alright.. so I'm outing myself as a Russian Lady fan! I haven't been in a hot moment but I've been here quite a few times over the last few years. Scene is a little bit older during the summer because the college students are not around. GREAT place to party during the holidays//weekends like Saint Patrick's day. Drinks differ in price depending on which bartender you get.. I would recommend asking the price before ordering just so there aren't surprises. Crowd is usually pretty young -- over 21 but under 28 (or so). There is an upstairs and a downstairs and a rooftop. Rooftop is only open during fair weather or the summer season... not during the winter. One bar per floor & multiple bartenders at each bar. There is ALOT of security which feels good as a female -- also a few bathrooms and sometimes they've gotten a little rank... but what else can you expect from a college club.... The area in town this place is located can get a little sketchy and wouldn't recommend walking towards the stadium (or without a good number of people). Parking is available right around the corner at a paid lot.. NOTE: I've been with a crowd where a car got towed. Happens pretty quick and then it cost about $250 plus an Uber to get the car back. The signs are obscured and/or hard to see & there is a place to pay far away (in the corner of the lot) but PAY FOR YOUR SPOT!! It's not worth it to deal with the towing company!! read more

Where I thought this place had assets, they fell short. We went on halloween weekend so I expected it to be busy. The line was terribly long but went quick. I didn't like how the bouncer asked what I was because if I wasn't in costume it would've been an extra charge to the cover....I was clearly in a costume as I had fake blood all over me. Then there were two girls handing out free welcome drinks which seemed so nice. But, as I took my first sip the girl asked if I was allergic to nuts which could've been very bad timing if I was actually allergic. This is definitely a place for college kids, everyone looked pretty young. The bathroom lines were long and took forever. At one point, I was waiting for one girl to come out of the bathroom for so long and I didn't see anyone moving under the door, I was very worried for her. We got security and all they did was knock. She finally came out stumbling and the bathroom was covered in vomit. The second floor bathroom wasn't covered in vomit but it was still disgusting with trash everywhere. I understand these issues are likely due to it being halloween weekend. I like the multiple floors. I loved the rooftop, it was super cute. Drink were good. The bartender said she didn't know how the Russian lady iced tea yelp offer worked so she didn't accept it. I've been to this venue back in March and it seemed cleaner and the people seemed older. read more

The Russian Lady - second floor bathroom - Sports Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Looking to relieve all the stress from a long work week!! Then this is the place to be. Very upbeat, classy, and just full of vibes. There are college nights on Thursdays, Ladies' night on A Friday, and express yourself nights on a Saturday. Ladies are free before 11 on a Friday night and the Saturday night charge is 5 dollars. There is free street parking as well as a parking garage to the side. Two floors were open with 2 bars and DJs. If you want chill vibes, check out the first floor but if you want to be turned up, the second floor behind the bar area is the place to be. There is also a longe with pool tables for those who are interested and a gender-neutral restroom on each floor. Was a great night and I will be back on a Friday for a lady's night. Be sure to check in on help to claim a free drink. read more

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bouncer was an asshole. 3 floors of the same music. all dj played was edm. bartender on the 2nd floor is rude. the women that work here are nice. odd that you don't get pat down before entering. the men workers are just a bunch of weirdos read more

Friday night and the crowd really sucks! .... did I go on a bad night? I don't know... maybe it's a Saturday nite destination lol. There was a line out the door even at 12:30pm when we walked in..cover charge of $10 for dudes and $5 for gals. The club is split across 3 stories, with a different vibe on each floor and a smoke zone on the terrace. The building itself was really nice it's an old revived tavern with stained glass and everything and the terrace being best space of all. The DJ was playing crappy music ... and if you stay there till the end of the night you'll notice the mess (if you still have you sanity that is).We didn't get to eat any food...there was just the bars on the second and top floor. read more

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Stopped in tonight for a few beers and something to eat before the RAW Art Show opened at 8:00 on floors 2 and 3 of this multi-level bar. I grabbed a well positioned barstool to watch a few innings of the Yankees and Red Sox. They still had some Happy Hour munchies out (sliced turkey or pork, mini egg rolls, and chinese dumplings), although they were past their prime and had gotten somewhat long in the tooth. I tried some dumplings -the meat filling was very tasty, but the outside was getting somewhat crunchy from being in the pan too long. Service was great, a prompt and cheerful young lady was pleasant and attentive. I had a Ten Penny ale and Meatball Sliders. The three sliders were OK, but could have been better with a little more sauce and some increased temperature. The meatballs weren't very hot and the cheese had barely melted. In spite of those deficiencies, they were good, I have to admit that. They have a great juke box, and I over-rode the endless run of 80's songs with some vintage Stones, Floyd, and Clapton, I got a few nods of approval from the patrons. That was cool!!! read more

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I used to love coming here until one of the bouncers started acting differently... I had encountered this bouncer many times (all good interactions), until one night he acted very aggressively towards me and a few of my colleagues. Since the one night I haven't been, but, I hear this behavior of his from some of my friends are very consistent. He is not only screaming and acting hostile to my friends, but as well as (what appears to be) college-aged girls who've tried to enter the bar. I'm not sure what this is about but I've heard back from friends that he will say things like "Nope not you" and phrases like this. Which makes it clear to me that he is simple singling people out for who knows what reason. Not only is this entitlement unnecessary, it is just disregarding simple human decency. Not sure if anyone else has had similiar encounters with this bouncer? He is fairly short and has a beard.. read more

Second time coming here, and it was a great experience both times. The only thing I have an issue with is how there's a ton of bouncers... Yet, the business owners / managers do not have any of them perform pat downs or security checks for weapons before entering... So basically anybody can walk in there with a knife or gun. Your club is in the middle of Hartford... commonly referred to as "homicide hartford." You should take safety much more serious in my opinion. I hope this review fixes that. If you do fix that, you'll have 5 stars from me. Drinks are good. Bouncers are cool. Bartenders are fast. Music is great and the aesthetic of the building and dance floor is nice too. read more

The absolute worst bar I think I've ever been to. Every bit of the place is trashed. Almost as if they just threw dirt all over the place. (You'll notice I'm not saying they do throw dirt everywhere, I'm saying they mine as well have). Every single glass was extremely dirty. The staff was unpleasant especially the guy checking IDs for the past few weeks. Multiple times he has given me issues. I have never been treated with more disrespect. I have traveled the world and been to more bars and clubs then I can count. Never in my life as a 24 year old have I been more disrespected then by this staff. Not even a drop of alcohol in me. And I always smile and say please and thank you. Absolutely no reason in the world for there to be an issue. I understand the staff at nightclubs have to deal with bullshit all the time, I have empathy for that. But there was absolutely no excuse in the world for the way I was treated the last two weekends in a row. Also, I love how the manager below commented on this with sarcasm saying "when you're not out traveling the world". Just goes to show what kind of guy is running this joint. No self control. Luckily I'm 30 now and don't go to places like this anymore but wow was this an awful place. Do yourself a favor and just drive to the casino if you want a club. read more

I usually go here because it is the hottest scene in Hartford and trends toward the young crowd. Yesterday, however, I was as disappointed in how I was treated by the guy stamping for cover that was working with the cashier and how money greedy they were. It was glow party night and they have a rule for that night where if you wear all-white and arrive before 11pm, you don't have to pay the cover. I came in and after getting my ID checked, the guy stamping told me "Ten Dollars" and I said "I'm wearing all white and it's before 11pm so I should be good" and he said I wasn't wearing all white. As one can tell by the photos attached, it is clear that I was wearing all white. He said "No, you have to be wearing all-white, what you're wearing is khaki's". Obviously, there wasn't good lighting in the bar, so I pulled out the flashlight from my phone and shined the light on my shorts, showing them that they were indeed WHITE. All the worker could say is "ten dollars". I was flabbergasted and ask to speak to the manager. He said he would get him, after trying to intimidate me, he then proceeded to kick me out, claiming I was being "rude" when I was simply standing up for myself, as I disagreed with his judgement and conduct. I wanted to talk to the manager since it was clear the guy working here was the one being rude and not being understanding to any degree. They told me to go somewhere else, and denied me from talking to the manager - something I still had a right to, and didn't let me wait inside either, when it was very cold outside. If I ask for the manager about a complaint, I expect at least an effort to get him. After I was kicked out, I asked the bouncer at the front of the door checking ID's nicely if I could talk to the manager, and even he denied me the chance, only to back up his guy. It is clear from this incident that all the establishment cares about is money and has no consideration about the happiness/satisfaction of their male patrons. I have no doubt that if I was a woman wearing the same clothes I would not have been treated this way, and the male worker would not have demanded "ten dollars" 3 times like he did rudely. I firmly believe based on not only this incident, but also other reviews on Facebook and Yelp that the male workers and bouncers clearly like to abuse and take advantage of their power, especially when they are shown to be incorrect in their judgment, because they feel entitled to this power and don't like to be humbled. They have no accountability for their actions, and rush to kick out their male patrons so their manager and owner don't have to be aware or deal with their horrible actions/decisions. I am writing this because I want the managers/owner to see how horribly these male workers treat the male patrons do this bar, and how there needs to be change in the approach to how these male employees treat their patrons. I also discourage other male patrons from attending this establishment, as they are treated differently than their female counterparts. I felt I unvalued as a customer and did not deserve to be kicked out from this establishment. I was neither violent, threatening, nor aggressive, so this was the feeling I was left with. I ended up having a nice time somewhere else, but I don't know if I will be returning to to the Russian Lady anytime soon, knowing how they like to run their business and conduct themselves. read more

The Russian Lady - My white outfit - Sports Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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Great club w lots of floors, music variety & friendly staff. My girls love this place. After 1 bad experience w a creepy they handled it & were so nice to me. Im grateful they cared. Really good spot read more

It's a good spot to chill with a cigar bar on the roof. Drinks are ok. There is usually a cover. The DJs are ok. House music some hip hop and some reggaeton. I think the floors were supposed to be unique, but I didn't feel like the music difference was worth noting. Crowd is diverse, bouncers are chill but they do check ID and stuff. There are several [bouncers] to get in and on each floor. This club stands out to me because I didn't feel like the crowd was overly messy--People weren't passing out, falling over themselves or throwing up. It did get hot, so the cigar bar rooftop was a great place to sit and cool down. I do think the place is slippery because people kept spilling drinks, but you can't do anything about that in a packed club so that's neither here nor there. I think it's a good place with pretty good music. If you don't club often; (like me) it's a decent place to step out for a night and get home safe. There can be a line but if you ask the bouncer how long the wait is they'll tell you. Cops hung out at the end of the night to direct traffic and we ubered from a nearby street. My friends had fun and I have no major complaints. read more

We heard great things about this place, so we went. The website said that the 3 floor dancing started at 9. We left based on that. We were there almost an hour. Another customer let us know that security said the floors didn't open until 10:30! We weren't waiting another hour. We left. It was incredibly disappointing. read more

I'm torn between a three star or a four star review and I guess I'll explain why I decided on three. I have only been here to drink and dance and have never tried the food other than smelling some buffalo wings that singed my nostrils as it went by. I usually come here on a Friday night to dance with a group of friends after a long hard week at work. I have been here on a Tuesday for a friend's 21st birthday and was glad to see that it wasn't too dead with a DJ playing some music and the bar service been decent. Some nights other than Fridays and Saturdays, it could be a tossup with the patrons in the place as the XL center being across the street, you never know about who you are going to be drinking next to. Back to Fridays now, Fridays are a completely different animal as the place turns up with four different sections where music is playing and a bar is within eye sight. I usually start with my friends enjoying the $10 power hour from 9pm-11pm drinking well drinks or drafts. You can get away with enjoying a draft of Octoberfest which after a few pints can get you into that dancing mood. I usually aim for a rum and coke and with our bands around our wrist if you are able to flag down one of the better bartenders and tip well you'll be given drinks pretty frequently. As the place fills up around 10pm or 11pm, it does make it harder to grab those last few drinks unless you can navigate the bar scene well. But by 11pm Russian Lady opens up its 2nd floor to dancing and what was calm and conversational on the first floor turns into a college party most nights on the 2nd floor. Separated into two parts the first area has couches and tables for possible bottle service with it not being so crowded as in the other section where there is wall to wall stop lights displaying different colors as the bass booms in your eye and chest. Depending on the DJ, you'll find music to turn up to or music to dance with your significant other. There was one night that the DJ tried and failed at getting the crowd hyped with House and EDM music. You'll find remixes of 90's hit along with current music as you fight for a spot on the dance floor. There is a small stage for the ladies that want to show off their moves but be prepared to have some thirsty guys and some security stare at you. You'll find a lot of people here mostly groups looking to drink and forget the night but a word of caution as moods and emotions can rise as people bump or try to dance with friends in your group. If you need some space from the bumping and grinding you can play pool in the back section or head up to the rooftop that people can chat, sit and light a cigarette. If you can grab a section away from the smokers it is a nice place to cool down from the heat of the dance floor. I've seen different events happening there but haven't checked them out but with places like Black Bear closing, you'll find me there for St. Patrick's Day next year. Some can say never to try the hot dog from the stands out on the street. I'll leave that to you and your drunk cravings at 1pm in the morning. You will always go in sober and most likely walk out feeling some type of way afterwards. Beware the Hartford police, they will be out in force, which for people like me, I welcome to feel safe. read more

We came here for a company holiday party on a Saturday night. On the top-most floor, a group of 200 engineers occupied the space. The atmosphere was surprisingly lively, and the music was good! While the drinks weren't the best {they didn't have any ginger beer, Pisco, or anything else beside your standard whiskey/rum}, the hired DJ made up for it. The catered food for the night were cheese cubes, guac/salsa and nachos, and barbecue chicken wings. The food was meh, but again, it's a company party - what do you expect? Overall, an okay place to spend a night in Hartford, but I was disappointed in the lack of cocktail mixes. read more

Pros: good music, pool tables, cheap drinks, cool name. Cons: apparently they have student nights. Just a big hot mess if you know how college kids party. Didn't see a single "adult" so retrieved almost immediately. "Rooftop" has no view just a smoking area. read more

Food and drinks were amazing lots of beautiful faces I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere. I would recommend the salmon

What is The Russian Lady? Wrong question. It's not just a thing, it's an everything. For a place that prides itself on being an everything, it does these things very well. There could be a line at the door, you could walk right in. There could be a cover, you could walk right in. Depends on the night. There is very much (to none at all) parking out front, but plenty of lots close by. On separate and very non distinct occasions, I have wanted to go to a bar, go to a roof bar, go to a bar and play pool, go to a bar and have a conversation, go to a bar and find myself unable to coherently speak to the person standing next to me, go to a dance club with a live DJ, have a drink while watching a (game of sports teams), and walk up and down stairs with a drink. I have been able to do all of these things here. Despite having all that, I find there is a good natural separation. The dancing crowd tends to hang out near one of the bars on the lower level and towards the back bar a little further up. The dancing crowd doesn't get in the way of the pool tables, the pool crowd doesn't try and play pool in the middle of the dancing crowd. The rooftop is a welcome escape no matter the season, even in the winter when the bar (might not) be open, especially when it is snowing. The Russian Lady doesn't pretend to be something it isn't. It is a bar, a sports bar, a nightlife destination, and dance club (also food) all mushed up into one giant space. It is not a Friday's with 68 pieces of flair. It isn't a quiet speakeasy with fancy mustaches, and it isn't a "stroller parking on the left" bring the whole family for a fun late night night out type place. The age range varies - i've seen the "I turned 21 about 7 seconds ago" crowd to the "I might still listen to AM radio" group. Clash? Nope. Different? Yep. But it mixes well - and that's the fun of it. There are people. There are drinks. There is a lot to do. There is food (I haven't had the pleasure of arriving during food-type hours) but i'd give it a go. The staff is great, and if you see Jon (if you don't know him just yell "HEY JON") - the face of TRL - just give him a hug. He loves random hugs. read more

Accidentally ended up on VIP stairs , got pushed saying GTFO , i was like what? Ifs my first time here why wont you ask me nicely , second and third security pulled up pushing me down saying do you have a fucking problem"" i was like why wont you ask me nicely instead of being so rude since its my first time here , they went on pushing me cussing me out , i left all mad , so unprofessional, will be here with a lawyer soon .. .. place is trash read more

I've only had the food here once and it wasn't memorable so I'll mainly comment on the nightlife. The bouncer is always extremely nice and friendly. Russian Lady is also one of the best bars to go to during the warmer months because they have a rooftop and the music is always better than the lower level floors. All three floor levels offer different types of music which is great when the music is lackluster or you need a change of music. Over the last two years they've hosted the summer block parties which are always fun but be prepared for a large crazy crowd. During the colder months this place is always hit or miss. Some nights there are no one in the place and others it is jam packed. read more

I came here primarily for an Art Expo. So having that event could skew my perception of this place. Overall I had a great time. I underestimated the Russian Lady (RL)'s beer selection. They sold on draft companies like Pyramid, Batch 325, and other microbrews. I like my beer unpopular, the stuff people have never heard before. It was a busy night and the bartender was very attentive, helpful and awesomely friendly! He managed to let me sample two beers, while attending to five other patrons who were waiting to grab drinks. I bought an $8 tall beer glass which they allowed me to keep the glass and pay $3 for every beer after. The art expo had many great artists. Some were able to sell their work. After the expo, the Burlesque girls put on a show, then after that there was a modeling show. This place has 3 floors all playing their own themed music (first floor played A Tribe Called Quest and other club and Hip Hop throw backs. Third floor played current club and radio music). I tell you it was fun! read more

The Russian Lady - Art expo at Russian Lady. - Sports Bars Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

If I could give it no stars I would. Everything was great and fine until the bouncers, who think they're cops, grabbed me and my friend and tried physically throwing us off the stage without warning. Apparently they have a rule against men dancing, so if you're in the mood to get physically assaulted then feel free to drop by here. Otherwise, the music was mid and the drinks were watered down. Maybe it was great once but definitely over-hyped, and don't even think about coming here if you are LGBT+, there is no inclusive feeling to be felt here. read more

Bouncers should use there words like big boys before they put hands on you. I was leaving the dance floor to exit the bar , being how crowded it was I walked across the stage to exit but got shoved off by security into a crowd of people without warning. I thought they were supposed to be there for the safety of the bar patrons. Manager needs to train these guys to respect there customers. read more

It was pretty quiet when I arrived around 7PM on a Saturday night which is to be expected, but I was there for an event. I really liked how big the place was with its multiple floors, and rooftop area. There was a floor where we could play beer pong so my friends and I stayed there for a good while. A DJ showed up eventually and started playing some pretty good throwback songs. As it got later into the night, it got more interesting. People were drunk, and sloppier. Drinks were spilling everywhere, people were bumping into things, dancing got looser. Service was pretty good. The bartender I went to was pretty attentive and was able to get my drinks pretty quickly. I heard a lot of mixed reviews about this place before going. I'm from a big city, so compared to that, I was not very impressed with the overall vibes of this club. But considering it is in Hartford, and there are not many lit clubs (not that I am aware of) in the area, I would say this isn't half bad. I wouldn't come here frequently, but would definitely go back for a crazy weekend or something. read more

Came here for my friend's birthday party and this place is three-story high and full of college kids and I guess Suburban CT residents who got nowhere else to go but party at this bar-lounge-pub. It is very loud and the music/DJ is pretty crappy. We were lucky enough to have our own private section with bottle service, long island ice teas and even a bouncer watching our purses and coats! Kudo to the service for sure. The price is great compared to NYC. The vibe is more pub than anything else and we can't seem to grasp what the DJ is smoking because the music selection here just sucks big time. read more

$20 cover for Hartford lol. Also my friend was dancing and got up on the stage/elevated surface thing and the bouncers tackled him and kicked him out and it was just weird because nobody knew what was happening. Just a weird place read more

I was sitting on the bar and I got 3 beers . I finished one and took the other two without lid opened on roof top bar. For that the guard reacted due to some racial discrimination and arrogant saying that I will take you down . Worst eclipsed read more

Night life scene as much as it gets, reminds me very much of multiple bars out here in Houston. Wish there was more out here in Hartford

I appreciate everyone who logs on to these apps and post reviews for restaurants, I'm not one to post a review Just for the sake of who I am as a person, but I created a count to literally post a review about this location, I would highly not recommend going here, the two female bartenders are disgustingly unprofessional and the manager would be a testament to their unprofessionalism as a whole, this location is not friendly this location is not welcoming this location is dirty this location is rude this location does not value its customers I'm not from Connecticut and every now and then my card gets flagged for fraud when I'm outside of my home state, when that happens I just have to send a text to my bank and allow to go through or I can just use another card at my discretion I decided to use a card via Samsung pay and ask location if they would be able to take it they assumed my Samsung pay was Apple pay which was not and I asked if they would be able to attempt to scan my phone and without hesitation gave me a disgusting ly rude response as if I was a hassle to them to pay my bill, I notated to the bartender no reason to be rude I want to make sure you guys get paid how can we go about this and the bartender continued to be nasty in their communication in reference to payment to my bill, I said okay no worries let me communicate with your manager to better suit this so that I can pay you and tip you for the service at this establishment and when I spoke to the manager and asked why their bartender was so rude when just trying to make sure that I could pay my bill he proceeded to express to me that I was in the wrong because I attempted to ask the bartender to scan my phone for payment just once and I asked them why such difficulty when I want to make sure that you're establishment is paid and I can go about my business and and management discussingly ignored my question and as I was communicating to The manager the bartender were speaking over me as if I wasn't trying to alleviate the situation. Disgusting rude. And I highly would not recommend this establishment they do not put their customers first I would highly recommend not coming to this location. read more

I was not personally impressed with The Russian Lady when I came here for a company holiday party. However, I realize, I may not have had the full experience of wandering the multi-story bar that some get to enjoy. Maybe I am just getting old, but the private space we had on the second floor was decorated nicely up front and was an average dance floor in the back. The music was painfully loud (literally speaking) but the DJ was good. However, I would chalk that up to the event planners and not the bar itself. The bartenders were clearly over worked but I did not find them especially attentive and there certainly was very little care being put into the beverages. That may have been the first whisky sour I have been served,,, in a pint glass. That never bodes well for a cocktail. Additionally, the space we were in had no beers on tap and only the worst bottled beers on offer (Bud Lite, Miller Lite, etc.) So I did not like the club vibe, the drink offerings, and only liked half the space. However, I would come back here again to try it out in a more normalized setting. Given my past experience though, I will not be running to do so. read more

Went in on Friday night, with a big group. Got one of the VIP tables....bought bottles.....even bought drinks outside of VIP, etc. All in all spent a good amount of money that night and in the end I go down to coat check, give my ticket to the girl and they don't have my coat! I didn't realize that after rocket scientist and brain surgeon, coat check girl was on the top 5 hardest jobs on the planet. Step 1: Get jacket and two dollars from customer Step 2: Give customer ticket for jacket Step 3: Wait until customer comes back with ticket and match the number with the ticket number on the jacket. ****Under no circumstances give away jacket to stranger. How hard is this job people? Management should print this out and give it to their employees. To top that shit off it was a cold ass night. When I asked the girl working the coat check well what happens next? She had no response and the bouncer told me we don't have your jacket move along. I will admit I know shit can get crazy at the end of the night and the bouncers are busy getting drunk ass kids out of the place, but when you lost someones jacket and take no responsibility for it, the next thing out of your mouth should not be please leave. Here's a clue, how about treating your customers with respect and being professional. Say something like, we apologize, if you leave your information with us and it turns up, we will get back to you. I decide to let that shit slide and just come by the next day or call. Next day I try calling the Russian Lady, you can't get through they put you in some bullshit voicemail service. I left a voicemail, but just as i expected management does not want to take responsibility. I end up stopping by the bar and still no jacket, so obviously the girl gave it away. Who walks away with someone else's jacket is another rant, but I leave all my info with one of the girls bartending. No response from management once again. In conclusion. If your looking to give your jacket away, like if it's evidence just come to the Russian Lady in Hartford, cuz they'll do that shit for two dollars. Trust me...you won't see it again. I will never step foot in this place again and the sad part is that I do a lot of business in the Hartford area. For one jacket you just lost a customer, who would probably spend more money in a single night, than the jacket itself cost. I would rather have management call me back with some balls and say yea we lost it shit happens I'm sorry, then for them to be afraid to handle any bit of customer interaction and just ignore me. Comes down to simple facts, would you like it if I came and stole your coat from you? I didn't think so. read more

Thought I liked this place, until I spent a night there. We went there for an art thing - RAW - to see our friends play in a band. We got there early for dinner - too bad we didn't go somewhere else. They had a limited menu of just sandwiches and deep fried appetizers. I got the roast beef which was some sort of variety of shoe leather - piled high on burnt toast. No flavor to speak of, and apparently condiments were out of the question. I tried to get my server, but there was none to be found. My wife got a turkey "panini" which means they took a bad turkey sandwich and heated it up slightly. Slimy turkey and cellophane cheese made for another sad sandwich. So we sipped our beers, and which point I realized that they obviously never clean the lines for their taps - the off flavors were horrendous. The tap selection was great if you like bud light - no real creative things happening there. Then we went upstairs for the RAW event, which was billed as a showcase for local artists. They had an eclectic mix of vendors and artists. Some really bad singers followed by a horrid band - Chocolate Panda. They slaughtered Lady Gaga's Bad Romance - and I don't mean slaughtered in the good way. They butchered it. Simply horrible. But enough on that. I then went over to the bar to get refreshments for the table, before the band I wanted to see went on. I was just about to talk to the bartender, when two very large muscular gents came up to me and said "you're out of here". Their shirts said "SECURITY" and they didn't look like they wanted to be messed with, and I was in no place to do so. "What for?" I asked. "For messing with the band's camera," they responded Okay.. that was odd, since I hadn't done anything of the sort. "What do you mean?" I asked. "You know. We've got footage of it - you're out of here." Right. I was being kicked out. Not going to fight it - was ready to get out of this place anyway. They escorted me back to get my coat - I told my wife what was happening, and before I could finish explaining, they had me by arms, and took me outside. All the way outside to the curb. I was actually surprised they didn't throw me down in the street to emphasize their point. I began walking back to the car - texted my wife who was still inside with our friends, who were trying to figure out why I'd been ousted so ungraciously. From several reports, they talked to the mystery "camera man" and apparently the security goons had tagged the wrong guy. I maintained my innocence, and apparently I was invited to return. Not bloody likely. Ever. read more

Fig is AMAZING, very good service . She is very attentive and very generous. She knows how to work the bar and is very open to everyone.

I am transplanting from California and decided to give this bar a try. Got a few of my girlfriends together and ordered VIP bottle service. The Pros- Reasonably priced. $320+tip for a liter of Kettle One is pretty solid. Also our "waitress" was superb. Very, very sweet. Dj was decent in the "vodka lounge" The Cons- Our little roped off area was not exclusive in the least. Super creepy guys just kept waltzing in and sitting down, and there was 1-2 bouncers for 3 VIP areas so they weren't really paying attention by then end of the night. We got completely ran over going to the bathroom, which was directly across from the area we were sitting. Maybe I'm just spoiled coming from Cali, but there the bouncers walk you to the bathroom, to smoke, etc. At least they watch your section to make sure your not overrun by creepshows. We finished out bottle by midnight, I would have ordered another one but I just wasn't feeling it. Long story short by the end of the night, I was more than ready to go home. It was not the experience I was hoping for. I'll be trying other establishments to find that perfect place! read more

These are the people who run several bars in downtown Hartford with the youthful crowd in mind. Squealing, drunk bimboes and their overly-self-conscious dates abound. If I didn't know better I'd think there was a covert operation in the basement cranking out phoney identification for all of these children. The frat-party atmosphere is annoying at best. The food here's from a Sysco multi-portion frozen bag and dropped in the frying machine. The grease will help buffer the effects of the cheap booze. Service was painfully slow both times we ventured here. Word has it that these people aren't done playing around in Hartford; they've got another cocktail lounge opening imminently (says an exuberant bartender). Apparently f*cking-up one of the classiest institutions in Hartford isn't enough. These people will prosper, perhaps, because the kids who populate the place were told of the glory days of this wonderful location by their parents and grand-parents. Well, count me among the grandparents (age wise) and I can tell you that the Russian Lady is trading on name (and a few show-cased relics) and not on substance. Boy, do I miss the real thing. DISCLAIMER: a problem with a "manager" left us jaw-droppingly astounded. The quote of the moment: "well, if you don't like this place, there're plenty of other places to go down-town." read more

I've never had worse food! Don't eat here! Go there for drinks (I think that's really what they want to sell) if you want to watch TV and play pool but eat somewhere else first. Service is poor but if you walk up to the bar the bartender is friendly and will get to you as soon as she can. Plenty of TV's to watch a game on. Free pool tables is a nice touch. It's a quaint place. They don't have enough chairs (huh?) seriously, people were stealing chairs from other rooms. It makes no sense. The place was pretty dead and we had to stand. We didn't mind it. Most people were standing. The toilet in the men's room was out of order. I didn't need it but you have to wonder how long it was like that. Mostly younger people doing shots and drinking beer. Good vibe. Whoever runs the kitchen should leave and never come back. They don't have the first idea how to prepare simple bar food. I've never seen such a poor kitchen performance. For well over 20 years I've eaten out 5 times a week or more. This place stands out as the worst by several degrees of any place I've ever been anywhere in the world. Most of the business is on the second floor. The menus are on the first floor. The poor bartender had to go down to the first floor to get menus when people needed them (huh?). We ordered a pretzel, the nachos with chili and potato skins. It took over an hour (remember the place was dead) to get them. When we asked (WTF?) we were told the kitchen was slammed. If they were serving a total of 14 tables at the time I would be stunned. They only have apps and a few sandwiches on the menu. When the food finally arrived (I'm not kidding, no less than 75 minutes and probably longer) it was cold.. We were starving by then so we ate it anyway. Here's the skinny: Their Description: "Jumbo Pretzels $ 4.99" What we got: One pretzel. It was pretty nice. Had a nice cheesy sauce with it instead of mustard. The only thing I would ever eat here. Their Description: "Potato Skins $ 7.99 Loaded with Triple Cheese & Applewood Bacon. Served With Sour Cream" What we got: 4 Skins with a bit of cheese in a basket with some paper. Plopped in the paper was a spoonful of sour cream, another of guacamole and another of salsa. I don't think the cook knew the difference between serving skins and nachos. There was hardly any cheese on these things and a couple pieces of bacon (on top of the cheese so it fell off when you picked it up - huh?). It was cold, dry and tasteless. Avoid. Their Description: "Nacho Pile-Up $ 7.99 Piled High With Melted Cheddar, Mozzarella & Provolone, Red Onion, Tomato, Jalapeños & Chives. Served With Sour Cream & Salsa, Guacamole Add chicken $ 2.00 - Add Chili $2.00" What we got: The same basket as the skins but this time with chips. There was no cheese that I could see, no onion, tomato or chives, either. I did see a couple jalapenos and maybe a 1/2 cup of chili. As with the skins, the spoonfulls of sour cream etc were just plopped onto the paper. The entire thing was ice cold (did they microwave it in the basket rather than put it in an oven?). I'm guessing that it was probably made in the basket on the paper (explains the lack of melted cheese - you can't put paper in the broiler). I have no idea what they mean by pile up. You get more nachos at the movies. Avoid at all costs. If they offer them to you for free you should decline. As I said at the outset, I've never had worse food anywhere. This place was a total loser. If you're at the XL center and want to have a few drinks, only go there if it's not crowded with people from the event, and then only for drinks. I've never given a bad review to a restaurant. I know the business inside out and I know anyone can have an off night. This place doesn't care about getting it right. They didn't seem to have a manager on duty and I doubt it's going to be around a year from now. We smiled, tipped the bartender and vowed never to return. There are too many options in downtown Hartford to waste another night on a place like this. The food inside the XL center is 20 times better than the food at the Russian Lady. read more

no hats?! seriously?? and I can't just take my hat off. I have to either give it to them, or walk it back to my car. This isn't the ritz,.. it's a crappy bar/club... what's with the obsurd rules? read more

I have gone to Russian a hardy handful of times. Like most places I've had good and bad experiences there, but understanding you're downtown and whats around you Russian Lady really is a notch above everything else there. Its got a pretty good melting pot of events going on and the fact that there is an actual rooftop is incredible. Be aware you're not going to Russian for a quiet night out. Its a pretty popping place, music blasting, crowds of people, but thats why you go there. With all of that in mind, its not as bump and shoulder as every other place by Allyn Street and the service is always friendly and more professional than other places around. I've been able to lightly talk with some staff in the past (guy named Dean, girl named Amanda, a barback named Mike), all of which have been super friendly and helpful. There are places you could be waiting for 15+ minutes easily for a drink. Russian usually gets you one within 5 max. read more

Finally, I was able to get in this place! Maybe cause last night I actually went early...like around 10. Places in Hartford usually don't get crowded until 11:30PM or something like that, however when I walked in the place had a pretty nice amount of people in it. Was talking to a few people and they said it was "dead" at that time. Once 11 rolled around, the place quickly got packed even more. Anyways, I kinda having my doubts cause this place used to be Club Blu...and that place had a reputation for lots of fights,shooting, and just overall a ghetto club. They didn't have all the rooms open before and it was just trashy. Once I walked in, I was automatically impressed at how much this place changed. I walked through the other rooms, and there were DJ's in every room..FINALLY, JUST LIKE THE AD SAYS! lol. I thought it was interesting that they have a vodka bar and the free pool and darts is nice as well. At first I wasn't sure why other people gave this place such low reviews, but I guess the review was geared towards their food and food service. So, I guess I probably won't be trying their food. However, as a nightclub? This place is awesome! If you're gonna get a drink here, All you really need is their signature Russian Lady Ice Tea. PROS: -Rooftop patio with heaters -ALL floors are open and with DJ's -Free pool and darts -Nice vibe and environment CONS: -Some drinks can be a little bit cheaper -Sometimes the DJ's are inconsistent. read more

I am completely blown away by how friendly the bouncer was at this place. I have never been to a bar (or club) where the bouncer greeted me with a smile, politely asked for my ID, and told me about the drink specials as he was verifying my age. It seriously made me want to spend all of my money at the bar and I had not even been inside yet. The bar itself was fun and the drinks were decently priced. The DJ was playing some type of House, which was fun to dance too... But seriously, I can't get over the bouncer. He even wished us a safe night when we left. My mind is blown and I will be returning. read more