Cafe Pushkin in Moscow

Any visitor to our capital should make a stop to “Кафе Пушкинъ” (Cafe Pushkin). It's a wonderful place, in the heart of Moscow. It is one of the most beautiful restaurant of our capital and certainly one of the best “table”.

The house was built in the end of the XVIII century, by a noble man from St. Petersburg, who after serving at the court of Catherine II, decided to retire to Moscow and ordered the construction of his mansion on Tverskoy boulevard.

In the middle of the XIX century after the death of its owner, the house became the property of a German-aristocrat who opened a drugstore on the ground floor. The legend has it that the poor guy never made any profit and the local was soon used as a cafe that became very popular among members of the church. To keep this legend alive, “Cafe Pushkin” installed a very unique pharmaceutical counter at the entrance.

You can dine in the library, on the second floor, on beautiful tables and surrounded by wooden bookcases carefully storing ancient books from the XVIII and XIX centuries.

“Cafe Pushkin” has very little to do with the famous Russian poet Pushkin, and without a little help of destiny and romanticism, the cafe would have never existed.

In 1965, Gilbert Becaud, famous French singer, gave a series of concerts in Moscow. During his stay, he was offered the help of a young Russian girl to show him around and served as a translator.

Back to France, G. Becaud wrote a song, “Natalie”, that he dedicated to his Russian guide. The song is about visiting Moscow, with Natalie showing him all the marvels of Communism, and him dreaming about inviting her for a hot chocolate at “Cafe Pushkin”.

Онаgt; произносила ничего не значащие фразы Об октябрьской революции, А я думал о том, Что после Мавзолея Мы пойдём в кафе «Пушкин» Пить горячий шоколад.

She talked in neutral tones About the October Revolution And I was thinking that After Lenin's mausoleum We would go to Cafe Pushkin And drink a hot chocolate.

Rapidly, the song became very popular in France, and French tourists arriving to Moscow would ask to visit “Cafe Pushkin”. For many years, people believed that “Cafe Pushkin” was hiding somewhere in Moscow, but this restaurant existed only in the poetic mind of the song writer and singer.

In 1999, Andrey Dellos, a Russian artist and interpreter, came up with the idea to create this restaurant. It will be no surprise for you to know that Gilbert Becaud was the very special guest on the opening day, June 4th, and that he sang “Natalie” for the first time in the real “Cafe Pushkin”. Wether his beautiful guide Natalie was there or not seems to be a secret up to now.

And this is how the “Cafe Pushkin” was born from a song.