The restaurant pretty much captures cuisine scene and vibe of Russia circa 2000. Hearty, nostalgic and tasty. read more

Today was a great evening because my daughter and I went to Skovorodka on Brighton Beach Ave.!:) This place is absolutely amazing, the food is sooooo delicious , the music was so wonderful and manager Yan who served our meal was so kind, professional and attentive. My daughter had hard day and she was crying when we came but Yan did a miracle by kindly talking and showing so much of care and kindness that she was so happy when she was leaving the place and said that it was one of the best days of her life. Thank you so much Yan, thank you Skovorodka, you are truly amazing! I highly recommend this place to everyone! :) Nadia read more

On our last day in New York we decided to go to Coney Island. I knew there was a large Russian Jew population here and really wanted find something authentic. That's how I found Skovorodka. This place was incredible. Their extensive menu listed all kinds of authentic Russian dishes that I had never even heard of before! We ended up with traditional Russian dumplings and salmon tartare. Both were amazing. Their beer list was a bit disappointing as they only had a few light beers. However, their vodka selection was not lacking at all. I had half a mind to sit in there after our meal and get drunk off Russian vodka. read more

Mini-review. Loved it. We want to go back and get a little more involved with the menu. We had Solyanka - soup (five stars) Pelmeni - dumplings Mushroom soup read more

I don't relish writing bad reviews for restaurants. Some places have bad nights, and I'm willing to forgive that if the food is great and the ambience as well, or if servers politely explain that they are swamped. However, Skovorodka was a bizarre experience that was really unhappy. - The waiter forgot to put in at least three items that we ordered, and we had to flag him down to have them brought to us. We had to wait. He seemed bothered by us though we ordered big amounts of food and drink, and would have ordered more if he cared. - There was a party in the back room, and we were in the front room. The noise from the party and DJ were so loud that my friend and I couldn't hear ourselves talk. The ambience was lacking, and my friend was pretty upset since this was supposed to be a nice night out. - When it came time to give us the check, we again had to flag down the waiter. If we wanted to walk out the door without paying, we could have. In retrospect, we should have. - Maybe all of the above had to do with the whole staff paying attention to the party, but that means that the front of house is understaffed and cannot prioritize all of its guests in the same way. This should be fixed. - The food was classic Russian fare, but not memorable enough to negate the horrifying service. - My friend is not white. I wonder if this had to do with anything. I am white, but not obviously Eastern European (though I am). Even if it had nothing to do with the bad experience, it was on both of our minds throughout and it was uncomfortable and saddening. - This was July 4th and we were looking forward to a nice celebratory dinner. Instead we got... this. It sucked. read more

I came here on a weekday for lunch with a large group of about 15 people. The Russian food here was pretty average with some hits and misses. Greek salad was fresh and tossed in a nice fruity vinaigrette. Herring was great and comes with a bonus side of garlic smothered potatoes. Beef tongue was excellent, though portion was a bit stingy. Chicken kabab was juicy and expertly cooked but a bit over salted. It came with a side of delicious fried potatoes. One can never have too many potatoes! Duck salad was gross. At least I think it was duck. It tasted and looked like mystery meat. Prices are reasonable and service was accommodating. This place is located right outside the Brighton Beach B and Q stop pretty much directly under the train tracks. Not exactly scenic but definitely cheaper than one of the Russian places right on the boardwalk. Decor is rustic church chic. They have stained glass windows as part of their ceiling! read more

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If you're looking for an adventure in Brighton Beach, and you love a good dumpling, check out this restaurant. It's located underneath the train platform, amongst the hustle and bustle of Russian delis and odd used clothing stores. When we went in around 1:30 PM, there was absolutely no one in there. No music playing. But within the half hour about four other tables filled up. The service was very matter of fact. The menu is very affordable, and the portions were good. I am not wholly familiar with Russian cuisine beyond borscht, so I was excited to try the pelmeni dumplings Siberian style (chicken and pork). The Georgian lamb stew (Kharcho) had a very rich full flavor. The lamb is very fatty, but that is how it is supposed to be to infuse the soup with that rich mouth feel. I have a feeling there is more of a nighttime scene here, as there is a DJ booth on the side. I think it would be fun to come here with a big group, ready to have some drinks and share a lot of food. I would have given four stars for more attentive service, and some more pleasant music instead of a phone ringing and a doorbell ringing every few minutes. read more

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Food wasn't that good, salty and not authentic tasting. Skip this place. Could be better.

Awesome deal for lunch special. Three course lunch for $12.99. Enjoyed every course I had. Olivier salad was good. Ukraine borscht was delicious. The Russian chicken cutlets were not what I expected never having had them before but they were good. Service was good. Service charge of 10%. read more

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In the hustle and bustle of Little Odessa, and the spectacle that is part of some other restaurants in this part of New York City, it might be easy to miss this place. But if it's your first time in the area or you are looking for a top notch spot to visit regularly, this is the perfect candidate for both. One reason it deserves five stars: in addition to the food being perfect, the service is impeccable and only rivaled by the most expensive restaurants in the US and most traditional ones in Europe. It's not so much a cosmetic thing about their service but about their responsiveness and the quality with which it's delivered. The Crepes with Red Caviar are delectable: though it could be served with a couple more crepes it does go perfectly with the bread they bring to every table anyhow. The Lobster Bisque is made so well it could make even the most experienced New England restaurants jealous. The Siberian dumplings are tender and juicy: somehow they manage to make them as rich in flavor and delivery as the much larger and similar Georgian Khinkhali. The Beef Stroganoff with Couscous is popular for good reason and the Cornish Hen with Buckwheat is pure delight. As with much of Little Odessa, you will feel you're abroad the entire time you are there. The restaurant's capacity seems limited by its attention to detail in the kitchen: though you'll see empty tables you can tell they turn people away based on the kitchen's workload: it's best to make a reservation and not discourage this since the food makes it well worth it! This is a great place to become familiar with Russian and Ukrainian cuisine: a great place if it's your first time in that area. The quaint environment and high standards make it a great place to entertain guests and to make a regular place to visit if you're the type to search for regular lairs in big cities. They do charge a 10% service charge. The service and quality of the food summon a generous tip, but you will debate whether the 10% charge should be matched by another 10% or more. Without that service charge, your natural instinct, (if you're a good patron), might be to give more: this small detail did give some pause and could create confusion and frustration if not explained or presented in advance by the restaurant with more clarity in the future. read more

I stopped by Brighton Beach for a day and was craving Verenikis! I was not disappointed, wow! Perfectly prepared and cooked! I'm still thinking about them a week later. I also ordered a beef stew that was very tasty. Both must trys! read more

I went there during a beach day at the Brighton beach. Super friendly staff and great food. Good price too :)

Delicious! We came to try Russian food in Little Odessa in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn and we were not disappointed. We tried the dumplings for appetizer and I had to pork tenderloin with mushroom sauce. Other people in our party of 4 had the stuffed cabbage, fried filet of halibut and the Georgian sausage. We were all happy with our meals. It was a truly enjoyable lunch. Good prices, good variety of selections and fast service. The place is also very nicely decorated. My only pet peeve is that the restrooms floor stinks of urine. Needs to be mopped once in a while. Other than this, it is a perfect place to enjoy a Russian style meal. read more

Came here with two kids for an early Sunday dinner. I first asked the server what items were worth trying to which he answered that all dishes on the menu are delicious. And it came to be true! Solyanka soup was amazing, very authentic, lots of unique flavor. Their signature ribs came out to be oh so tasty with prunes and excellent sauce. I had calf's liver - again a great dish. All dishes came in with more than fair amount of food! The service was excellent! Very attentive, quick and polite. I have to admit it is always a gamble when it comes to service in a Russian restaurant and Skovorodka impressed us in the best way possible. They even saved us trouble of taking the kids to the bathroom to wash hands by providing wet napkins after they made a mess - it's huge deal when you got two little sets of hands to wash. We will definitely come back for this great experience. read more

Warm atmosphere, delicious food. Highly recommended. The best professional service.Apple Strudel delicious!!

This place is TERRIBLE. I don't understand how it has such good reviews. I'm Russian and grew up in the area. I love Russian food and haven't had a bad experience yet. Until this place. I was mislead by the glowing reviews. The main issue is the food quality. The stuffed cabbage came in a cream based sauce which was odd considering that it's normally a tomato and/or carrot based sauce with no cream. It was reheated and the meat inside tasted old and dry and rubbery. The rice was hardened. It was not edible. The perogi were swimming in butter even though I asked for no butter. They were overcooked and the dough was watery. The meat inside was also old and rubbery. The potato varenki were equally over cooked, mushy and flavorless. They usually come with delicious grilled onions. These did not. They usually have high quality mushrooms. These did not. We also got the borscht. It did not have any meat or potatoes in it. That's ok since some places make it with just veggies. However, it was also missing the classic ball of bread that comes with it. The soup was overly watery and came out scorching hot (likely reheated). It did not have much flavor. Lastly, we had a kebob plate with came with the classic potatoes and a side of slaw. The potatoes were the only thing that tasted good. The kebob meat was also rubbery and dry. The sauce that came with it was delicious but didn't help the poor meat quality. The slaw was fine. Nothing exceptional but not bad. It's usually oil based with some diced carrots and raisins both of which were missing. But it tasted fine. The bread that they gave us for the table was stale. The wait was rude and rushed. Despite seating us at 830pm, he told us that we're closing at 9pm and despite just bringing some dishes out, told us to hurry up and leave. They add the obligatory 10% service charge which has become usually for Russian places in the area. I find it offensive because I should tip what I want. Regardless, that's not unique to this place nor is it a part of why I gave the place just one star (but I thought it worth mentioning). With regard to location, it's right under the Brighton Beach stop on the B and Q lines. Very convenient to the beach also. read more

Had dinner with my family last night. Excellent place to dine. Staff goes above and beyond to accommodate your requests. Food was amazing from appetizers to main course to dessert. read more

EVERY ITEM WAS BETTER THAN PERFECT. Best restaurant in the world for their dishes. Hats off to the chef whom I believe is a magical wizard. Yelp requires me to write more so: compote was very flavorful and not diluted. read more

A bit pricey for Brighton location. The service was slow and food not great. Not coming back. Waiters were not nice at all read more

We got turned away for "not having a reservation." Immediately after we were refused service, they seated a couple who we overheard did not have a reservation. My friends and I (three people total) were sober, respectful, and generally inconspicuous. Maybe it was a class thing, an ageist thing, or a race thing, but something was definitely not right. This was unfortunate because I have only reviewed restaurants or places that I have really enjoyed and this will be my first (and hopefully last) bad review. read more

Great food! The stuffed cabbage was amazing and the borscht as well. Dumplings were great as well. Even the kompot! Just all around fantastic! Everyone was glad we took the trip. read more

Bad customer service, quality and presentation of the food. Although you can hear a russian music there and experience the culture (I guess?) read more

A great place for people looking for a tasty, great Russian/Ukrainian cuisine! We had a small work banquet one Saturday night and we loved the atmosphere and delicious food! I would definitely come over there again as we had a blast! The waiters were nice and polite, all service was excellent! Thank you guys for a wonderful time!:) read more

I was born in Tyumen, Russia. Came to States 20 some years ago. Even though I do miss my birthplace at times, places like this restaurant make me not want to even look back. My husband is more into Russian theme, so he brought me to this restaurant after reading reviews. The older gentleman walked up to us, looked at us from top to bottom and after that, his face gave him away, he wasn't going to sit us. I already had it happen to me once in Moldova, "did not pass face control". That is so funny to me. These people still live in the 1980s, where they judge each other based on the appearance. And I mean, if you don't look "Russian", ( high heels and leather jacket), or should I say "village Ukrainian", apparently you are not worthy of this crappy place. Hey, there are many other much better places where I can leave my dollars. Pleasant restaurant experience includes pleasant attitude from people who work there. Now we were visiting New York, and were dressed as American tourists. It was lunch time and restaurant was half empty. The guy did not even let us put our name down on a waiting list. Hello?! This is not an upscale five star restaurant, neither is the location, nor, I am sure, is the food. I don't see a reason to "dress up" when you are eating under the subway bridge. So glad we did not eat there! In fact we ate at Ocean View Cafe and the food there was delicious. read more

Skovorodka - Russian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

not so subtle-ly racist here. I went with a few of my friends last weekend (all of us were asian). We walk in to try this place since we had heard the food was decent. The waiter walks over and says "All full!", so we ask how long the wait is and he just repeats "All full" and walks away. The place was clearly not full, several tables were empty and there was no one else waiting. make of that what you will but they at best have the wrong idea of how the service industry works and more likely are just racist. read more

Are servers traditionally this rude in Russia/Ukraine? Because, here in the good ol' US of A, they work for a graded payment system we call "tips". After being ignored by multiple employees at the front of the restaurant, the young man who walked us to the table placed the menus on a table and BUMPED into us as he rudely walked back to the front. I kid you not. No apologies, no acknowledgement of any sorts. The service did not improve from there. And as you, my fine Yelping friends, may know, service can make or break the quality of any food. I shouldn't even have to say that the borsht was mediocre, and that the appetizer shared was an overpriced cheese quesadilla. Good thing we didn't order more. What's worse is that both I and my dining companion are Russian-born, and we spoke our native tongue at Skovorodka. What their deal was with the embarrassingly bad service is beyond me! read more

Yum! We were looking to try a Russian restaurant for a late lunch in Brighton Beach but couldn't decide. We came upon the bear statue and read the menu and reviews... and got the lunch special so we could try several things. Loved the restaurant. Loved the service. We had a couple of shots of vodka. And we ate the Olivier Salad, Country Garden Salad, Ukranian Borscht, chicken kebabs and chicken cutlets. Everything was spectacular. The borscht was the star of the show -- we both said we could eat that every day! And the chicken cutlets (I think I got the right name but I'm not sure) was a Russian style ground chicken... almost like a patty or giant chicken meatball. So yum! Everything was fresh and fabulous. My only regret was that I think we shouldn't have gotten the special! I saw so many other menu items I would have liked to try -- like the Vareniki with Cherries! I know we'll want to try the other restaurants too... but I have to go back here! read more

Well as I already said before, this place is typically Russian, which means that they are RUDE. And it's not only the waiters, it goes all the way to the top. I just received a nice message from what appeared to be the manager or maybe the owner of the restaurant who said : "no one forces you to stay and eat if you cannot afford the a la carte menu, the door is always open". Really???? That's how you treat your customers? read more

This place scared me a little. I walked in with 3 other Asians, 2 of which were returning to Asia, and we were the only Asians in the whole joint. I guess I should have expected that in Brighton Beach. Anyway, It took us 10 minutes to get noticed, at 9:15, and was told they were closing at 10PM. 45 minutes? That's more than enough time for us to eat. What we did not expect was to be ignored for another 15 minutes. Once we were acknowledged, we ordered the stuffed cabbage, pork tenderloin, lamb kebobs, and beef stroganoff-- also apple strudel at the same time to make the most of our time. The apple strudel came first. Weird. Then the rest of the food came. I've had limited exposure to Russian food but this was terribly good. So good, in fact, the really Asian Asians were raving about how it was the best ethnic food they've had in America thus far (they were here for 6 months). In the end, we were full, and all was forgiven. Good food makes up for a lot. And I think they meant that the kitchen was closing at 10PM because the back area became like a weird cabaret/karaoke place and the old Russian couples were in the back dancing cheek to cheek past 10. read more

Incredible authentic Russian cuisine... The atmosphere was perfect.. Always wanted to try Borscht and it was amazing... Also the Ukrainian dumplings and the Beef Stroganoff with a side of buckwheat was a homerun..the dessert of homemade apple strudel and homemade napoleon ROCKED..... Definitely coming back read more

Skovorodka - Borscht - Russian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I got the ambiance I wanted. Russian speaking ESL waiter? Check. Disco lights and dance floor? Check. Older gentleman playing live sax and singing in Russian along to prerecorded tracks with some English hits of the 80's peppered in? Check. Older lady in large fur coat? Check. Couple at another table eating the longest meal of their lives and plowing through a bottle of Jameson AND a bottle of Vodka? Check. And the food? The food is amazing! The stuffed cabbage is some of the best I've ever eaten. The Israeli Cous Cous is well seasoned and plentiful, and the sauces of every dish were rich and delicious. Edited for the tea. I was getting sick when I arrived so I ordered the tea and I noticed you could get tea "with preserves." I had never heard of this and wasn't sure what it was, so I ordered it. With my tea came a fruit cocktail glass bowl of cherry jam to add to your tea. It was good, and there was enough jam to let others try it and to have several cups for myself. This place satisfied every interest I had in a Brighton Beach visit. read more

I've been here twice already and it's become my favorite Russian restaurant (and just when I thought I swore off such places). Both times I was here during non-peak times so it wasn't too loud or crowded or busy. Just to get it out of the way, some of the things I don't like about this place are the cheesy and/or bizarre music videos playing on the flat screens and the rotating disco strobe party light. Some of the things that may be a hit or miss are the live music performances and the wait staff. However, I will say that our waiter was very helpful in recommending their best dishes the first time we came there. I will also note that they almost didn't seat us when we came towards closing time, until we spoke Russian, but it could've also been because we mentioned that we called ahead. Now onto why I love this place and will come back again. The main draw for me is the food. Several of the items we tried were really delicious, reasonably priced and adequately portioned. I highly recommend the cheese flat bread, the salmon tartar and lamb dish. Their fried potatoes with mushrooms are great as well. I would not recommend the duck in plum sauce - although the sauce was good, the meat was a bit dry, and the portion was on the small side. My friend mentioned that the green borscht and the tomato avocado salad were good too. Overall, the lamb dish was the most impressive. It's the best I've had in a long time. I don't remember what it was called, I think it might've been the rack of lamb. I can't wait to have it again, it was so succulent! The portion was huge and more than enough for two people, if you get appetizers. Can't wait to go back and try more dishes! read more

Wish I could visit this place in the evening to experience Brighton Beach nights with Russian music, dancing and singing. Instead, we happened to be in NYC during the day and had a sudden craving for Russian food - and Brighton Beach it is. I won't get into details about the area, it's pretty wacky, but Skovorodka is a real gem in the middle of this craziness. Food was amazing. We had okroshka (cold kvas/buttermilk soup), a big plate of meat pirozhki, veggie salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.) that only Russians can pull off as a special dish, and potato/mushroom skovorodka (fried potato/mushroom pan). Oh my goodnes! Our server offered us kompot (homemade cooked berry drink), and while I usually don't crave it, that was a great choice, everybody loved it. The service was great. All the guys that helped us were knowledgeable, courteous, and quick. Very nice! read more

Typical cuisine from former USSR, well executed, accompanied by a decent service and live musician with great repertoire from yesteryear. Don't miss on cherry stuffed vareniki dessert. read more

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Imagine a circle of middle aged Russians in a ring, dancing and singing along to bad folk-electronic renditions of American pop songs. Now imagine watching this with a gigantic St. Petersburg brewed lager in hand and a plate of smoked whitefish in front of you. Skovorodka taught me some valuable lessons. 1. Pierogies as we know them are ukranian and polish. If you order a "pierogi" at a real russian restaurant you will receive a giant ball of fried dough with an unidentified meat mixture inside. Not dumplings, not filled with potato. Not what I wanted, but lesson learned. (Pelmeni is the soft potato dumplings you're looking for). 2. A 20 oz beer is $5 if you do it right! 3. In terms of merriment, the joining of Jewish culture with Russian culture is a beautiful thing And their stuffed cabbage is amazing. Would definitely visit again. read more

This is a fairly new restaurant in the Brighton Beach area. February 14, Valentines Day, will be the 3 year anniversary. I have been there a couples times and I must say, the lamb chops keep me running back for more! They use fresh domestic never frozen lamb and the mix of spices with the smoky charcoal flavor from the grill is to die for. A meat lover's heaven. On the other hand, their vast assortment of authentic Russian food is enough to send anyone to Russia upon tasting a bite. From Ukrainian Brosch, to grilled eggplant salad, dumpings, vareniki, and even mini-pirogis, this feast of culture is a must! A very interesting dish they serve is pickled watermelon. Now you're thinking, "Watermelon....PICKLED?", why yes my dear friend. This is truly some sort of artistry because it sounds so weird but it tastes so good! It wasn't as awkward as i thought it would be but was actually pleasantly refreshing. Overall, the feel of this restaurant is incredibly relaxed. It isn't a fancy restaurant that you have to get all dressed up for but the interior is very sophisticated and easy on the eyes. its mostly brown, yellow, bronze, gold, burgundy (earthy tones) and it just adds to the theme of taking a laid back though your taste buds. So I invite you all to come to Skovorodka, order yourself some Kvass and/or fruit compote, sit back, relax and enjoy the friendly atmosphere while your taste buds get transported to a different country! read more

After a few more times coming here since my first visit. The food has dropped slightly in quality and music on a Saturday night became a whole lot louder. Service is still very good. read more

If you want Russian food, this is the place. Call for a reservation, or take your chances. The Stroganoff was tender and delicious. And the fried potatoes with mushrooms was off the chart. read more

If u got used to the good service then that place is def not for u!!! Went there with 2 of my friends who don't speak Russian and basically aren't familiar with Russian food and service. The place has very authentical food and service!! We had to attract attention of the stuff as soon as we walked in! Then finally someone noticed us and we've been "politely" told that they didnt have available tables. After half an hour we got one. Then it took us another 10 min to attract attention of our waiter or busser and ask them for water!! ( I'm not talking about bread, that was a dream to get it!!) later on our waiter approached us and without saying a single word to us showed us that he was ready to take an order. ( I was like: "boy, did anybody teach you how to say hello to your guests?) I don't want to describe the rest of the service coz basically it was horrible. Service is not worth 18% of tips but they don't forget to put gratuities in your bill in the end! Watta bastards!!! Food was good except my stuffed cabbage that came overcooked, prices are a bit high, decent entertainment but service...... No additional comments!!! To make a long story short: they all are in need of hospitality training coz they still think that they live in USSR!!!! read more

Skovorodka - Hop hop hop!!! - Russian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

My friend and I went to Skovorodka today and I can't wait to write this review, because the food was terrible. Russian potato salad ( Olivie on the menu) that I ordered, was SPOILED! I had to return it. The waiter apologized a few times for that, after he and a chef tasted it, but it didn't spot there.... Soup Borsch was also not fresh, at least four days old. It was sour, and tasted reheated many times. To kill the age of the soup they added enormous amount of garlic. The third dish I ordered was dumplings (pelmeni). There were many over cooked, falling apart dumplings on the plate, and they looked not hand made classic Siberian Pelmeni. Very dull, not enough sodium, very little meat ( if I can call it meat), swimming in the ocean of butter. It's very disappointing. Would not recommend this place to anybody who appreciate true authentic Russian food. read more