I've been wanting to go to Veselka for two years. I finally got a reservation on Resy, but it…read morewasn't really needed. They took walk-ins and had several empty tables. It's Friday, July 3...and it's a heatwave; lots of people are out of town and streets of NYC are not super busy. I got the lunch special with two fried BEC pierogi, two fried short rib pierogi, and a cup of cold borscht. For $4, I added the bacon/kielbasa/onion topping, which came in a little cup; it's worth it. Both pierogi options were great, but I actually thought the BEC was the star of the show. The egg was not runny and the bacon was chopped very fine; the filling was seasoned well with salt and pepper. My husband really enjoyed the short rib pierogi. Next time, I'll try the potato one. Service was fast and the prices were reasonable. The space is very retro with interesting art on the wall. My only (minor) complaint would be that the Diet Coke is watery, but I'm not gonna subtract a star for that. Will definitely come back.

Outstanding blintzes. I get it. It probably is the best dessert blintz I'll ever have…read more The lime rickey was delicious, as was the egg cream. They did bring out the wrong order for me and it took a while to get the correct one. I got the vegetarian plate. The dumplings were good, but nothing out of the ordinary. The kasha tastes like chemicals and plastic, but I hear it's an acquired taste and I don't hold that against Veselka. Serving sizes are pretty small for the cost!

I stopped by Streecha for lunch last Sunday after wanting to try it for ages. It's a basement, no…read morefrills Ukrainian restaurant with a classic menu and comfortable, casual cafeteria vibes. I had a cup of borscht and an order of dumplings, which were both great. The borscht was something I will crave for a while. The broth just had an incredible, balanced flavor. I thought since my food was pretty warm up and serve, that it would be a quick meal, but the service was pretty slow. I sat and waited a while. It was Mother's Day, so I think they were busier than usual with catering orders and moms and grandmas stopping by for desserts for brunch at home. So the pace of service may have been affected/out of ordinary for that reason. For those visiting for the first time: Take a look at the menu upstairs on the sidewalk before going down to the restaurant, because there was only menu downstairs at the counter where you order, so anyone coming for the first time will have to flip through the menu while holding up the line to order unless they know what they want already. When you go downstairs, the restaurant is behind the first door to your left; it's not well-marked. A lot of reviews say it's cash-only, but that may have been under the prior owners/management, because they definitely took credit cards/Apple Pay when I was there last weekend. If you love Ukrainian food, Streecha is well worth a visit. I love its no frills, classic approach to dining. It's a great option for a casual lunch if you're in the area and are craving some Eastern European fare.

Streecha offers great comfort food for all of us who are either familiar or unfamiliar with…read moreUkrainian cuisine. I dragged my partner to the basement kitchen that is Streecha and he was unprepared to face three nuns in the hallway leading to the kitchen with his tattoos uncovered. The fear in his voice when he asked if we were in the right place was already a great sign. Tucked in a room to the left were several long tables and a lady in the front taking orders. We wanted to try a little bit of everything so we settled for half a dozen of meat verenyky, a half dozen of potato and cheese verenyky, borscht, and stuffed cabbage. Our favorites of the bunch were the stuffed cabbage and the half dozen potato and cheese verenyky. We only wished everything was hotter because it seemed only the potato verenyky was hot. But as a self-service kitchen that relies on the help of volunteers, it wasn't surprising. So if you're looking for Ukrainian food without spending a fortune at Veselka, Streecha is a great alternative. I also think they do affordable lunch specials so that's something else I need to try.

Lovely Ukrainian Restaurant. I celebrated many occasions here, the food is amazing. The staff is…read morevery friendly and nice. Prices are great.

We received fresh dishes, attentive service, and had a perfect dining experience. The team…read moredelivered consistent support. Their food arrives fresh with excellent flavor and choices. They deliver reliable meals and pleasant interactions. Our group was pleased with everything.

My last time to Brighton beach was well over 20 years ago. I remember it well. All of the…read morestorefronts with. Cyrillic writing, clothes, food with wonderful smells, trays and trays of caviar, just bursting out the door. And, a Starbucks. Today, not too many Eastern European businesses are left. Now, it's banks, cellular, provider, stores urgent care, a 7-11, even a Popeyes freaking fried chicken. Oh, and the Starbucks is still there. After walking out of a very bad experience at imereti Georgian cafe down the street (see separate review) I found this place. Boy, am I glad I did. I was seated in the front. The restaurant was gorgeous. ! I could hear a beautiful voice singing, Eastern European songs in the back of the restaurant and at one point,, he switched to Elvis's "I can't help falling in love with you" in English. That made me a little emotional, because that was my late partner's and my song... Anyway, I decided to go for the crêpes with red caviar (salmon roe), and the Ukrainian borscht. Bread and butter is brought to my table. The white bread was OK, but the brown bread had a deep rich flavor. The crêpes come first, and they were amazing. The crêpes were very warm, soft and delicious. I loved the "red caviar". A little bit salty, more briny than fishy, and a wonderful explosion of flavor when the eggs "pop." in the mouth. I was very happy. Next came the borscht. It had cabbage, beets, potatoes, and either beef or pork. I'm not sure which one. The meat , beets and potatoes was very tender, and the soup was delicious and not too rich. A very satisfying flavor., the beets gave it a little bit of an earthy flavor. The sour cream that came with it, just added a creamy richness to it without overtaking the flavor of the borscht. 1000% a home run. Dinner wasn't cheap. Two dishes, two iced teas (I found out they charge for refills), and tax, and it came out to about $48 before tip, .I didn't care. I don't mind paying extra if the food is that good, and this food was absolutely beyond awesome. I would be glad to come back and try other items on the menu. Thank you!

Stopped by as we wanted to try some authentic Russian food, and this did not disappoint! We ordered…read morethe classic Ukrainian Borsch, along with the green borsch with chicken meatballs, and the blintzes with meat to start. The classic borsch is very dill heavy, but that was my favorite! The blintzes were also delicious and came with a tangy yogurt/cream sauce. For entrees, we shared the chicken stroganoff with buckwheat and Cornish hen with mashed potatoes. The hen was incredibly tender with a dill gravy, and the buckwheat was perfect with the stroganoff. Overall really delicious dishes and a beautiful indoor environment! Also the service was incredible and the owner was very kind in explaining to us the dishes.

Absolutely loved it here…read more I love coming here. I love their lattes, pierogies, omelettes, potato pancakes, kielbasa and everything else I've tried. Everything was so fresh. The employees were very friendly and helpful. I can't wait to come back.

Coming here for a work lunch with my boss, who was the one who recommended we dine here, with some…read moreother colleagues, I wasn't sure what to expect from this place that I've passed multiple times on the BQE while on my commute to work. Apparently there is more than one location in Manhattan. The inside reminded me of a classic diner. Comfy and with a pretty cool vibe. We all slid into a booth and looked over the seasonal offerings along with their standard menu. I was lured by the chicken Kyiv based on the picture of having two rolled up chicken cutlets stuffed with dill and other yumminess, but was a bit disappointment when it arrived with a single small cutlet on my plate with two heaping mounds of potatoes mash and broccoli. I instantly had regret when I should have gotten the borscht soup with pierogies, but wanted to try something I wouldn't usually. I should've stuck to what was safe. My work mom got the stuffed cabbage and that was a clear homerun- really loved the mushroom gravy that it came with. My other colleague got the potato pancake and wasn't too thrilled with it, while my boss got the two Swedish meatballs that he described to be Ikea worthy. Although this was my first time here, I can't say that anyone really loved the food nor would come out of their way to come back. I really was hoping this would have wow-ed me in some way, but I guess I'll stick to what's familiar.

This place can get pretty busy during lunch rush on Saturday! Because it's more family owned, they…read moredon't rush you. Feels very home-y Loved the Borscht, will always get this every time we come back Tried their Ukrainian combo and it was delicious, stuffed cabbage, pierogis (1 meat, 1 potato, 1 mushroom, 1 spinach), sausage and sauerkraut. The east village combo was good too! The potato is really good. The portion size is decent! We were stuffed and didn't finish everything since it's a little on the heavier side. Pierogi ranking top fav to least favorite: Meat Mushroom Cheese Spinach Potato Also, tried the cheese Blintzes, which reminds me of a bit of a crème haha so it's more of a dessert Next time, we want to try the wiener schnitzel and the stuffed cabbage with cream mushroom sauce?

Such a cozy restaurant, it feels like you're in someone's home. Food is the same, no frills and…read morewell-priced. I got the East Village combo that came with 4 different kinds of pierogis, a cheese blintz and a massive potato pancake for $18. The blintz might be the next I'be ever had. Perfectly sweet and crisp. The potato pierogi was my favorite but it's nice to be able to sample the different flavors with the combo. Our server was so sweet and made us feel right at home. It's hard not to feel good when you're in here. Try the horseradish infused vodka, it's surprisingly smooth.

Generally recommended dishes from our banquet: Chalahach, Kutab/Qutab, Lulya Kabob, Sturgeon Kabob…read more Side Note- Review is from a meal from several months ago. Sheep by Barashka (or in other words rather humorously when translated Sheep by Sheep) is an Azerbaijani restaurant (specifically Gorsky) similar to Village Cafe or Baku Palace with the prices on the menu being somewhat in the middle though closer to Baku. Like those spots, you go here and have one of two experiences depending on whether someone speaks Russian/Azeri and whether you're here for a party. It's part of the experience and luckily I was part of the latter. When my part of the group arrived, there were several salads such as an avocado salad with tomato, eggplant salad (basically the same thing as Turkish Soslu patlıcan,) and an Achuchuk salad (tomato and onion based.) There was also herring which was tasty. Soon arriving were some hot appetizers. There were two variations of Kutab/Qutab which is essentially a flatbread either stuffed with meat or with greens with both being outstanding and in my opinion a bit better than the other spots I mentioned. There was also potatoes with mushrooms which was okay (I prefer more of a crisp) as well as Khachapuri or cheese bread which was salty and delicious though perhaps a bit too buttery. The main dishes were the standouts. The sturgeon kabobs were outstanding with very tender flaky fish which paired nicely with the pomegranate molasses/narsharab found commonly in the region as well as another cold sauce which I believe was tomato based. In terms of meat, their specialty is chalahach or in other words baby lamb chops. These were meaty, tender, and some of the best I've ever had. The lulya kabob or ground lamb kebab was also tender and delicious and I would recommend them. The rest of the meat was also good but these were definitely the best. I don't remember having dessert. The food overall here was delicious and I can see why this has become a preference for them. There is apparently live music here but they weren't in that night which I didn't mind as it was easier to talk. Good food (especially the main dishes) and friendly staff. Would go back for another party.

The space is great! Often empty, looks like an event space for the most of the time. Closed Mon and…read moreTuesday. First time I came, I wanted to try potato kebab, which I didnt see anywhere else, they were out. I ordered small pies, they were out. Waiter said they are never out of kebabs. So I ordered kebabs. 10 min later he came again and said they are out of it as well. Like how the waiter can not know what they have?!! Ended up with grilled sturgeon, which came bare on a plate, not even a leaf of green or anything. Wanted to give 3 stars or even 2, but gave it a second chance. Second visit they had everything and it was delicious. Apart from potato kebab, which ended up being just a puree on a stick. Nothing exciting. Food is really good but quite pricey. Especially for the area.

We were walking around in Greenpoint and suddenly the neighborhood turned Polish, which is super…read morebecause I love Polish things...especially stuffed cabbage. I saw a couple pointing and nodding, so I asked, is this place amazing? They said yes. We were sold. We were wanting a drink and conveniently, they had a bar. Polish beer and incredible Polish cabbage on the way to meet friends for dinner at another restaurant? Duh!! Im Jewish - not religious - but it's important because beef/rice is the norm in my world. Karczma makes a pork version which was so so good. Big fat pieces. Thick, perfectly wrapped cabbage. Juicy, flavorful filling. The sauce was bright with tomato flavor. The wagon wheel decor was a curveball, but the warm and comfy vibe in the restaurant is what mattered most. We loved it.

Well, it has been 11 years since I first reviewed this place. Time flies! I have not been here in…read moremaybe 6 years and I can tell you the food is very sad now. I got the schnitzel (breaded chicken cutlet) and it came with a side of coleslaw and mashed potatoes. You used to be able to pick two sides, but anyway... There was zero seasoning in the whole dish. The coleslaw tasty like nothing. It was full of mayo but tasted like nothing. The chicken was super dry and tasted like it had been fried yesterday and then heated in the microwave. The mashed potatoes had an annoying amount of chopped dill on top, but no salt. The biggest sadness came when I tasted the pickle soup. It is a shadow of its former self. It is light on pickles and full of under-cooked potato cubes. It was badder than bad. What is going on here? SAVE YOUR HARD EARNED CASH!