Mari Vanna

Mari Vanna keeps impressing by the standards of its authentic Russian food, friendly service and cosy atmosphere every time I visit it in Knightsbridge.
Restaurant premises are beautifully decorated with various props from the Soviet times. It feels like you are visiting your grandma’s place back in the good ol’ days.
Unpretentious food is full of flavour and has a home-​made feel to it. The menu is very comprehensive and one might be lost in it. My recommendations for the newcomers, who are open to explore comforting Russian food, would be:
— A delicate herring in a «shuba» (layered fish and vegetable cold salad) or «kholodetz» (jellied meat) together with mixed pickles to start with,
— Scrumptious «pelmeni» (dumplings) or «golubtzi» (minced meat wrapped in cabbage leaves) for your main course, and
— A mouth-​watering Napoleon cake to finish your feast
— All goes well with cranberry «mors» — a light soft drink, or something stronger if you wish (cheers!)
Prices are well reasonable, portions are generous, you are guaranteed not to leave hungry. Highly recommended!
Would visit again? Da! :0)

If you are a Russian cuisine lover u will definitely like Mari Vanna. Very polite staff and amazing cozy atmosphere. Enjoying Mari Vanna every single time i visit.
Borsh soup is my favorite. And i would advice you to try «mors» drink which is very delicious.

Best thing of the night: the bread basket!!! There are 4 – 5 kinds of bread, each so unique and so fragrant and so good.
Such a cool place, it feels like your fancy grandma’s living room. Love the décor, and the service was superb.

As a native russian, I must say this is a place to go if you want to get the full russian experience! Love the décor, food and staff. Like a little trip to the motherland!

I want to write this review. I see all my friends review on the right, going from 4 to 5 starts, favourite, wonderful, stunning, special.
Well. Nope. Sorry guys, but you are all wrong. Believe me, you are.
I’m joking of course, it’s a matter of taste, but it’s the third time I come here in order to make up my mind on «how good is this place and why my rating is so different from my friends one» (Why I can’t be like every other kid?!) but every single time I ended up in being slightly disappointed.
You see why everybody else like the Venue? Cozy, full of stuff, grandmother-​design, «kitsch» as nobody is watching? Yeah exactly. And I don’t like it. Just my opinion, I love symmetric, sharp edges, not a collection of ceramic dishes in a cupboard with fake inlaid diamonds. But that’s ok, at the end you have bad décor but seriously «is this paradise?» good looking waitresses, I can cope with that! ah the toilet is something worth a visit, definitely!
The problem, as always, relies on the main important thing you have in a restaurant: the food. I don’t like long menu, and this is the first issue I have with this place: The menu is extraordinarily well looking, with recycled paper and double languages but (apart from the fact that last time I’ve been here I was with my parents, and I have to read them the menu as the light was too soft and the typewriting was too small for their old eyes) too long!
There are two reasons for having such a long menu: you have a lot of pre-​made dishes you just have to heat them up or your dishes require such a small preparation you can do a lot of them. Luckily is the second (at least no pre-​made things).
But still, too many dishes, that’s just absurd…
On the appetizer, pirogi are kind of good but everything else is just not worth the money, too easy, you can’t give me a cold herring with some onions on top and telling me «that’s a 13£ dish», because it’s not, you have to put some effort in the dish in order to deserve the money.
As everybody else said, it’s not a problem about the quality of the food, sturgeon is good, caviar is magnificent, the salmon is perfect. It’s all about WHAT is the dish, ingredients can be good but if there is nothing interesting it’s just not worth it… especially in a place like this, everything is kitsch and glorious and then… easy stuff on the plate!!! no, no good at all.
The main dish is just the continuation of the appetizer, good stuff, but easy stuff, too easy to be acceptable in a place like that.
Dessert are just horrible. No seriously, horrible. Before, it was unconvincing but still passable, the dessert was completely wrong. Now, I don’t know if it’s me who can’t understand english, but my idea of a soufflé’ is a levitated owen product, here it’s something like a parfait? seriously? the chocolate cake is far too sweet, and the napoleon is just a nightmare to finish. I rarely saw such a bad dessert menu in a restaurants where they prepare them.
In conclusion, after three tests I can definitely says this place is just not worth the money, I’d suggest and recommend it for a cocktail/​pre dinner, or even for a romantic couple who want to try something different (careful, a lot of things are difficult to eat «nicely», like dumplings and pirogi).
Take a cocktail, that’s probably the best thing they can do! Russian and alcohol: that’s always a win!

Quaint little place with lots to look at while you’re waiting for your food. It’s actually a chain, though, in «local place» clothing. Service was friendly and prompt. Started with some borsch (of course!) and a meat pierogi. The pierogi was definitely good, though the dough was a bit fluffy. The borsch was just ok, mostly broth and not very flavorful. Had the stroganoff for my main which was excellent though the serving size was a bit small. Honey cake for dessert… And have been craving it ever since. Mari Vanna was definitely good and I would probably go back again (probably with my wife next time) – but it didn’t win «best Russian food» on my personal list of favs.

As all other reviews show, it is a fun place — it feels like a house as you had stepped into a someone’s home in middle of knightsbridge. the décor is very classic, slightly overboard and very cute…
Food is also not bad but I am not sure how I could comment. We ordered a few starters and some grilled meat, dumplings, etc. None of them was bad but none of them was so excellent that I could not stop eating…
I am not very fluent in Russian so I cannot comment how authentic the place is but nevertheless, it was a fun experience.
There are a lot of Russians in the restaurant so it could be a good sign or it is just a side effect of being one of the few high end Russian restaurants in such a popular Russian destination, Knightsbridge… hard to tell.
Would reommend you to go with a group of friends — it is a fun experience.

That a stunning and cosy venue. This is something special.
I booked for my friends & I to have a special Russian SATC dinner and special it was.
It would be impossible for Mari Vanna to disappoint in terms of the venue, food and service. So I’ll break it down in those three groups.
Venue — you know how your grandma used to have a bunch of stuff in her house & you wondered, ‘What is that? Why does she have that in here? Well, this special place is filled in almost every corner with something authentic, inquisitive, charming and lovely — yeah, not quite like your grandma’s house (or was that just my grandma’s house? haha) You are in for a visual treat here. Quiet, yet a gentle buzz here.
Food — all authentic and authentically themed Russian food. Don’t go ordering something & before tasting it douse it in salt or pepper — mistake. Everything we had did not need anything extra. The seasoning was on point as were the flavours. Clean, hearty and interesting. As each plate arrived, you couldn’t help but notice the aroma of the food gave your nose a thrill just as much as the look of the dishes.
Service — friendly, helpful (for my friends who were not up on the Russian cuisine) and full of smiles. They also do not interrupt mid-​bite. Timing is good here from the staff when checking on you and your needs.
I had the Pierogi’s, moorish! Onto the Pelmeni, oh yeah, I’m glad I switched to this. Seafood dumplings and sea bass with a light butter sauce topped w/​egg. I was trying to save room for the dessert which I never have, but desperately wanted the Honey Cake. I had to get it as takeway. Again, I could smell the cake on my journey home.
My friend decided a bottle of champagne was in order so I really had no room for anything else from that delicious menu.
Things to note: MAKE A RESERVATION! I will be really annoyed if I hear or read a review from anyone saying they had to wait for a table here. Call Ahead! Also, there is a time limit on the tables; about two hours so if you have friends who like to rock up late — don’t invite them. It will put a damper on your two hours of special time here. Table turning is the only thing stopping this from being a 5 star review.

Oh! Mari Vanna is a new favourite! I loved it and look forward to going again, as soon as I can possibly arrange it.
The place is a wonderful combination of opulent and pastoral. All chandeliers, ornamentation, rustic cabinets and dressers and sinister, old framed photos. And not forgetting the dim lighting.
I definitely felt like I was in a different world and just took in the place with wonder. It was beautiful.
Service was charming and efficient.
The food and drink was incredible. A quality far beyond what I expected. I tried to order as close to traditional Russian cooking as I Could get. So, I started with the salted herring with new potatoes, red onion and dill. It looked a bit slimy but I overcame my trepidation and it was heavenly! For main I had the pan fried sturgeon which had a deep earthy flavour — it was delicious! All of which were washed down with the delightful cocktails they offer.
For dessert I went with the Prague Chocolate cake. It was nice, but it didn’t blow me away. That was the only down point about the place and I think I can cope with that — seriusly, I’m gagging to back here again! This I accompanied with a very nice glass of dessert wine.
This was not cheap o it was a very indulgent treat and well worht it too.
This a definite date suggestion. Ypu’re on to a winner if your’e trying to impress someone and you take them here.
I can’t recomment this place enough!

I grew up watching Hollywood movies, so of course I thought Russia was a cold, dark place full of evil people threatening to kill me, my country or moose and squirrel (that’s a ‘Rocky and Bullwinkle’ reference, a cartoon that didn’t really seem to make it’s way to this country, but trust me, it’s apt.) However, I had the chance to plan a trip to Russia for this year and jumped at the opportunity. Why not? New sights, new sounds, new food.
New food! I realised, I’ve never tried Russian food before. So I set up a Unilocal event, found one that had good reviews, brought a bunch of people with me and off we went.
Mari Vanna is … fantastic. Truly fantastic, and not a place I probably would have normally checked out, since Russian food would not have been on the top of my mind for a night out. If you feel the same way, change your mind. I loved it.
The space has a very home-​like feel to it. Maybe because the building was clearly once a home, but even more than that, the decorations, the wooden table, the smiling staff. It’s comfortable. I even loved the reserved sign on my table after I made my booking, which said, «We are waiting for Alex.» Awww.
But it’s the food where this place really shines, and I mean really shines. Again, having never had Russian food before, I was unsure what to expect. The menu that they give you has pages and pages and pages of choices. Hot starters, cold starters, fish, meats, soups, it’s almost terrifying, but in a good way. Plus, all the options are both in Russian and English, giving it a nice feel of authenticity.
I tried the pierogis (£3 a peice), one beef and pork, opne cabbage and egg. So fresh, so tasty, although I would go beef and pork over the two. For my main I had the mushroom and onions dumplings (£14), which were phenomenal. So tasty each bite, filled with flavour and came with tartar sauce if you needed more. Loved my meal, although I will say that a lot of people around the table got fish dishes, specifically salmon, and while I’m not a giant fish eater, everything was amazing. If you like fish, you’ll like this spot.
For drinks, I tried the Anna Karenina, which was a cocktail made with their special honey vodka. Strong, sweet, fantastic.
The service is a little slow (but again, very friendly) and the prices a little high, but for a food experience like this, how can I say no? If my trip to Russia is half as good as this, I’ll be a very happy guy. Thanks for feeding me and not trying to kill me, Mari Vanna!

I’ve always wanted to visit Russia. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the state where you can see Russia from your house! Maybe it’s because the architecture looks amazing. I don’t know. What I do know is that new laws in Russia make me frightened to visit, so what’s the next best thing? Go getting Russian food!
When Alex suggested it, I was ready. And I’m so glad I went. The place itself is whatever the Russian equivalent of «kitsch» is. Imagine a place where it’s decorated with every Russian thing imaginable (and then some) as well as massive crystal chandeliers and even recordings of strange Russians speaking to you in the bathrooms. I kept wanting to shout, «THIS IS RUSSIA!» (or that could have been the drink talking.)
There were eight of us in total, and we tried quite a few of the cocktails. They were all really delicious. They apparently also have a lot of vodka as the server suggested we start with shots, which we didn’t do. Then I forgot to look at the list. But they apparently do a homemade honey vodka which is the bomb. (and was also in one of my cocktails).
I started with the salmon and courgette pancakes. Incredibly tasty and the salmon was really flavorful. I hate bad salmon, and this was definitely no bad salmon. The winner (in my opinion) was the herring and beetroot salad thing. It was massive and I had a bite and it was absolutely delicious. I also ordered a meat pierogi to try, and it was quite tasty (way better than ones I’ve had at some of the markets around London). For my main I had homemade pork fritters (they do chicken as well, but apparently the pork are better as they are homemade, or so the server told me). They were really tasty and served with mash and pickles. Yum. I had the chocolate cake for dessert and it was nice, but not amazing, but there were other things tempting me on the dessert menu as well.
I’m gonna bring the other half back to give it a try. I think he’s going to like it. it’s great for a group, but it was also be really lovely and intimate for a date. There was a couple on a date and they seemed to be having a wonderful time. It’s also full of Russians. Both dining there and working there. You know it’s top notch if the natives are there. The people working there were also incredibly attractive, and it was nice having a bit of eye candy with muscles and white t-​shirts walking by every once in awhile. The service itself was a bit slow, but I managed to order three cocktails, so it couldn’t have been that bad.
Oh Mari Vanna, you made me fall in love with Russian food.

I grew up in a Russian household and lived in Russia when I was little and have gone back many times, and can easily say this is the best Russian food I have ever had, maybe even better than my own grandmother’s! I still dream about the khachipuri and the different flavored vodkas there, and wish I lived in a place decorated exactly as this place is decorated (keep in mind, I have a love for kitsch). Worth going just to check out the dacha-​style bathroom, although much cleaner and prettier than any dacha I’ve ever been to!
Keep in mind — super expensive, but the quality is damn good. This is a place to splurge!

I came here with a friend last week and had a very nice experience. Mari Vanna is in Knighstbridge and you feel like you are entering someone’s home. The décor is very ornate and frilly but does not cross the line of gaudy. (Be sure to check out the bathrooms at some point).
The menu was extensive with something for everyone. As someone who is not familiar with Russian cuisine, I left the ordering with my friend who has been raised on Russian food. I’ll take her word for it that the cooking was authentic. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. We split the salted herring and beet salad and mushroom/​potato dumplings. While these were two starters, the portions are substantial and was enough for us, so take heed as you order. We didn’t order any drinks, but the cocktail menu looked wonderful and people around us seemed to really enjoy them.
The service was excellent and highly attentive. Everyone seemed to take pride in providing an excellent dining experience, which really stuck out to me. They provide a basket of sweets at the end.
I would say this is a great spot to come whether you’re a Russian food expert or clueless like me. It’s a very cozy atmosphere that is still classy without being stuffy.
Minus one star for prices. While it wasn’t too expensive, I felt it was overpriced for what you were actually paying for. Otherwise, an ideal dining experience.

I didn’t think Russian food was so delicious… and the atmosphere in this place is even better than the food, as it looks like coming back in time and everything is so typical.
Came here with some friends on friday night, we were 4 and we ordered some starters to share: blinis with salmon (delicious — they also have it with caviar but I don’t like it), pirogi with beef and pork (nice nice) and some pancakes with salmon eggs… the latter was my least favourite as it is very salty.
As main I had the beef stagaroff that was amazing, but a bit too heavy with the cream and stuff, so with regret I only managed to eat half of it…
Haven’t seen the wine list as we opted for russian beer (I did, despite the waiter saying that the german one was better) and a shot of a very good 5x distilled non commercial vodka as digestive.
I’ll definitely go back

The food was amazing but the décor was even better!
This may be fiction but apparently the Mari Vanna used to be a Russian oligarch’s home; many of the mirrors, paintings, lampshades, ornaments and furniture that cover every surface of the restaurant are remnants of the building’s previous life.
A HUGE treat (quantities, expense, taste-​wise etc.) but could quite happily have shared starters and puddings all evening. The Napoleon was beautiful.

Mari Vanna is a cool restaurant in Knightsbridge.
The décor feels like you wandered into someone’s grandparent’s house. Its kitsch in a cool way. The overall ambiance was definitely buzzing especially after 9pm.
The food is good and very Russian comfort food. Loved the progis and rye bread. We didn’t sample the more adventureous items on the menu though. The cocktails are mixed well and pretty unique (shout out for the Kremlin Stars).
In terms of service, the hostess was a bit standoffish but the waiter was pleasant and pretty attentive.
Price was decent for the area but definitely not cheap.

First visit to this lovely little restaurant. The décor makes you feel like you have just entered the home of a little old russian grandmother. Very cosy and seemed very authentic indeed.
The food was really nice. The bread basket offered a variety of bread. All worked very well with the buttery pâté on offer. Had to try very hard not to fill up on that alone!
There are three types of stuffed pastry. We tried the one filled with cabbage and egg (the waiter told us this was the most traditional). It was delicious.
We also had two types of salad; a beetroot salad and a ‘vitamin’ salad (basically a coleslaw). Both were nice.
The mains we went for were; the roast half chicken (moist and tender) which came with a russian style ketchup, and the vareniki (i.e. dumplings) with potato and mushroom filling, this had a tartare sauce with it. We also ordered the side of fried potato with mushrooms.
Everything we had was delicious in a home cooked sort of way, which was perfect since i feel a bit under the weather at the moment and some comfort food was in order! Unfortunately that was the reason we did not try any of their reputedly brilliant vodka’s. Oh well there’s the perfect excuse for a second visit!
The dessert of honey cake was lovely too.
The only disappointment came with the green tea. The teapot was overfilled so the tea was weak. The tea glass was not secure in its holder which made it feel like it was going to tip out of it as you sipped! Not good. So be careful.
Another issue was the fact that there was just one waiter for the whole dining room. Not a problem at the start but certainly developed into an issue as the place filled up.
In addition one might say this place is quite expensive for what you get.
However, all in all nice experience.

I know nothing about Russian food other than the cliché stuff and boy was my world rocked.
From the Borsch (whatever that is) to the vodka to the latke type thing I had with raw salmon… all of it was awesome.
My favourite bit was the infused vodka specifically the Cucumber — Honey — Chili one. Its difficult to find something that is both soothing, cooling, sweet and warming all in one and at different times. Bravo! I need me a bottle of that stuff for sure.
I had a starter as my main, smoked salmon with courgette pancakes. They were delicious and tasted even better with the thick sour cream that they serve with other dishes. It didn’t come with it but I asked for it.
I’ll most definitely go again.

I am on a power trip to reveal all the best places i have visited to eat in my city of London! Mari Vanna is stunning, with the décor being themed in a grand Russian nature! Some people may find it a little busy on the eyes but I just love to sit and soak up the style and class from this place. The food experience here is great, expect top quality meals and expect some great vodka too! Of course, for grandeur like this you do have to expect a high price but for a special occasion it is worth it, even if it does leave you penniless for a while!

This is truly an authentic dining experience. You almost can imagine that you are eating in a fancy restaurant in Russia, though the original English moldings give your location away. You really can tell that they put a lot of time and energy in the décor. The staff are Russian, almost all of the guests are Russian. So many in fact, that our waitress initially spoke to us in Russian!
And of course, the food is Russian. While I was quite fond of the fresh crab salad, and the Georgian bread pie (fried bread stuffed with cheese), many of the dishes on the menu are a bit to strong for my tastes. There are a lot of salted, smoked, or pickled things. And of course potatoes. And Ox tongue. One highlight was the «salad» that, no lie, was thinly sliced bacon fat («You call it lard,» the waitress told us), rolled up and arranged artfully on the plate.
Also notable is the vodka selection. They infuse their own vodka with loads of different flavors. Horseradish and Apple/​terragon were both delicious.
All in all it was a lovely restaurant, though I am not sure the food is my taste. It certainly requires someone adventurous, or Russian.