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!

Nice service from the owner/manager, very empty at 2pm on a Friday but a charming vintage…read moreatmosphere. Kotlety, bliny with caviar and meat were all great. Golubtsi was delicious but only 3 smaller sized ones. Greek salad was delicious with the cured meat on top. Lamb shashlyk was great too. Only average thing was the smetana which was a bit liquidy. Overall it was 4.99/5 and I look forward to returning.

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.

Despite the name, there's no 'ocean view." Since our go-to cafes on the boardwalk have become…read morepricey I felt it time to branch out. Yelp reviews propelled us here. And I'm glad; lunch was delightful. Weather was perfect, neither hot nor cold, so we sat outside enjoying the 'ambience' of Brighton Beach Avenue (ie, the rumble of the Q train from the corner el.) Seriously -- I liked it! Our Odessa salad was particularly good because of Oceanview's light and flavorful vinaigrette. At first I was dubious -- I don't gravitate to iceberg lettuce -- but with peppers, tomatoes, scallions and more, I'd order this again. Red caviar with blintzes was surprising. I was expecting my idea of blintzes, but these were blini. We topped each crepe with sour cream, salmon caviar and salad ingredients. A one-shot deal for me. T and I shared an order of chicken kebobs. Had I known they use dark meat, I would have ordered cutlets -- but the chicken was so nicely seasoned and prepared -- moist, yet cooked through -- I was pleased. Accompanying buckwheat (a throwback to my mom's kasha) was a great side. Service was attentive and very nice. If you pay cash, you'll reap a 3% discount. Card and cash prices are listed on the menu. The menu also notes that a "10% gratuity may be added to your check." We of course added more.

Very nice European cuisine with a lively atmosphere, dancing, and an elegant high-end bar area. The…read morechairs and seating are very comfortable and upscale, which makes it easy to relax and enjoy the evening. The food is consistently fresh and delicious, the staff is friendly and attentive, and the convenient parking nearby makes the whole experience even better. A great spot for a fun night out with friends or family.

Sheep by barashka on Ave. U Fighting, upsetting my guests,…read moredisappointing the birthday girl, and not crediting my deposit towards the check...shame on you barashka! This place ruined by mothers 70th bday party. I made a reservation with the manager Roman for the birthday party about 3 weeks in advance;and left a deposit to secure the date/time. They told us we would have half of the main dining room. One day before the event Roman calls and asks that another party that booked the other side has had an increase in their party size and would it be ok to move my party further away to the bar area... He said it would be more quieter there. I didn't want to cause trouble so I agreed. The day of the event, Roman is MIA. Our table is set up, and there's a concert going on in the main dining room. These people had a MC, dj, karaoke, games ... BLASTING music in the microphone. When we asked what's happening, the man in charge didn't even flinch or seem to care much. We started complaining and said we booked with you guys and you promised a chill quiet atmosphere... we asked for the other party to lower their music... we almost got into a physical FIGHT with the other party. Why is my mother birthday being dismissed in such a rude way. We could not even make a toast, we couldn't even hear our own thoughts over the loud music. It was ridiculous. The waiter apologized a million times, but why did the owner/manager not handle things??? Even worse; let it escalate? We were basically treated like guests at the "primary event". Shame on you guys as a business . After all that, they didn't even credit my full deposit to the bill.

I love sitting on the sidewalk and taking in the neighborhood vibe. Best Greek salad I have ever…read morehad. Really enjoy the pierogi type dumplings and breads. Daughter got delicious Sherpa soup. A favorite stop after a beach day!

Have grown really fond of this cuisine and this place definitely hit the spot. Menu has a fair…read moreamount of options and I definitely enjoyed each of the dishes we ended up getting. Started with the pilaff. Probably my least favorite meat of the day but it was plentiful, so tender, and the rest of the rice dish were delicious. Huge portion. I'm such a big fan of manti and almost always enjoy them, but these were even better than most. Plump, juice, packed with meat. Enjoyed the sauce it came with, as well. Finally, lamb rib kebab and lyulya kebab were great. I preferred the latter and may next time opt for the ribs without the fat, but they were both still great. Service was lovely, you can tell they care about the experience. Felt like we were in someone's home eating a home-cooked meal. If we lived in the area we definitely would consider coming back.

This place has been a part of Brighton as far as I can remember. The food is very authentic, and so…read moreis the service :) Eating here looks and feels like I'm back in the USSR, take that as you will!

The food was good. The salad was fresh, the hot entrees were hot and well made. The portions were…read moregenerous. But the bread tasted like it came on a slow boat from a bad bakery and in Russia. As good as the food was, the service was so awful as to make to ensure I will never return. We had to ask for v the bad bread several times. We had to ask for water a few times. Our waitress spent more time vaping than serving. We were there for 45 minutes and got our entre to go as we were leaving. The tip was included in the bill but the waitress was visibly and loudly angry when we didn't add to it. The ambiance indoors was chaos and disfunction. In summary: good food subsumed by bad execution. ​​

Eastern European diner with a home style menu and excellent prices. Open daily from noon until 10…read more Pretty extensive menu with variety of salads, appetizers, meats, seafood, soups, dumplings, blintzes, and more. They had three beers on draft - a dark lager, a weissbier, and Stella. Vodka sold by the mL and served in a decanter. We started with herring, pickled vegetables, masked potatoes, and rye bread. All solid across the board. Next we had some soups. I had harcho. Savory and coriander forward. For the main course, we shared chicken tabaka, Siberian pelmeni, veal pelmeni, and potato vareniki. Chicken was juicy, crispy, and generously covered in sautéed garlic. Dumplings were all huge portions. Service was quick and attentive. Pacing of the food was pretty quick too. There was one restroom which was single occupancy and handicap accessible. Very casual atmosphere.

Great food and service ,Love this eatery always very crowded that's when you know the food is great…read more,Thank you for the great service .Mike

I am not Russian, nor do I pretend to know the ways of Eastern European cooking intimately, but I…read moream a frugal food idea and I go to local haunts wherever I am to sample local cuisine. What better place to get comfort food than to head to Brighton Beach? A sure sign that I am in the right place is that I stick out like a sore-thumb -- being the only Asian person in this seat of babushka's is always reassuring. I used to come here regularly after a long day of teaching, and while the amount of containers I always leave with is a bit disparaging as a science teacher trying to save the Earth, I can take each visit as a "cheat day" if it means I get my beet salad, fish with ketchup, and vitrushki's. Really, there are no frills here, and I don't know how "authentic" the food is, but it's cheap, delicious, and filling, and the workers have always been extremely kind, atypical for what I thought of from the stoicism of most of Eastern Europe.

My favorite spot to buy Russian food during my trips from Manhattan. Great salad bar - probably the…read morebest Olivier in the area. Great stuffed peppers, chicken cutlets etc. Wish they would bring back the cold tongue dish! Also, the frozen pelmeni are on the expensive side compared to other stores nearby - would buy these here too otherwise. The staff is always courteous and they accept credit cards. Usually not very crowded.

great service and food is great and you should have some good quality products in the store as you…read moreget older you can always try out some new products

I was charged 25 % tip by waiter by default. He was very disappointed and even became rude when I…read morelowered it to regular 15 %. Food is mediocre (I would say three out of five). Soups around $6, mains $9 in general. Smells like in regular Soviet dining hall. Cash only.

We have New Year party at Gurman restaurant every year. A…read morehuge thank to the staff and the manager! Always perfectly done! Nice atmosphere, delicious food and friendly staff!

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.

It is an Amazing place with Great vibes, Great food and an absolutely Amazing Staff! Highly…read morerecommend!

A Beautiful Mother's Day Celebration Today my daughter…read moreinvited me to celebrate Mother's Day at Vis-a-Vis Restaurant in Brooklyn. We didn't have a reservation and the restaurant was completely full. At first, we were told there were no available tables, but the wonderful ladies at the front desk kindly spoke with the manager and found a table for two that had been reserved by guests delayed in heavy traffic for two hours. We were truly happy and deeply grateful for their kindness and willingness to help. It was my first time visiting this large and beautiful restaurant with several dining halls and a lovely summer terrace. The design is absolutely stunning. The staff is highly professional, polite, and always happy to recommend dishes when guests need help choosing. Every dish we ordered was prepared flawlessly -- incredibly delicious and artistically presented with great taste and attention to detail. The pistachio and meringue dessert was simply breathtaking, decorated with a delicate caramel lace that beautifully showcased the pastry chef's craftsmanship. I would like to thank the entire welcoming and well-coordinated team and express special gratitude to the restaurant owner and the chef for creating this wonderful island of fine dining in Brighton. We truly enjoyed our visit to this unforgettable restaurant and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a truly delicious and elegant dining experience. Irene Rosin Sincerely, Irene Rosin