Honestly skip the main GUM cafes completely. Coffee costs 500 RUB, basic blini 800 RUB, quality screams tourist trap. The secret? Stolovaya 57 in GUM's basement level. Entrance at Vasilevsky Spusk 1, open 10am-10pm daily.

Their pelmeni costs 300 RUB and actually tastes like proper Russian comfort food, not the sanitized tourist version. Full meals 600-800 RUB. This cafeteria-style spot is where GUM employees eat lunch - always a good sign. The beef stroganoff technique is spot-on, borsch has that deep flavor you can't fake.

Pro tip: avoid any restaurant within direct eyeline of Red Square. Walk literally 10 minutes toward Tretyakov Gallery area and prices drop 50%. Most local spots near the gallery are cash-only but worth hunting down. The neighborhood has that authentic Moscow energy without the Red Square markup.

Trust me on this - I've spent weeks in this city testing every tourist trap so you don't have to.