Mari Vanna

The best Borsht this side of Russia! We followed recommendations and we were more than pleased. Seated in open café windows on a warm evening — perfect.
This was a late post-​show stop following a long day walking, eating, walking, more eating our appetites were perfectly suited for a simple soup & bread. Simple, under rates the delicious nature of this fresh, warmed, delicacy served with cubed beef & shredded beets. On the side, sour cream, olive oil infused with dill, chive, garlic. Accompanied with frrrrresh breads, pork fat spread, rock salt, chive stalks, two creamy dips.
The rest of the menu very tempting, next time! The bar, well when eating like a Russian, one must drink like a Russian. Stunning large selection of house made Vodkas infused with various fruits, herb, & other natural flavors.
Ypa & Nostrovia!

For the average person a little bit expensive. But a lot of tasty Russian dishes is a plus. As soon as I earn money, I will come to you again :)

Classy, but expensive. If you want a taste of Russia, you should definitely visit Mari Vanna. It’s located in a busy, but quiet place. You might actually meet a Russian celebrity there. :0

I’ve been here twice, the first time after the lunch rush on a weekday and the second was for a Saturday brunch. Very different experiences.
Personally, I enjoyed the weekday lunch much more. Great service. We ordered dishes for the table and everyone got to taste a lot of things and were very pleased.
The weekend brunch was assembly line style. The guys working the line were a little short with the customers who didn’t know what they were ordering. The buffet selection was decent but didn’t have a few things I really enjoy so it was a disappointment.
On to the dishes — just the favorites:
The borch is real Russian borch. A must try. Caviar with blintzes (like crepes) are on the pricier side but oh so good. The pelmeni (dumplings) are very good. The potatoes with mushrooms are to die for. I think I can come here for lunch and just eat that.
I will definitely be returning :)

Very expensive… I think i should start my review with pricing. Water bottle on the table cost $ 12 (tastes like a top water)…
The restaurant is over priced. Blinchiki (crepes), pelmeni (dumpling), pickles really should not cost as much. I did like the food that I was served, everything was tasty. I ate borsch, venegret, salo (bacon without meat), pelmeni, zucchini blinichiki, 2 more soups, one vegetable salad and desert with 3 glasses of red wine and 6 shots of infused vodka, the total bill was $ 300.
The interior of the place is very interesting and the restaurant is very clean.

Disappointing… the ambiance is great (although French country cupboards are hardly that commonplace in Russia), but food/​service lag far behind. It is hard to have a satisfying restaurant experience just because the bathrooms’ décor is cute.
The place was more than half-​empty but the service was slow. A male waiter had this indifferent air about him that used to be a trademark of Soviet restaurants. Iulia was way friendlier.
After I bit into a piece of porcelain in my sunflower salad I brought it up (literally) to the waiter’s attention. He gave me a blank stare and said/​did nothing. Typical Russian attitude oh well — your luck.
The Okroshka soup was watery; if you order Okroshka at a Russian restaurant in Brighton Beach you can stick a spoon in it and it will stay up! For half the price!
The blinis with caviar had minuscule amounts of condiments, certainly not enough for 10.
House infused cranberry, apricot and black currant vodkas were sweet — could it be that a fruit syrup was added to vodka to speed up the process?
Was thinking of checking out the Mari Vanna location in DC (closer to home) but after the NYC experience it seems unlikely.

The entire experience was 5stars. Jumma our server took us through each our of questions thoroughly and didn’t leave us a stray.
We started our meal with cheese and egg baked bread. Baked fresh and takes 20 mins to prepare *worth it!*. The multiple cheeses were like a delicious Russian version of a pizza. We were instructed to mix the egg through the cheese to make a melted pot of gooey goodness.
Next we had our entrees I had the traditional chicken Kiev. So moist inside and crispy on the outside the breaded chicken was cooked perfectly. Just enough the garlic to not overpower the meal. The mash potato was perfect. All potato and not overpowered by butter or cheese.
Beef stroganoff with buckwheat was full of flavor and the buckwheat was original. Not my favorite but my fiancé loved it. The beef stroganoff was just the right balance of mustard and cream — only complaint — not enough of it!
We finished our meals with a honey layered cake and the pastry layered cake with cream. The most extraordinary dessert ever.
We had plans afterwards but had to go straight home from being so uncomfortably full but so happy. Thanks for a great experience !

MealPass pickup for cheese pie on the last day of my MP subscription. Pretty solid snack, although not enough as a lunch. Both cheese and dough had good texture. Definitely not worth the $ 18 price tag.

We loved this place, because we love Russian food, and this was wonderful.
We began with «herring in a fur coat,» which had beets, carrots, mayo, etc., and was delicious. Also got an artichoke salad, which we liked a lot, plus pelmeni, about 18 little dumplings.
We each ordered a borscht, which came with 3 accompaniments, then shared a beef stroganoff. Dessert was a Russian dish, the name I can’t remember, but it was first on the dessert menu, and we liked it.
We plan to go back, with more people next time.

Day 7 of Mealpass, I was so excited to finally snag a lunch at Mari Vanna (lunches were sold out the first week every time I logged on to reserve my meal). The salmon salad was huge! Salmon, eggs, dressing, red onion, black and green olives, capers, tomato and cucumbers… the blend of flavors was amazing! Came with a few slices of bread on the side. This was one of my favorite Mealpass lunches so far.

This place was so delicious and I loved the décor! The reason I gave it 4 stars is because I don’t think I got enough value for my money. I ordered a pirozok and I was the size of my palm (not hand, palm!). I am sure it was healthier than the ones my grandma used to make but there was barely anything in it and it was teeny for 4 $. The reason I came in is for a hearty Russian meal and while the food was tasty and well done, I do think overpaid for it quite a bit.
it would have to be quite the special occasion for me to go back but I am happy I went once!

The food is very good, if you like Russian dishes you may really like it. It is all overpriced, as typical for Manhattan restaurants, but the washroom here is disgusting — broken lock, long line, absolutely filthy and looks like a subway bathroom or worse. Smells too. So if you go there you feel less than human every time you need to pee. And the drinks are varied, which will be tempting, so that is a huge problem. Location is perfect though, and it’s great for groups even though it is loud.

Loved it. Truly authentic Russian restaurant. Beautiful intimate décor. Crystal chandeliers and old photographs on the walls.
Enormous display of flavored vodkas. We had the strawberry infused. Delicious.
The menu is varied and has something for everyone. Decided to try a real Russian meal. The Borscht was fantastic. The potato dumplings were with fried onions. A true Russian staple.
Good service. The waitress was Russian but had great suggestions as far as the menu. Loved every bit of our evening. Will definitely return again.

For the record i want to clarify my true rating is 2.5 but i will give them the higher scale because of the ambiance, the décor/​character of the place and the pretty good service!
Pros: when i walked in wow, it was beautiful french provincial with a hint of rustic and even punk (people writing on the walls) its hard to explain but ill post pics. the service was great, we did have to wait quite a while for the food to arrive between starter and entrée but the server was very polite friendly and up beat.
Cons: the food, wow. it was sub par to say the least. we came during lunch and had a prix fixe. 3 of us and we all shared each others food to try a bit of everything. I ordered the Herring fish with potato for starter, my friend ordered the salad, and other ordered eggplant caviar… all were totally fine but the the main course were such such a disappointment
I ordered beef tongue and potato, the tongue was just so wrong… it was two TINY pieces that were not cooked properly. tongue is supposed to NOT be chewy, its supposed to fall apart and be one of the most tender pieces of meat in terms of beef. the SKIN was also on the tongue and you can see the taste buds its supposed to be peeled, again if cooked properly would fall off easy on its own. It was a terrible first experience for the other two on the table that were disgusted by it. My chewy tongue was accompanied by the SADDEST shrunken over cooked baked potato with a dollop of sour cream or something on top of it… i didnt even eat it…
my friend had the veal kotletki or whatever u call it… the aka veal balls, it was also another disappointment, she had one and just left the rest of food to be taken away. they were accompanied by what appeared to be cracked rice? very bland… maybe add pepper or salt next time? My other friend had the chicken stroganoff it was decent, but again just nothing memorable.
would i go here again for food during the day? NO. but i would definitely bring a date here, or maybe come for coffee or pastry with tea? maybe a drink, but not the food.
I wish i loved it, i wanted to love the food so bad but it was just a fail in my books… the only thing that is keeping me from giving a 1 star is the amazing décor and great service.
good luck.

My friends and I came here to have brunch before the Seahawks vs. Panthers game. Walking in, it felt like a really comfy home. The décor had a classy vintage vibe, and the chandeliers were gorgeous. To be honest, at first glance I was kind of disappointed in the size of the buffet spread. I’m used to seeing multiple tables with large varieties of food and was expecting at least a separate table of desserts. What you get here, however, is a single long table with servers for dumplings, a few bowls of salads, casseroles, and pastries, and a platter of watermelon.
I don’t get much Russian food in Seattle (we only have Piroshkies and Russian dumplings), so I was still happy to be able to try different dishes I’ve never experienced. Since there is so much potato in this cuisine and I had a few mimosa refills, I got full pretty quickly and was only able to finish 2 full plates. Everything I had was pretty tasty… too bad I don’t know the names of anything besides the dumplings :(The wait staff was really good about refilling the drinks and even refolded the napkins every time we left the table to get more food. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to stay long due to the football game but I can see why this would be a really nice place to spend a couple hours of your weekend morning!

I went here on a date and it was the perfect environment. It’s classy, quirky, warm and beautiful. Even the bathroom was super cool. The staff are very polite and friendly (which can be a culture shock at times in this city!) and were dressed in cute, traditional clothing.
I got the homemade blinis with veal and they were amazing! I could have had them for my whole entrée, I enjoyed them so much and highly recommend them! I hadn’t ever had veal before and I was very impressed. I also got a soup, I don’t remember which one, but it wasn’t very memorable or special.
Towards the end our waitress brought over 2 complementary shots of their infused vodkas, thankfully it was a sweet one for me! It must have been strawberry or cherry or something, but it was quite good! …and it was so kind of them to give it to us for no reason!
I highly recommend Mari Vanna and hope to go back sometime soon!!!

I am writing this review with lots of passion, because Mari Vanna was not only an opportunity to eat the best Russian food in US, but enjoy it in a fun, beautifully appointed and uniquely styled atmosphere.
Russian Food You Must Eat:
— Piroshki with cabbage, meat and potatoes were the best I’ve had in my life (and I am from Russia). Perfectly baked and browned, bursting with flavor.
— Pelmeni (Russian Dumplings). Again, the best I’ve had outside of home cooking.
— Borscht. The borsht itself was good, a bit on the lighter side and served with garlic and sour cream in a traditional Russian enamel pot. Just like grandma used to serve in the village.
— Beef Tongue. Full of flavor. Wish they stuffed it with garlic, but still great.
— Soleniya (salted vegetables). The cabbage was amazing, just like the kind you’d buy at a street market in any Russian city. Malosolnie Ogorzi (partially pickled pickles) were amazing as well.
— Red Caviar Blini’s. Yes, you put the caviar inside the «crêpe». These pockets of extravagant goodness are an absolute must.
And here’s what to drink:
Infused Vodkas of course! Get yourself a flight or 300ml of your favorite. Traditional favorites you must try are horseradish, pepper, honey, garlic and oblepiha. If you do try garlic, be warned, there is lots of garlic flavor, so if you are going out, you’ll need to find a garlic lover to talk to without them cringing. I will say, wines are a bit overpriced even for a restaurant. The markup was as much as 4 times retail price, which is beyond market standards. As an example, Honig Sauvignon Blanc was $ 70 per bottle, with retail cost being $ 17 and wholesale probably even less. So tread carefully with the wine menu.
The Unforgettable Vibes:
Mari Vanna just gets it right. The whole place is designed so well. Unique and well put together combination of class and traditional village décor to make it a very genuine yet interesting feeling. It was almost like a trip back in time and at times, I’d forget I am in a restaurant. See my photos. I mean, who does not want to wash hands from a Samovar in the bathroom? Our server was awesome, none of the nagging asking how the food was in the middle of the first bite… hate that at some restaurants. Somehow, he was just magically there every time we needed something. Price wise, if you are planning to eat and drink heavily, plan for $ 250 a person total with tip. If not, you can get away spending much less.

Mari Vanna is a cute Russian restaurant with the cutest décor and ambiance. Everything about this eatery is nice — the way they present the food, the service, the servers’ uniform and of course delicious and fresh food. It’s like traveling back to Soviet Union. It’s pricey though.
I was there a few times for dinner and once for the unlimited brunch. The food is monumental for brunch. Delishhhh! The only thing is they serve unlimited mimosas for brunch and when I asked to switch my mimosa to tea, they refused doing it. Other than that everything was good.
And they put an actual show if it is your bday. Funnnn!

We came here for their $ 35 Sunday brunch, which includes a [staffed] buffet table in the back and all-​you-​can-​drink mimosas! Although the mimosas were weak, they were tasty and the staff always makes sure that your glass is never empty. Food-​wise, the buffet serves up a good variety of Russian cuisine from potato/​meat dumplings, borscht soup, and cold potato/​mayo salads to pastries and crêpe desserts! Everything was so creamy and delicious! The décor is also adorable and classy.
A solid and authentic Russian brunch place if you want to try something other than pancakes and smoked salmon!

This and Taras Bulba are my two go-​to spots for Russian food in NYC. Food is amazing and ambiance is cute — sort of nostalgic for Russians with old cartoons on TV and old songs playing in the background.
Sunday brunch ($ 35 pp as I recall) is a great deal with unlimited mimosas, a variety of cold dishes (three/​four salads), hot dishes (of course including borscht) and desserts (blinis with sweet condiments, cookies).
Otherwise meals will run you up to about $ 50 pp. Some of my personal faves:
«Shuba» salad — literally translates to herring under a fur coat. Like most other Russian salads, think no leafy greens and lots of mayo. It’s almost like a tiny cake stacked from thin layers of salted herring, hard boiled egg, beets, carrots and potatoes. Absolutely delicious and my favorite Russian dish.
Kvass — Russian root beer. Tasty and not very sweet at all. Mind you it’s traditionally made from fermenting rye bread so probably heavy on the calories. Tasty alternative to alcohol.
Borscht — I would say best borscht I’ve had, made just right, not greasy or bland. Comes in a cute little pot with fun condiments on the side you can put in yourself (dill, «salo» aka cured fat, garlic, sour cream).
Veal pelmeni — delicious small boiled dumplings
Olivier salad — creamy potato salad
Home made blinis with cured salmon
Medovik — honey cake served with some kind of tart apricot or berry dipping sauce on the side. Surprisingly good.
Beef stroganoff — beware it’s super creamy and pretty large portions. Definitely an item to share.
Pot of tea — served in a very cute porcelain teapot with traditional Russian tea cups (glass + a metal holder). Also comes with a teeny hourglass so you know when your tea is done. This will cost you $ 14.
In short everything I’ve had here was delicious and delicately made, but beware it can get pricey pretty quickly even if you’re not drinking. Still, the quality to price ratio is favorable.
Has Gilt City and Google offers etc deals once in a while.

My first time eating Russian food, and I loved it. The salted salmon was perfect, the caviar very tasty, the cocktails amazing… The atmosphere is warm and cosy, and you never want to leave!