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.

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.

My husband had a birthday and we decided to have dinner at this restaurant. It has a very beautiful…read moreinterior, comfortable chairs. I would especially like to draw your attention to the menu. In addition to our favorite dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine, there are many delicious and unusual dishes. We ordered crispy eggplants, kutabs and a signature salad as an appetizer. For the main course: sturgeon shashlik, lula kebab, lamb shashlik, vegetables and grilled potatoes. Everything was very fresh and tasty, especially the crispy eggplants - amazing! In honor of the birthday, we were served free tea, 3 types of jam and Baku baklava. The waiter serving us was called Anar. Thank you for the excellent service! I would also like to note that the prices were reasonable, which is also important.

My husband and I visited this restaurant on June5, 2026. We ordered the herring appetizer and the…read morehome made dumplings appetizer. We also had the chicken Kiev and the duck leg and breast entrees. The Napoleon was our dessert. Absolutely delicious! The ambiance is cozy and romantic. Our table service was amazing. Irina did a wonderful job taking care of us, especially when we joked around when I accidentally spilled my cocktail all over the table. Irina came back with a new table cloth and in a split minute everything was changed and cleaned up. Great job and service. Ask for Irina, she is amazing. Hope this post helps with everyone's decision to visit this restaurant.

I had read about this place a while ago and was happy that a friend suggested it for dinner…read more Charming atmosphere. The staff were lovely. Great cocktails. Learned that Beluga vodka is made in Montenegro (who knew?). Pet peeve- bread service as a menu item. The bread was good, but really? Just charge 50 cents more for everything. The food was excellent. We shared the eggplant salad, the blini with smoked salmon and the artichoke salad to start. I had beef stroganoff for the first time. It was excellent. Really rich, couldn't finish it. My wife had the Kamchatka, same thing. I had a bite of a friend's chicken Kiev (is it transgressive to eat this in a Russian restaurant?) and it was delicious. We were too full for dessert. Unique atmosphere. Excellent, but very rich food. Worth checking out.

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.

I have been going to Veselka for decades. It was always inexpensive and lively, and it became…read more"iconic." Veselka certainly is still lively, but the past few visits, I have been disappointed with both the food and the service. The prices have increased significantly (I understand this; inflation is everywhere). But the food feels "chintzy": anemic portions, child-size sides, no bread (which used to be standard). The service is mediocre. I think it always has been, but with the higher prices, I feel a bit more attention is in order. On our last two visits, it took quite a while for a waiter to greet us, a long wait for drinks, meals coming out at different times, etc. If you want to go to Veselka, because it's iconic, and a part of the history of the East Village, go for it. But you won't leave full, and you may feel cheated.

Attending a friends birthday with about 60 or so was a very nice event and the food was good as…read morewell. The service in this long and narrow space was really top notch. All of the staff were able to speak both Russian and English which made things easier for those who don't and they were quick to clear a plate or replace a napkin or utensil. There was a DJ who also sings and another singer as well to keep us all entertained. A smaller sized dance floor is available for those of us who wanted to cut a rug, so to speak. Another room in the back was setup for the children and a menu for them was set up as well. Parking is street side so you might have to walk a couple of blocks in a nicer Brooklyn neighborhood. Great night out with good food served in at least seven or eight courses. The lamb chops and the potato and mushrooms dish were particularly delicious. Also you can't go wrong with any of the pickled dishes available. This is a BYOB spot so bring your favorite bottles and servers will supply water and soft drinks for you and your guests.

Son a prize bottle wine, and promised to pick it up any day, when I came to pick it up, manager…read moreMikhail said come next week Wednesday-Friday. Because They cannot give prizes. So, how much bottle wine will cost me, if I should come one more time, I am not living on that neighborhood.

The people who work at Varenyk House are nice and not chatty. There isn't seating available. I was…read morejust in the other day and it looks like they got a bunch of new freezers and offer hot food to go now, too, not just fresh frozen! I bought a bag of frozen potato and cheese varenyk (pirogies), and they were delicious. Attaching a photo of what they looked like after I cooked them at home (boiled and then sautéed in butter with diced onion and spices).

Came on a Thursday night a few minutes before closing and they had such a large selection of…read moreUkrainian goodies! the staff were still hard away making dumplings in the back. Once stepping into the store, you are met with large freezers and fridges stuffed to the brim with all things Ukrainian. Many of their dumpling items are in large packages (2-3lbs a pack) and range from $8-$15 per lb depending on the filling. $15 a pound for their lamb and short rib Pierogis. Price-wise, it's very fair! And you can taste to quality and heart they put into these Pierogis. Can't go wrong with any flavor. I got the lamb and it was stuffed with tender lamb pieces, no filler. And they make for great quick meals! I also snagged a box of cabbage rolls stuffed with a pork and rice filling. Simple home-y flavor and better than rolls I've gotten from restaurants. Just reheat and it's ready to go! $15 for 5 large cabbage rolls was a great deal as well! Would get again. The only thing I wouldn't get again is their soup dumplings, as it was a bit difficult to cook and was a little too doughy near the top of the dumpling. Flavor wise, it was delicious and had a nice broth (assuming you didn't pop them. Only 1 didn't pop). But it was a difficult item to cook right in boiling water, like the instructions mention. Perhaps, user error. Every item is sold by weight and labeled after selecting your items. But they're happy to check the weight/explain price before purchasing.

Very good food nice beautiful place. I tried dumplings very juicy and it got good choice kebab and…read morealso fish. Definitely recommended.

I came to Nargis cafe for a birthday party. Like the typical restaraunt in Brooklyn, there was very…read morelimited street parking. When we came to the address, it was a little hard to find the exact restaraunt and we even went to the wrong one. Upon reaching our table and ordering, our appetizers came out very quick and the appetizer was alright. We had the babaganish and it was alright. The spinach salad was the other appetizer and it was decent too. For the main course, I had the calmari and it was 3/5. All in all, the food was decent (3/5). The service was very good. But I didn't like a few things - first, it was hard to find. Second - there aren't enough restrooms, which created long lines. Third - the entrance door and door after entrance door opened in opposite directions and I almost hit my head.

Behind a retro blue awning sits a restaurant dear to Brighton beach and to me! Ive been coming here…read morewith my family since I was a child so the food, vibes, and TVs playing endless Russian music are so nostalgic for me. Recently, I took a friend here who is not familiar at all with Eastern European food and she loved all of the dishes. The cutlets were perfectly seasoned, and the buckwheat was buttery and warm. It tasted just like what I eat at home. We also had the sweet cheese vareniki which tasted desert-like and were so decadent with the sour cream. The Compot had a refreshing fruit flavor and paired so well with our meal. The service was quick, and we were able to request extra plates to share our order.

If you go to Brighton Beach, you have to experience two of the following: the beach and the Eastern…read moreEuropean cuisine. Oceanview Cafe somewhat satisfies both. With it's outdoor dining that is minutes away from the beach, you get a pretty good summer dining experience if you don't mind the occasional subway overhead. The food at Oceanview Cafe is par for the course in terms of what's in the neighborhood. We ordered compote, mushrooms and potatoes, roasted veggies and rice pilav with kebabs. They were pretty tasty.

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!

Great show Great service as always smost of these places…read morealways have . The food was hit or miss but mostly okay over all. The food platter was a bit fishy but looked good . The steak was just okay sauce smelled a bit weird . Loved the marinated peppers and I don't like peppers ? Loved the fresh fish . Sushi nothing special at all. Good spot over all for years and will be until they close

Pork Shish Kabob Baby Octopus Salad…read moreExpresso Martini Server: Petroslav was an amazing professional. The outside was slammed, and this guy never missed a beat. Water filled. The food was flavorful. The pork kabobs were a bit fatty for my taste, but the meaty parts were packed with flavor. Great drinks. Great! My companions who brought me obviously loved their food as well. The atmosphere was scenic. The ocean view under the umbrella canopy was exactly where you wanted to be at the beginning of the summer. 5 stars: recommend to others.