Came here for my wife's bday to get in touch with her Slovak heritage. The portion size was very generous (we definitely brought the leftovers home) and the food was really good. We ordered the klobasa (kielbasa) and langos (fried flat bread with garlic oil and cheese) to start. The klobasa came with mustard and horseradish to dip in, which gave it a nice spicy kick. Then we shared the potato spatezle with sauerkraut and a plate of boiled pirogies (stuffed dumplings). Next time, I'm getting the whole plate of pirogies for myself. We also each got a mug of svařák, which is a mulled wine. It was perfect for a winter night. We're definitely planning on coming back again. read more

Koliba - Klobasa and langos. - Modern European Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Came here with a ticket from the Queens Beer book. Upon walking in, I noticed this place looks almost like a hunting lodge. It has animal skin hanging on the walls and a triangular roof. We were promptly approached by a waitress to take our drink orders. I started with a BrouCzech-Dark. This was so delicious. It's a dark ale that sort of looks like a stout upon first glance. It was so good that I ordered another one. To eat I had the chicken schnitzel with French fries. My friend ordered the chicken kabob. The food arrived piping hot, and it smelled amazing. The schnitzel tasted fresh, and the kabobs were well-seasoned and tender. For dessert, my friend and I split the homemade apple strudel. I am kicking myself for not ordering the ice cream with it. The strudel was the perfect end to our meal. With room from one more beer, I ordered the Krusovice. This was a very well balanced lager that was lighter in color as compared to the Brou-Czech. It was yummy and curbed my appetite! The service was fantastic. It seemed like there was only one waitress serving everyone but she was efficient and friendly. I would definitely come back! read more

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Excellent service and delicious fresh quality traditional food prepared authentically at reasonable pricing. Tap Pilzen 1/2 or 1 liter is the cherry on top. read more

I worked a few doors down from this restaurant and for some reason I never ate here.. it was my daughter's birthday and she wanted to try it..upon entering you are transported to a mountain lodge in Europe..we tried all three of the hot appetizers and they were all fantastic. We especially loved the grilled klobassa and langos ..for the main course we had the pork schnitzel,,the half duck and the beef in cream gravy...they were all so tasty and so home cooked I felt like my mom was in the kitchen. The portions are huge ,so we have a meal for tomorrow..for dessert we had the apple strudel..it was the best I ever had..I highly recommend this place we will be back read more

I hate to give it one star, I really wanted to give a five star review but the owner/ manager whoever the older blonde lady was, made me do it. So here's my little story...I'm from Slovakia so I was really excited about the food and I decided to bring my friend along, who's first time was gonna be to try my country's food. The waitress was nice, the food was excellent, tastes just like home. Then the owner came up to our table to ask us if we were leaving because someone else had a 6PM reservation. Mind you, that the owner was sitting next to us with her friends. Why didn't she get up then and gave her table to the 6PM reservation? Why didn't she ask others to hurry up and leave? What kind of customer service is that? Never returning again, and will not recommend anyone else either. It's sad because not too many places like this that offers Slovak/ Czech food. Today (8/29/2020) the owner decided to approach me on Facebook. Well here's the convo. Anyone can see that according to her 3 hours are enough to enjoy a meal, so anyone who plans to be there longer than that, be aware. It's funny how she never mentioned that she couldn't get up from the table to give it to the next customer. Shame on her, such shame. I will definitely not be back! read more

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We came in over a year ago and just ordered the wrong things. The kielbasa and the pierogi are not going to blow your mind if you've had really authentic Polish food. When we returned recently, we checked the reviews carefully and ordered the Svíčková with dumplings and the chicken with mushrooms and gravy with mashed potatoes. Both these dishes are sublime, especially if you spent time in the Eastern Bloc. The French onion soup is killer, despite being an item thrown onto the menu just to accommodate Americans unwilling to try the garlic or sauerkraut soups, also very good. The fact that the owner sits at the end of the bar watching her waitresses like a hawk and playing favorites with her customers is part of the charm. Koliba seems transplanted directly out of 1980s Bohemia. In fact my wife and I were the only non-Czech speakers in the restaurant on a Saturday evening. I hope the owner also owns the building because this is exactly the sort of place that Astoria gentrification kills. Fingers crossed. read more

Amazing food, very authentic. I've been coming to this restaurant every time I'm in NYC for last 15 years and the quantity of the food have not changed. Highly recommended!!!! read more

Česneková polévka je vynikající ! Cesnaková polievka je vynikajúca ! The garlic soup is delicious ! ¡ La sopa de ajo es deliciosa ! La soupe à l'ail est délicieuse La zuppa d'aglio è deliziosa ! read more

The food is delicious, great beer, no frills. Definitely check this place out if you are in Astoria

Outstanding service, delicious authentic Slovak food !!! I highly recommend for everyone !!! Ps. Definitely we will visit Koliba very often !!! read more

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Very good for the area which has a few really good easter european options. Enjoy the beer and meat. read more

I imagine Czech lodges basically look like this but the beer is even cheaper. Not to say the beer was expensive here but when I went to Prague it was like $1.25 and literally cheaper than water. The food comes in massive portions so you really don't need an appetizer. But you should still get one because the fried cheese bread (the name escapes me) is great. I had the beef in creme sauce which was hearty but not as good as my friend's schnitzel and my other friends combo pork plate which came with some roasted and smoked pork. The pork plate won. Get the pork plate. Long live the pork plate. read more

I'm originally from Prague and Koliba did not disappoint! The staff was very friendly and attentive. I ordered a Pilzen and a Krusovice (both on tap) followed by the svickova (it's tasted just like back home). The atmosphere is typical Czech. For a moment I felt like I was back home enjoying a nice meal. Anyone looking for authentic Czech food I highly recommend Koliba. Keep up the good work guys! read more

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After a frustrating and very disappointing experience at the nearby Bohemian Hall Beer Garden our mid-size group of fourteen came here for dinner. Our group was the only table being utilized aside from an elderly man sitting at the bar to keep his spirits up from loneliness. Czechoslovak/Slovakian cuisine which was my first experience as I needed substance before consuming wine or cocktails. Koliba does not have a full bar as they only have beer and wine. There is only one waiter in the entire restaurant which her heavy Czechoslovak accent combined with our rowdy group made it difficult to understand or place any orders. I had to holler numerous times by walking directly to the bar in front of her face to obtain one measy glass of water as well as a business card. Why should I go to the woman to be served when service should come directly to patrons!? The placemats for the tables are straight from Crate & Barrel with the colors, texture and look. The decor is indeed stereotypically grandmotherish. read more

This place is great. Very authentic Czechoslovakian dishes. I came here with five of my coworkers and the staff was very nice. They serve huge portions so come with an appetite or you can eat and bring some home with you. The atmosphere was very cozy. Lots of decor that gave us all a taste of the Czech culture. I highly recommend this place. I ordered: 1) Garlic soup (has egg and cheese inside) 2) Potato Spaetzle with sauerkraut and bacon 3) 1 pint of Pilsner Urquell beer You won't be disappointed! It's an experience. read more

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What a wonderful restaurant. I've been here many times now, and I'm amazed at how consistently excellent the food is. I come with omnivores, and I'm vegetarian, and we all have a great meal. We did again this week, with me enjoying the split pea soup (a special), the spaetzle with sheep cheese, and the langos, a fried bread with garlic oil and cheese that we've always resisted, but loved as a worthy indulgence, split three ways. Also had a really good pilsner. They both loved their entrees, smoked pork with red cabbage, and beef in cream sauce, both sharing the dumplings (delicious steamed bread). All in all, a meal that was not super light, but also not as heavy as it may sound. The atmosphere feels like a nice, well-kept old-school Czech neighborhood place. Don't sleep on this rare jewel! read more

I'm from the Czech Republic and this place always makes me feel right at home (even though some dishes are Slovakian and I believe the owner is as well) . The homy decor, understaff shifts but always always great food. I feel like my grandma is in the kitchen. If you go and you should get your lazy butt from the City time to time, have Halusky (Potato spaetzle with sheep cheese-bacon 14.50). It is Slovakian dish but you will never find better anywhere in continent of America. Anything is great - Headcheese, Roasted duck, rizek... If you like the beer - have the dam beer. Czech Republic is not #1 in consumption of beer per person in the World for nothing. Also Becherovka with Tonic will set your belly straight after the yummy greasy load. Dobrou chut a nazdravi read more

Koliba - Halusky w sheep cheese & bacon - Modern European Near Me - Astoria, New York

You walk in and it looks like a country cottage with taxidermy adorning the walls. The people working there are Czech and put out really good homestyle food. I always start out with a Garlic Soup and is clearly one of my favorites on the menu. It's simple, with gooey cheese and runny egg yolk on the bottom and chopped garlic throughout. It is served not very hot as to keep the consistency of the egg yolk. The portions are very large and filling for the main dishes and come with a potato side and a salad of your choice. I often get the Pork Schnitzel in Potato Pancake batter but almost everything on the menu is good. I like to change it up. Pair it with a Czech beer and I'm a happy camper. Every year, they also have Venison Fest which feature a wild game menu. I hope to be able to make reservations for that when it comes around in January. read more

Koliba - Grilled Klobasa - Modern European Near Me - Astoria, New York

Koliba brought me back to Kutná Hora and Prague. The atmosphere is low-key, comfortable and overwhelmingly Czech in it's decoration and polka-style music. Our Czech waitress spoke broken English and was almost embarrassingly friendly. The homemade beef and barley soup was spectacular. I had the beef with cream sauce, which comes with bread dumplings. Rich and memorable. Hyperlipidemia. My friend had the beef goulash, which may have topped my dish. They have a half dozen Czech pilsners on tap served with their appropriate glassware. This place is awesome. Czech it out. read more

Koliba - Modern European Near Me - Astoria, New York

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This is a review specifically of their yearly Venison Feast, a very exciting event! This was my first visit and I will absolutely return, I loved this place! The inside looks like a hunters lodge with wood everything and a few stuffed animal heads on the walls. It was quite busy when we arrived, the noise level a bit high, and we almost did not get a seat since we did not have a reservation. Thankfully they seated us, and since 99% of the food appears to be cooked in advance (appropriate since its generally low and slow type food) it was a short meal and they got to turn the table over for the next guests in no time. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful with the menu and beer choices. Excellent, attentive service. For our appetizers we had the combination plate of Goose Pate and Venison Meatloaf. The pate was amazing, one of the creamiest, richest, full flavored pate i've ever had, we loved this! The meatloaf did not stand up to the qualify of the pate, it was not bad, but a bit dry and not nearly as flavorful as expected. Still a nice sized portion for a great price. We loved both entrees. Large portions of well cooked, very flavorful, lean, tender deer. Excellent food! The Deer Goulash was great, strong, deep flavor, rich but not too thick, well cooked moderately tender deer. The addition of bacon in this dish was awesome. I'd order this again for sure, however the venison in cream sauce was better and more tender. Fuller flavor, deep brown thick cream sauce which was unexpected and delicious. The sweet cranberries were an excellent foil to the thick velvety sauce, they helped to cut the richness of the dish. We cleaned the plate of meat, soaked up the remaining sauce with bread and loved every bite. I enjoyed the German Spaetzle, but preferred the dumplings which were lite and fluffy and reminded me of steamed white bread in Chinatown. Great sponge for the thick sauce. Overall excellent, flavorful food, cooked well. Exciting dishes even when they are not serving the venison feast. I do look forward to returning to try basically the entire menu. They have a decent variety of draft beers that are quite inexpensive. Highly recommended! read more

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Koliba is my go to restaurant for Eastern European food offerings. The decor is "kitchy," reminiscent of a mountain cottage somewhere in Eastern Europe. With that aside, the food is authentic and brings comfort to anyone yearning for a home cook meal. Koliba is a quaint Czech restaurant located on 23rd Avenue and 31st Street in Astoria at the last stop of the N/Q line (Ditmars Blvd). I'm lucky enough to live in the area so I don't have to travel to such great lengths to enjoy this food on a regular basis. It is worth the travel for anyone looking for excellent authentic Eastern European food. My favorite is the 1/2 roast duck with red cabbage. The duck is perfectly roasted where the skin is crispy and the meat is juicy. If you like duck, you'd love this dish. The acidity and sweetness of the red cabbage perfectly complements the fatty duck. If you decide to order the duck, be advised that the kitchen needs about 30 minutes to prepare it. When I tire of the duck which is not often the case, I order the roast pork and dumpling. It's a good example of a hearty comfort dish. There is also a combination roast pork and smoked pork combination which brings this dish over the top. Although it's identified as a Czech restaurant, Hungarian food lovers will enjoy standards such as goulash, chicken and pork schnitzel and of course, Hungarian salami and langos. Hungarian food is surprisingly far and few between in NYC. I'm fortunate to find it executed well close to home. It's a small venue with a small full bar. Czech beer favorites, Krušovice and Staropramen are on tap. The service is attentive and know the menu well. If you are unsure of what to get, ask them. The owner is also in the restaurant most of time and extremely helpful with explaining what is in the menu. I wholeheartedly recommend Koliba for Czech and Hungarian dishes. It's worth the trip to the last stop of the N/Q line in Astoria, Queens. read more

Koliba - Modern European Near Me - Astoria, New York

tears of happiness. this is the kind of food i grew up on, and the exact thing im looking for espcially in winter months. i should come here more often. around the corner from all the pretentious sparkling millenial restaurants sits this GEM. lodge like inside, a great selection of czech beers and the fooood. WOW. its always fresh, clean, this stuff cant be out of a bag if i tried. ive had the pork schnitzel, the piergoies, the sauerkraut soup, its all exactly what youd expect. amazing. this is the reason i love astoria, and super bummed all the mainstream restaurants moving in. this is fantastic. sidenote: cant see how any of this can be considered "overpriced". literally across the street you can get a basic salad bowl with a burger on it for the same price. or a $25 burger and fries around the corner. its competitive and priced exactly where it should be. read more

$25 credit card minimum? That's not even legal. What a joke. Avoid this place. It's overpriced garbage.

I am 100% Czech, and can tell you, this restaurant is 100% authentic! The food is as good as any classic Czech restaurant in Prague. The best place in New York City for authentic central European food! I highly recommend the schnitzel and the Svíčková. Dobrou chuť! read more

The beer, the spaetzle with bacon, the venison feast every year, the homemade fluffy, moist dumplings. What can I say about Koliba? My sister introduced this amazing restaurant to me and it is the most amazing little cozy "just for the locals" kind of place that make me proud to call Astoria my home. I love their beer selections, too. Be sure to chase it all down with their homemade apple strudel, some of the best in the city. read more

This place is authentic as can be. Food is delicious , prices very reasonable AF service is great. Try the roasted duck, knedlik with cream sauce( svičkova) Delicious read more

After almost wanting to give up food forever from my abysmal experience at the "Rudar club". Koliba was the Central European cuisine I've been looking for! Everything my friends and I tried was beyond delicious. I highly recommend Koliba! I also recommend the banana and chocolate palachinke (crepes) for dessert. Yum! read more

Quaint place with amazing food. Honestly, what's better than a pork schnitzel? Pork schnitzel covered in potato pancake batter! And just when you thought you knew shish-kabobs and skewers, Koliba skewers chicken, bacon, and cheese, then batters and fries it! They have a nice little selection of Czech beers by the bottle or by draft, and the waitstaff is more than happy to share their opinion of their favorite dishes. Simple, hearty, and delicious food paired with good service = one happy customer. read more

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I'm hesitant to write this review cause gems like these are hard to come by... Ok but seriously Where do I start?! My husband is Czech. Born and raised. Let's start with that! You know a place is authentic when it's filled with mostly native people. I've also been to Czech several times and experienced a wide variety of their cuisine. Everything here is great and literally one of the only authentic czech restaurants in all the boroughs. There was Golden Prague also in Astoria but it was a dump ( yes I can confirm that) so it closed. There's a famous czech cafe in Manhattan but it doesn't offer anywhere near the full selection of entres and of course just not as good. I normally order the duck and cabbage (amazing) but will also do the pancake battered ( holy cow) port schnitzel and potato salad. Portions are HUGE and fairly priced. One of my favorite parts of Koliba is the beer. They have great Czech beer on tap including Staroprmen which I really don't see anywhere else. The waitresses are really nice and service is great. If you're going on a weekend and/or with a large party I highly recomened a reservation. It's a smaller place and gets packed QUICK. Oh and bring cash for tipping! ( they don't accept credit/card tips) Overall just a really great cozy place with amazing food. Reminds me of home read more

My boyfriend and I stumbled in while walking around 31st street one evening around 9pm. Surprisingly most restaurants were closed already so we were happy to see they were open. I liked the rustic look of the place and it reminded me of some Swiss tavern or Octoberfest haunt. They have deer and boar heads on the wall along with classic Czech dress from centuries ago. We didn't see the hostess right away so we found one of the last open tables and sat ourselves. Shortly after, the waitress/hostess Veronica came to us and apologized but the kitchen was now closed. She must've seen the disappointment in our faces (or the absolute hunger) and said she would convince the chef to make some quick and easy last minute dishes. She ordered us the beef goulash with dumplings and rizek (fried chicken). We took it upon ourselves to also order the local Czech beers which she brought out in the most awesome beer mugs! When the food came out she tried to explain how to eat the dumplings with the goulash but we were already digging in (eating with our hands is primal, no?) IT WAS THE YUMMIEST STEW I'VE EVER HAD! So much flavor and with the dumplings we literally licked the plate clean. The chicken was also tasty and came with a potato salad. We were so happy she was kind enough to let us stay and order especially because it's not typical New York behavior. When you're shit out if luck that's it buddy. The other patrons had long since departed by the time our beers were finished and instead of rushing us out, Veronica invited us for another round. Although we politely declined she insisted we at least take the beer mugs as a souvenir. She was the epitome of hospitality and made this our new favorite date spot in the neighborhood. read more

The food was OUT IF THIS WORKD. If you are looking for some traditional food come here. The place was so cute! I've never been to Slovakia but this place was close enough! read more

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Really delicious food. I had the Chicken Schnitzel and it was absolutely wonderful. They have great appetizers too - try the potato pirogies, the Langos - Czech fried bread with cheese (and garlic), and the spaetzle, all delectable. I had the Garlic Soup, which I had heard abotu for years, and it was really good - cheesy, garlicy and tasty. Add in the friendly service and a beautiful place, and you will understand why people come back over and over. read more

I have Slovak origins and this place makes me feel like home. The food is so good. We all loved it there! The staff is nice. The decoration is like somewhere in Slovakian Low Tatras mountains. Our traditional meal : Halusky s bryndzou, is very good. read more

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I was disappointed by this restaurant. I am Czech and was looking forward to having my favorite Czech meal - Svíčková ( Beef with cream sauce ). It didn´t taste like Svíčková at all though, the sauce is supposed to be made with vegetables but this tasted as if it was made from a mix, not from scratch. The only good thing was the beer. read more

Try another Czech restaurant if you can. The restaurant was nearly empty an it took about an hour to get seated. The waiters ignored us and were just hanging out talking to their friends. All together it took 2 hours to get our food which was decent--not great. I think if you go with a Czech friend or speak Czech you might get better service. Summary 3.0 stars for food 1.0 stars for service read more

My first time at Koliba was a snowy March night when I had first moved to Astoria. A group of friends and myself had originally planned to go to the Bare Burger across the street, but the wait was over and hour and we were starving. A friend of mine noticed the green awning with the trees on it from across the street, so we decided to take some shelter from the storm and check out the menu. It looked warm and cozy inside and the food sounded good, so we figured, f#*k it, let's give it a shot. We were seated immediately and got some awesome Czech beers. We got a variety of things on the menu, but above everything else I suggest getting the spaetzle. Bother versions are excellent and extremely filling. The dumplings, cabbage and sauerkraut are warm and fresh, and it makes for an excellent dinner spot. read more

Pleasant staff, delicious pierogies, and a nice selection of Czech beers. Though we were charged extra for sharing food (?? I have never encountered this before), and was only told after I had given them my card that tips are cash only... thankfully we had enough cash on hand. For the reason alone that my friends and I usually like to share food when we go out to eat, I will likely not come back. It's too bad. read more

We choose this because it is near where I get my massage. So glad we found it. I hate the 5 star system as it is neither useful funny or cool. I will give them 4 stars based on the Yelp system but for the value and service and quality it is at least 4 and a half stars. Koliba is listed at Yelp as modern European. Decor and ambiance are homey and rustic. Beer on tap. My husband said it was good and cold and the variety of beer was good. The chicken was really juicy and the potato pancake crusted pork fillets were outrageous. We didn't have dessert I had my cheery pie at home. But I want to try the desserts when we go back! The dessert list looked impressive. There were specials not just what is on the on line menu. The portions are generous and the food is quality as you see in our pictures. Service is friendly, bathrooms were clean and menu choices good. There is so much more I would like to try when I go back! The best part is it is not a scene. read more

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FOOD: I'd tried Zlata Praha now it was time to try Koliba for comparison. Again nothing Czech or Slovak in US will compare to the food from the Czech Republic or Slovakia, so you can't compare to that. But for American food it was very good. There are a lot of things here that are not traditionally Czech or Slovak to accommodate other tastes but if you want standard Czech or Slovak fare it's there. I ordered the bryndzove halusky which was absolutely fantastic. The meat was full of flavor, the shaggy dumplings perfectly size, rich, and chewy, and the bryndza sharp and tasty. Bread was fresh and delicious and of course very good bears present too...highly recommend the Zlaty Bazant or "Golden Pheasant" beer. Food was superb, at least as for as Czech and Slovak cuisine goes here in the US. 5/5 SERVICE: Service was friendly and good. Waitress came over to make sure we were well fed and didn't need anything and also that we were enjoying our food. She was friendly and polite. Dishes did take a while to arrive though. But the waitresses and bartenders are always polite and friendly. Many have come here from the Czech Republic or Slovakia, and I've always enjoyed talking with them about their home countries, or how they like the US (and NYC) while waiting for food on a quiet afternoon during the week. A place where you can still get that level of service in NYC is truly worth visiting. 4/5 AMBIENCE: Has a very simple, older style ambience. It's nothing fancy but it does a very good job in getting it done. Contains a bar in the front and the tables in the back, as well as a TV. It's very simple but it does the job, and it's quiet so it's a great place to take friends, or even to take a date. 5/5 PRICE/VALUE: The prices are higher than Zlata Praha but I'd say the food is of a higher quality. Nonetheless it's a pretty good place to go for dinner. Beers are a good value as well, especially considering how hard it is to find some of those beers in NYC. 4/5 SUMMARY: Koliba is an excellent choice for US Czech or Slovak food. Though they have other things, it is a very enjoyable place to go. I will definitely be back sometime in the future. The food was very good and the portions were large so that you'd be quite full and happy. 5/5 read more

Wow. WOOW. Koliba is an excellent restaurant, and definitely the best Czech and Hungarian food I've had in NYC so far. Delicious, beyond filling, and best of all, affordable. The place feels like an Eastern European cottage: small, cozy, and warm, with a couple of stuffed animal heads on the wall. The service was attentive and personable, and the waitress put us in the very right direction for choosing our dishes for the night. Be aware that all these dishes come in HUGE portions, so come hungry or ready to bring home some leftovers. We started with the langos - Hungarian fried garlic bread with shredded cheese on top. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, this was the most filling and best seasoned garlic bread I've had in ages. The pierogis were also top notch, lightly fried with nicely seasoned filling. Both dishes were so large that even with two people, we had to bring back plenty home for later. The main dishes were just as amazing. The half (yes half) roast duck was beyond delicious - juicy with a crispy skin. It also comes with red cabbage that along with the complementary dumplings (which soak up the duck juices nicely) made for a very full package. The pork schnitzel was also super - a potato pancake crust that somehow did NOT dry out the pork. Again, both dishes were big enough to easily fill 3, so leftovers we took home. Considering how top notch and large-portioned the food at Koliba is, the prices here are super reasonable. Add in a nice selection of Czech beers, and you have a new favorite restaurant of mine in Astoria. read more