L.

+ You can get $25 off your bill using the link on my profile. We loved the deco and the cultural vibe in the restaurant — they even had a Russian cartoon on the TV screens, which was fun. They also had a Ukranian flag hanging by the bar which I felt was thoughtful of them with everything going on. The bartender welcomed us very warmly and gave us recommendations including which plates pair with which drinks, although we’d already had dinner so we weren’t able to try out the food. While the cocktails didn’t suit our palate completely, they tasted very intriguing, and it was fun to hear about which cocktails are commonly had in which situations. I want to go back to try the food, which looked a little pricier from a brief skim, but also sounded intriguing.

Jenny Beth Stenquist

A delicious introduction to Russian cuisine and phenomenal beef stroganoff! We ordered Salmon Blini to start—filling for a starter, with very fresh salmon. We thought we might have ordered too much with that plus two entrees, but it turned out to be the perfect amount of food for two with relatively smaller entrees, which we appreciated. I think it’s possible that this is the definition of how stroganoff should be made. It just made so much sense: the egg noodles were light while still being filling; the beef was shaped how it should be shaped for the meal (not sure if that’s too strange an observation but it just made me question any other way I’ve had the beef shaped before); and the presentation with the noodles separate and the beef stroganoff in a cast iron mini Dutch oven helped keep the meal fresh as I ate through. The Chicken Kiev was seasoned really nicely and the mashed potatoes had a great flavor. Service was amazing. The owner was so friendly! Live music elevated the whole experience.

+1

Rachel Kendrick

So much fun! We went on a Saturday night with a reservation. It’s such a vibe inside. The piano, the photographer, the vodka, all the fur coats! Would recommend! Pricy though! One of my fave places in nyc! Got the vodka flight (the were out of horseradish, but best one was pear and the ginger. Worst were the dill and plum) Siberian dumplings and beef stroganoff were fine. And the White Russian was excellent!

Maria Thi Mai

I love when the people who work at an ethnic restaurant speak and know the culture of the cuisine. So true with Russian Samovar. The evening jazz band was a bonus to our dining experience. We had the borscht and wild mushroom soup accompanied by two chicken dishes and cherry dumplings for dessert. All were tasty!

Ben

The atmosphere is something out of a mob/gangster movie. Very dim light very cool. The food was great! The cheese bread is a must when you come here. The Moscow mule was the best I’ve ever had. Shislik was mid at best. Very Russian style

Arisa Chuklin

Great food great cocktails but definitely on the pricier side. The beef stroganoff stuck out to me and I really liked the cucumber gimlet We got reservations just in case but you might get seats if u walk in Best part is it’s near the Wicked Theater which makes it a great pre Broadway meal

+7

Diana May

Food was delicious. My first time trying Russian food. I loved the beet salad & the smoked salmon wrapped in crepes. I’d definitely recommend these dishes. They had a gypsy dancing & someone singing. It’s very authentic & culture is truly kept. I tend to love very contemporary modern spaces with multicultural crowds but it was nice to experience this traditional ambiance. It definitely had its niche. If you’re looking for authentic delicious fresh Russian food, atmosphere & ambiance, I’d recommend.

Tati Smirnoff

I’ve been to this restaurant before, but unfortunately the quality has gone down. The food was disappointing: the soup arrived without any meat, and no bread or a piece of salo was served at all, which is not what I expect for this dish. The service was also not as good as it used to be; our waiter seemed uninterested and not enthusiastic, and did not make any effort to check on us or suggest anything else to order. Overall, this visit was a letdown, and I’m not sure I would return. The condition of the place was also disappointing: the ceiling in the bathroom was broken, which made the restaurant feel poorly maintained and not very comfortable to visit.

Dumitrita Paladi Contes

It was a fun experience. I had a delicious shuba salad, but both pirozhki weren't authentic and too soggy, and the borscht tasted more like solyanka, I wouldn't order it again. The bartender Gishan was friendly and mixed two delicious White Russian cocktails for me. I felt bad for him when a Russian customer started making fun he doesn't speak Russian and ordered in a very nonchalant manner. Then it got very busy for a Tuesday night and the staff seemed stressed handling the crowd. The live music was enjoyable although when it got noisy, you could barely hear it. And the bathroom area has a serious cleanliness problem. I doubt I will be coming back.

+4

Andrew Wing

I’ll be straight with y’all. This place starts going downhill before you even walk in. The sign outside is dirty and run-down, and that already sets the tone. In the entryway, there were people smoking and clearly drunk, blocking the way and not bothering to move for paying customers. Not exactly a warm welcome. Inside, it’s cramped beyond belief. The aisles between tables are so narrow it feels like a nightmare if you’ve got even a hint of claustrophobia. Tables are packed in tight just to squeeze out more profit, and it shows. Comfort and safety clearly aren’t a priority here. The bathrooms deserve special mention — and not in a good way. They were extremely dirty and unhygienic. Strong odor, overflowing trash bins full of used paper, visible grime everywhere. This is completely unacceptable for a restaurant and honestly pretty shocking for New York. Service was painfully slow. The person taking our order didn’t seem like a trained server and tried to memorize everything instead of writing it down — which, unsurprisingly, led to mistakes. The borscht came out lukewarm and unpleasant. The dumplings had gristly meat inside and were basically inedible. We asked for hot coffee and were served hot water with jam. Cocktails all came out the same, poorly poured, and clearly short. Not good at all. The music was way too loud, the sound system poorly tuned, with constant feedback that hurt your ears. The playlist was repetitive and intrusive — zero restaurant atmosphere, more like a badly managed noise show. ❗️❗️❗️Worst part: the staff member repeatedly touched us while talking — unnecessary physical contact, overly familiar behavior. That made us extremely uncomfortable. That kind of conduct is not okay anywhere, especially in a restaurant. Bottom line: our evening was completely ruined. Looks like whatever reputation this place had back in 1986 is long gone. I won’t be coming back, and I sure won’t be recommending it to friends. Truth be told, this is a dirty, uncomfortable, and poorly run establishment that seriously needs to get its act together PS. I’ve been to hundreds of restaurants over the years, in different cities and countries, and I rarely leave reviews at all. This is the first time I’ve ever felt the need to write something this negative. Even now, I still feel uncomfortable thinking about the experience.