Russian Samovar

Took my girlfriend for a birthday dinner. Food and service are top tier. You have to know what you’re ordering as its not always the most flavorful cuisine. However their chef is excellent and the atmosphere is that of an old speakeasy.

I use to like this place and go there a lot !! till someone stole my phone on Valentine’s Day and when I called and I asked if they found it lady on the phone told me that customers steal phones a lot in that place and its usual So I don’t think I want to hang out in place where things get stolen

While live music can be fun on some nights, their food is not so good. Potato vareniki were so fat that I couldn’t eat anything else. Hachapuri was ok, borsch is recommeded as well as their cherry vareniki.

I like this place for drinks. Very simple, convenient location close to everything and a cool spot to bring a non-​Russian friend ! Love their selection of vodkas

So from the ouside it is nothing special, even the décor is only interesting. BUT the vodka flights are excellent. I rrecommend the Cucumber, pepper and horseradish vodkas.
As for the food I will only talk about the bar food and the clear winner is the Beef Stroganoff Bellini. Get it!!! Vashe Zdorovie!

The infused vodkas are amazing. I highly highly recommend the strawberry vodka, which is not always available. So do ask for it. You will not be disappointed!

This establishment is shady as f$#%! If paying in cash, always verbalize the denomination — the drunk bartender will try to rip you off! It’s happened to me twice here. Go to the Russian Vodka room across the street. So much better, more generous pours and never a problem.

We went with a bunch of friends last night to celebrate Russian New Year. We got a table, ate great food, our waiter was amazing and so attentive. He even made sure my phone is fully charged and my glass is full :)))
Live music with the best violin player i have heard and the singer who could perform in five languages! Thank you for Hava Nagila! It was a blast!!!

Went here for date night. The food is definitely Russian and [from what I can tell] not too Americanized. I had the Beef Stroganoff and it was great. I just wish it would have come with more of the mushroom sauce. That stuff is to die for, I just wanted to ask for mushroom sauce and a straw. Apparently the Stroganoff is their signature dish, as it deserves to be. It is truly great. I liked the fact that this place had a menu that was slightly narrow in scope, thus telling me that they do a few things [15−20] pretty darn well. Instead of places that will do 200 – 300 different items and they’re all kinda crappy. While I’m not a huge fan of Russian food in general this place is really good and I highly recommend going there if you’re in NYC.
The live music was ok. When we first walked in I was worried as it was pretty loud. I hate music in places that is so loud that you have to yell at the person across the table from you. But they turned it down to a tolerable level.

Found this place on a Saturday night after dinner, had a good crowd but we were able to walk in and get a table in the bar area immediately. They had a good selection of drinks and vodka. Tried several martinis and infused house made vodkas, and all were good. They had a Russian wait staff and singers, piano player and people walking in wearing fur coats making a very authentic Russian bar. I’d definitely return, next time I’ll try some food too!
The only down fall was that we had to get up and go to the bar to get a couple of our drinks.

I Honestly felt not welcomed by the bar tender, very bad attitude, I’ve been to many Russian restaurants in the US and never had such experience. Second of all the drink was mediocre. The atmosphere was right, except for the blonde bar tender, she killed the experience. I tipped her well regardless. I will not be coming back here

Loved the Herring appetizer and the salmon appetizer. The chicken meatball soup was heavenly. .just what we needed after the freezing cold outside. My braised lamb shank was simply delicious. Also the Honey cake is a must.

I was pretty drunk when I got here but this place is worth reviewing — feel free to take my review with a grain of salt.
Wow, this place is super Russian — it feels authentic. Russian food, Russian waitstaff, Russian music, Russian… drinks? I had a good time but I can’t give it any more or less than 3 stars because I honestly don’t think I remember enough to form a proper opinion.

I love this place with an excellent menu selection, friendly staff, cozy atmosphere! I went there to celebrate my birthday with my closest once and everyone was happy! This place is worth visiting!!!

Russian Samovar is our first choice, always. We have been regulars here for 10 years, always at a table overseen by our favorite waiter, Moon. He even recovered our lost cell phone and caught up with us in Times Square to return it.
This restaurant was originally Frank Sinatra’s hangout; it is NYC history.

It pains me to write this review. Up until this very evening, I used to recommend this restaurant to everyone. I returned for dinner this evening after looking forward to it all day and had a terrible experience.
It began with the hostess «working» to find me a seat in a completely empty restaurant. I thought, eh maybe they have reservations. Nope, I ate my entire meal and by the time I finished and paid only 6 more people joined me.
I ordered the Siberian Pelmini and the potato pancakes. The Pelmini broth was flavorless and the potato pancakes were way too salty. Eh, maybe the kitchen had and off night. But then, the dinner made me ill. I’ve had this dish here previously and it was always fine. That was the last straw. I am sad to say I am searching for a new Russian restaurant to love.

While Russian Samovar has a solid four-​star Unilocal rating and very rich history, I regret my inability to grant more than three stars for my recent experience, perhaps 3.5 — but without rounding it up. I just wasn’t impressed.
Granted, I had high expectations for this place because of its fame and legendary history, and big names behind, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Joseph Brodsky. My understanding is that its third partner, Roman Kaplan, retired from this business and is no longer involved, therefore formerly held regular events and cultural readings/​gatherings are the thing of the past.
The ambiance is gregarious but it feels a bit old and beat-​up over the years, which could sure benefit from a touch of contemporary, or any kind of freshening up for that matter. I felt that low ceilings and run down décor in dark red, with half of the room’s light-​shades in green and half in red, contributed to the ramshackle surroundings and made it more tacky than intended. And so did the repertoire of a piano bar.
As for the food itself, I found it mediocre, just not the best it could be. In comparison to Russian restaurants on the West Coast, with mostly Georgian flare on the menu, vast majority of the menu items here in NY are more traditionally Russian (appetizers like Salo and Vinegret, Chicken Kiev or Beef Stroganoff entrees, or Kartoshka dessert). I found portions to be on a small side (note if you plan to share for a group of ten diners) and the taste bland average, without that special spark or touch, avoir le coup de main.
I wish that thinly transparent wedges of Salo were more generously cut; I’m pretty sure that assorted pickled veggies were served out of a can from a Russian store; likely the same goes for herring fillets; I very much doubt that noodles over which beef stroganoff was served were in-​house made; Veal pelemeni looked surprisingly miniature in size (closer to Italian ravioli in appearance, rather than nostalgic staple of the Soviet past), and weren’t particularly tasty, a bit over salted; black tea with lemon and cherry preserve served on a side was nice, and I wish the serving would have been larger — to last through the entire cup of tea; and so on.
Horseradish vodka was very tasty, but I found myself quite sober after several shots — contrary to my expectations — meaning it wasn’t vodka-​strong but likely a more diluted beverage with low alcohol content.

Came on a Thursday. After 8 they had a live piano & violin duet performance. Before that they had on a french/​russian cabaret music playlist that created a nostalgic atmosphere.
Very good russian food, but not the best I’ve had in the city. My favorite part of the meal was the olivier salad cold appetizer; it tasted so light and fresh! The kartoshka chocolate rum balls was actually more like a small chocolate fudge yule log that didn’t taste of rum at all, but still had a nice consistency.

Food was good and fresh, including warm bread with chilled butter to start.
Very pleasant atmosphere with good background music which after 8pm (on a Thursday) transitioned to a live piano and violin performance.
A very pleasant experience in general.

I didn’t know food could taste this good until I ordered the lamb chops. And how could you possibly go wrong with vodka that tastes like juice? Everything about this restaurant is great.