Moscow Restaurant
A historic Russian restaurant in Beijing, symbol of Sino-Soviet ties.
**Moscow Restaurant** (Chinese: 莫斯科餐厅; pinyin: Mòsīkē Cāntīng) sits in Beijing’s Xicheng District. Opened in 1954 within what was then the Soviet Exhibition Center, it was built to promote friendship and cultural exchange between China and the Soviet Union. As one of the capital’s first Western restaurants, it remains a nostalgic landmark, still running today under the nickname “Old Moscow” (Chinese: 老莫, pinyin: lǎo mò).
The restaurant’s history mirrors the ups and downs of Sino-Soviet relations, surviving the early “honeymoon,” the split, and the Soviet Union’s collapse. Soviet architects designed both the restaurant and the surrounding Beijing Exhibition Center complex, originally called the Soviet Exhibition Center. The project aimed to showcase Stalinist architecture and introduce Chinese citizens to Soviet life. It was one of several “Sino-Soviet friendship buildings” meant to modernize China by following the Soviet model.
In the 1950s, the restaurant initially served Soviet diplomats, advisors, and scientists, along with Chinese students returning from the USSR. According to some accounts, its grand opening featured a state banquet attended by Soviet and Chinese officials, though no widely established canon confirms that Premier Zhou Enlai hosted a banquet for Khrushchev's delegation there. For Chinese citizens, only politicians and celebrities could obtain the meal tickets needed to enter. Once the restaurant opened to the public and accepted cash, its high prices made dining there a rare, prized event. The government portrayed the Soviet Union as a prosperous utopia, and the Moscow Restaurant became a status symbol of modernity. Many young people saved up to go, even if they were unfamiliar with Russian cuisine. One man saved for three months to take his girlfriend, proposing to her while singing “Moscow Nights.”
Popularity waned after the Sino-Soviet split in the 1960s, when the restaurant was denounced as counter-revolutionary. Soviet cultural imports were banned, and the government renamed the Soviet Exhibition Center to the Beijing Exhibition Center; the restaurant became the Beijing Exhibition Restaurant. During the Cultural Revolution, Red Guards stormed in, accusing the kitchen of cooking “revisionist food” and using the dining hall as a sleeping area. Soviet-trained cooks were ordered to make only Chinese dishes. After a year-long closure,
- founded
- 1954
- location
- Xicheng District, Beijing
- type
- Russian restaurant
- also known as
- Old Moscow (老莫)
- capacity
- 600 people
- area
- 1,300 square metres (14,000 sq ft)
Lore & Background
The Moscow Restaurant was designed by Soviet architects as part of the Soviet Exhibition Center, intended to showcase Stalinist architecture and introduce Chinese citizens to Soviet life. In the 1950s, it first served Soviet visitors and Chinese students returning from the USSR. While some accounts mention a grand opening banquet attended by Soviet and Chinese officials, there is no widely established canon that Premier Zhou Enlai hosted a state banquet for Khrushchev's delegation there. Initially, only politicians and celebrities could obtain meal tickets; later, when it opened to the public, high prices made dining there a rare, prized event. Young people saved for months to afford a meal, and one man saved for three months to propose to his girlfriend while singing 'Moscow Nights'.
Reader's Guide
The Moscow Restaurant is significant as a living testament to the changing relationship between China and the Soviet Union, surviving the Sino-Soviet split, the Cultural Revolution, and the fall of the USSR. During the Cultural Revolution, Red Guards denounced it as counter-revolutionary, forcing it to serve only Chinese food for a time; Western food service was restored in 1969. After reform and opening up, it reverted to its original name in 1984 and became affordable and popular for weddings. Its nostalgic value endures among older Beijing residents, and it has been featured in films, novels, and memoirs. The restaurant underwent renovations in 2000 and again in 2009 to restore its original style after patron complaints. It still serves Russian fare like borscht, beef solyanka, and chicken Kiev.
Did You Know?
- The restaurant was originally part of the Soviet Exhibition Center, and while it has hosted many notable figures over the years, there is no widely known historical evidence that Mao Zedong or Zhu De dined there.
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