So we were just walking by and peeked in to see this beautiful bar and heard really good music. The woman who owns the bar invited us in and found us a table. She recommended drinks based on what we like to drink normally. My hubby and I had two drinks each and both were really good. The vibe is really cool in here. We sat for 2 hours. The bathroom was nice too. Met a couple nice people. If I lived there, I would go here all the time. read more

Matreshka - Russian Near Me - Berlin, BE

I had a craving for Russian and Matreshka did not disappoint. This cozy restaurant offers up an Eastern European menu in quaint quarters. The staff, friendly and English speaking, will quickly get you a table (and, at times, offer some vodka). I settled down to beef stroganoff, a cup of hot Ukrainian borscht, and a glass of kvass (a crisp, tart/sweet drink made from fermented rye bread). The borscht had a deep flavour, complimented by a small drizzle of sour cream and shreds of simmered meat, while the stroganoff was rich and satisfying, the tender beef paired well with mushrooms and onions in a silky smooth dill-and-cream sauce. Main dishes come with your choice of potato; even simple boiled potatoes make for a fine side. read more

Matreshka - Ukrainian borscht (with beef and a dollop of sour cream) - Russian Near Me - Berlin, BE

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Great Russian food here, we had the appetizer platter and the "Russia Schnitzel" which really wasn't that Russian at all.. but it didn't matter, because VODKA. These guys pour vodka like it's candy. Doing this is probably illegal in the US. We ordered our appetizer platter with a shot of vodka each (it's a combo special!) after hearing that these guys were generous with the pour. What we didn't expect is that they would keep coming back throughout the meal and giving us various different flavors of vodka. All in all we received 4 ice cold shots of different flavors of vodka, EACH, and only paid for 1 pair of shots. The food wasn't even that pricey: we paid 12 euros for the appetizer platter (shots included) and 10 euros each for our mains. Best business model ever, I think? read more

Matreshka - Vorspeisen-Teller 9.90 (Mixed Appetizer Plate) - Russian Near Me - Berlin, BE

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Cute, modern decor. Unfortunately we sat right in front of the door so had cold breezes all night. Reasonable service but the food was average. I had the cabbage rolls with boiled potatoes. Nicely wrapped but not special in flavor or texture. I did really enjoy the deviled egg, aggressively seasoned and a little caviar on the top. I had a few dumplings which were tender and tasty but much like everything seemed overpriced for the quantity and quality. I enjoyed a nice radler and a much appreciated complimentary vodka shot at the the end but my search for an amazing Russian restaurant continues. read more

Matreshka - Front door - Russian Near Me - Berlin, BE

I dinned at Matreshka today. First of all, I would say the meals were Ok. Growing up in Georgia, most of the Russian and Ukranian meals are my everyday homemade meals. That's why I am still skeptical about dining at Matreshka because, in essence, the meals are not bad but I do believe they are not the best true homemade meal you'd get in Georgia/Ukraine/Russia. Also, I would like to point out that the portion sizes do actually suit the prices they are worth. (Borsh is 4.50, main dishes go up to 10-11 and side dishes cost 2.90) One of the biggest disappointments was that Smetana (sour cream) tasted like an actual plain yogurt you can buy in a supermarket. I guess it was not really sour cream. read more

I used to eat here all the time when I lived in Berlin. I have waited years for yelp to hit Germany so I can come back and give this place a good review. First of all, as soon as they sit you down you get shot of vodka. Second of all their pierogies are bomb as fuck. Third of all you will eat so many and drink up so much borscht you won't be able to think straight. If the harsh German winter has you down, I recommend a trip to Matreshka's for some super cheap and very filling Russian grub. This is one of those places that if I ever go back to Berlin, I'm going to eat here right away! read more

Excellent food, cosy environment but must they sprinkle dill on every single dish? Soup, chicken, pelmeni, you name it. They all add dill on them. I think the only thing that is free from dill here is the drink. If you dislike dill like me, make sure to ask them to keep your dish clean from dill. Other than this dill obsession, this place is great! read more

Matreshka - Russian/east European cuisine with too much dill. - Russian Near Me - Berlin, BE

If you check out the menu, they deliver on it and live up to the ratings. The service is friendly, by Berlin standards; but more importantly, prompt. The food was executed well, the beers appropriately priced and the vodka options nice. read more

Just ate here today. The service was very slow, the bortsch was super liquidy and there was maybe one chunk of meat. Honestly all those 5-star reviews are fake. Don't bother going there! Nach diesem super review auf Yelp hätte ich mehr erwartet. Sehr enttäuscht. read more

The food is amazing! I've eaten their twice, first time I got the goulash and loved it, second time I got the stroganoff and loved it. Staff are super friendly! Got free vodka during both visits. The only downside is they're never open for lunch, even when they had the a sign in the Window advertising their lunch menu for the week. Otherwise 5 stars. read more

By far the best Russian food I ever had for (especially on the afternoon) very reasonable prices. Decor is a bit dull, service was very nice. read more

Awesome place, great food for a decent price. Service is great, especially from the super cool waitress (I'm sorry I can't remember your name! But I'll be back) who was shy with her English but actually could speak very well :) The food, beer, and vodka (especially the vodka) was very good - definitely give it a try. I had the Moscow schnitzel or something like that which was quite tasty. Can't wait to try more dishes from here. It's an understated place and while I wouldn't say hard to find, it's easy to walk past without realizing you walked past it. I like that. I'll definitely be back here soon! read more

Disappointing! The service was very very slow. We had to ask them for the bread (although it was supposed to come with the soup). The starters were just fine and dumplings were very salty. My girlfriend had to wait for my main to come as hers arrived like 5 mins earlier. Delicious vodka shots! read more

Totally recommended! The place is big, the food super delicious and the staff very friendly.

I was very impressed with the quality of food and attentive service both times that I've been there. They have a small menu with russian and east european specialties, such as; pelmeni, vareniki, gulash, soljanka and other soups, beet salad, as well as a nice selection of quality russian vodkas and a couple of types of beer and wine. It's also very affordable, with main courses starting at EUR4.90 and even lower-priced during happy hour. read more

I was fortunate to be staying nearby because I ate so much I only barely made it back and up the five flights of stairs.... Even though I am not a vegetarian, the mushroom dumplings were probably my favorite part of the meal (I got a plate of half pork, half veg). It is also nice that as part of your meal they offer you a shot of vodka! This plus the beer I drank made for a very contented customer. My German is regrettably poor and I had too many questions for one server (I'm sorry! I really should have studied harder before flying to Germany) but the other server who spoke English was a blessing. Very kind and friendly. The whole staff was great-- I just regret being one of "those tourists" who expects everyone to speak English.... Oh well. It all worked out :) If you are in Friedrichshain and want a great meal for a great deal then i highly recommend you stop here! read more

A bit of a disappointment, after more than a hundred reviews on a 5* average I expected something special, that was absolutely not the case. Don't get me wrong, the food was fresh, and well cooked I guess I am not an expert in Russian cuisine but nothing impressed me in any way. The waiter did his job, taking the order and bringing the plates onto our table but no extraordinary service nor a WOW, that dish is delicious. Probably a good place if you want to experience Russian food; although for that price bracket, I'll try something else next time. read more

Absolutely recommended place!! We had really good time there! Food is great and the waitress are so friendly and lovely ! Especially the girl from Moldavia she is the most friendly and sweet waitress I've ever met !! And I travelled a lot. We had really good time there !! read more

Matreshka - The mix Pelmeni - Russian Near Me - Berlin, BE

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Really excellent Russian food and vodkas, the interior is a bit dull but the staff is nice.

Unbelievably delicious food, super food, awesome service, vodka on the house. I can't stop talking about all the good things that this establishment has to offer. And I'm vegetarian! My meat eating boyfriend obviously found super delicious food choices too. But I just loved the veggie Wareniki, the "Kartoffelschnitzel" and ice cream and blinis with caramel for dessert. read more

This place was great. Friendly waiter, and we got an appetizer, a main course, dessert, a delicious "birch" vodka, and 4 shots of regular vodka for 14 Euros total. They will literally keep pouring you vodka until you leave; he even insisted we have another before leaving, and the restaurant was already closed. I definitely enjoyed the food as well: russian pancakes filled with beef, beef stroganoff, and pancakes wrapped in nutella and russian caramel. read more

Phenomenal food! Friendly staff kept bringing over vodka shots for free! Definitely recommend this place, especially the dumplings!

Had a delicious meal here, service was fantastic and friendly. We shared a mixed plate of dumplings to start then I had garlic chicken and the other two members of my party had schnitzel, all the food was very tasty and the servings were quite large. We received a couple of complimentary vodka tastings each as well which were great. We all left very satisfied. read more

Was there with a friend and we both absolutely loved it! The place is hard to find, it doesn't look like a restaurant fron the street and they don't have tables outside. The menu is mostly typical not-so-fancy foods from central Russia and Siberia, the exact same menu is on their website, which is a great plus. We got blini with salmon and baked beets with garlic for appetizers, meat balls and potato schnitzel for main course. Everything was super delicious and served quite quickly. First, we thought they could have put more appetizers on the plate, but it turned out to be quite fortunate. The main course portions were really generous, no room left for desert, we got to go back for the honey cake, it looked amazing! The waiter was running around with a vodka bottle offering free shots to everyone, we got two rounds of that. The service overall was pretty good. They don't have A/C though (who does in Berlin anyways?), so it was really warm inside, and all that free vodka didn't help much. Definitely will go there again! read more

Absolutely delicious! The staff was friendly. I ordered Georgian soup, Russian eggs and small plate of mixed dumplings. I would order everything on the menu if I weren't super stuffed. They give you free vodka tasting as well that warms your entire body. The price is great and stroll through the neighborhood after your big meal at Matreshka. Highly recommended. read more

Ditto. Real Russian food in an authentic atmosphere (even to the point that you might walk by the restaurant without noticing it, something I only know from Russia ;)) If you new to the cuisine, try the zakuski with vodka read more

This place was amazing. The staff were friendly, they had a menu in English, and the food was phenomenal. The beef stroganoff was possible life changing. My friend who lived in Russia for a while said it was the major authentic Russian food she had had outside of Russia. The soups were great, too. I would definitely come back! read more

Great food, and staff The owner is very generous with the vodka, and his mum who cooks loves to bring our little boy into the kitchen and stuff him with treats. Sure the decor is rather simple, but don't let that fool you. Also, if you want to sit in the bar across the street they will bring the food over. Food: my partner and her family grew up in the DDR and the dishes are like those they ate in restaurants pre-1989 East Germany. I like it, and recommend this restaurant to my friends and co-workers. Reservations: Unless you have one, you may have to wait for a table. read more

I have been a couple of times to Matreshka, blinis are ok, pelmeni not that much, the special tea with mermelade is quite interesting. I guess I just can say that the food and drinks are ok, but for the price they do not reach excellency. read more

Really fantastic, friendly and delicious. Do stop in! Wonderful food, welcoming service. The wareniki, pelmeni and borscht were all out of this world. read more

I love this place! Since I'm Russian I understand something in traditional native food. ;) The menu offers classical Russian and soviet dishes, which taste very good. Really a good choice to try some real Russian home recipes. I was very happy to invite my friends to celebrate my birthday here. Service is always very friendly, willing to help with the choice of the dish. :) read more

On the outside, it looked more like a hidden, takeaway spot in the middle of an old East German strip mall, and, stepping inside gave a feeling of stepping into grandma's basement on Christmas. It was plain, tiled much like my grandma's basement, complete with a folding-table feeling, but homely. And it was packed. Much like the decor, the food was homely and unpretentious. It was the Russian-style fare you'd expect and absolutely love. I started with the delectable borscht--because, well, Russia. What followed was a shameful display of devouring more Palmeni (pork and the sauerkraut and potato) than humanly necessary. Thankfully, the host, in typical Russian fashion, supplied a free glass of vodka because, apparently, it's damn-impossible to enjoy a baby-sized portion of dumplings without a least a little vodka to help you forget how much you're consuming. The food was delicious and full of dill (if you're into that, of course, because I am). I'd return next week, but I did nearly OD from Palmeni. read more

came here with a group of friends. we were seated about 20 minutes late, which was totally fine as we got a free bottle of vodka (which was really good russian vodka). most of the table got the mix-TELLER of different dumplings. all were really good. i'd def recommend and i'd def come back again. read more

Very nice atmosphere and very busy place at night. The food was amazing! we had the goulash, rolled cabbage and stroganoff and loved it. Very nice service and staff were friendly. read more

this is a no-frills eastern european kitchen. i tried the pelmeni dumplings and the borscht, and both were pretty good. they also have a selection of georgian wines, which is unusual for berlin. prices are affordable and staff was very nice. i'll come back to try some other dishes for sure. read more

I had the wareniki (vegetarian) and they were absolutely delicious. We were even served a complimentary bottle of vodka in celebration of New Year's Eve. A lovely place with friendly service. We'll definitely be back. read more

Food is great, you get a free shot of vodka with the meal and the staff are amazingly friendly the best place I've eaten in Berlin for the last 3 years. read more

Super! As a Russian I can only recommend, recommend! Extremely tasty and true to the cultural origins, everything made in-house, cheaper than other comparable restaurants, hip and minimal decor. Possibility of combo-meal prices adds to the wonderfulness of the place, as well as the nostalgic russian pop of the 90's and vodka on the house.. And no cheesy over-the-top ambience like in some other places. Soon again! read more

Simple interior. But food is delicious and they offer genuine Russian food, just "like home". Prices are very reasonable. I wish the place was little more bar like, where you could after a nice meal spend some time with a Porter or a Vodka plate to taste and so on. read more

Super leckere russische Gerichte, ich werde das lokal immer weiter empfehlen.lg