No doubt: Russians have made history in the fields of literature and thinking. If you also want to be kissed by a Muse one day, don’t miss visiting the House of Writers, where the illustrious guest list reads like a Who’s Who of Nobel Prize winners.

Boris Pasternak was here and Leo Tolstoy enjoyed the atmosphere as much as Solzhenitsyn or Mikhail Bulgakov. At the panelled dining room already the Free Masons enjoyed their supper, and at the next room the writing youth of the Sixties convened, leaving their autographs and sketches on the walls. Today the regulars include those who can afford the place as prices might get you close to bankruptcy. Hot tip: The buffet in the basement of the Art Nouveau building is cheaper and lets your fantasy run wild with unconventional paintings and furniture and well-assorted book shelves.

The service is typically Russian though: slightly arrogant, a bit slow, somewhat gruff. But never mind the service and be assured that after a delicious European-cuisine-style meal, an excellent cigar and a wonderful coffee you will be the one to write the next bestseller.

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