On the Arbat since 1997

The story of Bosfor is the story of how Moscow first came to know Turkish cooking — and of how a restaurant became a place people return to for years.

The fireplace and a Bosphorus panorama in the lower room

1997

The first Turkish restaurant in Russia

Bosfor opened on the Arbat in 1997. Until then, there had never been a Turkish restaurant in Russia, and everything that seems familiar today was still waiting to be discovered: kebab over charcoal, thin bread from the oven, meze shared across the table, strong tea in tulip glasses.

The name was no accident. The Bosphorus is the strait that joins the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and divides Istanbul between Europe and Asia. A meeting place of two shores — that is how we saw our own role in Moscow from the very beginning.

The Arbat

A street with a long memory

The Arbat is one of the oldest streets in Moscow: its name appears in chronicles as early as the late fifteenth century. One theory traces the word to the Arabic rabad, a suburb or outskirt — a reminder of the trade routes that once linked Moscow with the East.

Poets, painters and musicians have lived and gathered here, and since the mid-1980s the Arbat has been a pedestrian street, one of the best known in the city. Bosfor became part of it nearly thirty years ago and has welcomed guests at the same address ever since: 47/23 Arbat.

Hospitality

Introducing Moscow to Türkiye

There is a Turkish saying: a single cup of coffee is remembered for forty years — Bir fincan kahvenin kırk yıl hatırı vardır. Behind it lies a whole way of life: lay the table more generously than needed, offer one more glass of tea, never rush anyone, and remember kindness for years. This is what we brought to the Arbat.

For many Muscovites, Bosfor was their very first encounter with Türkiye, long before Turkish resorts and television series became part of everyday life. We still see that as our purpose: to show not a tourist postcard, but real cooking and real hospitality.

A cup of coffee is remembered for forty years.Turkish proverb

Traditions

Sundays, celebrations, generations

Over the years Bosfor has grown its own traditions. The best loved is the Sunday Turkish brunch: an open table of pastries, hot dishes, starters and desserts that guests come to as families.

Birthdays and weddings are celebrated here, business lunches held and quiet evenings for two spent. Some of the guests who were first brought here as children by their parents now come with children of their own.

Recipes

Faithful to tradition and to the produce

We cook from traditional recipes and respect them as they are: Adana kebab of hand-minced lamb over charcoal, pide from the oven, coffee brewed slowly in a cezve until it holds its foam. The meat we serve is halal.

Carefully chosen ingredients and consistently high standards are what keep the trust of guests who have chosen us for decades.

Today

A new menu, the same house

In 2026 Bosfor renewed its menu: new signature dishes have joined the classics of Turkish cuisine, and familiar recipes have been given a careful, contemporary presentation. What has not changed is the warmth with which every guest is received.

We look ahead with the same passion as in 1997: to keep introducing Moscow to the true flavours of Türkiye, and to remain a place people want to come back to.

From the archive

Photographs of Bosfor from 1997 to the 2000s will appear here.

1997

1990–2000

2000–2010

Reservations

Your table on the Arbat

+7 (499) 241-93-20

We take reservations by phone, so we can find the right table straight away and take note of any wishes — from a quiet corner for two to a long table for the whole family.

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Opening hoursDaily, 10 am – midnight

Address47/23 Arbat Street, Moscow

For banquets, weddings and private events, please call the same number.

Call · +7 (499) 241-93-20