Danilovsky Moscow market: around the world in 80 minutes
On the weekend I became very hungry for homemade Uzbek Plov. At home in Germany it goes at least once a week on the lunch table and accordingly my longing for it was great. As I had the idea to visit a typical Moscow market for a long time, I connected both directly and wanted to buy fresh food for my Plov at the market. The decision fell quite fast on the Danilovsky Moscow market.
Danilovsky Moscow market has existed for many centuries – long before the present, modern building was built. It was named after the oldest monastery in Moscow, the Danilov Monastery, which is located nearby. In 1282 it was founded by Prince Daniel, the youngest son of Prince Alexander Nevsky. Trade flourished in the vicinity of the monasteries and it is assumed that the trading centre existed in this place between the 13th and 19th centuries.
In the 1970s the planning of the building began according to the construction trends of large agricultural markets in Moscow. Especially, at that time, there was an advanced technology – reinforced concrete vaults. They were used to cover large areas without intermediate supports. This is how the striking cupola-shaped roof of the building was created.
The idea to cover the Danilovsky Moscow market with a cupola came from the architects Felix Novikov and Gavriil Akulov. They were inspired by the dome of the sports hall “Friendship”, which was built for the Moscow Olympics in Luzhniki and is called “turtle” by the Muscovites. The construction of the building was completed in 1986.
Danilovsky Moscow market is a marketplace where fresh and varied products are sold. It is complemented by a sophisticated bistro concept, seasonal fairs and gastronomic festivals. You can not only buy products from the regions of Russia and the CIS states, but also have lunch in the cafés around the market. Today, the market has around 30 restaurant concepts from different countries and cultures, based on the motto “Around the world in 80 minutes”. You can even find restaurants of famous personalities in the gastronomy industry, such as United Kitchen by Andrey Ryvkin, K-Town by Alexander Khan or the Vietnamese Café Bổ. Do you want Peking duck or rather cravings for falafel? Have you always wanted to try Armenian dolma or Moroccan tazhin? The Danilovsky Moscow market makes it possible – from luxury burgers to Dagistan cuisine everything can be found there.
The extensive range of restaurants attracts Muscovites and makes the market a popular meeting place.
Danilovsky Moscow market is easily accessible for residents of all parts of the city, as it is located in the immediate vicinity of the Tulskaya metro station and has sufficient parking spaces. It can be found in Mytnaya Ulitsa 74 street and is open every day from 08:00 to 21:00 hours. If you urgently need fresh, tasty food but don’t have time to go shopping at all, you can have the products delivered to your home or office via the homepage. In general the homepage of Danilovsky Moscow market is worth a visit, but only if your knowledge of Russian is sufficient, because it doesn’t have an English translation. The market is also represented on Facebook, Instagram and VKontakte.
So on Monday afternoon I made my way to the Danilovsky Moscow market after my hunger in Uzbek Plov had not subsided on the weekend. From the metro station Tulskaya the modern building with the cupola-shaped roof was directly visible and I didn’t have to search long. In fact, I was surprised by the inviting building of the market and was all the more excited to finally go inside. After entering the building I immediately felt comfortable and my eyes couldn’t decide where to look first. Especially from the colorful, exotic fruits I could not avert my gaze and there were vegetables and spices as far as the eye could see.
After I walked some rounds in the hall to get a first impression, I decided for a small snack to strengthen. The choice fell on the Dagistani kitchen and a small portion of dumplings, filled with potatoes – super tasty and recommendable!
Afterwards I set off on my mission to buy the necessary food for the Plov. No matter at which stand I stopped (not always completely voluntarily, since the salesmen can be a little penetrating), I was gladly advised and treated friendly. So I bought fresh carrots, onions and garlic at a vegetable stand and then moved on to the meat counter. There I told the saleswoman my plan and she recommended a fresh piece of beef. I was even asked to smell it in order to convince myself of the quality. After this was done, I came to a stand where I wanted to buy the rice. The nice gentleman there gave me the tip, which of his rice sorts would fit best to Uzbek Plov. And because he was so nice, I was persuaded to buy some plums. That’s something you have to consider there – if you can’t say “no” as well as I can, it’s best to have someone on the market to do it for you.
My products were bought and I went home after 3 hours on the market. Danilovsky Moscow market is a nice place to buy food, which may be a little more expensive than in the supermarket, but is usually fresher and tastier. However, the small street restaurants from all over the world are clearly great there and make the visit especially recommendable. This was definitely not my last visit to Danilovsky Moscow market and the next time I will definitely try the famous Pho Bo soup there.
Well, did you get hungry and want to visit?
