fast-food offers. Generally, you shouldn’t buy coffee there, it sucks! However, if there is no other place around, take a chance at MacDonald’s or Sbarro. And, please, never ever waste your dimes at places like ‘Rostiks KFC’, ‘Kroshka-Kartoshka’ (‘Little Potato’), ‘Teremok’ and such. You’ll get an over-burned, cheap, sometimes even chemically over-flavored drink, which has no resemblance to anything like coffee, and may be very dangerous to your stomach too!

So, if you want to drink a cup of coffee in Russia, find a Starbucks or a coffee-house, but not a fast-food. Happy Labor Day!