The interior is cute and they have a parking lot in the front. The servers were warm and eager to answer any questions I had about an unfamiliar menu. I ordered the Journey to Baku salad, the Turkish bread, and the Guru Khingal. The salad needed a pinch of salt, but there was a shaker on the table and with that addition, it was a decent refreshing appetizer. It's sort of a spread so I would recommend ordering some bread to eat with it. The bread came out steaming hot and smelling amazing. It was soft and fluffy on the inside and delicious. I took the extra home and ate it all immediately when I got there. Delicious bread. The Guru Khingal is honestly one of the best things I've ever eaten in New York City. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, as I have never eaten this type of food before. The tender, handcut pasta seems to be layered with flavorful lamb fat like the most decadent possible buttered noodles and the ground lamb topping is rich and perfectly seasoned. The yogurt sauce gives the dish balance. It's a fairly large portion that could easily be shared between two. I highly recommend this spot, the glowing reviews are not exaggerating at all. I often like to try new and unusual restaurants, and sometimes I enjoy them mostly for the novelty. That was not the case at Village Cafe. My meal here was delicious and I am eager to return, even with the 75 minute commute from north Brooklyn. read more

Village Cafe - Turkish bread, Journey to Baku salad, Guru Hingal - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Ambiance (4/5): The restaurant is located a little farther from the street, almost inside a parking lot, within a small homey dining lodge. I felt like I was inside someone's home and felt welcomed and comfortable. Not loud and well lit. Service (5/5): We came at an off hour during the weekend around 1:30pm there was still around 6 parties dining in. The staff provided good recommendations and good service. When asked for water without any lemon slices, they provided bottled water at no extra cost! Food: (4/5) - rated New York Times top 100 Best Restaurants in New York City in 2025 Every dish came with a small cup of sour cream / Tzatziki based sauce that went with every dish. This was a must and this was mastered very well. Kutaby with chicken and lamb (4/5) - we ordered one each but the lamb was far superior than the chicken. Guru Hingal (4/5) - served in a warmed bowl with a lid in a bed of soft pasta and minced lamb. The pasta reminded me of chow fun (Chinese rice flat noodles) and then some seasoned minced lamb. While overall there were flavors in there, it was still lacked flavors and required to be drowned in the Tzatziki sauces or perhaps a order of table hot sauce. Finally we got the Lamb Lulya Kebab (5/5): this was by far the best dish of the meal! The meat was so wonderfully seasoned throughout, juicy, and complemented well with the rice, onions, and tomato based dip. The wraps themselves were way too small to enjoy using hands so we definitely reconstructed on our plates and attempts with our hands. read more

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You'll feel like you were transported to another country. This area of Brooklyn is a Mecca of Eastern European foods, from Georgian to Moldovan to even Azerbaijani, like Village Cafe. Walking in felt like we were in a local restaurant in Azerbaijan, with a large table of men eating endless platters of food and drinking and laughing. Featured on the NYT 100, I ventured out to try this restaurant, lured in by the steaming bowl of borscht I saw on a video. It was perfect for this cold, winter night. We got a bowl of borscht each, which was filling and warming, a kutaby (lamb was better than the greens one), a lamb lulya (think kofta) which was so flavorful, a little salty, but it was balanced by that incredible sauce with it and rice, as well as a baklava. I wouldn't get the baklava again, but they had a fun selection of traditional desserts. It's BYOB with a liquor store conveniently located next door featuring wines from Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, etc. a whole kosher section and the usual suspects. read more

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Pick Up Order Review: We didn't sit down and got pick up and our order consisted of the kebabs (not sure which meat we got), their phaklava and another almond tasting dessert, the village salad, borsch soup and there was another dish we ordered but I completely forgot what it was. Overall, the flavors and the way the meats were cooked were delicious! Even with the pickup the food was still fresh and tasty. Highly recommend getting the borsch soup as well as the village salad. It was super refreshing and didn't feel heavy at all. I plan on coming back to sit down and eat since the outside of it is so cute! read more

I went here a couple months ago with some friends to try a new cuisine. The interior is nice and homey, though the low light made it hard to see. The food was delicious. The lamb pasta was top tier, though it needed some salt and pepper. The chicken and rice was a classic, and tasted delicious. I would definitely come here again, especially for the lamb pasta (apologies if that is not the exact name of the dish). Waiter was very helpful and explained/answered any questions we had. read more

Side notes: Oops. Added photos but not the review. Place should be under Modern European as there's no broad category for Azeri/similar spots but they denied my suggestion. Would recommend the kabobs/shashlik. The kutab/qutab is also quite good. Any who: As is similar at Baku Palace and some other related places, there are two different experiences you can have at this spot and I have had both. The former is with a group who speaks Russian or Azeri (as this place is well Azeri/Azerbaijani) and the latter is with others. The former is more party platters and is quite popular among the people from the Caucuses. For an Azeri classic, look no further than the qutab/kutab. Available either with mixed minced herbs or stuffed with lamb (or less traditional chicken,) these mini pancakes are outstanding. The various kabobs (the Lulya/Lula/Lül in particular is outstanding as is the Sturgeon and Chahalach [aka mini lamb chops]) are excellent. The Chicken Kabob is alright as they are much more of a lamb specialist. The Potatoes With Mushrooms, a classic in many similar countries, is also very good here. The Mother-In-Laws Chicken is a cheesy delight and would make a rich main dish. The Plov here is also quite good. The Turkish Style Liver is pretty good here as well. For salads, the Journey to Baku is their take on the common eggplant salad found in various Turkic areas. It's quite good. Also recommended is the Veal Tongue Salad; their version of Salad "Tashkent." The Achichuk is solid as well as is the Avocado Salad. Of the salads, I wouldn't recommend the Greek Salad with Basturma. Too little of said meat and just generic. The desserts here are fine with a pretty solid Napoleon (Russian version not French) with a copious amount of filo and buttercream. read more

I saw Emily Fedner on IG naming the Village Cafe's guru hingal as the best dish she ate in 2022 so I was very curious to try them out. The restaurant is a little hidden and actually inside the parking lot of a liquor store on a somewhat busy stretch of Coney Island Ave. Parking is free and available inside the lot though there is also street parking available. I came early on a Sunday evening around 4:30 and there were already several tables of guests. Our server was really kind and patient and walked us through some recommendations for us, as it was our first time trying Azeri food. We ordered the Baku Salad ($15) to start which had grilled and chopped eggplant and tomatoes with bell peppers and cilantro. It had a nice smoky flavor but it also tasted like something I could get from NetCost. Nothing too special. We also received some fresh, fluffy Turkish bread ($5) that we were told were complimentary but I noticed they charged us for it at the end. Oops. But I didn't mind because I love Turkish pide and these were warm to the touch. We also noticed nearly every single table had a plate of kutaby so we had two orders of the lamb version ($3 each). They are kind of like flatbread with a crispy edge except these kutabi(s?) were filled with minced lamb so juicy I was surprised the bread wasn't soaked through. They were so fragrant but in a way in which the gaminess wasn't too strong. Seriously blew all other kutaby I had eaten before out of the water. For our entrées, we decided to do as the Romans do and order the lamb lulya (most tables had these and the kutabi), the chicken kebab and mother in law's chicken at our waiter's recommendation, and of course the guru hingal. The lamb lulya kebab ($12.50) came in three precious, delicious patties all wrapped in lavash. The outside was seared and biting into the soft sausage shaped patty unleashed a river of juice. Absolutely phenomenal! The chicken kebab was also excellent and nicely seasoned. I think their grilled dishes are really great and they must be performing some kind of sorcery to create the perfect juicy grilled meats. The mother in law's chicken ($18) was baked but very crispy and smothered in mozzarella cheese and mushrooms and served with a smear of mashed potatoes. I think out of all the dishes we tried, this would probably be the option I would recommend to someone who is not too adventurous or prefers some kind of familiarity as it did give me chicken parm vibes. This is not to say it wasn't good because it was delicious and decadent and very very cheesy. And finally, the dish that drew me here in the first place: the guru hingal. It's essentially a plate of thin, handmade sheets of pappardelle-like pasta with grilled minced lamb and onion, served with a herby, garlicky yogurt sauce. The lamb flavor is amplified because it's cooked with its own fat but the yogurt sauce drizzled atop simultaneously cuts through the heaviness with its sharp garlic notes but accentuates the richness with the cream. It's the most lovely dichotomous dish and I can see why it's one of their popular menu offerings. I would suggest to eat this quickly as the pasta can congeal once cold. read more

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Came by again with family on a Saturday morning 1130am. Place wasn't busy at all and spacious. Tried several things here family style and the highlight this time was the GURU HINGAL. Its minced lamb meat with tail fat and onions and handmade dough. Reminded me of wonton skins with ground lamb meat piled on top. It was flavorful and delicious. Comes with yogurt sauce which gave a nice contrast to the heavy meat. The lamb did not taste gamey at all. Highly recommend this dish. We tried the chicken shish which was quite tender but not something I would rave about. Lamb lulya kebab was still pretty flavorful and good. Mother in laws chicken was a bit overcooked this time so I didnt enjoy it. The mushroom and potatoes was pretty good. Family enjoyed the food and would like to come back again. read more

I am so grateful my cousin took us and the entire family here to eat. I have never had Azerbaijan foods before and I can tell you it was truly amazing! The waiter was very helpful and gave us excellent food recommendations. They were all delicious! I felt the love when I was eating the foods. I highly recommend this place. It is truly a hidden gem. We ordered to share: 1) Journey to Baku (Eggplant salad), 2) Creamy Mushroom Soup, 3) Borscht Soup, 4) Lamb Kutaby, 5) Chicken + Lamb Lulya Kebab w/ Pilaf, 6) Shaker Bura cookie. Journey to Baku (eggplant salad appetizer) - this was very delicious! The eggplants were super tender + marinated so well. It tasted like glazed balsamic eggplant. Creamy mushroom soup - WOW! I highly recommend this. One of the best creamy mushroom soup I had in awhile in NYC. Super flavorful and creamy! Borscht Soup - WOW! I also highly recommend this! This borscht has beef in it, so it is not vegetarian friendly. Super flavorful (esp after putting a few spoons of sour cream in it). Loved it very much! Lamb Kutaby - It was delicious but a bit oily. It was some sort of flatbread w/ lamb filling. If you close your eyes, it tasted like a lamb manti (dumpling). Chicken + Lamb Lulya Kebab w/ Pilaf - The chicken kebab was so tender + juicy + well seasoned. The lamb kebab was also delicious and well seasoned (not too gamey). The pilaf w/ onions was good (to mellow out the flavors of the chicken + lamb). There was some dipping sauce + I was not a big fan of it. Shaker Bura cookie - This cookie was interesting. It tasted like a butter cookie. It was nice to try, but I would not reorder this again. P.S - that bread was holy! It was so damn soft and delicious (by itself & w/ butter). The bread paired so well w/ the soups + the eggplant salad. Friendly and helpful staff + very comfortable seating. Love the decor - feels homely. I will be returning soon again! read more

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I made a reservation for this location on Mother's Day for myself, my partner, and our mothers. As we arrived, we noticed half of the restaurant was empty. I informed one of the hosts, a man in his thirties, about my reservation and was told to wait another five minutes. After this unexplained wait, we were led to a table in the far corner. As we walked, the floor became noticeably sticky. Upon reaching the table, my partner's mother, my mother, and I took our seats--until I quickly realized my seat was wet with some sort of liquid, which soaked through my shorts. My partner didn't sit down at all, as her seat was also covered in this liquid. I notified another man, whom I believe was also a host, likely in his fifties. He grabbed the nearest handkerchief and wiped my seat down. My mother pointed out that the floor beneath us was wet as well and politely asked if it could be cleaned. His response was: "So get up!" We found this unnecessarily rude and abrupt, especially since we were calm and simply trying to resolve the issue. He returned with a mop, quickly mopped the floor in under five seconds, and walked away without saying another word. Because of this host's poor attitude, the sticky floor, the unknown (and likely alcoholic) liquid on the seats, and the lack of any apology for the unclean floor and seats, or a reason for the initial wait despite a half-empty dining room, we decided to leave. We felt the experience was off to such a troubling start that it would only get worse. I don't often leave reviews for restaurants I haven't fully dined in, but the entire atmosphere--from staff demeanor to cleanliness--came off as dismissive and self-important. We won't be returning. read more

Cozy Eastern European restaurant tucked away in the parking lot of a liquor store. Interior was a lot of wood giving it a cabin like feeling. We came early on a Friday night and were seated immediately; however, it looked like they were setting up a lot of tables for bigger groups, so I think we would have had a harder time getting seated later at night. We started with the tomato salad which included onions, jalapeños, scallions, dill, Anna generous amounts of oil. Nicely seasoned and delicious. Next we had the veal tongue which was served with horseradish, onions, olives, and dill. Tongue was great too. Next up was the fried potatoes with mushrooms. Super savory. Mix of very crispy potatoes with some greasier ones at the bottom. Another delicious dish. For the main course we shared chicken kebabs and lamb lulya kebab. Both were generously seasoned and came with some savory rice. Meats were very juicy too. Dishes came out incredibly quickly. Staff was very attentive. There was one gender neutral restroom. read more

Beware! This place has 2 sets of menus. They're a fraud! They give you cheap menu to order and if you question the bill your the other menu.

The food was good but the service was horrible. Very rude and obnoxious. Totally padded our order and got extremely nasty when we questioned it. THEY LOST US AS CUSTOMERS NEVER GOING BACK THERE AGAIN read more

Food was good. Enjoyed avocado salad. Lamb Kabobs were overcooked. Service was excellent.

They are still AMAZING! Re-visited a year later and the food is still great. I tired the shepherd salad, beef, chicken and liver kebab, meat kutab and the fries. A must visit if you are in the area! read more

We stopped by on Sat night , luckily they had a table for two . The food was good , my chicken kebab was juicy , my bf has ordered beef and it was over cooked . The service was attentive and pretty fast . And it's BYOB. We will be back to try other dishes but not beef kebab read more

Came here for husband birthday earlier this week and he loved it. The staff was attentive and my husband said he loved their humor and jokes. I didn't understand it as they were speaking in Russian. Ambiance was cozy and nice as usual and they had high chair for my daughter which was a plus. Food this time around was okay thou. Could had been better for the price. Spent about $74 including tips. read more

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Food and service everything was excellent try mother in law chicken really good Ambiance is nice read more

The food was delicious - it was only our second time eating Azerbaijani cuisine and our waiter took such good care introducing us to the menu. We loved the kutaby, and the grilled meat platter gave us a chance to try a fantastic array of meats. Dessert was delicious too! read more

Had dinner here with a couple of friends and it was soo good. Great service, atmosphere and their food was outstanding! Honestly i forgot and probably don't even know what we ordered since we just pointed at pictures on Yelp/google. Chicken was crispy and juicy, the beef kebabs were big and juicy, perfectly grilled. The lamb sausage (I think?) with the wrap, so juicy and tender, fat just dripping down. At first we wanted to order an extra entree but our server was honest and said it will be too much for the table (he was right!). We saw a lot of ppl ordering tea at the end of their dinner and we followed along. The tea with sugar cubes was a hit and a great ending to our stuffed belly. Overall - prices are very good and food was excellent! read more

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First time visiting this place, food and service is good. Our waiter was patient. Will visit next time. read more

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We had a nice late lunch today. Found this place looking for a location with high ratings, not too far from our house. It was perfect! Nice rustic dining area, big open room The food was wonderful! We had 2 soups. The borscht was great! The piti was a very flavorful broth with some meat and potato. It was light and good. We shared a village delight salad, which was grilled eggplant, feta and walnuts. Delish!!! We tried 2 kebabs, both very nice. Lamb ribs and lamb lulya, which was ground lamb. Really well cooked. The kiata dessert was a simple cake, a tasty end to a surprisingly good lunch. Well be back! read more

I've had this place bookmarked for a while and wanted to try with friends. We walked in at 7 on Saturday and were seated right away. They did get busy after we sat down and ordered food. Our waiter was nice and suggested a couple of dishes for us to try and was patient with us since it was our first time here. I'm giving it a 3 star because the dishes come out 1 at a time but they did apologized for the delays because they were busy. The large kebab plate which had all the kebabs we had ordered came last which is fine, i understand when a place is busy. The reason for the 3 star is because the chicken kebab was still raw... I called the first waiter and told him & showed him it's still raw and he just took it away and didn't say anything. I'm not sure if he didn't understand English so that's fine. But he brought it back out and everything was thrown to a smaller plate with new chicken skewers... So I don't know how to feel about this experience. Also fyi I like lamb but my friends aren't big fans of lamb and they thought the chicken lulya & kutaby with chicken was gamey. I assume they used the same ground chicken for lulya as the kutaby. I personally likes it. read more

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Do not be discouraged by what looks like a trailer in the back of a liquor store parking lot. Better say "Open, Sesame!" to enter into this miracle of tantalizing Caucasus cuisine, known for its expert use of fresh herbs and unique spices to enhance premium quality meats and vegetables. Add to that a warm and homey service, a casual, yet welcoming interior and gentle prices, and you will understand why this place made it to 100 Best NYC restaurants in the New York times list compiled by legendary Pete Wells. This was my first time here because I was a bit wary of the exterior and did not realize this was a facade, an unassuming way of saying "We are not pretentious, but if you are a foodie, you will know." We started off with a few appetizers: Delight salad, tongue salad, herring with potatoes, okroshka soup, Greek salad. The Delight salad was a standout. The eggplants, fried to the point of certain sweetness and balanced by tangy feta, freshly chopped herbs and walnuts, a drop of chili oil as a chef's kiss to make it just a tad spicy. For the mains, we had sturgeon kebab, lyulya kebab, and liver, all amazing, perfectly seasoned. For dessert, I had the gata, which is a pastry made with cheese dough, my son enjoyed the baklava, and others enjoyed jams. Throughout the entire meal, the service was on point, friendly and professional, we felt right at home. When we came out, the owner was outside and although it was our first time meeting him, he struck a conversation with us right away, welcoming us and we told him how much we enjoyed everything. I made stellar food at home, to the point where going out to eat just to eat serves no purpose anymore as each year, there are fewer and fewer places we really enjoy. I am glad to say that Village Cafe has now been added to the small roster of places that we loved, are dreaming about and will be coming back to. read more

I haven't visit this place over a year and here's why: FOOD is always good here - complements to the chef - however, this is not the only reason why I go to restaurants (I can eat at home just as well) but SERVICE and AMBIENCE are, and both are extremely "basic" in this place, which looks like a big barn... Prices, however, increased at least 50% or more, changing this place from affordable to unreasonably expensive, in fact, I suggest that Yelp update their menu posted on its site, here's why; Potatoes w/mushrooms stated as $10 are $15 now Smoked Eel salad $18 now $22, in fact, there are no more single digit priced salads Soup Kharcho $6 now $12 Buglama $12 now $22 Chalakhach $22 now $28 Grilled Sturgeon $22 now $28 etc. etc. all across the board, so BEWARE!! So, most likely I won't come back and will find a better place to spend my money. read more

We just came from dinner there. We had lamb kebab (too much fat and chewy), beef kebab (chewy) and lule kebab (bland), dumpling soup (salty) and ordered kutab to go. See picture of burned kutab. Overpriced and not worth it, and it out of the way. I do not recommend and won't go back. read more

Village Cafe - Kutab order to go - put burned kutab in the tray, and what did they think, we won't notice? - Cafes Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Fun, exotic Azerbaijani restaurant. Lamb stuffed flatbreads, eggplant appetizer, noodles w lamb were all beyond excellent.

This restaurant reminds me of a trailhouse hidden in the deep deep woods easily missed. Hidden gem! Very cabin like ambiance with a low ceiling as conversations easily echoed in the air loudly. Service was very pleasant and helpful yet not being pushy and annoying. Here's our dinner: Veal tongue salad- very good with great amount of tongue and big portion. Wish the dressing was not just mayo. And there were great amount of mayo. Lamb kutaby- simple piece of flat bread. Bit greasy from the lambbut very tasty. Kufta bozbash- meatball soup- very flavorful with their herbs and salty. A toothpaste like herb I wasn't fond of. Meatball was very moist in texture. Chicken and lamb lulya kebabs - so moist and juicy. So flavorful. Our favorites. Chicken kebabs- very moist and tender. We enjoyed our first experience with Baku food. The best kebabs we've had. Definitely going back to try their other dishes and more of their kebabs. So good and unforgettable. read more

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This was great. So glad we came. I have never been in this neighborhood before but it's very safe. The food was so delicious. I received this place it's worth the hike. We had a lots of dishes and they were all good. The lulya was outstanding. read more

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I really appreciate the sweet waitress that helped us feel welcomed and looked after the whole way through. Don't know her name but you can't miss her glowing smile, she's the only staff member that IS smiling. Anyway, onto the food. The veal tongue salad was good, which is like cole slaw plus matchstick size veal tongue bits. Turkish bread was warm and soft. The special lamb kebab of the day was a tad dry and tough. Djiz-biz was..oily as oil can get. I was hoping to see larger chunks of the sheep heart, liver, kidney, and testicles. Yeah, you read right, testicles. There were diced potatoes too but there were just way too much oil and everything was just swimming in it. I am sure this hearty plate would be a great choice for lunch but we had it during dinner and we cannot finish it. I would return to sample the other items on the menu but I gotta make sure I go in famished and in the day! read more

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Terrible food! Inattentive waiters. The kharcho soup is absolutely delicious. To order chicken cutlets brought lamb. Unflavored mashed potatoes. The food is very tasteless. Disordered. No apologies read more

Fabulous food. We had never had Azerbaijani cooking before -- a cross between Turkish and Georgian. No booze, but a nice liquor store right next door. We came in a Monday night, the place was empty, so we got immediate attention. Don't know how service would be with a full house, but the staff is very nice. We had them recommend their favorite dishes, and we went with their suggestions, which may explain why it was so good. Stick to their advice and you won't go wrong. read more

This unassuming spot is tucked back from the street on Coney Island Ave. There's street parking out front, and the restaurant has a warm rustic vibe. My girlfriend and I went here on New Year's Day after reading Pete Wells' 2 star review in The NYT. We took his recommendations and ordered the following: Bread ($1.75): Crusty yet chewy, everything that good bread should be. A must order but kind of ridiculous that they charge for this. Kutaby ($2.50 each): Tried one with greens and lamb. Served with yogurt sauce. The lamb is a must order and one of the better things we ate. Journey To Baku salad ($11): Could hardy taste the eggplant. Tasted very similar to pico de gallo. Didn't merit the price tag. Pass on this. Chicken Kebab ($6.50): Did not come on spit and was served with rice, red onion and a Heinz 57 style sauce. The chicken thigh meat wasn't very moist either. Pass on this. Guru Hingal ($12$): Buttery noodles with minced lamb. This was the standout dish. Similar to a beef stroganoff (which is also on the menu) but not creamy at all. A must order. Baklava ($3): Just ok. Not as flaky as I would have liked. Take it or leave it. I guess three out of six ain't bad. If the restaurant were closer, we'd try it again and stick to the more traditional Azerbaijan dishes which seemed to be best here. read more

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Good food and decent service. The place is inside a parking lot and easily seen from the main road.

This is a review for a simple takeout order, midday on a Saturday. I'm reluctant to give 5 stars, but not sure what else to do. The staff made it clear I was welcome to get takeout and I ordered their borscht soup and took their recommendation for some sort of lamb kabab with rice. It was simple, straight forward and quite delicious. These folks have it down. read more

DA DA DA!! (YES, YES, YES!!) Walk in to mini Ukraine ! From decorations, to food choices, you were just saved a trip to Ukraine ! You MUST try fried ravioli! A masterpiece some would call it ! Our recommendations that stay true and true are : avocado salad, eel and Kani salad, fried ravioli, and the lamb ribs ! Trust me, do it! GOOOO! Ps: the only reason I deducted one star is because it's very crowded and loud. read more

Living close to here, whenever I feel like eating Russian food, I have the advantage of coming here. This is a family style restaurant, so it isn't unusual to see parties of 12 dining out, ordering a bunch of salads and kebabs to go around the whole table. With wooden decor, the village style atmosphere of the restaurant clashes with the many large screen TVs on the walls displaying Russian music videos. But hey, interestingly enough, that's the Russian way. The food is consistent and the menu never changes. The kebabs are a must here. They're inexpensive compared to the kebabs in nearby restaurants and just as good. I prefer the chicken kebab over the beef or lamb, but you can pick your choice of protein out of their long list. Last time I was here, I also tried the baby eggplant on a skewer, which didn't particularly taste like anything special (it could have used some seasoning), but I found it refreshing to have vegetables on the skewers section of the menu. Appetizers: -Soups: Get a soup here. They're all delicious. We shared Kharcho, a Georgian soup with meat and rice, and the server was kind enough to bring it in two bowls, almost making us wonder whether he gave us two portions instead of one. We were happy campers. -Kutaby: I love their Kutaby, which I usually try to get with chicken or lamb whenever I come here. The meat is well seasoned and the dough is light and thin. -Dolmas: 10 grape leaves filled with ground beef and rice. This is another appetizer that you can share in a big group. Being Turkish, I've had my fair share of some amazing dolmas, and these don't even come close to those standards, but for $14, 10 dolmas that taste good are a steal. A couple other main dishes that I really enjoy here: -Kotleti miracle of village: lamb or chicken cutlet served with mashed potatoes (almost everything comes with a side of mashed potatoes here). A light entrée for those who like meat cutlets. -Mother-in-law's chicken: baked chicken served with lots and lots of mozarella cheese, mushrooms, garlic, and of course, it comes with, you guessed right, mashed potatoes! This is a delicious but heavy dish, so be prepared to share. -Beef Stroganoff: As with all other Russian restaurants you would have been to, this one also serves Beef Stroganoff, a staple of Russian cuisine. The Stroganoff here is a large portion served with juicy sauce and enough mashed potatoes to last you for days. If you save room for dessert (good luck!), they have some delicious options, which the servers will be more than happy to show you. read more

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Good kebab. Great kutabs. Nice salads. Vnutri kak stolovaya. Easy parking ..................................... read more

First of all, there's an amazing liquor store with a huge selection right next door to the Village Cafe and this Eastern European Utopian Oasis I speak of boasts a delightful rule of being byob. I've never had Azerbaijan food before. Maybe food that's fairly similar. But I can't wait until my next visit because I feel like I've been missing out on a hidden gem in life. Our group last friday night happened to be mostly comprised of Eastern Europeans and Russians so we went to town on purchasing bottles of vodka. The vodka with the polar bears on it (Balinoff) was quite delightful. I wasn't aware we were drinking this stuff without any mixers. Good god. If you do anything here, let your more informed friends order everything off of the menu. Don't worry, it's incredibly affordable and reasonably priced. Seriously let them order everything. Tossing aside the pickled salads, do yourself a favor and order the dolmas. They look in photos like stuffed grape leaves (which I guess essentially they are) but they are stuffed with the most fragrant minced lamb meat. The spices smell like grandma has been laboring over the stove for hours. Definitely also get the Kutaby with lamb. The spinach vegetarian one was alright and tasted better with sour cream. But again, that ground up lamb is inside what resembles like a thin pita bread pocket. Salad delight (okay, I did enjoy a salad here) - Eggplant, feta cheese, and walnuts, drizzled with a sweet and sour sauce is amazing. Potatoes and mushrooms, rice with a tomato vinagery sauce also were on the side. The main highlight is of course their meat skewers. The best I tried was definitely the chicken. But you can't go wrong with really anything. The beef and lamb lulya were great as well. You don't need any sauce for any of this stuff. This is probably some of the most well prepared grilled meat I've had in I can't even think clearly and write coherent sentences because the food was so good. Last but not least there was a dish, I can't remember the name, but it had like baby lamb shanks simmered with a kind of chutney date sauce. Epic. Freaking glorious. The staff was also super friendly and incredibly jovial. Literally everyone here is pounding away at wine, vodka, whiskey, beer and eating meat. It's a beautiful site to see and worth coming out to Gravesend. read more

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From the instant I set foot in this spot, I felt transported to a quaint, joyous village far, far away. Now that joyous bit was no doubt fueled by the BYO vodka I spied on a number tables. But Village Cafe, indeed: Anyway, Eggplant Salad was like a chunky baba ganouj, sans tahini. It had a lovely smokiness, but wish it had been served at room temperature, rather than cold. Greek Salad, boasted some gorgeous tomatoes. Too bad the kitchen used canned ripe olives instead of kalamatas.:( Ground Lamb Luyla Kabob reminded me of Turkish Adana, but each meat disk was wrapped in what looked very much like a piece of flour tortilla. Lamb Ribs were mostly fat and bone so wasn't a huge fan. Chicken Kabab was tender and juicy, though. Ka-Bob-Ing for Information. What you need to know: Lamb here was unabashedly rich and fatty. It also straddled the line, almost crossing over into so gamey it tasted like the mutton Jerry hid in his napkin on Seinfeld territory. But not quite. I liked the shamelessly lamby flavor but know it's a polarizing taste so am letting y'all know. We also ordered Kutaby, aka savory stuffed pancakes. Full-flavored Lamb was my favorite, with Chicken tasting downright meek in comparison. The Greens-Filled Kutaby was interesting and in fact, hubby asked our server exactly what it consisted of since we couldn't pinpoint the flavor. "The kitchen combines all the greens we have, like spinach, lettuce, mint, and cilantro, " he explained. For dessert, we tried Mutaki, which is sort of like nut-filled rugelach. Our server told us it was good for people who don't like sweet desserts, but this was downright bland. I think this pastry is traditionally supposed to include cardamom, but alas I tasted none, or much of anything else, in this rendition. Service here was so charming that instead of getting p.o.'ed when our two requests for an ice bucket for our BYO white wine went unfulfilled, we shrugged it off and rigged a hack using our water pitcher instead. It was just so hard to get annoyed with such otherwise warm and attentive service. I love a restaurant that makes me think about what I'm eating. In a good way, mind you. And this one got me all curious about Baku cuisine. Alas, am not sure if we ordered right since overall, I came away feeling like Taci's Beyti across the street does Kabobs and Salad better. I'd like to return here, though, to explore other menu items like Chicken Tabaka and the dumplings I saw going by to other tables. Word to the wise: This place was PACKED on a Saturday night. We got the last available table but had to vacate it within an hour for another party because we showed up on the fly, without reservations. Learn from our mistake, people. read more

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