I give it three and half stars. Some food is good, some is not. I ordered pork cutlet and got pork patties or you can call it pork burger. My meal was good, but I tried the grilled salmon, it was extremely dry, did not taste good what's so ever. I had a few other people with me, also tried the pelmeni, and they were good. The service is not that great, but the prices are good for some items. Would I go there again? Yes, I would give it another try. Oh one more thing I should mention, when we just got there the music volume was fine, by the end of our meal the music got much more louder, I literally wanted to get out as fast as I could, even thought I still wanted to have some desert and maybe some drinks. If the music was not that loud I would have stayed longer and spend more money. Will see how it goes the next time. read more

Stolovaya - I ordered Pork cutlets, which in reality is pork patties or pork burgers. - Russian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

Good food, great prices, excellent and quick service! Few European (Belgian and German) beers on tap. Shish-kebab was nicely done.

I loved this place, but during my last visit I saw that the cook covered the Stuffed Bell Peppers with plastic and put it in the microwave. Not only is that unprofessional, but EXTREMELY bad for your health to put plastic molecules into the body. I'm very disappointed. The kitchen is open for the public to see what's happening. I love an open kitchen, but I'm very disappointed. Unfortunately, I will not be returning, because if they take shortcuts like this, who knows what else they have shortcuts for. :( I will just make my own beef straganoff. read more

Theres no other place like it in Brooklyn! Homemade Delicious food without the massive price tag ! Well deserved 5 star rating ! read more

I'm Russian and have been living in the next door building for 5 years. I often go to eat in Stolovaya or just grab take out. Food is always good and fresh, portions are decent. Prices are very affordable! It's one of those Russian places, where they serve Real Russian Food (saying it bc many Russian restaurants now tending to have only a couple of traditional dishes in the menu and most of the items are American). My favorite entree here: Chicken Kiev, Pelmeni, Vareniki, Beef Stroganoff, Moscow Style Fish, Borsch, salat Olivier. You definitely should try their Sour Cream Cake-Smetannik!!!! It's amazing and not too sweet! I may agree with other clients, that staff is not fluent in English, but don't be scared: ANYTHING you'll order is very delicious and home made! read more

See all

Just to preface this review, my non-Russian friends told me about the "Russian" restaurants they've been to in Manhattan. When I went through their menus, I felt an intense wave of second-hand embarrassment both for my friends for enjoying the sub-par cuisine being served there, and for the restaurants masquerading as authentic Russian places. Then my embarrassment turned to envy when I realized that these Manhattan joints are making serious money off of the unwitting, clearly non-Russian clientele paying seriously inflated prices for peasant food that my mother wouldn't serve me in my youth. Enter Stolovaya. As others have noted, this restaurant is the Russian equivalent of a diner, but the flipside to that is that it carries diner prices. Stolovaya boasts a surprisingly impressive menu and almost every item on the menu (save for the Potatoes with Mushrooms which are regrettably mediocre due to the presence of pickled mushrooms) is excellent. My favorite items are the Spanish Beef, Beef Strogonoff, Pork Schnitzel, Pelmeni and Salo Platter. The desserts are pretty solid as well and its BYOB - so bring vodka. Each dish is authentic and contains the appropriate flavor that someone raised on this food would expect. In comparison to the other "Russian" competitors in Manhattan, this food is about 3 times cheaper and 3 times better. Stolovaya is a no-frills establishment that is frequented by a 95%+ Russian clientele so they wouldn't be able to survive for this long if the food was bad. I have never seen this restaurant NOT filled to capacity. People that understand this cuisine come here once a week for a reason. The decor is pretty funny as well, but the jokes might fall flat if you don't speak the language - sorry. read more

They don't speak English! I tried the chicken here and it was terrible I had to throw it out, i was rooks they have a few good dishes here but I don't speak Russian so I wouldn't know what to order? The pelmeni was good. read more

The Russian equivalent of a diner. With many people drinking vodka and kompot of course. Great prices, above average food and diner-style service. If you come here expecting the best of the best, you clearly need to get out more. Enjoy it for what it is! read more

Nice Place, Great Food and Prices! Would recommend!!!! The stuff is busy all the time, but have the availability to move fast and be nice to people! Appreciate it! Thank You! read more

Hello Grandma? Is that you moonlighting at the Stolovaya? I was apprehensive about coming here after reading some of the bad reviews but I am glad I went with my gut and ended up here for dinner. It's is not fancy inside, but it is called the Stolovaya, so what was I expecting right? The food is quality, fresh, home made, love filled Soviet comfort food that my mom and grandma cook. The meals are all served with the nostalgic peas from a can and cabbage salad. Which I love. I live for some high end Russian-French-italian-German mashups that they serve at places like Passage but this takes me back to Brighton Beach late 80's/early 90's down home straight up immigrant grub. If you're too fancy with your pinkies up expecting some hipster version of Russia food, turn around and go home and don't write a bad review. This place is exactly as advertised and I will be coming here, not often because my waist line needs to be shrinking, but on cold days when I'm either too lazy to make my own kotleti or my mom's stash of vareniki has ended. P.s The English menu was confusing to me, and we opted to order from the Russian (Cyrillic) menu since the food items were more recognizable. So the tip is to bbring someone who reads Russian or at the least speaks it. Kotleti are translated a cutlets and another reviewer was upset about his minced meat patties. I get it because a cutlets is an otbevnaya and a kotleta is more of a meatloaf/hamburger situation. Thank you. read more

Great Russian food for a reasonable price! My favorite is the beef kebab and chicken pelmeni, comes out really juicy. Service is also really nice on top of that. Highly recommend for anyone in the Gravesend/Sheepshead Bay area. read more

$8 for chicken Kiev- pretty good $9 for beef straganaoff- nice presentation, but bread bowl was stale and beef stew was too salty!! $4 cherry water/ Kompot $5 veggie salad- fresh and colorful but AGAIN, too salty Love the pricing and Would love to come back but unfortunately, food was not memorable read more

With all the restaurants doubling their prices, Stolovaya is truly an inflation buster! We stopped by on Sunday to pick up a to-go order for 5 people. We got a pitcher of compote, soup, 3 portions of pelmeni, 1 portion of meat vareniki, 2 chicken Kiev and 2 beef stroganoffs. The total was 98 bucks for a plenty of food with 1 full order of beef stroganoff and 1.5 portion of pelmeni left over! Everything was fresh, piping hot and delicious. I seriously thought it was going to be closer to $150 at least, everything is so expensive these days. Well, not here, this is like one of the last bastions of affordable, toothsome Soviet-style fair, just plain goodness, the comfort food we all grew up with. read more

"Stolovaya" is translated as a "canteen" or a "cafeteria" in English. And Stolovaya is exactly what it is! It's not a fancy restaurant, but a local place to eat, full of friendly staffs, and a sense of the Russian culture with the authentic foods which we were so looking forward to try! And it's perfect, because little did we know that Stolovaya is in the heart of Midwood, just so close to home! Although three Chinese girls walking into Stolovaya was a bit awkward, as one of the staffs looked puzzled as if we probably had walked into the wrong restaurant, until we told her we wanted a table for three, it was a delightful experience overall, especially it was our very first time trying a Russian cuisine! Here was what we ordered: Borscht (a red sour soup, served with a sour cream on the side, and a piece of crispy crouton) - OHHHH SOOOO YUMMYYYY! Salad with duck breast (served with beets sauces, duck shreds [very tender] and [original] pringles [lol]) - very tasty! Potato and mushroom dumplings (served with sweet onions?) Lamb Leg - THIS WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE DISHES! The lamb was soooo very soft, came right off from the big bone, and the sauce paired so well with the side cabbage salad that came with it! It was cooked to perfection!! If you are a lamb person, THIS IS YOUR ANSWER! Beef stroganoff - Sauteed beef in a very thick broth placed inside a bread bowl, and comes with a side (we had the mashed potato, very good!). It's another a must try! Can't go wrong with beef! It is absolutely mouthwatering! Stuffed cabbage (stuffed with meat with rice?) - wasn't my favorite as I loved the lamb leg and beef stroganoff so very much, but my two other friends LOVED IT! A beer Ohhhh, would you think I'm lying if I told you I wasn't full from alllll these foods? Anyway, when the bill came, it was ONLY $52, service charge and tips already included! THAT'S INSANE! Every plate on the menu ranges from $6 to $18? The lamb leg was less than $20 and how is that even possible?! So great tasting and costed so little!!!! Pros: Authentic Russian foods Super exquisite Inexpensive!!! Cons: Can't really think of any right now Tips: - Bring your own vodka to smooth down the foods - Order the Borscht, Lamb leg, and Beef Stroganoff (MUST TRY!!!!) - Go in 4's, so you can try more on the menu! We'll be back soon! =D read more

See all

I really liked everything I ate. Many thanks to the chefs. not expensive, cook quickly, large portions.

Stolovaya is a romanticized version of the Soviet cafeteria circa 1980 or maybe a Soviet restaurant. Great food, reasonable prices and you can BYOB. Get Langeti, Pelmeni, soup Kharcho, salad Olivier. Do not be afraid of Borsch. Ukrainian borscht is great. It will make you strong. Like a bull read more

As you can see we were welcomed to stolovaya with a couple of dead flies. Never will go to stolovaya again. Not to mention the food was terrible. read more

Stolovaya - This is what we were welcomed by when we came in Stolovaya, a couple of dead flies. Never going there again. - Russian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

It is always such a satisfying and pleasant experience dining at Stalovaya. The amount of food you get and how much you spend is unlike any other russian restaurant. The food is so comforting and service so quick! On many occasions came here in a large group and were seated quickly by the wonderful service staff. Highly recommend this experience for all, Russian or not. read more

The place is very good, I advise everyone to visit. Service is good, friendly staff, can always advise you to choose what to eat. The choice is great, very tasty prepared, the chef a special thank you for a delicious dinner. Prices are not high. highly recommend. read more

Stolovaya - Russian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

great authentic food. everything tasted delicious. we had siberian pelmeni, vareniki with mushrooms and potatoes, salad olivier, chicken kiev (my personal favorite). we also wanted to try golubce and beef stroganoff but they were out of it. the waitress was very friendly and helpful. the ambiance, food, prices, 5 stars. read more

Not sure what people are complaining about here. Maybe I just got lucky, but I've been here several times the last few months and each time it was just as good. I will note I am mostly here in the early afternoons (between 1pm and 4pm) so maybe my experience is reflective of that. We had greek salad, chicken kabob, chicken and lamb pelmeni (dumplings), potato vareniki (also dumpling-like), mushroom soup, and kompot (home made fruit drink); all for something like $42. Their portions are very decent, so don't let the low price make you order half the menu ;) I also had cherry vareniki here which are great. And, you can go next door and buy the dumplings frozen to take home with you, for more awesome goodness later!!! Wish they had basturma (cured meat) to add to their greek salad (as russian places often do), but that's probably my only complaint here - not worth any penalty points. Small place, not fancy or trendy (though they do play good Russian Club/Dance music, not loud). Not necessarily 5-star service, but they're attentive and polite, so I have no complaints here. Great value for the money and fast service. I will definitely be back! read more

My old review: Best cheap Russian restaurant in the area, if there are even any Russian restaurants as cheap. Delicious pelmeni and vareniki, and while the blini could've been a bit better, the pleasant atmosphere and great prices helped make up for it. I've lived in Moscow, and believe that Stolovaya deserves major authenticity points. Edit: They charge different prices on the English/Russian menus for the same exact items. I know this, because I speak both languages. English speakers are charged more. The price differences are only about 50 cents to a dollar, but if you order a number of items, the total difference could end up huge. I know it's silly to be mad about, but it's unfair. Period. read more

Stolovaya which in English means diner or a cafeteria certainly looks and serves food at a much higher level than the name would suggest. It's not over the top eclectic nor is it completely by-the-book Russian style eatery and maybe that's why it keeps me coming. The place itself is not big. Stretchy entrance with a small bar on the right and tables set up against walls leaving walkway for waiters all the way from the door to the kitchen. TV's on two corners usually show either soccer or concert clips. Volume is usually down on TV's and music is playing at almost background level making it easy to converse. Not all staffers speak English, I'd say %80 do and they have menus in both languages. The waiters who are all male are extremely fast at rearranging, cleaning tables and taking your orders. Young guys start as busboys and if they show enough vigor with time - get promoted. They've got a usual array of Russian salads including Caesar and Greek with basturma (cured and spiced meat). They also got plenty of ravioli dishes with potatoes, meat or cherries or cheese. I suspect most of it is brought in from the outside and not made there but always tasty. They've got some nice blintzes as well. Most of these dishes along with soups are priced around $6 which is a well portioned bargain. Now they got about 12-14 main dishes. Every dish is served with either mashed potatoes or buckwheat porridge with some green peas. They carry some breasty fillets of fish with a simple yet satisfying taste. Two of my favorite dishes are probably 'Spanish meat' (pieces of tender beef with hot sauce) 'French meat' (chicken breast with cheese and mushrooms) all under $9 and again nicely portioned. They always have something outside the menu, like duck dishes or spicy meat served with fruits reminding me a taste of a well prepared teriyaki. Big bottles of beer (anything from Dab to Grolsch). Vodka (obviously), cognac and don't forget to try their compote. Been coming here for three years and never left unsatisfied, although some would say that it has gone down a bit in quality and quantity. The clientle ranges anywhere from young/older Russians to Asians from the neighborhood. Always a lively atmosphere, parking spot waiting outside and tasty food for less makes this one of the top non-banquet restaurants in Brooklyn. Drunk Russian guys will never ask your girl out for a dance here basically, so you can put away the butter knife and chew with delight. read more

Haven't been here in like 6yrs. Moved out of state. Recently returned with my fam for lunch. Everything was even more delicious than I remember it to be! Chicken kebabs simply melt in your mouth! Zharenaya kartoshechka is phenomenal! Except I would skip the mushrooms...that part wasnt so great. read more

George K. already gave pretty good detail on the place. I usually go there just to have a fast meal before heading back to Philadelphia. Selection is good enough to always find something that I want at that moment, and service is fast enough to get me back on the road in no time. Moreover finding parking there has never been a big challenge, something that is hard to say about most other similar spots in the area. read more

Great place with good prices. The food was amazing, fresh and tasty. Everybody enjoyed it.

I bring my American friends here for a Russian food 'lite' experience. It's all pretty good, comparatively cheap, and not overwhelming to someone who is not used to the atmosphere in 'real' Russian restaurants (loud music, rivers of vodka and disco balls). The food is relatively authentic - some dishes more so then others. Their specials definitely tend towards Georgian cuisine with an abundance of rice and lamb dishes. I think the food is ok - definitely good enough to keep coming back, but not great. All my friends have been really impressed so far, so if you have no basis for comparison as far as Russian food goes you will be very happy with your meal. Kompot is the highlight of the experience for - it's a sweet stewed fruit drink - they serve it in pitchers. It's a must have. The only real downside is that not all waiters speak English, and the English version of menu is not well translated or sufficiently descriptive - I consistently have to explain all the dishes to my friends. read more

I dunno, I had higher hopes for this place. As a veteran of the soviet cafeteria style food, I am as good an expert as it gets on this cuisine. Well, the verdict is quite "meh". I was pleasantly surprised to see the place bustling at lunch time. The two servers were definitely overwhelmed but hanging in there. I ordered a fresh salad, vareniky and borsch. Salad was OK - nothing special, but nice and refreshing. Vareniky (potatoes and mushrooms) tasted extremely generic - took a bunch of them out of the freezer and threw them in boiling water, definitely not made on site. Borsch - which the waiter praised - was just bland. No traditional taste at all - good borsch has a very distinct flavor, which this one did not. Lack of acid and salt. Boring. In conclusion - if you want some of the same food served here, check out Glechik - much more authentic tasting. read more

Generous portions, decent prices, and tasty food. Great place for low-key family gatherings. Everything tastes homemade. Their compot (juice drink) is the best one I've had in a while. Definitely, get their assorted pickled fruits and veggies, which includes watermelon, apple, pickles, tomatoes, and grapes. Their "olivie" salad has a great crunch from the pickles, which I personally adore. All of us got the chicken kiev, which was good. I prefer it at Slavyanskiy Bazaar, but this one was great too. I would definitely order it again. The one odd thing is that it comes with a baked apple - seemed somewhat out of place. We got the cherry blintzes to go and they were delicious for breakfast! Service was great. You may want to leave your kids at home - the TVs played a variety of inappropriate, overly sexual, music videos. This may not be a common occurrence, but TVs are placed all around the place, so they're unavoidable. Regardless, we will definitely return. read more

They have amazing Russian food. Being Russian myself it very much compares to my grandmothers cooking. My favorite dish is the beef stroganoff. They put it in a bread bowl and when you dip it in the delicious white sauce it is to die for! They have very good sangria if you like sweet wine and you must get their kompot, which is water infused with many different fruits and sugar (nonalcoholic). The fish is always fresh and steamed or fried to perfection. The place is small and you absolutely get an authentic Russian vibe from it. Most waiters do speak English and they do have English menus all you have to do is ask. read more

Value Value Value... Thats what comes to mind when going to Stolovaya. Everything they make is tasty and good quality but more so than that you get so much for your money. You would be hard pressed to find a place that will give you the quality and portions that this place gives you and usually for only $10 per entree. Its not fancy and its not quick but if you're in the mood for typical eastern european cuisine then this is a good spot to check out. 3.5 stars read more

Great service, delicious food like my babushka would make. Highly recommended this place, will be back again.

Very good, quick and cheap Russian food. The waiters and service is great. I love this place, the liver salad is awesome, the fish is always crispy (might need a little salt at times). Most dishes are nostalgic home Russian food. Great place to get a quick bite and the prices are very cheap. Even if it might feel rushed no one ever bothered me for staying for a long time. Definitely my go to for Russian food in a non fancy setting. read more

Great service and great food. Came a little late in the evening and it was not busy at all at that time, still the service was absolutely great. We chose to share a dish and the waiter already split the dish in the kitchen, how thoughtful was not expecting for that. read more

All the negative reviews are a lie. Whoever writes this RESTAURANT is bad is lying. First of all, i wouldn't call it a restaurant - it's a cafeteria with fast turn around of food. People do not go there to enjoy the atmosphere they go there to eat and get out. The food is great for what is worth!!!!!! OK..... read more

People I have to confess I am addicted I go at least twice a week Besides the point that their HERRING is outstanding it's like Sushi and BEEF STROGANOFF in a loaf of bread is one of the best I ever eaten all home made food is A 1 Delish, and the service is pretty good. So is u want to eat Goooooood and not to spend a fortune do not go but RUN TO STOLOVAYA. read more

An amazing place to eat. It was very hard to find a place around that area. The place is not too big, but the menu surprised me. Not only by the huge selection of all kinds of food, but also by the prices. I don't visit Brooklyn very often, but I doubt those prices are easy to find anywhere. The homemade food was amazing. Didn't taste like restaurant food at all. If you are not familiar with Russian cuisine, this is one of the best places to try it. Salads are fresh, meals served nice and hot. To be honest, my first impression was far from the impression I left with. Don't let the looks fool you, walk in and you won't regret it!! read more

This is not a fancy restaurant - this is a cheap no BS place where you can come for lunch, enjoy Russian food and drink some beer - and it's really the best in that category. Decor feels grotesque, but once you get past it, it should be a pleasant experience. read more

I wish they have something like this in SF. Delicious and affordable. The decor is cute, menu comes in Russian and English. Service is attentive, overall enjoyed this a lot. See my pictures for everything we ate. read more

See all

The Verineki with meat was awesome! The cappuccino was pretty tasty, but the rabbit dish was ehh.( I've had nicer rabbit before.) I think the rabbit made us sick - I had terrible gas the whole night into morning and my girlfriend threw up three times. I've been looking forward to checking this place out for over two years so it kinda bummed me out. I'd probably go back because that verineki was amazing though I'd be careful about ordering anything else. Waitstaff was good for our experience. read more