I had Kalinka bookmarked for a while so decided to check it out while in the area. The parking lot is not too big but we found a spot midday on a Wednesday. The interior was quaint with lots of Russian decor elements. Service was also friendly. The menu is broad with lots of Russian options, and there is even a lunch combo/special option for weekdays from 11AM-3PM that comes with a side, small bowl of soup, and traditional kompot drink. We decided to order a lunch combo (chicken kotleti) as well as the Á la Kalinka dish. The chicken kotleti was basically a ground chicken meatball that was served with a sauce reminiscent of cocktail sauce. The rice was garnished with fresh dill. The Á la Kalinka beef stew was very flavorful with whole peppercorns, tomato, and bay leaves, and was unexpectedly spicy. I loved that it was served piping hot. Although the portion of beef in the stew was generous, some pieces were a bit tough. Both dishes came with pickled cabbage slaw. I really enjoyed the hot borscht soup, it even had a few chunks of beef inside (granted, I love beets). I really enjoyed the kompot drink, but was a little irked when there was a charge for the drink. Admittedly, we were served a full carafe of kompot, and the explanation I received was that the lunch combo only comes with a single small glass, but I would have appreciated being asked if I wanted to pay for a larger volume drink. I was also asked if I wanted bread, which cost $3.50. Again, I have nothing against charges for these things, but it would be better to be more transparent upfront that there will be charges instead of just adding it to the bill. Ultimately, food was a bit pricey but was very tasty and there isn't much Russian food around. I still had a nice overall meal experience. read more

See all

A cute Russian restaurant hidden in Glendale/Burbank. I have been wanting to go as they are across the street from Mambos. The pigmeni was good, but more on the room temperature side. I felt that the Beef Stroganoff was quite small for an entree and the price. The chicken dish did take a really long time to come out - we had to eat the beef stroganoff and pigmeni as they were getting cold. Was a bit awkward and I wish the staff paced the food out so that we all ate together. read more

See all

Kalinka has food that feels like your grandmother made it with love and delicious ingredients. I tried their signature dish and my mom had the chicken kabob, which were both so well done. If you are feeling nostalgic for Russian food this place is an absolute must! And if you haven't tried this cuisine before, I guarantee it will surprise you. read more

Very disappointed with my first experience ordering from Kalinka. I waited almost 2 hours for my delivery and tried to be patient and understanding. The driver left the order outside behind the main street door, even though I live in downtown, which was very frustrating. I still left a tip anyway. When I opened the bag, there were no napkins, no forks, and no utensils at all. The salad came in an extremely tiny container, the vegetables were cut very poorly in huge uneven pieces, and it was overloaded with mayonnaise and onions. I also ordered a large portion of boiled pelmeni for my daughter, and it came with only 9 pieces, which honestly looked more like a child-sized portion. Overall, the food quality did not match the price or the wait time. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this restaurant. read more

Kalinka Russian Cuisine - Russian Near Me - Glendale, California

Food was amazing delicious and filled with simple and unique flavors. When it comes to the flavors they are subtle but tantalizing to the palate. Small and quaint location. We had the Chicken Kotleyi with buckwheat rice and pork jarkoe with potatoes and bread with eggplant spread read more

See all

This hidden gem in Glendale is amazing. The food, taste, atmosphere and service are all top-notch. We had the solyanka soup, which was warm and comforting with flavorful cold cuts, the Olivier salad with potatoes, eggs, and chicken and the khinkali traditional Georgian dumplings. Everything was absolutely delicious read more

Kalinka Russian Cuisine - Olivier Salad and Beef Khinkali - Russian Near Me - Glendale, California

Excellent !!!! Loved the food, the atmosphere and the Service. When I'm in the area again; I'll make sure to stop in and try their other dishes. I'm sure they will be delicious read more

See all

Very good food and atmosphere best Russian and Armenian cuisine we need go back again

This restaurant is small, but delightful. It's located in an unassuming strip mall. I found the welcomes warm. I wanted to try a few things on their menu. The server did a good job giving descriptions of the menu items. I never knew blinztes came in a savory form. They have chicken blintzes as an appetizer, but it is more like an entree. The pelmeni was very much like homemade style. Vinaigrette is a common Russian salad and accommodates any meal. read more

See all

Ate the chicken kebab so fast we forgot to take a picture. Tender, juicy, nice flavor. The herring with boiled potatoes is a favorite as well. The Modovik (honey cake) was very pretty but very dry. Also the cake cost as much as the kebab so just get another plate of that lol. The girl serving us was very sweet and attentive & the Russian music playing was a cherry on top. Overall we loved practically everything and absolutely would be back. Oh and pretty authentic flavors! Going to be a go-to when we're missing mamas home cooking. read more

Kalinka Russian Cuisine - Honey cake "Medovik" - Russian Near Me - Glendale, California

See all

Located in the same plaza where they shot Superbad! The restaurant is small but very wonderful. It was not busy when we went so we got our food pretty quickly. I ordered the borscht and potato pirogi - both were great! The herring salad was great and the bread was even great! We ordered vodka shots - pickle, mixed berry and lemon. They were all really good! Even the kompot was good. I think my experience at Kalinka was so good I recommend going. I'll definitely be back whenever I'm in town. read more

I love Russian food. I crave it and I try every russian restaurant I find. This is probably the best Russian food I have ever had. The borscht was filling and a great portion, the blintzes were delicious and huge. I feel like I got great quality and value. I want to come back during lunch and try the snitchzel. read more

See all

The restaurant has beautiful décor, but unfortunately the music was so loud it felt more like being in a nightclub than in a place to relax and enjoy a meal. We kept asking the server to lower the volume because it was giving us a headache. We ordered two dishes: the borscht and the beef stroganoff. The borscht was decent, but the beef stroganoff was tasteless and disappointing. For a Russian restaurant, we expected much better flavors. The service was also lacking--we asked simple questions and didn't receive helpful answers. Overall, the atmosphere was nice for photos, but the food, service, and noise level made the experience unpleasant. We won't be returning. read more

See all

We recently held a memorial gathering for our beloved family member at Kalinka, and they exceeded every expectation during such a difficult time. We ordered a banquet that included a wide variety of fresh, delicious cold appetizers and truly outstanding kebobs -- everything was flavorful, beautifully presented, and plentiful. The service was exceptional. The staff were attentive, kind, and incredibly supportive, helping our family feel cared for throughout the event. Their professionalism and warmth meant so much to us. 10/10 recommend. Kalinka made a challenging day a little easier, and we would gladly return again and again. Special thanks to Idana , thank you for everything!!! read more

The BORSH was worth a trip to Kalinka, it was like a trip back in time to old Soviet Union read more

Kalinka Russian Cuisine - Dining area - Russian Near Me - Glendale, California

See all

My friend and I went to this restaurant on Friday and everything was perfectly cooked and prepared. We had beef with creamy sauce and onion, lamb chop. Delicious, Delicious and Delicious!!! Can't wait to go back. Strongly recommend. read more

my first time trying russian food and it did not disappoint! i loved every item we got, my favorite were the mushrooms, the sauce was so good and it was so warm in the little stone pot. it wasn't busy at all and service was attentive. it's a cute little spot, i would def recommend read more

Kalinka Russian Cuisine - variety menu - Russian Near Me - Glendale, California

Came here for lunch. Ordered their black bread with spread, the chicken blintzes, the fried beef pelmeni and an Armenian coffee. The food wasn't bad, it just wasn't very tasty or flavorful. The coffee wasn't strong either. I found this place through other yelp reviews. Sometime ago a friend hosted their birthday at a Russian restaurant in the WeHo area, I thought this place would be better but it wasn't. On the other hand, the place was well decorated, clean, and spacious. Good background music and the service not very warm or welcoming, it was just okay. read more

Kalinka Russian Cuisine - Chicken blintzes - Russian Near Me - Glendale, California

I had the A La kalinka (kharcho I believe) with a side of mashed potatoes and it was delicious. I didn't expect the spice but it was both delicious and perfectly spicy! I will say the beef could have been more fall off the bone but it came off easy enough with a little tug or two. Oh and a perfectly sweetened glass of Kompot. I've never had Russian food before but this has been a delicious experience. The restaurant was clean, well lit and had beautiful decors. Thank you for the good service as well. read more

Kalinka Russian Cuisine - A La kalinka (kharcho I believe) with a side of mashed potatoes. - Russian Near Me - Glendale, California

Rip off $28 each for this?!?!?! The presentation, even for a take out dish, is terrible considering the cost. The quantity (or lack thereof) is near criminal. As far as taste, it's okay, though overpowered with dill. Given such a meager portion size for a $28 dish, you'd at least expect to be blown away by the flavors, but that was not the case here. read more

Kalinka Russian Cuisine - Beef Stroganoff - Russian Near Me - Glendale, California

See all

Love it! Highly suggest to check out this place. I got a beef stoganoff with rice and I say 5 out of 5. Very delicious and creamy, right consistency. Recommendassion . To waitress Aidana, many thanks for your warm welcome and happy smile. That made my day. Also, cool decoration, clean, tidy place. And chill outside patio to hangout! read more

If I could give 0 stars, I would. They don't even deserve 1 star. The food was called Russian cuisine, but it had nothing to do with Russian food. Waiters were not friendly, very robotic and lacking any personality. Anything we asked them regarding prices and/or food they didn't know. What??? You don't know???? What do you know than? What kind of business is it? Please do yourself a favor and avoid this so called Russian restaurant. It's very expansive for the amount if food you're getting and it's not tasty. Please stay away from this place. Euroasia or Traktir would be a better choice. read more

Went on Sunday around 1 pm. Place was empty. It was a beautiful place and felt authentic. Service was polite and very quick. Started with the breads and eggplant dip. Amazing start. Ordered small cup of the beef borscht soup with veal/pork dumplings. Both bomb. For mains we got the pork schnitzel with grilled veggies and beef stew with mashed potatoes. Both delicious but the stew was very spicy. Also got the blintzes cake for dessert which was a nice not too sweet ending. Overall good experience but it was very expensive. read more

This place is so delicious!!! Great if you're looking for authentic Russian dishes mainly catering to the meat and potatoes palate. I love their baked whole Seabass which is huge for the price. It's so juicy and tender that the fish falls off the bone. I believe the seasoning is primarily bay leaves and tomato which gives it a fragrant flavor that is to die for!!! The beef stroganoff is also meaty and flavorful. My friends husband is German and the herring with potatoes is his favorite. I also like the grandma style pan fried sausage dish which is pretty basic but still delicious and filling. The Chicken Kotleti is like a meatball with herb seasoning and it's also juicy and flavorful. The Cornish game hen is also flavorful and crunchy to the bite. As for dessert the Blintzes with Preserves is like a crepe and very sweet. I prefer the crepe cake or Blintzes cake because it's layered with sweet cream. Perfect ending to a meaty and salty meal. Highly recommend Kalinka for your Russian food cravings!!! read more

See all

My experience here was mediocre. The decoration is beautiful but it was very empty and that could've been my cue to dip, however, I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt. The waitress was polite and greeted us as it should be. She even offered us a taste of the variety of Vodkas. She took our order well and followed the etiquette. My boyfriend and I ordered two borscht soup and for the price the soup tasted flavorless more like red colored water, 2 pieces of fatty beef and a lot of yogurt in a small odd bowl. Honestly, for the price it's mediocre and what's worse if that it's flavorless. The Kalinka salad is also mediocre sizing for the price they are price gauging and under serving. I saved the best for last. My boyfriend ordered Jarkoe plate and ...... It come out with this horrible sketch like if it was old pork meat. It was extremely burnt, crumbs of the pork it was disgustingly inundated with oil and more potatoes than protein. Honestly, it was such a health hazard and possible food poisoning to serve something so horrendous. I immediately let the waitress know and I asked her if is this Russian typical dish, she verbally said yes, but by her looks she immediately understood the stench, as if they don't properly wash their proteins or it's old protein, and the presentation, it was criminal. The waitress understood and almost looked embarrassed and knew it was the correct thing not to add it to the bill. Overall, if you're local and want to seek a bad experience then by all means stop by and test it. Ultimately, my experience was awful and the food is absolutely not worth the price and portions are skimpy. I left so disgusted, unsatisfied and robbed ($70) because the experience was awful. Lastly, to top it off, my boyfriend mentioned that the waitress felt entitled for a tip. She had the audacity to mentioned, "By the way, tip is not included." The bravery for a waitress to feel entitled about a tip is unprofessional. read more

Best restaurant in Los Angeles. Great Food service and ambiance. Love it here. Beautifully decorated

Authentic Russian food, with good service and charming ambience (wallls and shelves are adorned with matryoshka dolls, palekh wooden spoons, a balalaika, etc.) read more

Surprising gem of a place. First-time here. Inviting red door facing Victory. White tablecloths...open seating plan...we chose a corner table under a balalkah and a cheery modern painting of Moscow...upscale feel ...and romantic..Also al fresco dining. As for the food, loved what we tried. .and oh the bread...amazing bread, dark and light, chewy hearty fabulous bread...get the borscht...it was delicious...and shareable...that amazing brrad, that yummy borscht equals happiness. Since my friend hadnt eaten this cuisine before, we ordered blinis.....and the lunch combo special (we chose the chicken schnitzel, mashed potatoes, and soyanka)...easily shareable... the schnitzel was perfection...mashed potatoes good, it wS a split decision on the solyanka.. a soup slightly spicy with chopped cold meats like sausage flavors... The blintzes iis a savory crepe/burrito.... impressive when it comes to the table... pureed chicken wrapped in a crepe topped in a mushroom gravy with herbs...beautiful to look at, but a bit mushy to us...ive been to Russia and I remembered having a sweet version...buckwheat pancakes with jam and honey inside...wish we had room to try dessert... The kampot was a pleasant fruit drink...the kvas made from fermented bread was very sweet so saith my companion...overall a lovely lunch.. and a lovely beautiful server with a bemused expression... she was helpful and we werecharmed by her. read more

See all

- All we took: herring under a fur coat, mors, black bread with lard, vinaigrette, dumplings with potatoes. - I can say absolutely everything I liked. - The girls waiters are great. - I'll come again read more

See all

We had a last minute large reservation. Tigran, the owner, contacted me directly and was super easy to work with and within budget. The service was amazing!! Food was solid - everyone left full and satisfied, especially me! Although its in a strip mall, its cute and cozy inside and parking is easy. read more

Okay, this restaurant may be for those who are already acquired to the taste of this specific food. Personally, I did not enjoy the food at all. It was very bland and flavorless. Also, there were no signs anywhere stating that it was cash only so when we went to pay I had to wait inside the restaurant while my friend went and found an ATM to be able to pay. The food was also quite expensive for what we got. We were recommended this restaurant by a friend, so again this may be an acquired taste but it wasn't necessarily what I was expecting. read more

I was in this restaurant month ago and I liked everything first off all I want to grateful for service waitress her name is Aidana she recommended me assorted grilled kebabs . We like it I will come again for that food secondly Aidana was very friendly , humble and she is professional her jokes really cool . We will come back for her and for the delicious foods. read more

Kalinka Russian Cuisine - Assorted grill kebab - Russian Near Me - Glendale, California

Food was good! Service was decent. Will probably return.. How long has KALINKA been in business? Can the owner respond? read more

Very good. My favorite was the Solyanka soup! I've had the chicken blintzes and stroganoff before as well and they are both solid options but by far was most impressed with their soup, so flavorful! The fresh bread is also delicious! Great service as well. read more

Kalinka Russian Cuisine - Georgian salad - Russian Near Me - Glendale, California

See all

Visited Kalinka restaurant last night. First of all, I want to say, that evening was completely spoiled. Food was okay, but service, wasn't at all. Staff were not responsive and robotic. Couple of think was completely unusual for Russian cuisine restaurants. First of all, restaurant charged $50.00 cork charge for $8.00 bottle of vine and $35.00 for small bottle, which is very steep. Than, restaurant charged 20% mandatory tips. In this case, if it is mandatory, that every dish in the menu cost 20% more. This is pure misrepresentation. At the end, manager has hard time to divide the bill for the 3 three parties. Obviously, it was unbelievable math. problem for her. So, I had to pay cash for the hole diner. Everyone was disappointed. We would not recommend this place to attend in the future read more

Kalinka cuisine is a bit pricey. Came in for lunch for 2 and bill came out too 110$ with tip. No alcohol only sodas. Ordered cheese plate 4 pieces of cheese 3 olives sliced in the middle They bring out bread room temperature with side spread was okay, bread was on the dry side Ordered beef stroganoff - very small portion for 28$ which was 19$ 2 years ago. Food it self was really good gotta order 2 to get full. Borscht Soup - my friends order and he loved I doubt I would come back here read more

Went for the lunch special. Great food and the service was on point. Need to go back and try other items on the menu. read more

Kalinka Russian Cuisine - Pork Schnitzel - Russian Near Me - Glendale, California

really wanted to enjoy this place! sadly the food quality is terribly blow. one of the beef dishes had such a pungent smell of rancid mcdonald's that it was inedible. certain dishes like the dumplings seemed to be cheap frozen reheated nonsense, the dessert was very american and sweet and with the cheapest tasting spray can whipped cream. borscht was meh. would love to get to experience good real Russian food in the LA area, will have to keep looking. oh the gray plastic flooring was a major turnoff too. read more

First time trying Russian food and was very good with the expection of Pelmeni didn't like it, but my favorite was the Borscht so delicious definitively will come back to try other plates. Customer Service was the best the waitress was so communicate, answer all our questions and helps us choose the best plates to try for the first time... Is a small restaurant but with a nice decoration and nice vibe... read more

See all

The food was not fresh. The servings were skimpy, and the price was too expensive. I won't return, read more