Maggie Mater

Wonderful first time experience. The seating is great, as it's half open air. The home made infused vodka is so smooth. The borscht and golubtsy are fantastic. I can't wait to come back.

+2

Yara Nash

Sat outside under Traktir's covered patio for lunch on a beautiful 75° day. We had such a nice waiter and the Ukranian food was sooo delicious. The borscht was better than my mom's! We also had the beef stroganoff, stuffed cabbage rolls, cheese vareniki, and a really smooth kvass(barely alcoholic drink) on tap. The meat in the borscht and stroganoff was tender & tasty. Potatoes were just right. The golubsky disappeared off of our plate quickly! Everything we had was super yummy.

+3

andi nicpon

I have been to Traktir a few times now and have never been disappointed. They infused their own vodka in-house and it was amazing. The service is great friendly and attentive but not overbearing. The food is phenomenal. I would highly recommend trying Traktir out if you have never been there and want a new experience.

Wilfred Cho

They opened on Christmas day and it was busy. They have a small parking lot, but big enough. Food was great. Service is slow, but good. Walked out with a full belly and smile.

Gabrielle Garcia-Williams

I wasn't sure what to expect when we decided to dine here. What a wonderful experience. Our service was so kind explaining the food and vodka. The Sturgeon was very tasty. Cooked medium as it can get tough, ours was juicy & flakey. The dumplings were a fun tastey treat. Now the salad was a taste bud explosion! Full of fresh herbs & the garlic dressing was delicious. The vodka tasting was fun. This is a must visit place! BTW there is a nice little market next door where you can pick up some Ukrainian/Russian treats. Parking was easy with a lot attached with plenty of spots.

+4

Ying Liang

Heard great things about this restaurant and wanted to stop by to try some Russian food. Staff was friendly, food came fast in generous proportions. It was all delicious! The sauces were a different flavor and the sour cream went well with everything. The Borscht was my favorite—I’d never had soup like that, left alone beets cooked like that! A must try if you get the chance to stop by.

Sally

Authentic Russian foods including Salo, Borsch and ingredients infused vodka. Good vibes and cute decorations. Service is good too :)

+5

Penny Lavoe

Traktir is a Russian restaurant in the city of Santa Monica. If you want to try something new this is the place to be. They’re known for their special vodka flavors. The food is excellent all around. They have a variety of combinations dishes. Recommend for everyone looking for something different.

+1

Jasmin Hussain

Seems like to be a famous place for birthday parties among Russians, which makes you believe in the authenticity of the food. The chicken blintzes have a deep savory taste that you will enjoy. Although I am not a big fan of soups, the Borscht presenting its combo of well spiced (not hot) and sweet note from the beets amazed me. The potatoe Vareniki are potatoe filled dumplings receiving their taste from caramelized onions on top, simple and good. The dessert, the traditional cake, was not so much my favorite. It's Russian style stacked pancakes with some cream filling and chocolate sauce on top. The restaurant offers parking in the back.

Anthony

Rating: 2 out of 5. Mostly because of the shady practices to get tips. The place itself is lovely — cozy atmosphere, friendly and attentive service, tasty food. We were greeted by a warm and caring server, and everything went smoothly… until the bill came. We were just two people, but an 18% tip was automatically included — without any notice. Maybe that’s normal in LA, but it felt off. What really bothered us was how the check was presented: it was folded in a way that hid the breakdown, showing only a line suggesting another 18%, 20%, or 25% tip. This setup can easily trick guests into tipping twice — first the automatic gratuity, then another one on top, thinking it hasn’t been included yet. That’s not okay. If they’d asked for a small extra tip — like 2% or 4% — sure, no problem. But charging 18% upfront and then asking for the same again feels dishonest. Good food and service, but the tipping practice ruined the experience for us. That’s why it’s 2 stars.

Until now I never wrote a negative review but after tonight's experience ​I am beyond disappointed by the blatant discrimination we experienced here. My wife and I came in ready to enjoy a meal and spend money, but the moment the staff heard her Russian accent, the entire service shifted. ​Initially, they spoke to us in Russian, but once they realized we didn't have a Ukrainian accent, they suddenly "didn't have a table" and made us wait 15 minutes despite many being empty. When we were finally seated, we were ignored for another 15 minutes while they served groups who arrived after us. The staff even looked at us while talking to other tables about us in a mocking way. ​It is 2026—this kind of regional racism and "accent-based" gatekeeping has no place in the United States, let alone a restaurant in LA. If you don't speak the "correct" version of a language to satisfy their politics, they will treat you like an intruder. Unprofessional, exclusionary, and deeply offensive. We will never return.

Karen Guntherchung

Terrible service! We called and they said they were open till 10 o’clock plus that’s what’s advertised as you can see from the attached picture. We walked all the way there and arrived at 9:10 and they said sorry we’re not gonna serve anybody else tonight. There were large tables of people still dining and we said that we walked all the way there cause you said you were open until 10 and they were very rude and said closed. They honestly cared less and when I said I’m going to be doing a review, they laughed and said go ahead so they don’t care at all. If they have no concept of customer service, do you ever wanna eat there cause think of what they’re doing in the kitchen with the food? Lack of empathy or care for customers doesn’t limit itself to just one area.