Lusi

Amazing Experience! I recently visited Pushkin Café, and everything was absolutely perfect! I ordered the Pushkin Burger — it was juicy, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. We also had a hookah and an Aperol, and both were amazing! The atmosphere was cozy, the music was great, and the staff were super friendly and attentive. 💯 One of the best places to relax and enjoy your evening! Definitely coming back — highly recommend!

Kate May

This restaurant used to have amazing Russian cuisine, though now the menu has fewer traditional options and feels more like a hookah bar. Still, it remains one of my favorite spots in downtown whenever I crave homemade-style food. I do hope they bring back my favorite salad, “Shuba.” The waiter was also so kind (and very handsome!)- we’ll definitely be coming back again. 🙂

Vahe Movsesyan

From the moment I walked into this hookah lounge, I knew it was going to be special — but the owner and staff took it to another level entirely. The atmosphere was vibrant yet relaxing, the hookah was exceptionally smooth, and the flavors were clearly top quality and well-prepared. What really made the night unforgettable was the owner’s genuine hospitality. He went above and beyond to make sure every single detail was perfect — from customizing our hookah setup to personally checking that our food and drinks were exactly to our liking. You can tell he truly cares about every guest’s experience. The food was phenomenal — fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The drinks were perfectly crafted and complemented the vibe of the lounge. Every aspect felt first-class, from the service to the ambiance. This isn’t just another hookah spot — it’s an experience. World-class service, delicious food and drinks, and a welcoming, high-end atmosphere. You can feel the pride and passion behind every detail. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a memorable night out — this place sets the gold standard for hospitality. HAYK, THANK YOU FOR THE WORLD CLASS EXPERIENCE AND THE MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE!!!

Giovanni Calabrese

I can’t thank my friend Tony enough for recommending this place! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was incredible—chill lighting, great music, and a vibe that makes you want to stay all night. The hookah was smooth, flavorful, and lasted a long time without ever burning harsh. The staff really knows what they’re doing and made us feel right at home, checking in often to make sure everything was perfect. Drinks were on point too, and the menu had plenty of options to pair with the hookah. Honestly, this spot sets the standard for what a hookah bar should be. Whether you’re here to relax with friends or just enjoy a laid-back night out, you won’t be disappointed. Huge thanks to Tony for putting me onto this gem—I’ll definitely be back again and again!

Victoria Dieter

We went there yesterday with my husband . We loved everything: Ambiance Service And food were all AMAZING. We ordered dumplings, and honey cake. All were absolutely delicious 😋 Special thanks to: -the bartender for the spectacular cocktails(we got sex USSR, Pushkin) -The hookah was delectable. Good prices for Russian Tobacco flavors.(we got the peach+mango, and orange+lemon+mint flavors, both are good) -the waiters were were polite and friendly. 5/5 recommend. Amazing service, good food, the ambience was overall pleasant, wide choice of board games, even had a PlayStation, dimly lit, and the sofas were very comfortable and the place is also 21+. Great place!

Haylee Jane Monteiro

One of the best date nights I've had here in San Diego! Amazing vibe an amazing food! We were seated by the entrance where there was the nice decor with plants on the wall, and it really brought up the aesthetic. Rye Bread + Butter for the table as soon as we entered. The bread had a really nice flavor to it on its own and so did that butter. That butter was just amazing! So fresh and had some herby vibe going on. I actually asked for some butter to go! Borscht - We got the Borscht soup to start. I had Googled the dish before and was expecting a red color soup made with beetroot. But what we got was actually a clear soup with some root vegetables like potatoes and carrots and pieces of beef. Definitely not the soup we were expecting but it tasted good on its own. They gave some sour cream on the side with the soup and it went so well with the soup. Really unexpected! Sour cream on its own was really flavorful as well. Nothing like the stuff you get at Chipotle haha. Chicken w/pork Pelmini - We split the Chicken Pelmini. It came with this sauce on top which actually wasn't necessary. Pelmini on their own were really good. I tried some with that butter that came at the beginning and it was lovely! Pelmini was really fresh and a good amount of filling inside. Very filling as a dish as well! The best part? Beef Stroganoff! Oh man! This was the best Beef Stroganoff I have ever had! My husband actually agreed here. We really loved this dish. Could have had two of these just on our own. The sauce on the beef stroganoff was really amazing as well. Another part of the dish we could have just had plain. Got Sautéed Veggies on the side instead of noodles or mashed potatoes and it was a good call. Really balanced out the nutrition and got us some veggies as well. Another best part here.. Honey Cake (aka Medovik)! We were actually full with the dinner itself but as soon as we got this Honey Cake....It was gone in moment. And we wanted more! Not even kidding! This is one of the best cakes I have had here. What amazing flavor. It was nice and dense and just perfectly sweet. I don't know what it's made of but it was just amazing! My husband and I are both not fan of supremely sweet stuff and this honey cake was definitely not super sweet. We actually wanted a second one. A big thank you to the server for recommending this instead of the Blini. We really wanted to try the traditional Kvass (Russian drink made of fermented rye bread), but they were out. I'm not sure how since we got there around 5:00 p.m. just about an hour after they opened. We ended up getting the Compote Juice (server recommended) in the Apricot flavor. Apricot was subtle and just enough. It was just the right amount of sweet. And went very well with the mint leaves that were on top!

+10

Benjamin Straub

The food was fantastic and I loved the kvass. Started off the evening with the Borcht and herring; the Borcht was tasty and light while the herring provided a delightfully salty burst and paired well with the creaminess of the egg. The rabbit was tender and delicious, not a hint of gaminess. The cream sauce and potatoes were fluffy and mild. The honey cake finished was a perfect treat to finish off the whole night. Would recommend.

+1

Nai'lah Carter

Did a couples date night with my sister and her husband. We had a great night. The drinks were pretty potent although the service wasn’t quite as quick as we’d like. The food was amazing with a great selection!

Raelene Slater

This place is cute! The atmosphere is nice. The mango bubble drink is aesthetic and fun! The food we got was not the best food ever! Neither was the hookah but it was a cute spot! The hookah was 6/10 - made me cough a lot and not that smooth - it was also kind of expensive compared to other local spots that i love the hookah at! Food 5/10 - The beef stroganoff was a little too salty for me sushi wasn't good i was told by my friends and the Pierogi was just ok Drinks 7/10 - a little too sweet on the mango drinks and the chocolate espresso Cake 3/10 too dry Service was great- they are nice Besides messing up on the check (They fixed it easily thankfully!) removing over charged items They don't offer tap water so if you want water you must pay 10 for a bottle They add an 18% gratuity and tax you after on the gratuity as well! High service fee My bill was not adjusted on the mandatory 18% gratuity after bill was adjusted which is not nice Bill total was almost 400 50 on tip - which was mandatory 25 in taxes Spent my birthday here, it was ok

Olzhas Rakhmetov

I liked the location, we found parking nearby, and everything inside was clean and beautiful. The interior definitely deserves a thumbs up. The selection of shisha flavors was good, but unfortunately, the execution wasn't very good. Smoking shisha for a whole hour was quite an ordeal; even with the place not being full, the shisha attendant rarely came over and seemed reluctant to help. We had to call him over repeatedly, and unfortunately, he either didn't know how to properly service the shisha or simply didn't want to. Although we were quite polite, we didn't manage to have a decent shisha experience. We won't be coming back here and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Janine Wright

I rarely leave negative reviews, but my recent experience at this hookah lounge was very disappointing and troubling. I went with a friend who is Middle Eastern, and we both tried to be polite and appreciative toward the staff. Each time my friend thanked the owner, he received a warm, positive response. However, when I — a Hispanic customer — did the same, I was completely ignored. It was uncomfortable and hard to overlook. To make matters worse, when we asked for the bill to be split 50/50, the majority of the total was charged to my card, even though we made it clear we wanted an even split. Mistakes happen, but combined with the earlier behavior, it left a strong impression of bias and poor treatment. I hope management takes this feedback seriously. Every guest deserves to feel respected and treated equally, regardless of background. Until then, I can’t recommend this lounge to others.

Qusai I

The vibe at Pushkin Lounge & Bar is definitely great, but unfortunately, the service was a big disappointment. We went in for hookah and a couple of drinks, and the experience was frustrating. When we ordered our drinks, the server told us they weren’t available but didn’t bother recommending alternatives or offering to make a similar drink with different ingredients. Later, when we tried to order food at 12:30, he told us the kitchen was closed—yet we saw other tables still getting their orders about 15 minutes after he told us that. Then, about 20 minutes later, he came over asking us to close the tab because his shift was ending. We paid, only to see him come back shortly after still serving other tables. He lied to us, and the service was absolutely terrible. Don’t even stop by at all.