We had lunch at Oceanview Cafe a few weeks ago when we were in NYC for a long weekend and decided to walk around Brighton Beach/Coney Island. We sat outside in their covered seating area (which was soooo hot humid and I wish we'd sat outside not in the covered area or inside). We shared the herring with potato (a cold app), blintzes with famers cheese, and Solyanka soup. I loved the herring and the chilled soup (perfect for summer), but I found the blintzes a little too sweet (personal preference; my husband loved them). He had a tarragon soda, and I had a beer. The service was very good. I thoroughly enjoyed the food and would definitely return - stroganoff, stew with dried apricots and plums, stewed cabbage, kielbasa, borscht, vareniki, pelmeni, khinkali, lobio...they make so many dishes I love that I would try on another occasion! Overall, a great cafe if you're in the area and want some Russian/Eastern European food! I'd be happy to return the next time I'm in the neighborhood! read more

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This place was good. Mushroom julien is super good. Quality perogis, and great kabobs. The place is fast, tastes fresh, and is very filling. Ok pricing a little high but quality does hold up. Fries are pretty meh. read more

Oceanview Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

We stopped for dinner while on vacation in the city. I grew up eating this food and eating here was like going back to my mom's kitchen. Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious and very authentic. The borscht was flavorful. My son enjoyed the chicken soup with vermicelli. We also shared the pelmeni, which were delicate yet flavorful. The herring with potatoes were absolutely delicious. The combination of the warm potatoes with cold marinated herring is a winner! All the dishes had good balance of herbs, particularly dill and parsley. We all agreed that it was one of the culinary highlights of our visit. Would definitely come back for more! read more

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Very good place to eat - going there for years. The waiters are always friendly. The food is great and authentic. BTW, we were there when the rude women Lidya and Marian who gave one star were arguing with each table including ours. And that after polite note from the owner (and us) to control their children who were bumping into everyone including the waiters risking to spill the hot food. If you do not get people like this sitting next to you, the experience going to the place will be great. read more

Located on the outskirts of Brooklyn, in the ethnic enclave of Brighton Beach, lies an absolute hidden gem. Oceanview is one of those neighborhood restaurants that many know of, but also, many more do NOT know of. Don't be deceived by its small and secluded location on Brighton Beach Avenue as the restaurant is bustling at all times of the day. To be quite frank, there aren't many Asians (like me) in Brighton Beach, as the neighborhood is known for its high population of Russian-speaking immigrants, but that didn't stop the wife and I from dropping by on a random Sunday afternoon at one of their finer, but small restaurants in the area. We walked in at around 2pm and there was a good number of diners inside already. The restaurant consisted of only about 10-15 tables, so it was a bit tight, but it worked with the young waiters flying up and down the aisles. We were immediately seated at a table in the middle of the restaurant and given menus. The menu was quite large .... and intimidating for first-time diners here like us. All of the items were written in both Russian and English and there were A LOT of items to choose from. However, like the wannabe smarty pants that I am, I did my research ahead of time and we ordered some of supposed traditional favorites. In retrospect, we probably should not have ordered 3 different types of vareniki (aka Russian dumplings), but being a bonehead, I did. We got an order of vareniki with meat, another one with potato and the last with cabbage. Before we could engage in a long conversation, BAM, the dumplings arrived, in small pots, with little shreds of onions garnishing them. For the eaters, with big appetites, don't let the size of the pot fool you as there were quite a lot of vareniki in each order and we shruggled to finish them all. Like I said, I wish we didn't put in 3 orders because all of the vareniki basically had the same flavor. Yes, the filling was different for each type, but at the end of the day they were all small, little dumplings with the same texture. Oh, and don't forget to ask for a side of sour cream to drench the dumplings in! As for taste, I loved the vareniki. Even without the sour cream they were all very tasty. The meat was my favorite and the other 2 were right behind. In addition to the vareniki, we also ordered the blintzes with farmer cheese. Basically, these were small rolled crepes with farmer cheese inside, and sides of sour cream and jam on the plate. Once again, another winner. The best comparison I can make is that it tasted like a bagel with jam and sour cream inside, except these were soft, and not hard like a bagel. One of the most underrated combinations! And it worked perfectly here. Unfortunately, my wife wasn't as enthusiatic about the food as I was. I loved each and every bite of the vareniki, especially when combined with sour cream, and the blintzes, as well. Everything was very tasty, easy to devour, and, the ultimate sign it was good, I couldn't stop eating! As for the waiter service, it was very good. The waiters were young, but were prompt and friendly. Whenever we asked for anything, like sour cream or more water, they came immediately. I'm definitely thankful we have a neighborhood spot like Oceanview Cafe, that isn't too pricey, and not too far away. Next time, if there is one, we'll definitely be trying their popular Beef Stroganoff. read more

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This place is fantastic! The food was excellent and so was the service. The dining room and restrooms are clean and well maintained. The best Russian food I've had! Perfect friendly stuff. We were amazed and highly recommend this place!! read more

Oceanview Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Please avoid this place especially if you have kids. Rude manager with no manners. The service is good and waiters are friendly. The manager kicked out mom with kids after they paid and cursed them. Disgusting. read more

The impression of delicious food and pleasant service is completely destroyed by the rudeness of the owner or manager of the restaurant. This I haven't seen in any restaurant at any city of the world. We were here with two 3 year olds playing near the window. As a result, the owner or manager of the restaurant said that our children behave like animals in a zoo and literally pushed us out the door. If I could put zero star, I would put zero. Don't go here with kids! read more

I'd enjoy going back to try more from the huge selection Ambiance: Nice airy cafe with seating outside. Unfortunately the name is a tad misleading as it's named after a street nearby rather than the actual view which is that of the El. So you'd probably want to stay inside Service: Very friendly group of people. Food: An exhaustive list of Russian/Ukrainian traditional dishes. We have the lamb pelmeni (with mushroom sauce) and the hearing with potatoes. Both were solid though the mushroom sauce was a little weak. Price: Great value for money by NYC standards. Would want to go back and try some of the less traditional items as well. read more

The menu included mainly Russian dishes. Thus, Russian speaking clientele and staff. I had pretty good cabbage and potato dumplings (vareniki) for lunch. Service was slow but friendly though - they seemed understaffed and overwhelmed. read more

Oceanview Cafe - Vareniki with cabbage - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

My daughter took me here last week n it was great. We sat outside n had this beet soup n the most amazing mushroom dumplings.We shared this cake I believe it was sour cream cake n it was delicious. Service was slow but everything was very good. read more

Tasty. Worth a stop if in the neighborhood. We had the blintzes with farmer's cheese, vareniki with mushroom and potato (with crispy fried/carmelized onions on top), and the mushroom and barley soup. Liked all of it but it was definitely not health food. I also had a tea with lemon and jam. Lipton, which is fine. You gotta wave down a waiter to order and you gotta ask for tap water, but we knew that going in. I think it was like $40 all-in. read more

Delicious blini with fruit, whipped cream and chocolate sauce at Ocean View Cafe in Brighton Beach. read more

Oceanview Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I have eaten in this restaurant several times. The only thing I can say is that ITS DELICIEUX and every time I am in Brighton beach I eat there. I recommend this restaurant to everyone. read more

Oceanview Cafe - This is the sandwich they make which is really delicious and I Ecco lend it to everyone. - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Food is good, albeit not great, but big portions. Service is EXCEPTIONAL! Quick, efficient, nothing is a problem. Constant without overbearing and they are happy to stop by for questions or extras. Nothing else like it in Brooklyn OR Manhattan! read more

I absolutely love this place and have been coming here for years! I've even brought native Russians here and they have all enjoyed the food. There isn't one thing I've tried that I wouldn't recommend; everything truly tastes homemade. I'm honestly drooling, thinking about all the delicious items that are served here. The herring is perfect as an appetizer, every one of their soups is fantastic, mashed potatoes and are perfect, homemade potatoes with mushrooms are to die for. The service is always great; waiters speak both Russian and English and are always extremely polite and accommodating. I keep coming back to this place whenever I come to Brighton Beach and am never disappointed. Their pelmeni are delicious, the herring is always perfect, homemade cutlets, all the soups. Really, I'll never stop raving about this place. The food here is exceptional, always a great experience. Always great service as well. It's so good, sitting outside, I wasn't even bothered by the above ground subway that runs right past the cafe. read more

Oceanview Cafe - Tongue salad - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Great place, but when it's no super busy, Special thanks to Sergey, server, amazing guy! read more

I wanted to explore Eastern European cuisine and Googled to find the best restaurants. This restaurant had great reviews, so I figured I would give it a try. I was pleased to find the reviews were not exaggerated. The duck legs with orange sauce were so tender and delicious, I am not ashamed to admit I sucked the meat off the bone. The mash potatoes were super delish. My companion had the Cornish hens with mash potatoes and also found her food to be very delicious. The restaurant gives very generous portions of food. Food pricing is very reasonable too. Even though my companion and I are not a part of the Georgian culture, eating this food gave us a sense of eating a home-cooked meal. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Oceanview Cafe - Duck Legs with Orange Sauce and Mash Potatoes - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Oceanview Cafe OVERALL: 7.3/10 The place was very casual vibey. The food was good. The waiter was nice. The bathroom smelled horrible. FOOD: 7.1/10 We got the mushroom and potato dumpling, the farmers cheese blintzes, mackerel and fried potatoes and chicken stroganoff. The dumplings were alright. Didn't really taste or see any mushroom inside, might as well be just potato dumpling. The farmers cheese blintzes were good, I'd say it was the same as Sweet Spot Cafe. The chicken stroganoff was good, although I think they were cheap with the chicken... The mackerel takes absolutely no skill to make besides the potatoes being fried and the fact I had to circumcise the fish myself to eat. Honestly idk why I reviewed this as a 7.1 for food. Maybe cuz it just wasn't too bad. It was decent and a decent is a 7.1 I'd say. SERVICE: 10/10 The waiter was a sweet dude. Seems like he came from another country to work here, hard worker... And very polite. Best wishes to him. CLEANLINESS: 8.1/10 Not one of those you go into and you're like woah it's clean ATMOSPHERE: 7.2/10 Vibe was basic, it got a low score only cuz idk why this place had a Spanish playlist on the whole time when it's a Russian spot but I mean to eat their own altho I'm 100 percent sure that music wasn't being heard by anyone in that place but maybe they were trying to be trendy. #food #oceanside #photography #nofilter #yelp #russian #ukraine #review read more

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Amazing food. Air conditioning on a hot day. We got cold borscht, potato vereniki, and tarragon soda. Will definitely go back to try more! read more

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Nice cuzy place. I got green bursh. And I loved it. Then tea with Napolien cake. The service is good. I mean it's for a fast snack. read more

Oceanview Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Yum yum yum in my tum! We can't wait to come back here. Perfect place for comfort Russian cuisine. Wasn't a bad dish we ordered. Everything was so fantastic and prompt service. Skip the Nathan's hotdog and come here for dinner. read more

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We had a fantastic lunch here after the mermaid parade and looking for vegan options in the area. The young waiter was super helpful in pointing out appropriate items from the menu and everything was delicious. The borscht soup without egg! Amazing and so refreshing. The dark bread they serve was great. Pierogie we ordered with cabbage and mushroom. Yummmmm. Also the avocado salad was a big hit! Red wine was a bit sweet But great place A bit tight and could use a touch of TLC around the edges especially in kitchen and bath areas but overall great read more

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Delicious authentic food, quite big portions, And most importantly, very nice customer service - kind and smiling people. My friends really enjoyed the food and we would like to come back there next time read more

hidden gem! must get the borscht and schnitzel and kielbasa and wrapped cabbage !!! food was 10/10! we were watching the OG grandmothers cook the food with love. will come back! read more

Delicious, authentic Russian style salads and appetizers, and Ukrainian style Borscht. Staff was friendly and helpful.

as we browsed through the Russian restaurant options in Brighton Beach, we made our decision on this small restaurant on Brighton Beach Avenue. They didn't look flashy, and had no obnoxious "only for tourists" vibe (expensive bad food) to it. We didn't want to go to a tourists spot, but where actual locals (Russians, Ukrainians, etc.) would go and eat. This place looked just right. The price might seem a bit high, if you don't know how much food you are getting. It was rather large portion on a large plate, you can see the size in the photo here. Pretty big, right? But it was so tasty that we finished the dish without effort. It also had pickled veggies as well, which was nice pallet cleanser. I heard they serve really great desserts also, but we were very full after our meal. So, we decided to get coffee and tea without dessert. The cappuccino came in a nice glass mug and sugar stirring stick! The tea came in the traditional tea glass holders, which was amazing!!! I loved the traditional look, and it came with tea bag (I asked for Earl Grey), lemon slices, and preserves. Perfect way to end the meal. Overall, we really enjoyed the experience. The waiters were very nice, didn't speak perfect English which added to our "Russian experience." They were super polite, and provided efficient, fast service. read more

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AN ANSWER TO THE PREVIOUS REVIEW ABOUT THE FOOD ON THE FLOOR. I have been coming to this restaurant for the past 5 years, and just had the need to say that the review that was left before about the food being left on the floor is very misleading and has nothing to do with reality. At the very least, the customer did not understand what was going on. I worked at restaurants myself before, and I happened to see the employees doing this before at this restaurant, and observed what was going on. They clean out their fridges and throw out everything that is not good for consumption anymore. They restock the fridges with fresh food and take care of the rest. This is a regular, ordinary practice that helps to make sure that everything is being kept fresh, and clean. The food on the floor went to trash. It is not being put back into the fridges, nor served to customers. Please don't be mislead by someone that doesn't know what is going on, and didn't obviously care to ask. The food here is amazing, so as the hardworking staff. And a reminder, they have an "A", so nothing to worry about. read more

Being my first foray into Slavic cuisine, I was impressed by its versatility and depth in the menu. We had ordered the liver vareniki (dumpling/gyoza), Ukrainian borscht, beef shishkaboob and for drinks compot and tarragon. Hating all things liver, the vareniki was pleasantly good and made reconsider my feelings regarding liver. The Ukrainian borscht was hearty and would be prefect for cold days. The chicken shish kebab was by far the highlight, cooked to perfection! Compot, a red fruit punch, was delicious and preferred it over the green tarragon which had an unusual aftertaste. The staff was great and the outside seat was very comfortable with its deep and large seats. If you can handle the bustle of the street and the screeching on the occasional passing of the subway, I would highly recommend this place if you are visiting Coney Island! read more

Oceanview Cafe does not have an ocean view. What it does have is a large menu of classic eastern European dishes and some American staples with a Euro twist. Their fish soup has plenty of fresh dill and a light, flavorful broth. Their lamb kabobs are perfectly cooked with a great gravy dipping sauce, but oddly tasted more beefy than gamey. The blini with caviar and the pierogis look to be popular choices here, too. Order a Baltika and check out the old school photos of Nicolas Cage on the wall before you go. read more

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Amazing Russian food, best service. Ambiance is great. Highly recommend if your ever in the Coney Island area.

Bright and airy and 2 blocks from the beach. The place serves up Russian comfort food. I tried the dumplings with potato and mushroom. It was good and you get about 20 small dumplings. I also had the combuca to drink which was very good. The most interesting part of the meal was the guy from Georgia- the country- who asked to join me! So random but he helped me ordered and was interesting to talk to. So there you go -- a very authentic meal indeed! read more

Great food! Stuffed garbage and the Palmeni country style were fantastic! Service was a bit slow. Nice staff Cute place read more

Oceanview Cafe? More like Under the Q-Train Tracks View Cafe. Misnomer aside, this place turned out to be the perfect way to cap off a recent afternoon at Coney Island: Anyway, wasn't at all sure what to expect and was bracing myself for the possibility of an empty, glum dining space. Happily, I could not have been more wrong. In fact, there was a steady flow of diners the entire time we were there, on a Sunday evening. Plus, the ambiance exuded an intangible Old World charm that I found enchanting. Service was also pleasant and friendly. As for the food, I found it almost as bewitching as the atmosphere: Greek Salad: I've noticed that Eastern European restaurants often use ripe olives in place of traditional kalamatas, and this spot was no different. It's a travesty if you ask me. It also came with a small, metal tureen full of chopped dried beef, which I didn't expect and wasn't into at all. But this being said, there was still plenty to like about this Salad. It featured gorgeously ripe, red tomatoes and a really interesting salty white cheese that tasted like a cross between Feta and Ricotta Salata. Cold Borscht: Growing up, my Mom used to make a version of this that involved throwing cooked beets into the blender with some stock, chilling, and then swirling lots of sour cream into the mixture. This was was not that. Instead, it featured shredded cooked beets in a cold broth. Refreshing, but no match for Mom's. Vareniki aka Stuffed Dumplings: Out of the three different fillings that we tried, Meat was the winner, if only 'cause I'd like to order these again when I return. Cherry came in second 'cause duh... Cherry. These were filled with Sour Cherries and topped with a Cherry Sauce. Got 'em for dessert and while interesting, would probably go with something else next time. Compared to these two, Potato, while good, tasted very standard. Plus I was pining for the more enticing sounding Salty Cheese Vareniki that hubby talked me out of choosing. Lamb Kabab: I didn't see an option on the menu to order Kabobs a la carte, so we went with an entree, mostly for the kid. He insisted on getting Fries as his side, but had it been up to Mama, we'd've gotten Kasha. Luckily, as it turns out, those Fries hit just the right crispy, salty notes. The Lamb was tender and just as fellow Yelper, Stefany V. describes, "more beefy than gamey." With one of the bites I tried, though, I encountered some gristle. Kompot: Essentially sweet 'n tangy Cherry Juice with Sour Cherries at the bottom. Lovely. Vodka: If you want to do a shot, there are various labels to choose from, including Smirnoff, Absolut and a rather sketchy sounding 'Russian,' which intriguingly is the priciest at $5. I opted for the latter and gotta say, it went down smoothly, with no harsh aftertaste. Ultimately, I think what I loved most about this spot is that it made me feel transported. To where, you may ask? Well, someplace far, far from Brooklyn. Some days that's a good thing. A very good thing, indeed. read more

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I have gone to Oceanview cafe a few times now. Located in the heart of little-Russia in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, this is a small and quaint establishment. The food is great, and I would give it a 5/5. I have never been disappointed in the food selection and the taste. Their cherry/fruit compote is a must-have and complements any meal here. Try the mushroom / potato pelmeni (Russian Dumplings) The atmosphere is nothing to brag home about, this place reminds of me a small dinner stuck in the 90s. The TVs play old music videos and the background is filled with patrons, mostly Russian speaking clientele, which further speaks to the quality of this establishment. I never seen this place empty. The customer service is...well nothing to brag home about. If you want the typical 5-star American type customer service, this place won't have it. But in a typical Russian manner, this place provides a non-friendly, no-bull services, that is refreshing. No ocean view here, but the food is great, close to the beach, the prices are fair. Overall, I do not think you will be disappointed ! read more

Oceanview Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Great place for a quick meal out while I was running errands. The food was impeccable and I can't recommend this place enough.

Super authentic Russian cafe in the heart of Brighton Beach. They serve what are by far the best potato and mushroom vareniki (boiled dumplings) that I've eaten stateside. I also ordered the kompot and meat blinchiki, which were excellent. Cheap and delicious! read more

I do not like to give bad reviews especially to hard working, sincere small business owners . They were very nice so the 3 stars is mostly for the friendly service. Pros- 1)the food is mostly fresh , 2)service is friendly and attentive, 3) Russian grandma cooking in the kitchen 4)extensive menu, (which is why I chose it) something for everyone cons- 1)since the food is freshly made it took almost an hour to come out of the kitchen. 2)my grilled fish was so full of bones it took forever to eat 3) on top of my fish were frozen (but cooked) vegetables not fresh vegetables) 4)the salad was good except it had ice berg lettuce (not real lettuce) and I do not know how they can pull off serving ice berg lettuce in Brighton Beach. There are too many good restaurants in Brighton Beach to go to so sadly I won't be back. read more

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Do not be put off by the coffee shop level decor, the food is worthy of finer environs. Next to the side tables, digital picture frames display shots of the food, and the plates actually looks that good on arrival. We began with an excellent special - a bean salad with tomatoes, peppers, parsley and dill. There were some crushed nuts in there - not the walnuts I associate with Georgian food. The white beans, similar to Gigandes but a bit smaller, were perfectly cooked, the dressing nice and light. The pelmeni were tasty too, in a little butter with sour cream on the side. I suppose I would have liked a bit more seasoning, and they could have been drained better. For main courses, we both had lamb. My partner had the lamb shish kebab with grilled vegetables. The lamb was tasty and tender, but still was outshone by the masterfully executed vegetables. Leg of lamb tuned out to be a large braised shank. Very meaty and tender, presented in a creole style sauce of braised celery, peppers and tomatoes. It could have used a bit of heat or spice. On the plate, some nicely cooked cabbage and a mound of delicious kasha. Service was quite good. The only dissonant note was my Heineken, which was barely chilled. You may, or may not like the video programming on the Dynex monitors. Chacun son gout. read more

Oceanview Cafe - Special bean salad. - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I am giving this restaurant 5 stars prob a four but the food was simply amazing. Service on the other hand sub par but to their defense it is a small place, only 2 waitstaff and place was packed. I would absolutely recommend the Ukraine borscht by far the best soup I have ever had. Also the escalop in mushroom sauce was to die for. I appreciate good cultural food which is why 5 stars are in order!!!!!!! If I lived there (I live 4 hours away) I would be a regular. Going back to NY city in Dec but will certainly make a special trip here! read more

Oceanview Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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