Mari Vanna London - (38/50) …read more For the Russian diaspora visits to a restaurant of the Mari Vanna chain with locations in Moscow, London, Baku and New York is an occasionally unavoidable undertaking. Typically, Russians while abroad like to stay away from anything reminding them of home, in particular unknown fellow citizens from the former SSRs (). So a visit usually involves local (non-Russian) friends who have pushed hard enough to try Russian cuisine (without mustering the courage - potentially too dangerous! - to visit Russia itself) . The chain is interestingly owned by the mini-conglomerate Adamant.ru from Petersburg, which has the typical amalgamated history of daring entrepreneurship, favorable privatizations, the right coverage from above () and below (). No judgment on that please if you know anything about RU in the 90s!! . Atmosphere: furnished with period furniture and ample decorative pieces it is like a movie set for a Tolstoi novel or time travel into Russia's past. Hence warm, cozy and entirely pleasant to the eye. (8/10) . Crowd: romantically-minded couples (one side being almost always from Russia, see above), families, tourists. Don't expect a high turnout of self-respecting Russian models or Insta-Ladies. Occasionally more boisterous Vodka-fueled groups. (7/10) . Food: it is very good and very authentic. Home-style cooking at its best. Expect all the classics of Russian cuisine, from the breads, the soups, the salads, the fish & meat to the desserts. In this respect you can't go wrong here! Portions are generous so bring an appetite or share! (8/10) . Drinks: again, everything you may have heard about is available. Mors is very fruity and rather on the heavy side for my taste. (7/10) . Service: informed, efficient, fast, knowledgeable. Waiters obviously speaking English - but all native Russians, so an opportunity to hone your language skills! (8/10)

Let me start with the positive: it's in London, easy to find, and is centrally located. The…read moreatmosphere is really good and staff is friendly, courteous and welcoming but I felt they were somewhat stressed out. The space is small and it's really filled up with tables to a point where waiters have to navigate gingerly but it IS London and space is $$$$ but they could easily offset it with great food but alas, that wasn't the case. Perhaps, an unsuspecting non Russian tourist might enjoy the experience, but as a native, if I had to use one polite word and not a lot of Russian expletives - dreadful would be it. If you own this place or work there you will know that all pickles came from a jar. You'd know that pastries were not made by you and weren't made today but you don't charge yesterday's prices. Even the bread was ehh. Not going to list the dishes but they all were not that tasty and possibly not made by a Russian cook. Notice, I didn't even use the word "chef" which is what this type of restaurant ought to have. A MAJOR disappointment and an expensive one at that. Don't do this. If you happen to travel to LA, I will make Russian food for you or at least tell you where to go

The food was beyond bad, embarrassment to amazing Armenian cousine…read more Chebureki were cooked way in advance and reheated in microwave, soggy dough and tasteless filling. Manti again were precooked, almost no broth inside. The waitress' very unwelcoming attitude was quite entertaining though))) There are many similar restaurants in London. This one is definitely not worth that money

Very tasty !!! Hinkali are the best ! Jingal lavhac so so good nice and Juicy ! The owner is very…read morenice and welcoming! Great service !Loved solyanka soup !

Tucked away within the D lane of the Queensway market is a little gem for Uzbek and Russian food…read more Such was the popularity of the place, we had a half hour wait at 5 in the afternoon, but the staff was very polite and apologetic, and offered to call us by phone when a table opens up. The great service continued throughout our meal. Which consisted of: 1. Noxat shurva - a flavorful soup consisting of lamb, chickpeas and carrots 2. Manti - steamed dumplings filling with lamb and onion, served with generous amount of sour cream, butter and dill 3. Pelmeni - a Russian version of dumpling, also with mince lamb 4. Plov - rice dish with fall-apart lamb, carrots served with a side of pickled veggies. The best of the lot Prices are extremely affordable given its prominent location within London.

We took 2 different buses,and walked to eat here and enjoyed the Uzbek food tremendously…read more Service was poor, prices were outrageous. Instead of charging 1.5 English pounds, he charged us 4.7 pounds. Added 10 pounds for service, and looked me in the eye and lied. Will never go back or recommend this business.

Charged Me for bread!!!! And for life music they played in main dining room…read more Service is very slow . Food is mediocre.

This is definitely an experience, no question. There's a great selection of vodkas, and the sweet…read moreRussian champagne (£40) was delicious. However, this place is not cheap, and the food took a long time to arrive. For our group of 20, we pre-ordered the day before. In spite of this, it took an hour for our starters to arrive, and another hour after that for our mains. We were starving! My food was decent. The borshtch was good, while my Central Asian lamb plov was a little bland. The ambience is great though. Live music and Russian folk songs... Like I said, an experience... and best visited with someone from Eastern Europe.

I may have ruined Beef Wellington for myself forever--on my first trip to London, at Bob Bob Ricard…read moreSoho. Because I don't know how another one is supposed to compete with this. The Beef Wellington was phenomenal. Perfectly cooked, rich, tender, and genuinely one of the best things I've eaten. I'm still thinking about it. I also tried a Blackberry Paloma for the first time, and that was another surprise. Absolutely delicious. Fresh, balanced, and dangerously easy to drink. But what really made the night was the entire experience. The service was exceptional. Every member of the waitstaff made us feel welcomed and taken care of, and our waitress was wonderful. Warm, attentive, and genuinely added something special to the evening. There are restaurants where you remember the food. There are restaurants where you remember how people made you feel. Bob Bob Ricard gave me both. For my first trip to London, this was one of those meals I know I'm going to remember. Beautiful restaurant. Incredible food. Amazing service. I came to London wanting experiences I couldn't have anywhere else. This was one of them. Five stars. Fácil. My phenomenal waitress was Madara And the director Richard was so friendly

As always everything was amazing. From the moment you are greeted at the door and until you leave -…read morethe food, the people... everything is just wonderful! Our favorite restaurant in London! The Chicken Kiev is incredible and the silkiest mash potatoes.

Nice change to find Central European food outside of the metropolis…read more They call it "East" because they know how few British people actually understand European geography! ;-(

Excellent cakes! I…read morestopped by here with my girlfriend after a long day at Kew Gardens, hoping for some comfort food. We had medovik (layered honey cake) which was heavenly, and some apple perojina which was also very tasty. Overall, very tasty, but a bit expensive for the portion.

From the owner: Russian bakery & cafe made from scratch in our on site kitchen from our Cordon Bleu certified…read moreRussian head chef. ''Bird's Milk cake'', ''Honey cake'', sweet & savoury ''Vatrushkas'' as well as bespoke teas such as Thyme & Ceylon, Linden tea, all loose, all organic with the best ingredients available from the best supplier. We also offer milk alternative such as Oat Milk, Almond milk, Hazelnut milk and the usual Soya. All our regular milks are organic

This was the second time I came with my boyfriend and just like the first time, the experience was…read moreamazing! The people working at Zima are very friendly and welcoming. The food is absolutely delicious!!! The menu is fantastic and there are even couple of Georgian dishes too.Would be great if the restaurant adds couple of more traditional Russian dishes like , Chicken Kiev and Golubcy. I think it would also be great for the ambience if maybe some traditional Russian music was played. Overall fantastic and will definately come back again.

I am still thinking about the stroganoff and lamb pelmeni. I would pass on the pirozhki with beef…read more Zima is definitely a restaurant to go with another person, not the best for solo dining. My server was kind and helpful. Food came out kind of slow, but was very yummy. There is an upstairs area and it feels very bright and homey. I would come back but definitely bringing a friend next time.

Tucked away from all the hustle and bustle of London Rasputin Restuarant was a great surprise to…read morediscover in a very rough area of Acton. The very grand blue room was full of potraits of the bygone era of the Russian Royal Family and their personal advisor Rasputin who was also a heamophiliac. We soon got into conversation with the Montenegrin owner and her Croation husband over a traditional ORAHOVAC-green-walnut vodka and a bowl of Russian pickles. The menu is extensive ranging from dishes from Poland,Ukraine and the Balkans-there were some really good starters like borscht, lightly smoked salmon blinis with sour cream and dill. We tucked into a hearty main course of stuffed peppers; a honey marinated fillet of salmon accompanied by fried vegetables.

Ive only been here to drink so i cant say anything about the food im afraid but this place has the…read morebiggest stock of vodka ever...s many different flavours and type's it is a real find. But dont be put off by the review that says its in a rough part of acton...maybe they didnt see that MASSIVE police station across the rd lol...see the vodka is that good.

Ambiance: Outdoors setting perfectly suited for dinner. No…read morerushing to turn over the table. Service: Michael was our server. Super knowledgeable and super efficient. Did an outstanding job! Food: Shrimp appetizer just delicious. Heirloom tomatoes also delicious! Wife's steak and mine cooked on super hot stone on our table, both steaks melted in our mouths. Sweet potato luscious, Mac and cheese okay. Best meal in a restaurant in many weeks! Would give this place ten stars if I could!

I don't hand out five-star reviews often, but this steak restaurant absolutely earned it…read more The steak arrived perfectly seared on the outside and beautifully rare inside, served alongside a scorching hot stone that let me finish each bite exactly the way I wanted. It was such a simple but brilliant dining experience that it inspired me to buy a hot stone so I can recreate it at home in California. The quality of the beef was outstanding, every bite was tender and flavorful, and the presentation made the meal feel unique from start to finish. If you're a true steak lover, this is an experience you shouldn't miss. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in London.