Very good food and atmosphere best Russian and Armenian cuisine we need go back againread more

I had Kalinka bookmarked for a while so decided to check it out while in the area. The parking lot…read moreis not too big but we found a spot midday on a Wednesday. The interior was quaint with lots of Russian decor elements. Service was also friendly. The menu is broad with lots of Russian options, and there is even a lunch combo/special option for weekdays from 11AM-3PM that comes with a side, small bowl of soup, and traditional kompot drink. We decided to order a lunch combo (chicken kotleti) as well as the Á la Kalinka dish. The chicken kotleti was basically a ground chicken meatball that was served with a sauce reminiscent of cocktail sauce. The rice was garnished with fresh dill. The Á la Kalinka beef stew was very flavorful with whole peppercorns, tomato, and bay leaves, and was unexpectedly spicy. I loved that it was served piping hot. Although the portion of beef in the stew was generous, some pieces were a bit tough. Both dishes came with pickled cabbage slaw. I really enjoyed the hot borscht soup, it even had a few chunks of beef inside (granted, I love beets). I really enjoyed the kompot drink, but was a little irked when there was a charge for the drink. Admittedly, we were served a full carafe of kompot, and the explanation I received was that the lunch combo only comes with a single small glass, but I would have appreciated being asked if I wanted to pay for a larger volume drink. I was also asked if I wanted bread, which cost $3.50. Again, I have nothing against charges for these things, but it would be better to be more transparent upfront that there will be charges instead of just adding it to the bill. Ultimately, food was a bit pricey but was very tasty and there isn't much Russian food around. I still had a nice overall meal experience.

I've been coming to Traktir for quite some time now and their food never disappoints! If you're…read morelooking for some authentic mom&pop like comfort food, Traktir is 100% worth trying. The food is so fresh and homemade and gives you a true taste of Russian/Ukrainian food! Our go-to's are always the Borscht soup, Darniskty Salad, Pelmeni, and Chicken Tabaka. They also always bring out some fresh Russian bread for FREE and they are super giving on the portion. The soup is a 10/10, reminds me of the Hong-Kong style borscht soup. Comforting, healthy, and hearty! The salad is by far the major reason I keep coming back. The dill, fresh tomato slices, salty onion, and cucumber with a little zest is so tasty and again super healthy! The pelmeni and tabaka are classics you can never go wrong with. The pelmeni also reminds me of Chinese pork dumplings and are absolutely delicious with their fresh sour cream dipping sauce. Our recent visit, we were sat on the exterior part of their restaurant and it was a bit chilly and windy so the owner provided me and my partner blankets! How sweet and thoughtful. Service is super friendly, just be mindful that it can be a little slow occasionally depending on reserved parties that day.

Fantastic lunch spot for Ukrainian-Russian cuisine. They have a good selection of authentic…read moreentrees, yummy soups like borscht and solyanka, very delicious appetizers like herring with buttered up potatoes, various dumplings and salads. Today, however, I went with one of their signature items--chicken blintzes in porcini mushroom sauce. The dish was simply incredible, the baked crepe covered in cheese, the meat filling delicious, super tender, just melting in your mouth. Especially when you dip a piece of the blintzes into the mushrooms sauce, it's a homerun. Plethora of flavors all working beautifully together to give you that "Oh Woooow" feeling of satisfaction. Definitely a must try here. The design here is rustic, old school Ukrainian-Russian, with a lot of wood finishes. The customer service here is consistently amazing. Will definitely be back again!

If you enjoy life entertainment & show, then this is the place to be! $50 p/p for an entertainment…read more(Russian, Armenian, English songs) was absolutely worth it. The show was interesting and entertaining as well! Our server Gayane was very attentive and friendly, always checking on us, and maintaining a clean table. If you are party of 6 and/or more, they offer a set menu with a different price range ($135, $175, $250 p/p). Since we were only party of 2 we had to order from a menu. Cheese platter, salmon carpaccio, vinaigrette salad, wague beef, & bronzino. A manager or the owner came to our table with a plate of lamb chops, as a token of appreciation, that was very sweet-thank you! Everything was delicious, however, if you really hungry the portions are small, it won't satisfy you. We had a big lunch earlier, so we felt great with it. Another great touch was, they have a photographer that goes around the whole evening, and takes pictures of the guests. Within few minutes you get an offer of purchasing your pic in a nice frame for $20 (a fare price in my opinion). Even though we didn't need all 3 pics of us, we still purchased them all in support of the photographer's business. In all, yes it's pricey, and adds up quickly, but absolutely worth it! We will be back. I highly recommend this restaurant for a birthday celebration, or even if you just want a special evening with your significant one.

I normally don't write bad reviews. If you look at my other reviews, they're almost all 5 stars…read morebecause I like supporting small businesses. Last night, my friend and I visited this restaurant. We were told there was a $50 cover charge, and if we wanted a table, we had to spend $150-$200 per person. We decided to sit at the bar instead and ordered food and drinks. The bar service was fine, and the show itself was good. However, before we entered, security told us that once the show started, we would not be allowed to use the restroom for 30 minutes. We accepted that, but when the show began, several employees and a security guard stood directly in front of us and completely blocked our view. I politely asked a few times if they could move because we were there to watch the show, but they didn't seem to care. The security guard remained directly in front of me, making it impossible to see. Eventually, I had to move to an empty table by myself just to watch part of the performance, while my friend stayed at the bar. There were plenty of empty tables available, which made the situation even more frustrating. What made this even more disappointing was that by the end of the evening, the two of us had spent about $450 on food and drinks--more than enough to meet the table minimum they originally mentioned. Despite that, we were never offered a table and remained at the bar. Unfortunately, after paying the cover charge and spending that much money, not being able to properly watch the show was very disappointing. Because of this experience, I don't think I'll be returning.

A joy and privelege to have a specialty grocer with Russian, Ukrainian, and Latvian goods in Orange…read moreCounty. The cakes are all so yummy. My favorite is the Napoleon cake, but the Medovik (caramelized condensed milk) and meringue cake were all unique and so fun to try. Can't wait to take them home and enjoy with an iced black coffee. Olena (not sure if I spelled her name right!) is so sweet. I really, really recommend stopping by for a visit!

Kiev Sandwich was delish!!!! Took my co-workers here for lunch and although the service took a…read morewhile (10 sandwiches I definitely should have called in the order. Amateur move!!) everything was great (also recommend their soups).

I've been going there for over a decade ! Amazing food I'm…read morealways craving it its hard to choose one dish ! staff are so welcoming feels like home ! Marina the owner is super sweet lady ! highly recommended

The food was okay, the meat whether it was chicken beef all were bit dry and overcooked but okay…read morenot terrible. The service was okay. Over all the decent experience

We celebrated a birthday at Premier. The atmosphere here is perfect for celebrating a birthday,…read morelively, full of energy, with live music and dancing. The food was hit or miss, some dishes were just okay, not everything wowed us. The manager was super kind and welcoming, which I really appreciated. That said, the place wasn't crowded, yet our table was tucked away in a corner far from the action, even though there was clearly room to be closer to the show. Service started off a bit cold, the waitstaff didn't seem very attentive or friendly. But midway through dinner, we got a new waitress who was much nicer and more engaging. I wish I remembered her name because she definitely improved the experience. Overall, it was a fun night with good vibes, even if a few details missed the mark.

Last year I brought many of my American friends here for my birthday and I was so disappointed…read morebecause the amount of food was minuscule and there was not enough food to go around for everyone. It was embarrassing. I was very surprised at the amount and quality of food there was here last night. Huge improvement. My friends had the same tier as I did last year, but there was way more food. You can choose different levels/tiers of food amount to be brought. The way it works is choose your level and then the food you chose just keeps coming out throughout the night. The amount and quality - Bravo. Entertainment also a big improvement.

I love the food here only is it Russian or Ukrainian? The dumplings are out of this world and my…read moreBaba loved the Borscht. In fact that is where I will go this week on a Wednesday. I hear Vlad Putin goes here!

Best food hands down we did a part there few years ago and the was amazing especially the bbq. The…read morestaff was awesome had an incredible birthday will highly recommend

Went here awhile ago with two other friends (around 3 years ago)…read more It was surprisingly empty. The owner came out from the kitchen/employee side and greeted us with a warm smile. He was so helpful with guiding us what to get and suggesting popular dishes The appetizers were delicious! I remember it being a type of bread and red sauce We had lamb as our main dish with other sides which was amazing! The food was so tender and rich in flavor I was shocked by it At the end the owner gave us some Russian chocolate and talked about his business with us. It was a lovely conversation and the chocolates were some of the best chocolate I've ever had I was so shocked to see why the place was so empty, it was clean, well kept, beautiful decorations, and a warm vibe! (Then again it was during Covid times) The outside of the restaurant isn't the best but what can you expect from LA? I still think about this place and the amazing experience I had which was years ago. I've always wanted to write a review and now I am! Amazing food and service, I do hope it's bustling in business

Great Armenian food, great service. Clean and nice atmosphere. Ordered 2 soups, 1 entree and 1 hot…read moreappetizer for two people. Price was about $50 per person with drinks.