Camille Charrière: Why Moscow should be on your 2018 bucket list

STAY

The Ararat Park Hyatt, just around the corner from Saint Basil’s Cathedral and a few minutes away from the fairytale-like Kremlin Palace, feels smart yet sumptuous — the fleet of luxury cars parked out front gives a strong signal of the crowd that likes to come here.

SHOP

AIZEL is Moscow’s answer to Colette in Paris or Dover Street Market, a concept store that stocks some of the best contemporary designer names. VILSHENKO is a homegrown label that is a godsend when you are in a fix for those spring/summer weddings. Expensive, yes, but you’ll justify the cost per wear in the end. WALK OF SHAME is of the Demna and Gosha school of cool – I love its slogan socks. TSUM is the Russian Selfridges, a stone’s throw from Red Square, and sells the widest selection of Russian and international fashion.

WHAT TO PACK

AWAY — the genius suitcase brand (right) with built-in USB ports for charging on the go.

POLAROID — I like being able to have tangible photos of my trips.

SISLEY skincare — my skin gets super dehydrated on planes. Its products are essential for me.

DRINK

Vodka Martinis. The local vodka varieties are a cleaner version of the spirit and won’t induce a hangover so easily. Visit Simachev, a trendy bun bar that doubles up nicely as a spot for a post-dinner shot. The interior is completely kitsch (featuring lots of neon lights and manga artwork) and it plays a fun mix of funk and hip-hop.

VISIT

To mark my first-ever trip to Moscow, we visited the Bolshoi (right) to see a performance of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut — a dark, subversive production. I loved the plush interior — especially the pink and golden walls outside the Grand Circle — which is like the Royal Opera House in London or the Palais Garnier in Paris, and the fact they had real chairs. Yes, it’s a bit of a tourist cliché but the Red Square is spectacular by night and best explored by horse-drawn carriage.

SEE

Dasha Zhukova’s GARAGE museum is a temple to cool: designed by architect Rem Koolhaas, it’s a brilliant selection of the best names in contemporary art right now, with pieces from Zhukova’s own private collection.

EAT

Don’t come to Moscow on a diet: you’ll be drunk in no time on all those vodka shots and you won’t be able to sample all the delicious variations on stroganoff. (In the bitter winter months, it’s a staple.) We visited LavkaLavka, a farm-to-table restaurant that did hearty dishes and generous portion sizes. At the smarter end there’s Café Pushkin, a Moscow institution. In the former home of an aristocrat, expect old-world charm and service.