When the cold, dark London winter drags on for too long and the city begins to despair that the warmth and sun of spring will never come, many people head for the airport and hop a flight to someplace far from the dreary English shores. I, on the other hand, spent last weekend somewhere even colder, darker and snowier than London - Moscow! Perhaps not the most popular choice for a winter weekend getaway, but Red Square under a blanket of fresh snow was beautiful and the Russians know how to ward off even the most frightening temperatures with a combination of fur pelts and vodka.

Despite some hairy last minute passport and visa issues I made my early Friday morning flight. I find that most European city breaks can be done easily from London without taking a day off work but the flights to Moscow are less frequent and the 3 hour time difference is great enough that having the extra day really helps.

Friday night I met up with friends to sample the famous Moscow nightlife. First stop was a pre-dinner drink at the fabulously ostentatious Praga. One of the oldest restaurants in the city, it was the place in Moscow to see and be seen in the early 20th century. Patrons are greeted by statues of Greek goddesses and whisked up a large marble staircase to ten different halls - each one more ridiculous in theme and decor than the next. On the second floor you have the Kremlin, Arbat and Tsar halls, among others, which are worthy of hosting formal state dinners. We opted for the more "modern" fourth floor and checked out the European and Brazilian halls (you know it's Brazil because they have a scaled down version of Rio's iconic statue of Jesus in the middle of the dining room) before deciding to order a drink in the "Night Club" Room which featured dance music, a faux blue "pond" dance floor, and lush faux snow-covered foliage hanging from the ceiling. There was no one else in there which made it feel a lot less cool but someone should definitely rent this place out for a work party or a wedding reception and invite me please.

Next up was dinner at a Georgian restaurant. When our driver dropped us off out front it looked like we were walking onto a ride at Epcot Center. The entire restaurant is a wood paneled replica of a Georgian village complete with roaming accordian players, a babbling brook with a water wheel, and a karaoke bar. Ok, that last part doesn't go with the Georgian theme but the Russian businessmen singing in the next room certainly added to the lively atmosphere. We ordered five bottles of vodka for the table and every time the uber-attentive staff noticed one of our shot glasses was empty they would fill it back up. Plate after plate of authentic and delicious Georgian food began to arrive. I especially enjoyed the pickled strips of eggplant filled with walnut paste and the Georgian pizza - shallow bread bowls filled with a cheese, butter and egg mixture. Artery clogging but so delicious.

After dinner we had a table booked in the VIP section of super trendy club-of-the-moment Rai. The name means heaven but the decor, which incorporates large green-laser-eyed monsters, scantily clad dancers in bird cages and torches shooting fire from above the bar, depicts another place entirely. The slightly surly waiters who kept our drinks fresh and brought out apple flavored hookah pipes on demand were dressed in tiny silver hot pants and matching boots. Our table was next to a small swimming pool and every so often silver confetti would rain down on everyone from the ceiling. Who comes up with this stuff? The over the top surroundings and non-stop techno did their job though and kept us dancing until 5:30 am.

On Saturday morning we fueled up on milkshakes at the Starlite Diner and made our way to Izmailovsky Market to look for Russian souvenirs. We found a treasure trove of furs, Soviet relics, matryoshka dolls, and much more. I couldn't resist a grey hat with ear flaps and a Soviet hammer and sickle pin on the front. My friend Carrie tried on fur hats in every color, size and shape and finally settled on one made of incredibly soft black rabbit fur. I felt sorry for the bunny but it is incredibly warm and looks très chic.

Pleased with our purchases, we took a detour through Red Square on our way home. Under a blanket of fresh snow it had a completely different feel from the last time I visited. It was more Russian somehow in the ice and snow. There was a huge ice skating rink set up in the middle of the square and plenty of tourists and Russians were milling about, despite the frigid temperatures.

On Saturday night we had Valentine's Day dinner reservations in the two-story, domed, renaissance-themed dining room at Turandot. The menu strangely features sushi and Chinese dishes but we opted for the more European set menu. Diners are served by waiters in 18th century costumes (sadly no powdered wigs) and serenaded by court musicians (same costumes plus powdered wigs) on a rotating stage. Sublimely surreal.

After dinner we went to a super trendy bar in the designer shopping district - Simachev - and experienced the dreaded “Face Control”. This is a phenomenon where the bouncer takes one look at you and decides instantly if you are rich/hot/important enough to get into his club. The bouncer tried to turn us all away (the nerve!) but we had friends inside who came out to get us. We weren’t impressed with the crowd at Simachev so we left for my friend Graeme’s favorite place in Moscow - Vodka Bar. There’s less face control (although there is a small cover charge) so the crowd is more laid back and less obsessed with the trendiness and wealth of everyone around them. Everyone was dancing and having a good time and didn’t seem fazed when a large red Barney-esque dinosaur came out onto the dance floor and starting breaking it down. It freaked me out a little bit when it started to dance with me, but I tried to play it cool. We ended the night with a karaoke after-party in Graeme’s flat until 6:00 am. Does this city ever sleep?

On Sunday we were all tired but looking forward to our posh champagne brunch at the Ritz Carlton. The food was gorgeous and we piled our plates with salads, made to order omelets, blinis with sour cream and caviar, and sushi, and even tried the cosomo glass filled with green apple jelly and foie gras (not my favorite). They had a beautiful spread of valentine’s deserts on offer along with fresh fruit and a chocolate fountain. Carrie was wishing the acoustic guitar player had been playing a harp instead (something more soothing would have been nice after the night we had) but overall it was an amazing over the top Sunday brunch and the perfect end to a fabulously decadent Russian weekend.

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Where to Stay // Where to Dine

Petrovka Lofts - House 17/2, Entrance 2, Petrovka Street. A budget hotel in a good location with very clean, modern rooms and a helpful, friendly staff. The dorm style bathrooms (2 toilet and 4 shower private rooms shared with all other guests) aren't ideal but at €99 per night in a city where decent hotel rooms easily go for double that amount the price is right.

Genatsvale na Arbate - Ul. Novy Arbat 11, Metro - Arbatskaya. Fabulous Georgian restaurant. Order a sampling of appetizers and you'll never make it to the main course.

Starlite Diner - Ul. Bolshaya Sadovaya 16, Metro - Maya-kovskaya. Great burgers and milkshakes. An authentic retro American diner experience in a very unlikely place.

Turandot - Tverskoy bul 26/5, Metro - Tverskaya. The ambiance roughly translates as Marie Antoinette serving you Chinese food at Versailles. The people watching is extraordinary. Trust me, just go.

Denis Simachev - Stoleshnikov per. 12/2, Metro - Pushkinskaya. A bar below the designer of the same name's flagship store. Funky, hip and furnished with random and sometimes disturbing pieces like an old electric chair.

Vodka Bar - Lva Tolstovo Ul., 18b., Metro - Park Kultury. Fun crowd, lots of dancing, lots of vodka. Entertainment varies - sometimes there’s a midget who dances on the bar but the night I was there they had a man in a large red dinosaur costume. It was awesome.

Ritz Carlton Caviaterra - Ul. Tverskaya 3, Metro - Okhotny Ryad. Gorgeous new hotel. The brunch spread was really nice and included unlimited champagne. (It should do for RUR 4000/$115/£80 per person.)

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