From the instant I set foot in this spot, I felt transported to a quaint, joyous village far, far away. Now that joyous bit was no doubt fueled by the BYO vodka I spied on a number tables. But Village Cafe, indeed: Anyway, Eggplant Salad was like a chunky baba ganouj, sans tahini. It had a lovely smokiness, but wish it had been served at room temperature, rather than cold. Greek Salad, boasted some gorgeous tomatoes. Too bad the kitchen used canned ripe olives instead of kalamatas.:( Ground Lamb Luyla Kabob reminded me of Turkish Adana, but each meat disk was wrapped in what looked very much like a piece of flour tortilla. Lamb Ribs were mostly fat and bone so wasn't a huge fan. Chicken Kabab was tender and juicy, though. Ka-Bob-Ing for Information. What you need to know: Lamb here was unabashedly rich and fatty. It also straddled the line, almost crossing over into so gamey it tasted like the mutton Jerry hid in his napkin on Seinfeld territory. But not quite. I liked the shamelessly lamby flavor but know it's a polarizing taste so am letting y'all know. We also ordered Kutaby, aka savory stuffed pancakes. Full-flavored Lamb was my favorite, with Chicken tasting downright meek in comparison. The Greens-Filled Kutaby was interesting and in fact, hubby asked our server exactly what it consisted of since we couldn't pinpoint the flavor. "The kitchen combines all the greens we have, like spinach, lettuce, mint, and cilantro, " he explained. For dessert, we tried Mutaki, which is sort of like nut-filled rugelach. Our server told us it was good for people who don't like sweet desserts, but this was downright bland. I think this pastry is traditionally supposed to include cardamom, but alas I tasted none, or much of anything else, in this rendition. Service here was so charming that instead of getting p.o.'ed when our two requests for an ice bucket for our BYO white wine went unfulfilled, we shrugged it off and rigged a hack using our water pitcher instead. It was just so hard to get annoyed with such otherwise warm and attentive service. I love a restaurant that makes me think about what I'm eating. In a good way, mind you. And this one got me all curious about Baku cuisine. Alas, am not sure if we ordered right since overall, I came away feeling like Taci's Beyti across the street does Kabobs and Salad better. I'd like to return here, though, to explore other menu items like Chicken Tabaka and the dumplings I saw going by to other tables. Word to the wise: This place was PACKED on a Saturday night. We got the last available table but had to vacate it within an hour for another party because we showed up on the fly, without reservations. Learn from our mistake, people. read more

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It came as no surprise that the cafe got bigger within 2 years that it should be called a restaurant already. They do the things right and consequently, they make money and expand the business. Last time I went there was back in summer 2014 and I was not a Yelp user then. I would already give the 5 stars. This is an Azerbaijan cuisine which is pretty close to Turkish taste so we are kind of home :) We ordered a village and a greek salad last night both were pretty good. Potatoes with mushrooms is a must to try. Kutaby with meat is so good too. For main course any shish kebab is good but the best one is the chicken. It is juicy and flavourful. Side rice is not perfect but okay. Service and the employees have such a positive attitude and they do not lose their smiling faces no matter how crowded it is. They had a table for 30+ people right next to us and everyone seemed happy there too. There is a conference room which I assume is a kind of party room for 15 people so you can arrange private occasions there. Liquor store next door is open as late as the restaurant so if you ran our of alcohol, they are there for you. Prices are way reasonable considering the delicious food you eat. $88.74 for 5 people. We all were full. They were kind enough to bring the birthday cake to table by singing happy birthday for my bf. Good job Village ! read more

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Good service, food is amazingly delicious, everything is so fresh. The only thing why I deduct 1 star is that on the phone they told me that they open untill 11, but in fact that day only untill 10pm. Overall I liked that place and will be back. read more

Village Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Not much to really say .... except that the shishkabob's here were the best out of everywhere else. All of the other food was also good but the shishkabob's definitely stole the show. read more

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Our all time favorite! Food is amazing and service is always great! We have ordered food here for so many events and always pleased. Would definitely recommend. read more

I followed yelp recommendation The service 5 stars The decor 4, 4.5 The price, well I would say About 3.7, 4. shishkebab $7 - $12 not include the side ( side $5 $10) I got harcho sup $6 (not bad at all) but not the best I would rate the sup 3.5 out of 5 Lamb meet kutab west of money ( rate 1 out 5) I would not recommend it at all If yelp would allows to Rate the place 3.5, other wise don't want to ruined their reputation read more

everything is not fresh. Dirty tables. We ordered kharcho soup and cutlets village ... the potatoes with mushrooms were too salty. I do not recommend ... you can get poisoned. read more

Great food, great service, super friendly waiters and very relaxing atmosphere. Came yesterday with my boyfriend and friends right after work and had a great time. They decorated Village cafe so nicely with beautiful taste, it was impressive for such a small place. Now about the food... it was absolutely delicious from salads, cold and hot appetizers to main corse and desert. My favorite salad Eggplant salad which is their own recipe salad with grilled eggplant, walnuts, prune and sour cream. The flavor of all this Ingredients was something special. Loved every bite of it. My favorite Hot appetizer was Spinach ( pirogy) triangles. Spinach was so fresh and full of flavor inside of very well done thin dough My favorite main course was Lamb shish kebab, it came in paper thin dough wrapping it. Pretty juicy and full of flavor. And the last was my favorite dessert Napoleon it was home made. Just enough cream was evenly spread through every layer of cake and it melted in my mouth with every yummy bite. read more

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This is a little piece of heaven. It is so worth calling ahead to get the Red Caviar with Crepes, and the Guru Hingal. Give them a call a few days before you want to go, and they'll reserve you some of this goodness. Red Caviar is large fish eggs (smoked?), with crepes and sour cream. Reminiscent of bagel and lox. Amazing. Guru Hingal is some sort of ethereal ground meat and homemade noodle dish. Seriously amazing. My favorite thing is the Dushbara, the dumpling soup. Tiny little meat filled dumplings in a rich meat broth. I could eat unlimited bowls of this. So good. The Kutaby are a must. Order a bunch of those right away while they get your vodka on ice and bring you fruit juice and glasses. Those little bread and meat/veg/chicken concoctions are a great way to start the meal. The eggplant salad is also a do not miss, sopped up with the Turkish bread. All the shish-kebabs are great, the quail was surprisingly good. I've never had a bite here that I didn't like. If you visit this restaurant, make sure to stop by the liquor store on the way in. Not only because this place is BYOB, but also because it is a magical place full of wondrous alcohol related things. One time they were giving out oysters and shots of vodka. I lived to tell. I'm lucky to live somewhat near this place, but if I ever moved away, I would definitely make trips to come visit this sublime slice of Azerbaijan in Brooklyn. 10 stars! read more

First time I come to Village Cafe , I have to say good Food, meat was tender and very tasty. The bread was fresh. Loved the Salad Ppl were very attentive to us.And we bought our bottle of wine right in front there's a liquor store.loved the idea. Will recommend to friends and family. ;) read more

Village Cafe - Food was amazing I had Lamb Kabab - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Really really good place. The kebabs are the best I've had in New York so far. Both the chicken and the lamb lula is great. The salads are wonderful especially the village and Greek salads. The homemade compote (fruit drink) is delightful. I also recommend the french fries with garlic on top. read more

Great food! Slightly saltier than we would like, but solid 4 stars! The Best: $3.50- Toasted and Fluffy Turkish bread per basket- great with eggplant salad $19- 2 salmon steaks- much more meat than the grilled kebabs from Nargis Cafe $8- lamb ribs - larger portions of lamb ribs than Nargis Cafe (but double the price) +++ Awesome Service !! No need to flag down waiters for water, because they give pitchers of lemon water at the beginning!!!! +++ FREE PARKING in the front (if you find a spot) $10- Avocado salad- decent size, but that rice wafer taco shell was boring and soggy read more

I recommend their chicken kebabs here, very tasty and tender. Some of their appetizers are good and some are not tasty. read more

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This is probably one of the better authentic Baku style Russian restaurants in the Brooklyn area. All the salads are cut fresh to order. The lamb ribs just absolutely melt in your mouth. The herring was pickles absolutely perfect. Overall the service was very good as well, I definitely recommend this place to everyone. read more

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I came here once on a Saturday evening and was turned away because the place was PACKED (good sign, right?) Luckily, I tried again on an early Sunday afternoon and I was the first one there. Had the borscht, warm bread, and lamb and chicken kebabs. Everything was so so good... the meats were some of the most juicy I've ever had. Since this place is next door to my gym, I will be a repeat customer. read more

Good spot for reaosnably priced wholesome food. Freindly service, and Azerbajanian specialities. I highly suggest their dumpling soup with tiny dumplings. Their salads are very delicious and fresh. May I suggest tongue salad? Listen, if you are coming to any establishment that was in some way connected to the Soviet Union, then you are bound to see that on the menu. Whatever you do, don't be intimidated or disgusted. Be adventurous! It tastes like the most tender beef. It is accompanied by cucumber, tomatoes, and bell peppers. All under a light white sauce. When ordering chicken shish make sure you specify if you want with or without the bone as they do tend to take their liberties with that. Try napoleon; which is costurd layered flaky pastry. Their baklava is to die for; however, keep in mind that it is not the middle eastern baklava that you are used to. Now one rushes you to leave, and you can enjoy your food amongst other vodka enthusiasts. read more

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Came at noon today. Upon walking in I was asked "yes?" with up and down looks. Asked for seating for two and was walked all the way to the back. I'm surprised that no one mentioned the smell and the flies. The place smelled like cat piss and there were flies all around. We sat down and my friend did not want to eat there. So we got up and left. Normally I would feel bad but didn't this time because the greeting wasn't very warm anyway. My friend said she ate in log cabins before that didn't have flies everywhere or smell like cat piss. 54 reviews of nearly all 5 star ratings on yelp. I guess it could be true if you can stand eating in a dining room that smells like a urinal. What a disappointment. read more

Interesting place. The location and exterior is a bit odd but it's cozy on the inside and the food is pretty good. The reasonable prices are an added bonus. read more

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I took my husband here today for a birthday lunch and let's just say we left beyond full and happy. To start, they have their own parking lot! And you know this is important in this area! Next, the staff is beyond friendly - and not that fake kind of friendly. Our server was very personable and attentive. Their lunch menu made me salivate before I even placed my order - and who can beat the $10.99 price?! I had the lamb lulya kebab, borscht, olivier salad, and buckwheat. 10's across the board for everything, literally. Presentation, taste, and quality was amazing. My husband had everything I had except for the soup. He ordered the mushroom soup and is was perfect - not kidding. The right amount of salt, the right amount of flavor all-around! We will definitely be back and I recommend every local stop in for a taste. read more

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A M A Z I N G. Was riding by on my bike and i stopped in for the $10 lunch special. there's a huge variety of option but i went with (and would highly recommend) meat kutabi, borscht, cold eggplant salad, rice. $10!! read more

Village Cafe - kutabi-- like a meaty and marrowy savory crepe. Highly recommend. - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Lovely unique restaurant/cafe with outstanding service and tasteful authentic dishes. Keep it up! read more

I came here for the first time when I threw my husbands surprise birthday party without trying the food. I have had a lot of recommendations therefore I took the risk. I am really glad I did!! The food was amazing. The meat was super moist and full of spices and flavor. The staff was very friendly and always attentive. We had a party of 25 where most of the people haven't been there and it's been a little over two weeks and everyone is still talking about the place. I can't wait to go back and eat there. If you haven't tried this place, you should it's an absolute must!! read more

If you are able to locate this little gem in Brooklyn , behind the parking lot of a liquor store, you will be thankful that you did. There is something very unique about this place, where you really feel like you are dining at home at a village, so this café lives up to its name. the décor has a very home feel to it, with old tea kettles, forks and spoons on the wall, cabin type of structure and interior, a little counter in the front with jams and ingredients you would cook with at home, and old fashion mugs and plates for each table. The menu has a lot of variety and it is easy to find something for everyone. there are various vegetable salads with cheese and meat if you wish, greek salad with basturma was a great hit with tons of veggies like grape tomatoes that must of came out of a garden with a decent portion. there are also good options for appetizers like feta cheese and tomatoes, potatoes with mushrooms [they really tasted like chips!] and soups [my parents loved the spicy kharcho soup], and various dough pastries filled with meat [kutabi is very popular here] the best part about the menu is the shish kebab menu, they can literally grill anything from chicken, lamb, quail, and liver [ my parents tried quail and they were very pleased with how juicy and tender it was with plenty of seasoning], it also came with a long grain rice that was very flavorful and surprisingly light. there were a lot of nice daily specials posted on the wall, including dolma, branzino fish and leg of lamb. I decided to give leg of lamb a shot which comes in the form of a soup with vegetables underneath this huge leg, the meat literally came right off the bone and was tender with a lot of flavor. there are side dishes available such as mashed potatoes, fries, buckwheat and rice. the puree [mashed potatoes] were fantastic , it wasn't drowning it butter and it didn't really require any salt either. the chicken tabaka that my sister ordered was a really unique dish, it was fried crispy chicken with various seasonings that came with four wings and a side of your choice, the flavor was phenomenal. the best part of this place, you can BYOB from the liquor store next door, its that convenient. I loved the service here, the waitress was so friendly, we got a reservation fast, they were able to explain the menu if you had any questions, language barrier may be an issue here but they spoke enough English to take your order. for a salad, an appetizer, a soup, and three entrees, the bill came out to 105 dollars minus the tip, you really do get a bang for your buck with amazing homemade food, you really cant complain here. in addition, the bathroom is very clean and there is valet parking [total win!] what holds me back from giving five stars is the noise level in here, it gets really rowdy for the amount of diners that this place holds for lunch or dinner. read more

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We came here with a group of 10. We are very picky eaters, critiquing every little aspect of foods. Being that we are from baku and were exposed to fine kavkazi foods and restaurants since a young age, we were amazed at the quality of the foods. The kutabi, dolma, lamb ribs, chicken kebab, lulya was amazing. Try the jiz biz if you like weird foods. Even the roasted potatoes were whoa. Atmosphere is cozy and relaxing. Beats every Turkish and uzbek cuisine in the area. read more

Village Cafe - Shakar bura - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Last 2 times the food was raw. Tonight raw chicken. Used to be fantastic. Now they cut ALL of the portions. The salad a joke. How does a russian restaurant have pink tomatoes. This place has gone REALLY down hill. Terrible. Never to return read more

We came here after a funeral and found everyone very welcoming and the food delicious. The owner made making arrangements very simple, as we weren't sure how many people it would end up being. This really made an otherwise difficult day very easy. The food really was tasty and very fresh. And in the end we were very pleased with the price. read more

Positive experience. IVE been here few times and both times were extremely positive experiences!Food is great love it.defenatly recommended. read more

The food here is great. Everything that we got was delicious and full of flavor. The lamb chops and chicken were cooked nicely, and the starters were good too. Its somewhat in an awkward location, but it isn't that big of an issue. read more

Overrated place. Ordered borscht and chicken cutlets with mashed potatoes. Waited for my order for ages. Average, tasteless borsch. The moment I tried cutlets I felt it was not chicken at all. Turned out to be stinky lamb. Replaced with chicken kebab, turned out to be half raw. Don't recommend this place to anyone. And that was my first and last time there. read more

Nice and very cozy spot. Great food and very friendly stuff. If you go on weekend,make sure to call them prior arrival,cause they are very busy. I will definitely come again and recommend to all my friends. read more

We were going to another restaurant but they were having a private party so we walked across the street and found the Village Cafe. Friendly wait staff, great food, and fantastic prices. We love checking out different restaurants and the Village will get a return from us, plus they deliver, another plus for us. read more

Ok this right here is some bomb azz food. Might not be the most welcoming to non Russians aaaaand maybe not the cleanest restrooms but the food is fantastic ESPECIALLY for yhe price read more

Yes this place is great. I love the kebob and other Russian style dishes they serve. The decor is very nice and would recommend this place to anyone. read more

I've been to most Russian restaurants in Brooklyn as I grew up in this area and I see myself as a sort of connoisseur of Russian/Soviet food, so when I saw Village Cafe and the fairly high Yelp rating it boasted, I knew I had to try it. Big mistake, this restaurant was among the worst I've ever tried. Not just among Russian/Central Asian restaurants, but worst ever. I'll explain more in depth. Appetizers: Fried Calf's Liver: Pretty good, nice and salty, could use some more crisp. Probably the best fried calf's liver in the world could be found across the street from them at Taci's Beyti though, so comparatively, the juxtuposition between the two restaurants makes this dish somehow less impressive. Avocado Salad: Pretty decent for what it is, good balance between the vegetables, didn't skimp on the avocado and tasted very fresh. Grilled Eggplant w/ Walnuts: Eggplant was raw and dish was overly sweet - like candy sweet. Not good at all. Meat Assortment Platter: Simply laughable. It consisted of oven baked, thickly sliced turkey, tongue and basturma. Came with no horseradish, no mustard, no accompanying veggies, nothing else. When we asked for mustard, we got a small cup of yellow French's mustard. This dish simply screams: "I don't give a damn about you". Meat tasted average for what it was. Entrees: Lamb Leg: This dish was by far the worst. It came in a wretched-smelling, vegetable-based stew that reminded me of my grandmother's terrible vegetable soup and made me want to gag immediately. My brother removed the lamb leg from the stew to cut the meat off. The meat should have fallen off the bone as it does with any slow-cooked dish, but my brother was hacking away at it as if it were made of wood. Once he finally got the meat off the bone, I took some into my plate. The meat had a blueish hue to it and smelled very gamey. I took a bite of the stringy, tough meat and felt vomit rising in my esophagus. The shear embarrassment of throwing up at the table prevented me from doing so. The meat tasted boiled and was utterly devoid of salt, instead presenting a slightly sweet flavor. The texture of the meat, besides being tough, was slimey on the outside which added another factor of disgust. I simply could not take another bite of this horrible dish. I don't know what happened here or if this was some sort of prank. Lamb Ribs: The lamb ribs actually tasted fine, fatty and salty but the problem here was that the ribs were so small that you could get all the meat off a rib in one bite. Veal Stew: This stew contained huge chunks of mushroom, basically an entire mushroom cut in half which was not included in the description. My mother ordered this dish and is allergic to mushrooms, so she couldn't have any. The chefs at Village Cafe are pioneers in the respect that they have elevated terrible cooking to the next level with this dish because they have somehow allowed stewed veal to become dry and as tough as shoe leather. I actually didn't think it was possible but my eyes have been opened. Grilled Fish w/ Cheese: Bizarre dish but tasted fine. The cheese coating seems to take away from the crispiness of grilled fish, which is counter-intuitive, but this dish was a welcome respite from the otherwise horrifying lamb leg and veal stew. At this point, I was very hungry and would eat anything remotely edible. Dessert: Penyochki (literally - tree stumps): This is a type of espresso soaked sponge cake layered with espresso cream. Their rendition was pretty good, no complaints here. Azeri Honey Cake: This cake was nothing special, could use more moisture but was otherwise fine when coupled with tea. Napoleon Cake: This cake was the true standout item. The cake was absolutely excellent, perhaps the best Napoleon I've ever had. I wanted to know where they got it because I refused to believe that the chefs were capable of baking such a cake given the quality of the other items on the menu. This item is the sole reason that I would give Village Cafe 1 star rather than 0. Tea: Tasted like a strong Ceylon black tea that came in a kettle. The tea was pretty good but the kettle design was absolutely idiotic. The handle of the kettle was so hot that it would cause 2nd degree burns if you were to hold it for more than 10 seconds. I had to use a moistened napkin to grab the kettle and pour the tea. Defeats the entire purpose of using a kettle. This restaurant is BYOB but so is any other place in south Brooklyn that caters to primarily Russian speakers. Overall, I'd suggest to completely avoid this restaurant. I had to double check that I went to the correct restaurant because the other Yelp reviews seemed entirely misleading. Perhaps many people here don't understand Russian/Soviet/Central Asian cuisine but at least based on the entrees served here, it was bottom of the barrel in quality. I can't even suggest comparable restaurants because literally any other place in Brooklyn is better. read more

Great food, cheap prices. I've been there twice already. Recommend this place for everyone who wants to try authentic food from the Caucasus region read more

Very nice old stile Russian restaurant , the food is amazing specialty chicken kebab and Bronzing. Highly recommend !!!! read more

Village Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Good local russian azeri place. Excellent food, prices, nice environment. Excellent kabobs and salad. read more

Village Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

An incredible hidden gem in Brooklyn Café village will have what you're looking for whether it's beef lamb chicken or liver kebabs they know how to do them well. potatoes with mushroom or just french fries done to perfection and service is five star. If you're in the mood for a great meal head on down,I give this place two thumbs up read more

This was my first time at the Village Cafe! I ended up here when visiting some friends after hearing them rave about this little hidden Russian gem in the back of a liquor store parking lot!! I had a great experience, we were seated right away, the food came out quickly, and we were able to bring in our own bottle of wine. I personally ordered the dushbara soup ( my first time eating this soup, it was pretty tasty & a big portion!), we ordered some shish kabob (lamb, beef, chicken), I did not eat lamb, but I did not enjoy the beef...it was too chewy for me... the chicken was good though. We ordered some fresh salad, can't go wrong with a salad. Overall, the ambiance in there is very cozy, cute, great for friends & families, and service was quick ( some of them can be a little friendlier though). read more

What a nice place. I like the food. I had red borsh with chicken kebab and mashed potato. Salad. Wonderful service. Pleasant and very helpful waiter! Looking forward to come back again. read more