Mikhail Smirnov, Barynya Entertainment, 201-981-2497, msmirnov@yahoo.com

Top 10 Russian Restaurants NYC. Ten best Russian Restaurants in New York City and suburbs

What are the top best Russian Restaurant in New York City and nearest suburbs? Where to eat best Russian Borscht? Where to have fun in the "Russian way"? Where you can get Vareniki, Pelmeni, Zakuski, meet Russian ladies or men, and, maybe, dance and sing? Below you can read my honest recommendations, not paid advertisement or search engines selections. I am Russian DJ Barnaul serving New York City since 2008.
Again, this is my personal opinion, not paid advertisement.
 
This review of the Top ten Russian restaurants in New York City provided by DJ Barnaul, MC and Tamada (toastmaster) for Russian weddings, corporate events and parties.

#1. HOT POTATO HOUSE, 109 Oriental Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11235, www.hotpotatohouse.com, phone: 718-975-7990

Credit: www.hotpotatohouse.com Hot Potato House
credit: www.hotpotatohouse.com Hot Potato House

В Hot Potato House можно отведать русскую, беларусскую, кавказскую и украинскую кухни, причем алкоголь можно приносить с собой!!! По пятницам, субботам и воскресеньям играет живая музыка, причём музыканты очень классные. Картофельные блинчики, салат "Курник" и совершенно обалденный чай со свежими ягодами, вообще еда вся очен вкусная. Когда тепло, можно посидеть и на веранде. Официанты - приятные ребята, один из них (Сергей) очень хорошо поёт как Магомаев. Цены нормальные. Лично я предпочитаю в HOT POTATO HOUSE ходить с компанией, чтобы пожрать и повеселиться. Есть валет паркинг. Hot Potato House is the best Russian Restaurant in Brooklyn with large summer sitting outside. The food is excellent with moderate prices. Great live music. I will be back again in February.

#2. ANYWAY CAFE NYC, 32 E 2nd St, New York, NY 10003, www.anywaycafe.com, phone (212) 533-3412

Credit: www.anywaycafe.com Anyway Cafe
Credit: www.anywaycafe.com Anyway Cafe

ANYWAY CAFE IN NEW YORK CITY is my number 1 choice. That place in East Village has special atmosphere where it seems like you know everybody and everybody know you. Live music every night since 1995. It was busy when I was there and somebody was almost sitting on my knees. Прикольные коктейли, особенно кофейный с водочкой, вкусная еда и хорошая атмосфера. Всё понравилось. Зайду в Энивэй Кафе ещё много раз.

#3. 3BR DISTILLERY, 7 Main Street, Keyport, New Jersey 07735, www.3brdistillery.com, phone: 862.259.5991

3BR Distillery, Keyport, New Jersey
Credit: www.3brdistillery.com, 3BR Distillery, Keyport, New Jersey

Russians opened cool distillery in Keyport, New Jersey. No food - only drinks but you can bring your own food. Live music every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Офигенные коктейли из самодельных водок и пр., классный интерьер, весело и ненавязчиво, кругом ковры и вообще уютно. По четвергам играют русские музыканты.

#4. ANYWAY CAFE BROOKLYN, 1602 Gravesend Neck Rd, Brooklyn, NY 11229, www.anywaycafe.com, phone: (718) 934-5988

ANYWAY CAFE BROOKLYN 1602 Gravesend Neck Rd Brooklyn NY 11229, Top Best Russian restaurants New York
Credit: www.barynya.com, Anyway Cafe Brooklyn, New York

One of the best Russian restaurants and bars in Brooklyn, New York. Tasty not too expensive food, cool young people, live music almost every day. Красивые приветливые барменши и симпатичные вежливые официанты, прикольный интерьер, весело и негромко, кругом русская речь. Я был раз восемь и ещё пойду.

#5. RUSSIAN SAMOVAR, 256 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019, www.russiansamovar.com, phone (212) 757-0168

Credit: www.russiansamovar.com Russian Samovar
Credit: www.russiansamovar.com Russian Samovar

Home-made infused vodka gives me a headache next morning, especially if I have a few carafes. Most likely they make it from SAMOGON (home made moonshine). I prefer the one with khren-horse-radish. A lot of fun when Sergey the singer and Valery on the fiddle are playing there. The service is good, my gorgeous waitress was there on time all the time. She was beautiful, I will be there again just to see her again. Borsch, Hachapuri, "Seelyotka Pad Shuboi"-Herring Salad, and Stroganoff were fine, my favorite dish was mashrooms with kasha. And I parked right in front of the restaurant! Чем хорошо в Русском Самоваре, что всегда, если что-то не так, скажем, противные соседи, можно пойти в Рюмочную напротив.

#6. RUSSIAN TEA ROOM, 150 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019, www.russiantearoomnyc.com, phone (212) 581-7100

Credit: www.russiantearoomnyc.com Russian Tea Room
Credit: www.russiantearoomnyc.com Russian Tea Room

Huge glass bear aquarium is very interesting. I was wondering if it is filled with vodka?! It looks like live fish is swimmimg inside. The place is for tourists, Russians do not usually go here, it is too Americanized. The food is totally OK, the Chicken Kiev, Beef Stroganoff, beet and lobster salads are 100%. I invited my American friends to check out the decor. It was a bit boring, because most of Russian restaurants have live music. In Brooklyn you also can dance, some places even have show. I guess owners should check out Rasputin and Tatiana to see what Russian restaurant should be like. But for old-timers and tourists it is OK. I respect the fact that the place is open for like a thousand years or so and they spend like 100 million dollars to renovate the place. Actually we pretended to be looking for a place to do the wedding and blond lady showed us all floors. Ресторан красивый, некий А-ля Рюс по американским понятиям, можно было бы там проводить классные дискотеки наверху.

#7. PRAVDA, 281 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012, www.pravdany.com, phone (212) 226-4696

Credit: www.pravdany.com Pravda
Credit: www.pravdany.com Pravda

Pravda is a fine establishment with friendly staff, it is classy and not very expensive for Manhattan. I was promissed to see there some selebrities promised by my friend, but the only selebrity was the guy that I though was in Canada's jail. I think he selebrated his return with his company of friends. They were singing one Russian song I never heard of before. We checked out house-infused vodkas, Sampler dish, Leninade and Russian Mary cocktails, and had some caviar. I loved coctails, borsht was kinda cold. By the way, Russian quotation on an inset of the menu translated as "What's on the sober man's mind is on the drunk man's tongue." It is true. Potato Pancakes are my favorite! Неплохое местечко, я был там несколько раз, недаром они уже лет десять (а может и больше) открыты.

#8. RUSSIAN VODKA ROOM, 265 W 52nd St, New York, NY 10019, www.russianvodkaroom.com, phone (212) 307-5835

Credit: www.russianvodkaroom.com Russian Vodka Room
Credit: www.russianvodkaroom.com Russian Vodka Room

Russian Vodka Room was the best Russian establishment when it was opened. Now it is a bit boring, but I still love pirozhiki with cabbage filling, infused vodka shots, kielbasa, beef carpaccio. In my opinion, pelmini and vodka is the perfect combination for Russian theme lunch. If you just add vinegret beet salad, you are right there in Russia. It is very dark in there, huge piano sitting at the bar area. Sometimes I have seen musician was playing old tunes. If you drank too much vodka during your visit, like I usually do, try some of the dishes like Stroganoff or fish with vegetables. По мне так там скучновато. Под пианино особо не разгуляешься, хотя "Рюмочная" открыта уже лет 15. Тем более, если не нравится, всегда можно пойти в "Самовар", который прямо напротив.

#8. MARI VANNA, 41 E 20th St, New York, NY 10001, www.marivanna.ru/ny, phone (212) 777-1955

Credit: www.marivanna.ru Mari Vanna
Credit: www.marivanna.ru Mari Vanna

Mari Vanna is a typical New Russian restaurant with good food and very nice young Russian staff. Russian movies on big screens. Parking was easy to find. I put Mari Vanna on eight place only because the food is too expensive. Come on, Mari Vanna, 15$ dollars for salad with tomato, cucember and radish with sour cream is not fair! It should be no more than 14.50$ even in New York City!!! Newspapers and magazines from the Soviet Communist Era was great idea! It was too noisy and crowded in the eveing, and I liked it, and vodka shots helped me to get over that. Всё было вкусно, и обстановка прикольная, мне всё понравилось, кроме дороговизны, но народу было полно, так что, наверно, я ни хрена не соображаю в ценах.

#1. Love Cafe, 430 Second Avenue, New York, New York. Phone: 212-779-7300. www.lovecafeandbar.com

Love Cafe and Bar on Second Avenue and 24th Street just opened in New York City recently. I was there a few days ago to check out the place for myself. The owner of the place {Margarita Abramov} is lovely Russian Lady who makes her delicious dishes like Bliny (pancakes), Pirogues, Hungarian goulash, Russian borscht, Beef Stroganoff, Stuffed cabbage and amazing dessert crepes personally. This is the only place in the City and suburbs where you can listen to live balalaika music by virtuoso Elina and singing by Mr. Smirnoff on Friday evening.

Credit: www.lovecafeandbar.com - Love Cafe and Bar
Credit: www.lovecafeandbar.com - Love Cafe and Bar


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#9. ONEGIN, 391 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10014, www.oneginnyc.com, phone (212) 924-8001

Credit: www.oneginnyc.com Onegin
Credit: www.oneginnyc.com Onegin

Onegin has a beautiful decor and menu that includes my favorite Russian dish - "Holodets", and it was good!!! I am well-known Holodets expert, I eat this everywhere I go, if it is on the menue, and Onegin's Kholodets was Molodets (Good Guy). Service is kinda slow, just like it use to be in Soviet Union, and I liked it. Of course, I hated the DJ not only because he is my competition, but also for the stupid music he played so very loud that I was not able to hear my self when I was screaming to call my waiter. The Olivea salad was really good too, I could have eat a lot more of it, I wish the portion was larger. "Chicken Tabaka" was kinda oversalted and also slightly overcooked. Parking Valet was really nice idea, but I was able to park my van on the meter. На самом деле, отличное место, просто что бы обслуживали побыстрее, побольше давали еды, и взяли меня диджеем. Мне ресторан понравился.

#10. NASHA RASHA, 4 W 19 St, New York, NY 10011, www.nasharashanyc.com, phone (212) 929-4444

Credit: www.nasharashanyc.com Nasha Rasha
Credit: www.nasharashanyc.com Nasha Rasha

It is a lots of FREE parking at Nasha Rasha if you driving. The Soviet theme is well executed through the architecture and decor, exactly what it should be. 700 sorts of bottled vodka, 100 house infused vodkas, my favorite was bacon with chocolate and bacon vodka. This place is an instant party because of crazy garmoshka music and DJ mixes that barmen runs from his set. Nice. Beautiful Russian girls drinking vodka. Chebureki, Borscht, Solyanka, Stroganoff, Pelmeni are made by Misha, former chief of Brooklyn's "Passage". Chicken Stroganoff is great. Barmen is famous Russian guy Edik, who likes to be called Eduard Alexandrovich. Fun, fun, fun! Обязательно сходить!

#11. FIREBIRD, 365 W 46 St, New York, NY 10036, www.firebirdrestaurant.com, phone (212) 586-0244

Credit: www.firebirdrestaurant.com Firebird Restaurant
Credit: www.firebirdrestaurant.com Firebird Restaurant

Free parking is hard to find. This upscale restaurant place is great to experience! I had Chicken Kiev and couple of samplers of vodkas. I think the Chicken Kiev in Firebird is the best in town. The garlic infused vodka smelled like garlic! It is not a good idea to have a few if you are going to Broadway show. The bartender is a nice friendly guy, but not Russian for some reason. I do not feel like owners are Russians as well, the owner (or one of the owners) I talked at the bar had Italian accent. It is the most beautiful Russian Restaurant in the Tri-State area. After restaurant Fyodoroff on Long Island closed, the Firebird is no doubt number one with decor, inside its like Russian Czars Palace. But be careful, if you short on money, it is expensive. No live music, balalaika CD plays in the speakers hidden somewhere. Можно повести солидных гостей или романтический вечер.

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