Russia House Restaurant & Lounge

Very nice place. It’s a restaurant as well kitchen closes at 11 pm. They serve Russian food. It looks like an vintage house when you walk in. I went on Saturday night It’s not too many people which I like because they will be plenty of seatings on every floor. I’ve ordered a red velvet punch martini it was good! Came in a martini glass. The people who works there are cool too. Dark inside which I like.

This restaurant does not respect their neighbors and community they operate in and the management are liars.
The people who live in the building next to them have been harassed non-​stop; they often play extremely loud music until well-​past 2.00 am on Saturday nights. They have a ventilation unit on the roof of their building that has been malfunctioning for a while. The unit makes an extremely loud noise and residents in the building next door cannot function/​sleep because of it. All Russia house needs to do is get a technician to fix it but it refuses all responsibility because this does not profit them in any way.
Such establishments should not be patronized. They are irresponsible and unethical.

Bumping Russia techno and a funky dining room setting adds to the Russia House experience. We go here every time we are in town.
Sure why not. Godiva Chocolate Martini was delicious but the house sampler was the most fun and cost efficient way to try all the Vodkas.
Stick with specialty Vodkas and not the mixed cocktails if you can… there are so many to try!
Does this place even have food? If it does I have no idea. ;P

Mostly good experiences; drink menu lopsided towards vodkas, but a pretty good ethnic menu. Usually good service, although a little in the pricey side.

Everything was simply fantastic.
The owners hosted my partner and I along with our special friends Stan and Russ for an outstanding meal. We started with an assortment of infused vodkas, which are mad in-​house by the owners. Butterscotch and blackberry were my top favorites, but the lime vodka was very good. The flavors were all bright and accurate and not overpowering.
Drinks were followed by delicious bread with perfectly salted, soft butter.
I highly encourage you to try the table side crafted Cesar salad as its one of the regions best. The homemade croutons and perfectly crunchy lettuce were mixed with just the right amount of homemade dressing.
My beef stroganoff entrée was simply the best I’ve ever had. The meat was juicy, tender and flavorful, with a perfectly seasoned mushroom cream sauce. The side potatoes and sautéed vegetables were equally delightful.
For dessert I ordered the puff pastries with chocolate sauce, and they were delightful! Three small pieces of puff magic drizzled with a heavenly sauce, and filled with the most delicate cream flavor. It’s a shame they didn’t bring 15 more because I certainly would have eaten them all!
Please do try their coffee service as its fantastic. The flavor is mild and well balanced with no bitterness. It’s smooth and very well balanced. I would only suggest larger coffee cups which seems to be more commonplace.
The atmosphere was upscale for the area with soft background music and fine table linens. The individual terry hand cloths in the very spacious restroom was an unexpected luxury.
Thank you for serving up an amazing evening of luxury!

This is a great place. Everyone is friendly, including the customers! The drinks are awesome and the food is delicious.
I came to Russia House on St. Patrick’s Day and tried the St. Patrick’s martini. So good! I also tried their Moscow Mule martini and a Bloody Mary shot, by far the best in the city! As for food, I tried the Vareniki & Cauliflower with Pierogis stuffed with Potato, Leeks and Cheese served with Black Truffles, Cauliflower Buerre Noisette and Pomegranate Spiced Honey. Yummy!
I also like the fact that they are very accommodating to my dietary restrictions. I only eat fish for meat, and they have a lot of meat plates, so I was afraid of having limited options. However, the chef said I could still get the Sunday 3-​course meal and he would offer me an alternative for the second meal since it is all meat plates. I’ll have to come back and try it out. I highly recommend checking out Russia House! I will be back!

I attended a cocktail party a the Russia House last week and really enjoyed it. The restaurant is located in a neat, old house north of Dupont Circle with so much charm. The food was pretty good, but my mango martini was amazing — dangerously amazing! I would definitely come back to enjoy their amazing selection of vodka.

Very odd place. We checked out three floors with tons of seating. Very empty on Friday night, but you can find a corner to yourself. Odd to see people mention dancing in their reviews — I fear they are not keeping up with all the new competition in town because there was no dancing anywhere and only a few small groups.
We just came for drinks, and sadly we did not want to stay after having just one. Ironically one of the worst Moscow mules in town. For one, it’s not served in the traditional mug, just a plain old martini glass. I heard 3 or 4 others complaining about this, but I thought who cares. Until I tasted it. Oh god the taste. Tasted like artificial chemical fruit in a glass, like it was a shot of triple sec with a lime garnish. No discernible vodka flavor at all. Plus it’s $ 13. Not worth it. I wrote the rest of this paragraph before reading any reviews, and I cannot believe the praise the mules get on here. Maybe I had a bad bartender? I do see they offer a more expensive version — is that what people are getting? No thanks.

Rolled in here on a Saturday night with some friends for the bar/​club scene upstairs. The music was standard top 40 hits. There were scantily clad ladies dancing around the windowsill in front of the drawn, red velvet curtains. Performers stood on the bar and poured shots directly in people’s mouths. It was kinda kitschy, but wild.

Yeah, I’m not so sure of this place. A group of us ended up here once and after looking at the menu I went with the Wild Boar sausage and it was pretty disappointed with it. The sausage was pretty bland and it was an appetizer but still pretty small and for the price, well yikes, pretty high. The ambiance was nice, but with the food being just bleh especially for the price. I’m not sure if I’d come back again.

Great place for a celebratory dinner! As expected, the vodka menu is quite extensive. I recommend Reyka vodka from Iceland, a very smooth and clean vodka that as far as I can tell is only served in two places in D.C. The wild boar sausage with red cabbage and mustard will make you swoon with flavors and textures. The chicken kiev and lamb shashlik take relatively simple ingredients and wows you with their complexity.

Omg that was good. We were looking for authentic Russian cuisine, and boy did we find it. The service was outstanding, and the food even better. We ordered drinks, and a shot of traditional Russian vodka. The vodka was fantastic, strong but smooth.
We followed drinks with an appetizer of pirogis, which were so rich and full of flavor, that they didn’t last long. Next, we received our entrées, Kiev for me, stroganoff and filet of beef for my companions. The chicken was stuffed with deliciousness and fried to a golden perfection. The potatoes were creamy and accented the chicken well.
It was a great meal, now for dessert.
I highly suggest checking this place out of you’re in the mood for authentic Russian fare in a pleasant atmosphere.

Had to schedule last minute reservations for Russian speaking colleagues; used Opentable for an early dinner. My opinion? Mixed results.
Good:
Restaurant was very accommodating. Allowed me to change the reservation time 2x AND provided me a very private room for our group (very important since we had a translator).
All staff was Russian speaking. This made my guests very comfortable.
All staff were very attractive blonde females (plus, they were all friendly).
Extensive Vodka List. I read online that they have one of the most extensive vodka collections in the US. We had Khortytsa Vodka
Moscow Borscht-​Soup of beets, cabbage, braised short rib & served w/​sour cream
Pierogis-​Baked dumpling stuffed w/​potato, duck breast, bacon, onion & served w/​ginger-​citrus crème fraîche
Not a traditional «Moscow Mule,» but a martini and it was tasty
Bad:
Restaurant needs renovating. Noticed peeling wallpaper, paint, etc. Also, downstairs hallway smelled like cleaning chemicals.
As the restaurant got busier, servers seemed overwhelmed and slowed way down.
I’m unsure about this, but my Russian colleague claimed our 2^nd round of vodka shots was diluted; he was very upset
Stroganoff-​Wine braised beef in mushroom cream sauce served w/​potato purée; This was disappointing, especially for $ 27.
A younger crowd was arriving as we were leaving. I am guessing the lounge is a fun place to warrant 4 stars. The restaurant has some work to bring it up to 4 stars.

Been intrigued with this place for a while and when I saw they were offering a Groupon I snagged it.
Came with my hubby and we enjoyed it. Staff was nice and answered all my questions. Food was good but the portion was small. I was still hungry after dinner.
Smoked salmon appetizer was delicious. The perogi
was delicious. The meat dish, can’t remember the name, was good. A little tough but flavor was good.
Overall, will come back. Portion is small though.

…
I’m sorry, I’m still full and «lifted» from the pure Russian liquor and it’s been a week! Let me quickly breeze through the living social deal, perfect service, private dining room, and impeccable service from Julia. So let me just give my list of «A+» food and drink.
Martinis ($ 12): A+
Pink Panther = Pink lemonade
Green Apple = Bitter sweet
Ruby Red = dark and strong
*each has the best vodka I’ve ever tasted, and they get progressively stronger with the meals
Beef Stroganoff ($ 27) A+
Best beef stoganoff with dense mash potatoes that I’ve ever tasted.
Lamb ($ 26) A+
Incredibly flavored lamb, mash potatoes, and vegetables.
Crème Brulee ($ 8) A+
This is the best crème brûlée I’ve ever had, and an easy split between 2 people. Probably the best deal on the menu in terms of cost and quality.
So overall, one of the best places in DC. Yes, you pay for what you get here. Though I’d go for a special occasion again in a heart beat and give my highest recommendation.

This review is based solely on the drinks, lounge, and dance floor.
The concept of Russia House is pretty cool — Russian food and alcohol served by attractive Russian girls. The lounge area is intimate, classy, and mysterious (in a way).
They have a huge selection of spirits, wine, and beer. I was curious about Russian beer, so I tried two different ones. Although they were bigger-​than-​usual bottles, the beer tasted like water. Not cool, bruh.
Wanting to do a little dancing, we headed upstairs to the dance floor. For a Friday night, I was surprised to see how dead it was. I thought the place would be crackin’ since Russia House is in a pretty good location and the whole lounge downstairs was filled.
The bathrooms are located on the very top floor. They were probably the most disgusting restrooms I’ve seen on my trip to DC. o_​_​o
I like to give people and places second chances, so if I was ever in DC and wanted to try Russian food, I’d definitely be back since people rave about the restaurant!

Just discovered this place in early 2015, and confess that I am infatuated with it. Had dinner here twice already, and it’s only March.
The borsch – exquisite. The elk sausage appetizer made with mostarda cherries that comes with kubotcha squash – so nice. The rabbit main course (also sort of a rolled sausage thing) with fluffy homemade dumplings – hearty but not heavy. The blood sausage – wonderful. I’ve seen an abundance of yummy-​looking beef stroganoff platters being served; haven’t ordered that yet, but, hey, the year has just begun.
If you like vodka, look no further. A wicked Moscow Mule can be had here. Russia House claims to have the largest selection of vodka – some 200 types – of any restaurant in the US. On Sundays, the Happy Hour lasts all night. And the Happy Hour on Monday to Saturday that runs 5 to 7 PM features outrageously good deals – come then and get half price appetizers; they are substantial.
Caviar, blini, pierozhki – it’s all available.
I agree with others that the crimson red interior against the dark wood makes for an intriguing setting. The space is curious; with various levels, and nooks and crannies found everywhere. The bar is a fun spot. It does remind me of something out of a spy novel. And the location is fab, in the Dupont Circle area, at the corner where Connecticut Avenue NW meets Florida Avenue NW (next to the new McClellan’s Retreat).
I’ve heard a fair amount of Russian being spoken here by customers. I think the rooskies like this place.
If you don’t make it to Happy Hour, then it’s not inexpensive. Bring many rubles – da.
Moi pozdravleniya, Comrades.

I loved this spot. I am been in pretty bad shape with an injury and it is so nice to be treated well right now. We stopped by for the Happy Hour small bites and ended up having a few drinks as well. Who could resist that here?
Natasha was our server and she was very helpful with suggestions, attentive, consistent service and positive. The food was yummy! We had:
1. The pot of potatoes and mushrooms — which was ridiculously good, rich and creamy — I highly recommend!
2. The salmon roe and cream cheese blinis — good.
3. The poppy seed blinis — these were good only with the honey. I did not like them stand alone but with honey they were transformed.
Between us we had the mango, the mule and the dirty martini and they were all good. I also tried the Jewel of Russia vodka — on Natasha’s recommendation — which was very nice .
The atmosphere is dark cherry in color, plush and deep. It has a cool old world vibe. I likes.

Hell yeah. Loved the food, loved the vodka sampler. Friends enjoyed the dill (pickle?) vodka the most.
Came in on a Saturday night, did not disappoint. Wait staff and bartenders were pro.
You can drop some serious coin here if you’re so inclined.

I could have sworn I’d already written a review for this restaurant. Maybe I’m going crazy.
This place is great. It’s spacious inside– an upstairs and a downstairs. We were in a room that was richly decorated, with wall sconces and Russian patterns, and had really nice Russian music playing (I «shazamed» a few songs because I liked them so much). The waitress was helpful and patient as I asked numerous questions, and make great recommendations.
I started with the Potato Mushroom Cocotte and my date had the Moscow Borsch; both were very good. We also tried a few drinks; I don’t remember which, but I included a picture. They came in martini glasses and were tasty, although I’m not usually a sweet-​drink type of person.
I actually can’t recall what our entrees were. I uploaded pictures, though, and I know we enjoyed them.
The part I think I enjoyed the most of all was the infused vodka. After I finished my cocktail, the waitress recommended trying one of the infused vodkas. She recommended the picodillo, which was pickle-​flavored. Sounds weird, right? It was AMAZING! I sipped it with my meal, trying not to drink the whole thing right away. It was salty and a little sharp (in a good way), and great with food. They also had horseradish infused vodka and a berry one, but I didn’t try those. I did try the Zyr vodka, which the waitress also recommended. It was incredibly smooth and drinkable straight up.
This is somewhere I’d love to return!