-- 10 STARS. PERIOD. Just pulled up to Pushkin Bar & Hookah Lounge in Gaslamp Downtown San Diego... and let me tell you -- this place hit me straight in the nostalgia and the luxury receptors at the same time. I first visited this spot 12+ years ago when I was living in the San Diego area. Back then it was basically the holy temple of traditional Russian & Ukrainian cuisine -- the one and only in downtown SD. Very authentic, very -approved. That cute fancy borsch was literally to die for. And yes... you happily paid big $$$ because authentic Russian grandma cuisine is not supposed to be cheap -- it's a cultural investment Fast forward to today -- I walk in and BOOM They transformed the whole concept into a super chill house hookah lounge + fancy executive bar vibe... yet somehow still managed to keep those legendary Russian gem dishes on the menu. That's what I call strategic evolution. And wait -- plot twist -- they added a full-scale sushi menu. From pelmeni to premium rolls... this place is now basically a geopolitical peace treaty on a plate. If you're Russian from the hood -- you simply MUST pull up. Order the $30 pelmeni dumplings (mandatory ritual). Top them with black caviar if you're feeling oligarch-level fancy -- I mean why not, live once What they've done here is honestly genius: They took old-school grandma recipes... put them in a luxury outfit... added hookah lounge energy... sprinkled executive bar aesthetics... and created a serious relaxation & dining destination. Perfect spot to unwind, talk business, vibe out, or just pretend you're important -- works every time. Huge respect and special thanks to Julia -- the host & bar boss. Top-tier service, warm energy, yet still operating in full professional boss mode. Love to see it. Also respect to the main boss himself -- and yes, go check his stand-up comedy next door. Let's be honest... he might actually be the only funny performer in the whole joint But hey -- quality over quantity. If you've never been -- you absolutely must go. Authenticity + reinvention + vibes = rare combo Amen read more

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I'm in! Post convention with my coworkers 9 of us seated and music not too loud but cool beats. Eats cool too! Sushi and sandwiches. Strong drink menu as well as hookah selections. Service is earnest at best but nice. Don't be in a hurry and relax already. We walked over from our hotel. Door was stuck for my weak arms... someone literally walked right up and open it with their bicep curl. I need to be sexy and start working out. Come here and vibe. It's a Wednesday and I love it. read more

Pushkin Lounge & Bar - Pretty chill vibes for hooka and food - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Zero stars if that was possible. We tried to go there once and the hostess told us no if we didn't have a reservation. Never mind that there were plenty of empty tables. Whatever. So the next time we got a reservation. We showed up and the sign in the window says open. The reservation was confirmed. Lo and behold, the door is locked. Why in the world did you confirm my reservation? Just to make sure we were not crazy, we checked the hours and sure enough it's 6 pm to 1 am. Our reservation was at 7:15 pm. What am I missing? My mind is boggled... fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I guess it's on me. Never again. read more

It was 10pm on a Saturday night and we all wanted to try some hookah. With a quick yelp search, we found this spot. The place was bustling. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait and were able to secure a table. They had an interesting hookah menu. We asked the server if they had paan flavored hookah and to our surprise they actually did. Paan is a traditionally popular hookah flavor and we couldn't wait to try it. We also ordered a couple of cocktails to go with it. The hookah arrived quickly. I liked how they provided disposable mouth pieces for each of us - very hygienic. The hookah itself was perfect. The flavor was right on and the hookah was smooth. We were very impressed. The cocktails were strong and tasty. The only downside was that water is expensive. With hookah, water is mandatory so it would be good if complimentary water could be provided so people don't have to think twice. But overall - great hookah, and great ambiance! read more

Pushkin Lounge & Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

THIS PLACE IS SOOOO COOL. It's definitely a vibe. The ambiance is laid back, the decor is so beautiful. It's a great spot to go with friends and catch up and chill. The service was fast, the music was good. The waitress was super nice, loved her. The food was actually decent and the drinks were good. Overall a great hookah lounge, better than most I've been. read more

Pushkin Lounge & Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Found myself searching for a great Hookah spot. Loved this place soooo much - I came back a second time. They cooked me up and special mix. 1/2 Darkside, 1/2 Love 66- with a touch of mint. Great pull and white clouds. read more

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The vibe is cute cozy and fun! It's very pricey, I felt like the value wasn't All there. However food was just okay and they completely forgot one order and still charged for it. I would come back here not to eat or for hookah but to grab a drink before a night! read more

This place is cute! The atmosphere is nice. The mango bubble drink is aesthetic and fun! The food we got was not the best food ever! Neither was the hookah but it was a cute spot! The hookah was 6/10 - made me cough a lot and not that smooth - it was also kind of expensive compared to other local spots that i love the hookah at! Food 5/10 - The beef stroganoff was a little too salty for me sushi wasn't good i was told by my friends and the Pierogi was just ok Drinks 7/10 - a little too sweet on the mango drinks and the chocolate espresso Cake 3/10 too dry Service was great- they are nice Besides messing up on the check (They fixed it easily thankfully!) removing over charged items They don't offer tap water so if you want water you must pay 10 for a bottle They add an 18% gratuity and tax you after on the gratuity as well! High service fee My bill was not adjusted on the mandatory 18% gratuity after bill was adjusted which is not nice Bill total was almost 400 50 on tip - which was mandatory 25 in taxes Spent my birthday here, it was ok read more

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So this place is most definitely a vibe. We absolutely loved the atmosphere. The hookah was really good, and they changed our coals frequently & checked on us. Unfortunately I think our waiter may have been too busy, bc after our drink order - he didn't come back to check on us until we flagged him down, which was when we found out the kitchen was closed (as other food was still being brought out) & we weren't told there was a "last call" or asked if we wanted to order food - which was a bummer. Overall though def a chill vibe and very cool spot. read more

Pushkin Lounge & Bar - Hookah - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Bad hooka. Extremely slow service. Over priced. We asked for one flavor and got something completely different that was terrible. read more

Beautiful place, ambiance and decor are great. Service is terrible. It took is 20 minutes to sit down, another 20 for anyone to acknowledge us, and another 45 mins to get a hookah. That's all we ordered. The waitress said it will take a bit more for 2 Hookava as he's moving the tobacco takes a while! We're Arab, hookah is our thing, takes 2 mins to pack a bowl. We're left after waisting over an hour waiting. read more

Came here for date night and it didn't disappoint! Pushkin is a sort of hidden gem in SD that everyone should try at least once. I still think about this place at least once a week, it's been 6 months since my first visit. Ambiance is AMAZING. Interior design was very unique and gave a warm and welcoming feeling. Service was friendly but unfortunately wasn't too attentive to us, maybe because it was super busy that day or we sat a bit far from the bar. Nevertheless, still enjoyed our time there. Definitely recommend to have a reservation ahead of time, it gets packed! The one dish I would come back just to have again is the Herring under fur coat. It's absolutely delicious, pickled herring on top of beets and potato. A must try if you come here. 5/5 Pierogis with beef stroganoff were also a delight. Light flavors but also really hearty. My first time trying pierogis and it did not disappoint. 5/5 My partner got the braised rabbit in sour cream and mashed potatoes. Super tender rabbit in a light but savory sauce, a comforting and warm dish. 5/5 Pushkin is a gem in San Diego and on top of my list of favorite restaurants here. read more

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These people are so kind and helpful. Please come and support this business. Suggested a great beer. Informati. Charged my phone. Decor is upbeat. A++++++ read more

Great staff. Very helpful with my Tangiers purchases. Great price and selection. Very kind people here read more

This was my second time here and it was another enjoyable experience. My girlfriend is Russian and wanted to check this place out as she told me it was Russian inspired. The hookah was good and the tea was great. We had some very tasty pierogi as well. It was crowded that night but it was still fun and I was still able to have a cozy chess playing session with my gf. I would highly recommend. read more

Wonderful speak easy with food choices and hookah bar!! Great location in Gaslamp district, this lounge is nice alternative to night clubs surrounding it. Music is good, but not too loud that you cannot talk. Our server Yulia was just fantastic in everything. Her knowledge of menu, drinks, foods as well as general small talk. As this is a Russian themed restaurant (Pushkin is considered the greatest Russian poet and founder of modern Russian literature), Russian food items abound. However there are many other choices. In particular - I didn't see it on the menu, but I asked if they had caviar. Perhaps stereotypical but you never know - well they did and I had to order it. Second time in my life and it was pretty darn good. It was served on a bed of crepes with the side of butter. Delicious! Lovely place for a date, casual hangout or just a good old party! I read more

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We found out that this restaurant rebranded themselves. We loved the ambiance, decorations and decor. The service was helpful too. I would go back just for the beef stroganoff because I thought it was quite yummy. We also got the chicken yakisoba that lacked some flavor, but it was still good. The yakisoba came in the cutest dish too! Hubs and I ended up switching our drinks because we liked the other one's more. Tasty drinks! It was fun playing chess after dinner and while we finished up our drinks. We look forward to coming back! read more

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This was not what I expected. The hookah lounges I know albeit they all back home in NYC are basically a club. This was super chill. And it was super dope. There's two floors to it and each has a semi different feel. The top floor is more spacious, comfy seats, tons of tv and it feels more seclusive and you can actually hear people more. Downtown is a bit more crowded and is more of a vibe if you're looking for energy from other people, from the bar and from the music bumping. The lighting is purple and neon pink which adds to the feel and ambiance of the place. The drinks are moderate prices as well as the hookah. It's a small owned business so they treat you right as long as you show them love. And I ain't got nothing but love for this place now that I've been. I went on a Friday night at 10pm and there was about 40 people in it. I'd say it could sit about 100. The people working were full of smiles and just a pleasure to be around. The hookah felt strong too. Lots of flavors to choose from. read more

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Visited Pushkin last week with my friends and we had a great experience with the new updated menu, and hookah was amazing! Great service and great quality of food. read more

Great please to go with a group of friends or date night. The service was fantastic, they were friendly and gave great suggestions. This is as my first time trying hookah and caviar as well!! All in all the whole experience was amazing! read more

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We really enjoyed our meal here. The borscht was well-balanced and full of flavor, and the potato vareniki were cooked perfectly. Excellent quality and warm service. We will definitely come back. read more

My friend Tony recommended this place and I can't say enough nice things about it. Lovely wait staff, great food and great ambiance.

Ambience cool decor very mid century service excellent Hookah great Will come back Yes no doubt read more

Pushkin Lounge & Bar - Decor - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Amazing ambiance. Came in after a show at the casbah. Great hummus, great hookah. You can't smoke ashes. 10/10. read more

Pushkin Lounge & Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

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Came here back to back nights during a recent conference. Great atmosphere, great service, bomb food and good hookah. The owner, his wife and staff made you feel super welcome, highly recommend. PS: the honey cake is heavenly. This review is not a lie! read more

Amazing ambiance, food was excellent, strong drinks and great hookah! We loved it, willl be back again. Kamilla was amazing also the hookah crew. read more

Great place with the great people and food. It always a pleasure to visit it again and again!

Never had Russian food before so this was definitely a great experience in terms of the cuisine. The service here was not... There were a lot of unique items on the Menu, so I picked... The Braised Rabbit. I've always been quite adventurous with food. I have never seen it on a menu before and so I had to order it. The texture reminded me of a chicken thigh, there was a subtle taste difference. More gamey? Not too sure how to put it but it was delicious. The sauce complimented it very well and the mashed potatoes were delicious. It was definitely a dish that suited the cold weather well. The Moscow Duck was delicious too. I am a HUGE fan of ordered Duck if it is on the menu and it did not disappoint. Cooked perfectly and the sauce paired really well with the fattiness of the meat. The Pushkin Cocktail I had was okay, wasn't a huge fan. But the free bread they brought out was delicious. I don't believe I ever had bread with that "consistency". It felt wet almost like a pumpkin bread but not sticky. The waiter was very rough -- When we walked in, a nice lady sat us at our table. We didn't make reservations and were fortunate enough to have our party of 8 sat down almost instantaneously. However, the male (blonde) waiter was not very welcoming at all. When ordering, I asked if they could substitute the vodka in their custom cocktails for tequila. I believe he misheard me because he replied with: "no the drink has vodka". So I asked again would it be possible to change the hard liquor and he was rude in his response. "No, vodka only. Read the menu." So I just ordered their house specialty Pushkin (vodka) cocktail and water. Our drinks took about half an hour to come out and the food shortly after. One of the members in our party wasn't feeling well so we had placed an order to go. At the end of the night, we received our bill that included the order that we placed to go but we never received it. So we flagged down the waiter and told him that we never received it. His response was again in a rude tone, "The rib plates are there and there. As you can see, you received everything". We then told him that the plate he was pointing to was actually the rabbit plate, not a rib plate. And without apologizing for the confusion, he said he would go check with kitchen. At that point, we were ready to go and just left. We never received the dish but was charged for it. Overall, food was amazing. Thank you for accommodating our large party on such a short notice. The service was not or I would have given this experience perfect review. read more

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The food was incredible and our server Kamilla was awesome! Can't recommend this place enough

Great place for to smoke hookah, grab some pelmeni from babushka and have some sushi Food is delicious, hookahs can be smoked for hours read more

Started off our meal with the Ukranian Salo (Fat) and Babushka beef pelmeni. I actually enjoyed the salo a lot, but I was probably the only one. I like fat in general, and the sauces were great. The dumplings were alright but I can't say they were much different than other ones I've had in the past. For my main, I ordered the Moscow duck. It is one of my favorite duck dishes that I have ordered. It's not a blow you away type dish, but everything about it was perfect for what it is. I was able to try some of my friend's dishes too. The beef stroganoff was delicious. The winter rabbit and chicken tabaka were solid as well. Finished the meal with the Blini and honey cake. Both were decent but nothing to rave about. -Superb service read more

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My partner & I find this place to have the best ambiance and hookah in San Diego. We have been greeted several times with Nidal and he is so accommodating, friendly and checks in on us to see if everything is ok with coals and if our chai is hot. We highly recommend Nidal who makes a difference in this place to feel warm and welcoming. Thank you Pushkin! read more

We went there yesterday with my husband . We loved everything: Ambiance Service And food were all AMAZING. We ordered dumplings, and honey cake. All were absolutely delicious Special thanks to: -the bartender for the spectacular cocktails(we got sex USSR, Pushkin) -The hookah was delectable. Good prices for Russian Tobacco flavors.(we got the peach+mango, and orange+lemon+mint flavors, both are good) -the waiters were were polite and friendly. 5/5 recommend. Amazing service, good food, the ambience was overall pleasant, wide choice of board games, even had a PlayStation, dimly lit, and the sofas were very comfortable and the place is also 21+. Great place! read more

Pushkin Lounge & Bar - Hookah and cocktails. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Went there with my wife today for her birthday. Great place , great service, amazing atmosphere. Drinks were fantastic and hookah was tasty as well. Definitely recommend if you want to sit, relax and enjoy great vibes. read more

A Russian Hookah lounge in Gaslamp! It has such beautiful decor inside, honestly so cool. It does take forever for items to come out though. We ordered modelos and somehow it took like half an hour which was kinda annoying. Hookah is good! read more

Solid 3 stars.. Looking for something different in our city, and this joint popped up on the San Diego gift card list...bonus! Has a reservation so we were promptly seated at a table near the front...unfortunately right in front of the PA music system speakers. It was a bit loud at first so we asked it be turned down, and the staff obliged. Ordered the beef stroganoff, because Kiev is not in the menu currently.... Meaty creamy goodness served on a bed of mashed potatoes...hearty! Good flavor, and the meat was mostly tender. Even had a beer from the Ukraine on the menu, perfecto! Our major complaint was the tempo of the service...over the course of our stay the place went from empty to full, and to get our check took more than 15 minutes... Ambiance is library loft, service was slooooow, and prices are as expected. If you come just plan on European service, and be patient because the food is good. read more

Pushkin Lounge & Bar - Beef Stroganoff...very good, and good portion too! Don't forget to try a Ukrainian beer! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

Exceptional place. My partner & I have been wanting to try a new hookah from our usual spot and this is hands down our new go-to spot. My bf said it's the best hookah flavor in all San Diego and I would have to agree. It was smooth, lasted a long time with a strong aroma. The ambiance was incredible, amazing music that was chill with beautiful decor. The people were so friendly & both of us were happy with the perogi & fries order. The tea could be stronger, as it tasted watery but it won't deter us from not returning. Soooo happy we found this gem of a place!!! read more

Ambiance - 5 stars. Cute, romantic and relaxing. Food - 5 stars. The beet salad was served cold and delightfully earthy but sweet. The winter rabbit tasted like chicken. It was a bit on the dry side, but the creamy sauce made up for it. It was served on a mound of very fluffy mashed potatoes. The honey cake was multi-layered and well, tasted like honey. The Summer in Sochi was light, refreshing and not boozy. It was a balanced drink (not sweet or tart). The French vanilla tea was comforting. They have an extensive drink menu of alcoholic and nonalcoholic items. Serving portions were large and plentiful. The food was plated well and the presentation was beautiful. Service - 5 stars. Yulia was sweet and friendly. Food arrived quickly. read more

Pushkin Lounge & Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Diego, California

My first time trying out Russian food and I had a great experience at Pushkin. The place is very nicely decorated. Lots of nice paintings hanging. Service was five star, our server was super friendly and gave lots of good recommendations on food and drink. Too bad I forgot one of the mule drinks he recommended. It was very delicious. We enjoyed our food a lot as well, mushroom and potatoes dumplings are interesting, it's very new to me. Good flavor and very filling. My husband finished his lamb shank, no complaints. I don't eat lamb so I can't comment. My duck entry was so delicious, duck meat is perfectly prepared, juicy and tender, goes very well with rest of the elements in the plate. We also had beef shroganauff but I was too full to try it. Portion is very generous here. Appetizer platter is great to share with bigger group. I've never had that many different kind of pickled vegetables before, my favorite one was the picked green tomatoes. The 2 fish kind are favorite of the table. I also liked their cured meat a lot. Borscht soup is delicious. We shared a bowl and everyone liked it. I would recommend to us place to my friends who want to try Russian food. read more

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Excellent food, service, and ambiance. When I read that this restaurant was being penalized by some individuals because of the activities of Russia in the Ukraine, I knew I wanted to eat here again. Our waiter told us that the majority of the staff was Ukrainian. The Borscht was excellent as usual. What surprised me was how tasty the Golubtsi with Beef was. Cabbage has not been a normal part of my dining experience. But I thought I would try it. The entree became my favorite dish of the evening. When you approach the front door, you are met by a young man who is nicely dressed. He escorted us to our table. The staff was immediately attentive to our table. read more

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