I splurged on a $60 lunch at an iconic Moscow restaurant that's inside an 18th-century Russian aristocrat's mansion. Here's what it was like.

Katie Warren/Business Insider

• Café Pushkin is the one of the most iconic restaurants in Moscow.
• Named after Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin, the restaurant opened in 1999 in a renovated 18th-century Baroque mansion in central Moscow.
• On TripAdvisor, it has more than 8,100 reviews with many describing it as "legendary," "iconic," and "like visiting a museum."
• On the advice of a local, I went to Café Pushkin for lunch one day.
• The food was delicious - albeit expensive - and I did feel like I was eating in a museum.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Moscow may not have any Michelin-starred restaurants, but it's home to its fair share of fine dining establishments.

Two Moscow restaurants - White Rabbit and Twins Garden - made the 2019 World's 50 Best Restaurants list, a ranking based on the opinions of international chefs, food writers, and "travelling gourmets."

But one of the most iconic restaurants in the city is Café Pushkin, named after Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin. On TripAdvisor, it has more than 8,100 reviews - and a higher rating than White Rabbit. Reviewers describe it as "legendary," "iconic," and "like visiting a museum."

Café Pushkin opened in 1999 in a renovated 18th-century Baroque mansion on Tverskoy Boulevard in central Moscow. The boulevard was a famous hang-out spot for Moscow high society after it opened in 1796, and Pushkin himself was often seen strolling there, according to the restaurant's website.

While on a 12-day trip to Russia earlier this year, I had to go see what the hype was all about. On top of the solid reviews, a local had highly recommended that I eat there.

So one day, I went to Café Pushkin for a solo lunch - here's what it was like.