Cozy Russian escape with grandmother's charm, vibrant flavored spirits & craveable small plates. A top pick for authentic Eastern European fare.
Step into a charmingly decorated space reminiscent of an Eastern European grandmother's home, offering a delightful escape into authentic Russian cuisine. This spot is lauded for its comfortable ambiance, diverse flavored spirits, and an array of well-executed small plates. It's a highly recommended alternative to other Russian dining experiences, praised for its superior food quality and unique atmosphere.
The restaurant offers authentic Russian and Eastern European cuisine, with a particular focus on small plates, praised for their variety and flavor. Recommended dishes include pelmeni, blinis, and piroshki, alongside flavored vodka infusions. While generally well-received, one commenter noted that piroshki could be considered tasty but overpriced.
"Highly recommended dishes include cranberry infused vodka, pelmeni (dumplings), fish mayo salad, blinis, and salo. It's advised to go with a group to try a variety of these small plates."
Customers overwhelmingly praise the restaurant's unique and cozy ambiance, often comparing it favorably to other Russian establishments. The food is generally well-regarded, with specific recommendations for small plates and infused vodkas.
Important Note
One comment suggests that the piroshki, while tasty, might be overpriced.
"Mari Vanna was mentioned as a Russian restaurant."
Neutral"This is a recommendation for Russian food, specifically mentioning Mari Vanna in Manhattan."
Positive"Mari Vanna is considered the best option by this commenter, with food quality being higher than places in Brighton Beach and a less 'ethnic' vibe."
Positive"This commenter highly recommends Mari Vanna, suggesting the cranberry infused vodka, pelmeni, fish mayo salad, blinis, salo, and khinkali. They advise going with a group to try more dishes."
Positive"The commenter recommends Mari Vanna over other Russian restaurants, stating that the others are overpriced and of lower quality."
Positive"A commenter who previously mentioned Mari Vanna's piroshki as tasty but overpriced, now states that they are mediocre at best and they haven't found good ones."
Negative"Commenter states that Mari Vanna has tasty but overpriced piroshki."
Negative"In addition to criticizing the Russian Tea Room, this commenter mentions that Mari Vanna is a bit more expensive than Russian Samovar but has a gorgeous interior."
Positive"This user expresses strong positive sentiment towards Mari Vanna with an emoji."
Positive"This commenter recommends Mari Vanna in Manhattan as a better and more fun option for experiencing Russian ambiance compared to the Russian Tea Room."
Positive"A commenter suggested Mari Vanna as a possible source for fried pierogi-like items, and provided a picture for comparison."
Neutral"Mari Vanna was recommended for Russian food in the Eastern Europe category."
Positive"Responding to a recommendation for Mari Vanna, the user expresses that the restaurant looks amazing and they are adding it to their list of places to try."
Positive"The user recommends Mari Vanna for Ukrainian and Russian cuisine, stating that the food is very good."
Positive"This user seconded the recommendation for MariVanna, praising its comfortable atmosphere, good music, variety of flavored spirits, and good small plates."
Positive"MariVanna was suggested as a place for Russian small plates, fitting the original poster's request for a solo dining spot with Russian food."
Positive"This restaurant is recommended for Eastern European cuisine."
Neutral"This restaurant is recommended as a dining option located within a 10-minute walk from Gramercy Park."
Neutral"The inside looks like an Eastern European grandmother decorated it in a good way."
Positive
