My last time to Brighton beach was well over 20 years ago. I remember it well. All of the…read morestorefronts with. Cyrillic writing, clothes, food with wonderful smells, trays and trays of caviar, just bursting out the door. And, a Starbucks. Today, not too many Eastern European businesses are left. Now, it's banks, cellular, provider, stores urgent care, a 7-11, even a Popeyes freaking fried chicken. Oh, and the Starbucks is still there. After walking out of a very bad experience at imereti Georgian cafe down the street (see separate review) I found this place. Boy, am I glad I did. I was seated in the front. The restaurant was gorgeous. ! I could hear a beautiful voice singing, Eastern European songs in the back of the restaurant and at one point,, he switched to Elvis's "I can't help falling in love with you" in English. That made me a little emotional, because that was my late partner's and my song... Anyway, I decided to go for the crêpes with red caviar (salmon roe), and the Ukrainian borscht. Bread and butter is brought to my table. The white bread was OK, but the brown bread had a deep rich flavor. The crêpes come first, and they were amazing. The crêpes were very warm, soft and delicious. I loved the "red caviar". A little bit salty, more briny than fishy, and a wonderful explosion of flavor when the eggs "pop." in the mouth. I was very happy. Next came the borscht. It had cabbage, beets, potatoes, and either beef or pork. I'm not sure which one. The meat , beets and potatoes was very tender, and the soup was delicious and not too rich. A very satisfying flavor., the beets gave it a little bit of an earthy flavor. The sour cream that came with it, just added a creamy richness to it without overtaking the flavor of the borscht. 1000% a home run. Dinner wasn't cheap. Two dishes, two iced teas (I found out they charge for refills), and tax, and it came out to about $48 before tip, .I didn't care. I don't mind paying extra if the food is that good, and this food was absolutely beyond awesome. I would be glad to come back and try other items on the menu. Thank you!

Nice service from the owner/manager, very empty at 2pm on a Friday but a charming vintage…read moreatmosphere. Kotlety, bliny with caviar and meat were all great. Golubtsi was delicious but only 3 smaller sized ones. Greek salad was delicious with the cured meat on top. Lamb shashlyk was great too. Only average thing was the smetana which was a bit liquidy. Overall it was 4.99/5 and I look forward to returning.

Very nice European cuisine with a lively atmosphere, dancing, and an elegant high-end bar area. The…read morechairs and seating are very comfortable and upscale, which makes it easy to relax and enjoy the evening. The food is consistently fresh and delicious, the staff is friendly and attentive, and the convenient parking nearby makes the whole experience even better. A great spot for a fun night out with friends or family.

Sheep by barashka on Ave. U Fighting, upsetting my guests,…read moredisappointing the birthday girl, and not crediting my deposit towards the check...shame on you barashka! This place ruined by mothers 70th bday party. I made a reservation with the manager Roman for the birthday party about 3 weeks in advance;and left a deposit to secure the date/time. They told us we would have half of the main dining room. One day before the event Roman calls and asks that another party that booked the other side has had an increase in their party size and would it be ok to move my party further away to the bar area... He said it would be more quieter there. I didn't want to cause trouble so I agreed. The day of the event, Roman is MIA. Our table is set up, and there's a concert going on in the main dining room. These people had a MC, dj, karaoke, games ... BLASTING music in the microphone. When we asked what's happening, the man in charge didn't even flinch or seem to care much. We started complaining and said we booked with you guys and you promised a chill quiet atmosphere... we asked for the other party to lower their music... we almost got into a physical FIGHT with the other party. Why is my mother birthday being dismissed in such a rude way. We could not even make a toast, we couldn't even hear our own thoughts over the loud music. It was ridiculous. The waiter apologized a million times, but why did the owner/manager not handle things??? Even worse; let it escalate? We were basically treated like guests at the "primary event". Shame on you guys as a business . After all that, they didn't even credit my full deposit to the bill.

I had read about this place a while ago and was happy that a friend suggested it for dinner…read more Charming atmosphere. The staff were lovely. Great cocktails. Learned that Beluga vodka is made in Montenegro (who knew?). Pet peeve- bread service as a menu item. The bread was good, but really? Just charge 50 cents more for everything. The food was excellent. We shared the eggplant salad, the blini with smoked salmon and the artichoke salad to start. I had beef stroganoff for the first time. It was excellent. Really rich, couldn't finish it. My wife had the Kamchatka, same thing. I had a bite of a friend's chicken Kiev (is it transgressive to eat this in a Russian restaurant?) and it was delicious. We were too full for dessert. Unique atmosphere. Excellent, but very rich food. Worth checking out.

I've been here plenty of times. The food is really good. It's one of the only restaurants in the…read morecity that have authentic Russian food. They also have Ukranian, Georgian dishes. The decor is fun: the Imperial style wallpaper covered with writing all over - peoples names, dates, etc, white table cloths, chandeliers. Charming for queens and everyday ladies alike. If you're into tea service, their desserts are so so delicious. The service is a hit or miss.. mostly pretty good though. They check your coat in the winter.

I have no idea how many decades it's been since I last ate as Veselka but it is even better than I…read moreremember - and that is rare! Other than some new kitchen fixtures, the interior feels exactly the same as those 3 am meals after a show. Service was spectacular and lets talk about the food... I've had a lot of vegetarian attempts at stuffed cabbage but this was beyond amazing. The perogies were a great start and my son said his borscht was amazing. We barely even tapped the menu but we were just minutes from closing! Glad to support them these past few years of the war on Ukraine and happy to get my fix again! Highly recommended and a (now) touristy place that lives up to and beyond the memories!

Veselka is a very popular brunch option, so beware - there might be a long wait. I walked in with a…read moreparty of 5 around noon on a Saturday and we were seated immediately. I can say that by the time we walked out, there was a line almost around the corner. Whole party does have to be present to be seated. We were given a 4-top with a 5th chair so tight squeeze but we were just happy to be seated after trying a couple other places around with no luck. Because the place is so busy, It did take about 30 minutes to get our food, which we were heavily anticipating because we were so hungry. All their breakfast options look so good and we might have gotten a little over eager with ordering, so be mindful or maybe split a couple plates with your party. I got their two egg breakfast with latkes and added kielbasa. Perfect. That potato pancake is heaven. I did also get the blintzes but I will say I wish I ate them when they were a little warmer. They're not too sweet and are such a yummy treat. I recently heard that breakfast culture in New York is dying and I can't say I disagree, but it seems that the Eastern European options I have tried recently have some of my consistently favorite options. If you haven't been here, please check it out!

Son a prize bottle wine, and promised to pick it up any day, when I came to pick it up, manager…read moreMikhail said come next week Wednesday-Friday. Because They cannot give prizes. So, how much bottle wine will cost me, if I should come one more time, I am not living on that neighborhood.

We always celebrate birthdays and other occasions and I have to say that the place is amazing!…read moreDelicious food,fun atmosphere and very friendly service! Will definitely recommend!

The people who work at Varenyk House are nice and not chatty. There isn't seating available. I was…read morejust in the other day and it looks like they got a bunch of new freezers and offer hot food to go now, too, not just fresh frozen! I bought a bag of frozen potato and cheese varenyk (pirogies), and they were delicious. Attaching a photo of what they looked like after I cooked them at home (boiled and then sautéed in butter with diced onion and spices).

Came on a Thursday night a few minutes before closing and they had such a large selection of…read moreUkrainian goodies! the staff were still hard away making dumplings in the back. Once stepping into the store, you are met with large freezers and fridges stuffed to the brim with all things Ukrainian. Many of their dumpling items are in large packages (2-3lbs a pack) and range from $8-$15 per lb depending on the filling. $15 a pound for their lamb and short rib Pierogis. Price-wise, it's very fair! And you can taste to quality and heart they put into these Pierogis. Can't go wrong with any flavor. I got the lamb and it was stuffed with tender lamb pieces, no filler. And they make for great quick meals! I also snagged a box of cabbage rolls stuffed with a pork and rice filling. Simple home-y flavor and better than rolls I've gotten from restaurants. Just reheat and it's ready to go! $15 for 5 large cabbage rolls was a great deal as well! Would get again. The only thing I wouldn't get again is their soup dumplings, as it was a bit difficult to cook and was a little too doughy near the top of the dumpling. Flavor wise, it was delicious and had a nice broth (assuming you didn't pop them. Only 1 didn't pop). But it was a difficult item to cook right in boiling water, like the instructions mention. Perhaps, user error. Every item is sold by weight and labeled after selecting your items. But they're happy to check the weight/explain price before purchasing.

All the food was so good but seriously the best chicken kebab of my life. Pumpkin and meat manti…read morewere hot and juicy, plov also excellent.

Such a good food! Visited this place on Monday afternoon to meet some friends and were pleasantly…read moresurprised with the food quality and atmosphere. Service was excellent with a little correction: they should really coordinate the order in a way that they could bring bread and salads first and then main dishes instead of bringing all at once. Our friends and us were still very pleased with how tasty the food was. Will definitely come back.

Uhh. Simply the best in Brighton Beach. If you want authentic Ukranian/Russian without all the pomp…read more& circumstance, this is the joint. Have been more times than I can count. Just go.

At the end of a long beach day, all you want is a satisfying meal at a chill restaurant and that's…read moreexactly what Oceanview Cafe gives you. Me and my friends spend the whole day in the area with no plan for dinner. We considered heading back to Williamsburg for dinner but found this place instead. It said "cash only" on the door though I think they said that only applies for brunch. We were there around 5/6pm and they took credit cards. Worst case scenario, there's an ATM a few blocks away. I got the seafood pasta not knowing exactly what to expect but assuming it would be high quality and fresh seafood. I was VERY happy with my choice and ate almost the entire large plate. My friends both got the scalloped pork chops with mashed potatoes which was also very tasty. We also got Verenikis to share (they're like a russian pierogi) which were awesome but not necessary since the portion sizes for our entrees were almost too much to finish. We sat outside (which I think is essential to the whole experience) and had a leisurely dinner. The staff was friendly and very patient with our poor Russian pronunciation. Every menu item was also presented in Russian and English which was very helpful for us. I would highly recommend this place and I'll definitely be back on my next beach day!

We came here to celebrate my grandmother's birthday and couldn't have asked for a better…read moreexperience. This is a very authentic Polish restaurant--everything is spotlessly clean and the atmosphere is wonderful. The food was incredibly fresh. We ordered the breaded chicken cutlet, chicken meatballs, and fried chicken roll, all of which were delicious. We were especially grateful that they offer a grilled chicken cutlet; it was perfect for a member of our party with dietary restrictions. Our waitress, Joanna, was the highlight of the night. She is beautiful inside and out, and her attentive, professional service made the celebration seamless. I would also like to say a huge thank you to our bus boy as well. We didn't get his name but he was exceptional to ensure we had everything we needed. Thank you, Joanna, and the whole team for taking such great care of us! We will certainly be back.

Came in at 9:30pm, and they said they were closing kitchen for the night, even though their hours…read moresay they close at 11:30pm. Still, the waiter offered to go check for me, and he said they can stay open for my order, which was very nice of them. Soup of the day is goulash. It was a snowy night the day after Christmas, so I ordered that, along with a plate of Polish specialties for $21.00 (3 pierogies, 2 potato pancakes, polish kirlbasa, hunter's stew, and stuffed cabbage. Goulash is simple, with lots of beef chunks The plate of specialties was a good deal. It was incredibly filling and satisfying to try different Polish dishes on one platter!

This place has been a part of Brighton as far as I can remember. The food is very authentic, and so…read moreis the service :) Eating here looks and feels like I'm back in the USSR, take that as you will!

The food was good. The salad was fresh, the hot entrees were hot and well made. The portions were…read moregenerous. But the bread tasted like it came on a slow boat from a bad bakery and in Russia. As good as the food was, the service was so awful as to make to ensure I will never return. We had to ask for v the bad bread several times. We had to ask for water a few times. Our waitress spent more time vaping than serving. We were there for 45 minutes and got our entre to go as we were leaving. The tip was included in the bill but the waitress was visibly and loudly angry when we didn't add to it. The ambiance indoors was chaos and disfunction. In summary: good food subsumed by bad execution. ​​