DEAR Marina... I explicitly asked to speak to the owner end I have 3 recorded videos that I already submitted to the health department. Please do not try to discriminate and lie yet again and bluntly dismiss my legitimate concern. I uploaded pictures of exactly two of your staff who one of them claimed to be the owner. Disobeying and disregarding the Americans Disability ACT you should be ashamed of your employees. Instead of coming on here to bash me and claim this never happened, you should teach your employees that harassment and discrimination is unacceptable in the United States and I will make sure of it that your cafe will answer for it. Little did you know but the person with us who witnessed everything is a very well known lawyer, and the whole incident was very clearly documented. Claiming you never recieved bad reviews regarding your hygenie - well check your reviews again. Almost every one mentions how filthy the place is. Very nice to see your actual violations - live mice in establishment. We were denied service with our service dog. OWNER AND WORKERs ARE BOTH DISGUSTING AND RUDE. Educate your employees on the law and how to speak with clients. Refused to allow a 75 year old man with a service dog into the premises. Discrimination at its finest, I will be calling the health department so they can inspect what a dirty and disgusting establishment you run. Hope this place gets shut down.

Arthur M.

Great spot with amazing food!! The service is very friendly and nice. I ordered green borsh, holodec, lamb shish kebab, and cherry vareniki with black tea. Everything came right on time and very tasty!!! Huge thanks to cook chief you guys did an amazing job!! Definitely coming back!

Eddie B.

Vanka Cafe is the quintessential Russian eatery in south Brooklyn. Vanka is a great place to come with a group of friends or family to have some solid Russian comfort food. The prices are very reasonable, the atmosphere is warm and welcoming and it's BYOB! Some of the great items I like to order here are salad "Olivier", pickled herring with boiled potatoes, mushrooms "julienne", home fried potatoes with mushrooms, Khachipuri, and beef tongue. And these are just the hot and cold appetizer options. Some of the tasty entrees I've sampled here are chicken kebab, pork kebab, chicken schnitzel with sunny side egg, grilled salmon in cream sauce, the beef stroganoff is pretty good and my favorite, the chicken Kiev. All these great options come with a side of mashed potatoes, or French fries or buckwheat kasha. I've been here many times and celebrated many occasions here over the years and they're consistently good quality. They're friendly and always treated us well.

Paul M.

A MUST if you are in the area! Traditional Tasty Inexpensive Russian Food Served up Fresh & Tasty with a Warm Friendly Attitude (non- NY & "non-Russian")! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FOOD: Having grown up near Brighton Beach (Little Odessa), of Slovak Ancestry, well traveled, I am very familiar with Eastern European, Russian, & Middle Eastern cuisine. After I left NYC at the age 32, for Hawaii & then California, I had not had a Chicken Kiev for decades....that is until I had Vanka's EXCELLENT CHICKEN KIEV among other tasty offerings. The Chicken Kiev (see pic) was filled with tons of lovely artery clogging butter, while still maintaining a nice crunchy non-greasy exterior. It was one of the few things in NYC that it was as good, or better, than I remember from back in the day! The Cherry Dumplings were yet another stand out, that were identical to the Polish or Slovak Pierogi versions. My veggie wife did love them. On the other hand, I was not expecting the Russian style meat Pierogi would be so different, and more like a Pastry. The Chicken Soup with dumplings was just like "MOM USED TO MAKE" and was surely homemade. While we sampled our own little feast, it was nothing compared to the usual extravagant spread that a large group of Russian had behind us. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SERVICE: They were attentive, friendly, & nice, without any pressure. They communicated well in English & were really accommodating when it came to my Vege Wife's preferences. Their service & attitude was on par, or even better, than many of the fine restaurants in San Francisco. It was a big stand out in NYC, where rampant rudeness is the norm. In other words, they did make a non-Russian newcomer feel like an accepted regular in an ethic restaurant. They single handedly blew away the usual stereotypes associated with such places. We really thank the Vanka staff for making our ARTIC FREEZING NYC stay with my NY brother, much more pleasant. I only wish that we had time to frequent it many more times during our stay, but it was not possible since we were busy taking care of my extremely ill mother who also spent two weeks in NYU Medical Center in Manhattan. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ATMOSPHERE: Pleasant, clean, utilitarian, & non ostentatious. The bathroom was clean & spotless. Overall, it was ideal for a humble "mom & pop" operation. The staff was warm & friendly, & I had some nice conversations with many of them. Since we came at a off-peak time, that added to the casual atmosphere. This place stands in stark contrast to the rude or indifferent attitude & unhygienic Russian Deli that is a few blocks away...were their hot bar is exposed to whatever & has many items spoiling without proper heat (or cold)...that place must pay off the health inspectors. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In Summary, GREAT Handcrafted Homemade FOOD & SERVICE, in a friendly local peaceful Neighborhood setting... SO GO HERE FOR RUSSIAN FOOD !!! It is in my opinion, far better than most places in Brighton Beach where they are not anywhere near as nice & where the hustle & bustle, will stress you out! Again..... Thanks VANKA !!!!!! P.S.- See menu/pics for great extensive Take-Out/ Delivery options at amazing prices!

this is called "pelmeni" which can be eaten in one bite. Each one is the size of my pinky and the amount of oil it was in was crazy.

Enriko G.

The food was ok, nothing special TBH, the service is extremely slow. And no parking near by. It's ok for families dinner but nothing to crazy.

Wilkie J.

This place is great in many ways. This establishment offers great food, customer service and wonderful drinks. I have decided to visit this resturant, because I wanted to eat something different. I am glad I visited this place, because I wanted to eat everything after my first meal. I am happy with my selection and I know I will return with friends. If you decide to visit this place, do not hesitate to ask someone for their recommendation, because if you decide on your own it make take a while. Why? Everything is prepared nicely on your plate. Trust me, you will begin to take many photos instantly. Recommend dishes: This is a difficult choice, because the chef prepared their meals with love. I recommend you to come here and choose for yourself. Your selection will always be the best choice.

Shannon Z.

My friend ordered out from this place and we ordered an assortment of dishes which included a split chicken dish, an eel salad and beef salad baked escargo baked potato gratin like dish. Taste wise, this place was amazing. Everything was exceptionally well made and it tasted like what a hearty meal would taste like. This place is inexpensive and a great place to try if you're in need of some Russian food! Yum-O

Elvira G.

Russian speaking people really like This place because it is special: decor is outdated but cozy , service is nice and simple , food is not expensive and not fancy .If you like heavy fatty food and you do not know were to take you grandma for lunch - this is a place to go. We went here for lunch and I think their Chef had a bad day or maybe we made a wrong choice.After all ,they do not care what you think about them.