Alyonka Russian Cuisine

This place is easily one of the best restaurants in Boise. The staff is very friendly and the space is intimate and tasteful. The food is outstanding without being overly reliant on salt or oil. The natural flavors of the ingredients are brought out in each dish and are complimented well by the generous dill and green onion garnish. Definitely get the cabbage rolls if they are available! The tomato sauce it comes with is incredible with the rice.

Fantastic food. Very personable service. Just in case, make reservations. They only have a few tables inside, but when sunny, there are more seats outside on the patio. Expect to leave FULL. Most of the menu is rich & authentic. Where else can you order a beef stroganoff with choice of buckwheat? Make sure to get hibiscus tea, which tastes like healthy Kool-Aid, & the beet salad. Listen to the server when she recommends how to eat the beef dumpling (with broth). The blini is more like a large crepe you open up & fill. But fair warning, it's all you need. Shaved beet salad may sound blah, but it's garlicky mayo goodness grows on you. I could eat just this with the tea & be fulfilled.

Absolutely delicious! I had the pleasure of bringing home food from Alyonka Russian Cuisine and was blown away by the flavors and quality. The Beef Stroganoff was creamy and rich—classic comfort food done right. The Chebureki was slightly greasy but incredibly flavorful, and the Honey Cake was light and satisfying. The real standout was the Pavlova—perfectly crisp on the outside, soft inside, and truly superb. I also tried Alyonka’s Favorite Assorted Desserts, a heavenly sampler that offered a taste of everything sweet and wonderful. This place is a gem—highly recommend for anyone craving authentic, satisfying Russian cuisine! I shared a tiny bit of the Stroganoff with my dog, Richard, and he gave it 5 paw prints!

Ordered they famous honey cake, and assorted dessert box - which includes honey cake, Royal chocolate ganache poppy seed cake, lemon mousse, and baked Russian cookies. The honey cake was very unique, I hadn’t tried this flavour before. The ganache poppy seed cake was SO GOOD. Definitely going back to try their food menu. Update - went back in person and had their salad sampler platter. The smoked Gouda cheese was delicious. The beets and the marinated carrots was decent but not extraordinary IMO. The hibiscus drink was refreshing in the hot summer.

Good home cooked Russian food, the chef/owner is very sweet and does all the cooking herself. The food wasn’t anything great really good, and so were the traditional Russian drinks. Outdoor patio dinings available

Absolutely fantastic experience! The lamb plov was rich and flavorful, the vereniki were perfectly tender, and the assorted blini platter was a delightful treat. Authentic flavors, warm hospitality, and a cozy atmosphere—highly recommend! The hibiscus tea was 10/10

Disappointed with the food here. Really wanted to like it after hearing so many good things, but just didn’t live up to the hype/standard. To start, the Chebureki was an appetizer with good fried bread, but the inner meat tasted like a previous frozen Salisbury steak. Not flavored and very small portion. The beef stroganoff was just okay. Nothing to call home about and could get something just as good from the frozen aisle in the grocery store. The Pelmeni was similar meat (if not the same) as the Chebureki. It was unseasoned and tasted a bit gamey perhaps. It was a small portion that was very average or below. The recommend Russian drink was bready and a bit tangy? It was not my favorite. This is likely just a regional preference, so not holding this against Alyonka. However, the rest of the meal really missed the mark. 2 star - Not great, lower value

I’ve been wanting to try Alyonka’s for awhile now and I’m so glad we finally made it there! The food was delicious and service was fantastic. We had the blini, stroganoff, pelmeni dumplings, and pavlova and it was all amazing. It made for a wonderful belated Valentine’s dinner. Thank you Alyonka’s!

I was skeptical about this cuisine, but it speaks to my heritage, so a friend suggested we try this spot. It was kind of small, but it was comfortable. The parking lot was also small, but someone was leaving as we pulled in, so we got lucky. Service was kind and very attentive. We had a reservation and were seated right away. The menu was small, but well thought out. We started with a bottle of red wine as we made our selections. My friend chose the lamp plof and of course, I selected the beef stroganoff. I didn't try my friend's dish, because I was enjoying my dish so much! Our server checked on us periodically, but didn't bother us too often, it was perfect. I enjoyed this place very much and I'm sure you will too.

Where to begin on this magnificent dining experience. The food is incredible, everything is fresh, and has the best complex, yet clean flavors. The service is supurb. Elena the owner is delightful, as are all of the staff. Alyonka is the real deal, such an incredible atmosphere. Every appetizer and dish we tried was amazing, the honey cake literally left me speechless, it was divine. 10/10 no notes.

Everything we tried was amazing. There is a salad sampler and a dessert sampler we would 100% recommend so that you can try many dishes as they are all so good. The dumplings and chicken meatball soup were also fantastic. The owner is sweet and helpful, yet does not rush you at all. Can't wait to go back!

Get the pelmini! Alyonka makes your feel like you're eating with your family. It's a small space but brings big flavor! The honey cake was perfect consistency and not too sweet. Be sure to make a reservation for dinner!

Came here for lunch yesterday after wanting to try it for so long! It did not disappoint. We did the belini platter for lunch and a salad taster. Everything tasted extremely fresh and clean. The lunch didn't leave me feeling bloated or yucky from gross seed oils. Everything was so beautifully presented. Our mocktails were delicious as well. Nothing beats the honey cake! The poppy seed cake definitely is worth a taste too but for me and my family it's all about that honey cake. I definitely want another slice! I will 100% be coming back to Alyonka. Service was a bit slow but it didn't ruin our experience at all. We enjoyed our week day lunch. Now I just want to come back for dinner!

Never had Russian Food before so we thought we would give this place a try. We started with the Salad Sampler Plater, which allows you to pick any three of the salad offerings, We had the Burrata Salad and Elena's Favorite Beet Salad. The Burrata salad is arugula, toped with tomatoes, red onion, sweet peached, with creamy burrata and drizzled with pesto, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It was unique combination that truly complemented each ingredient. The Beet Salad was my favorite , boiled beets with Russian pickles, combined with garlic, mayo and toped with toasted pecans. Our third offering was Shuba, which is potatoes, smoked salmon, carrots and beets with a light touch of mayo which was unique to say the least. For our Entrees, I was torn between the Pelmeni and the Beef Stroganoff, the Pelmeni won hands down. These are handmade Russian Style Dumplings with a seasoned beef and sour cream. My wife opted for the potato pork loin roast, a traditional dish usually only served at Easter in Russian. It is amazing slow roasted pork and potato dish that was moist and tender, the potato's were caramelized and could squish them with a fork easy. For dessert we had the Royal Poppy Seed Chocolate Ganache Cake, a super moist cake layered with a sweet fluffy frosting. Of course Russian Hot Black Tea for drinks to really too the dinner off.Alyonka Russia Cuisine is a small but mighty restaurant, serving up comforting Russian Classics with very fresh ingredients. A very intimate atmosphere, excellent services and very welcoming and warm hospitality.

so so good! must try! the salad starter is amazing, we did th potato, cauliflower, and smoked gouda, and every one of them were amazing. The bilinis and kabobs were so good. nothing tops that honey cake though!

Stopped by for a lovely dinner here recently. I hadn't been to this building since it was State & Lemp and was excited to try Alyonka who took over the space. I'm so glad I did! My dining companion and I stopped by on a Saturday evening for a leisurely dinner. The space is intimate, but in warmer months they have a big, beautiful patio for outdoor dining. We opted to dine inside and while intimate, we were quite comfortable with our table for two right by the window. We started off with some wine (lovely) and then I opted for the chicken shish kebab. The chicken was nicely charred and delicious. It comes served with seasoned rice, sauce, and marinated carrot salad. All was flavorful and delicious. For dessert, I opted for the lemon mousse, which was outta this world. The mousse itself is perfectly lemony and comes topped with vanilla bean whipped cream and fresh berries. The vanilla bean whipped cream balanced out the tanginess of the lemon perfectly. The service was friendly and accommodating. Get to it!

The food was excellent. We have been meaning to eat here for quite a while. We had the beef stroganoff, chebureki and Pelmeni. Will definitely be back.

This is a great little Russian restaurant. The food is great, the service is good, it does get loud inside but overall it's a great spot. If we're back in Boise we will be back here.

Stopped by here for a family dinner and was not disappointed! My husband and I had not had much Russian food prior to dining at Alyonka (just some food our Russian friends made), but we were very inspired to try this place in their honor. We got the chicken noodle soup and borscht. Both were fresh, flavorful, and served warm (especially the chicken noodle soup). Everything tasted like a home cooked meal, not like some restaurant soup that feels like it was microwaved from a can. To top off the soup, we had some of the ganache cake which was sweet without being too sweet. Service was very attentive, friendly, and felt sincere. Ambiance was also quite inviting; even though it was packed inside, we got to sit under heat lamps outside and have some fresh air. There were even blankets outside to keep patrons warm.

One of the best meals I've ever had. We ordered a few dishes and shared them with I would definitely plan to do next time. Simple and straightforward menu means that everything they serve, they do extremely well. Even my toddler enjoyed the meal SMS they were incredibly attentive to her. Ten stars out of five!

The ambiance was great. A small location, quiet with plenty of space and no one rushing you. Waited was very good and knowledgeable about menu and history behind the restaurant. The entrees and salads and appetizers were amazing. We had a party of 4 and would recommend sharing the appetizers, salads and entrees. We even shared the honey cake. Strongly recommend!

The borscht was delicious and addictive. It was rich in vegetables and creaminess. It's one of the best soup I've had! The stroganoff was tasty too- the beef was tender and the sauce complimented the pasta very well! Staff were friendly and attentive. It offered me a great experience with Russian cuisine!

Very tasty. small cute restaurant. Nice staff. Would highly recommend. Will certainly go back again.

Inside out: the place is -so clean- I genuinely love the aesthetic and everything was so organized it was beautifully cute. Ample parking for its size, an adorable outdoor patio to boot! The service: top tier, we spoke with the owner and a younger gentleman too who came in later, he was so kind and friendly. My grandma was so thrilled because at 90 she got to try new things! Food: it was delicious, I've never had any of of it, my husband and grandma split some meat dumplings and my husband loved them. I had borscht soup that I can't stop thinking about. I genuinely want soup in the summer it was so good. The desert was incredible, every option was tempting, and we were so full we split one cake of the royal poppyseed - perfect and not too sweet. I dream about this cake. Overall, I highly recommend it- just be aware the price is a bit surprising - but very very worth it.

Food is outstanding. Service is excellent. I have been 3 times in the past two months. It is expensive, but the quality of the food is worth the price.

We walked in around 6:15 without a reservation, and we were seated despite the fact the table was reserved for a 7:30 reservation. We were very appreciative to be accommodated. Despite the time crunch, we didn't feel rushed. We ate and still had time left over. Service was great! The food came out at a good pace. Everything was delicious. The place felt cozy. It is a small restaurant. The decor is simple yet, inviting. The plum lemonade and the hibiscus iced tea was delicious. The honey cake was delicious too. The owner/chef was welcoming and warm.

Food was excellent. Good service. Hibiscus tea was a nice treat. Burrata salad was really good as well

Delicious! Service was awesome. Started with their house Hibiscus tea to drink. Amazing! Shared 3 appetizers since it's summer and hot lighter food seemed the way to go. Shubka salad (fur coat) was amazing and the portion and presentation perfect. Had the pickled variety plate. Again a great plating because of dish and way veggies were cut. Flavor was perfect and not overly pickled. Had to have some caviar. So got the smoked salmon and salmon eggs. The blini crepes were perfect. I loved the smoked salmon. It wasn't overly smoked and very tender. I did not like the salmon eggs. Just too salty for my liking. Lastly was the Best! Pavlova I've always wanted to try this and it was not a disappointment. Amazing!

Excellent food! Wonderful service! Authentic Russian dishes! Our favorites were the Gouda spread, dumplings and the desserts were out of this world. Some of the best I've ever had!

Easily in the top 10 best restaurants I've ever been to. Everything we tried was incredibly fresh and unique. The staff was incredibly kind and passionate. They clearly love their job. The salad platter and chicken noodle soup are a must and please save room for the honey cake and lemon mousse! Everything has a lightness to it that leaves you feeling great after the meal like amazing home cooked food. We loved it so much on our visit to Idaho that we came here twice to try more things on the menu. This place is special.

What a lovely and DELICIOUS place. It's very quaint, with wonderful staff and filled with flavor you'll be wanting a return visit to for. We wanted to taste as much as possible, with just 2 of us dining, so opted for the assorted blini appetizer. It was amazing. The stroganoff was also wonderful. But the beef Pelmeni - WHOA. These dumplings are nothing short of amazing. So much flavor. Such great dough. The sprinkle of fresh dill helps balance the richness of the beef. You absolutely have to order these! Finally, dessert - we had Alyonka's favorite, which is a little of everything. There is nothing on that plate that will make you sad. It's all soooo good. We also enjoyed their special house drink (hibiscus iced tea with honey), which was delightful. It's perfectly sweetened. We then moved to the hibiscus hot tea, which they make from scratch. It was perfection. If you're in Boise - do yourself a favor and make it a point to enjoy a meal here.

Love the food, they are not cheap but the dumplings were delicious. Also ordered crepes with smoke salmon and salmon caviar and enjoyed that as well. For desert, we ordered sampler come with all the deserts they served. Total for two people about $73.

Had the best birthday dinner! It was our first time trying Russian food and it didn't disappoint!!! Thank you making my birthday special! Highly recommend!!!

Came into town for a quick weekend and the Thriple D came on with a special for a Boise Russian restaurant. It looked so good. We went the next night for dinner. Dog friendly, and the food was AMAZING

The lady that runs the restaurant is so friendly and wants to make sure you have a good experience of which we did. Lunch menu is over the top expensive and portions are on the small side. We enjoyed our appetizer called Shauba I think and taste and presentation were very good. The dumplings were not very good and could have used more flavor~ Cute place and very clean!

Great ambience, service and food. Amazing beet salad and cherubeki. It was fresh and healthy.

I'm glad finally I try this place and I kind upset I did not try early. From the service to the food to the ambiance 5 stars or even more super clean you can see the owner in the kitchen cooking she is a sweet lady cook family receipt amazing receipt I want try every dish but I will go back for sure soon for sure. The freshness of every dish tell me how much passion she put in to everything is made there fresh daily I just want to say go try it you won't be disappoint I highly raccomande this place

If you're looking to enjoy food with a bit of a different flare, try this place. I love this little place. The service was fantastic and polite! The atmosphere is homey, the staff is a delight, and the food is delicious. I've had several items from their menu and it's all consistently have great flavor and texture. Also, they are reasonably priced!

Food and staff, which were the owners, made our night perfect. The dumplings were my favorite and I will go back just for them!!

Tried this place based on a recommendation, and was not disappointed. It was their 5 year anniversary and a wonderful experience. We didn't have a reservation, but would recommend you get one, it's smaller and was busy. Love their salad sampler, able to try 3 different Russian specialty dishes and share with the table. Honeycake is my new favorite dessert!

The food is amazing!!!! My husband and I are originally from Russia and we absolutely loved the food. We ordered salad sampler, hibiscus tea, pelmeni and beefstoganoff. Highlight for us was pelmeni because of the juice inside of them and the meat that was well spiced and seasoned. What a great find! Thank you for serving us.

Service was just ok. Nice and friendly, but not that attentive. Food took a while, and we were the only ones there. The borst was hardy and filling. I would recommend getting this to share if you want to try other things. It will fill you up. The flavor was good, not great. The pelminis were ok as well. Butter and dill were the only flavors I tasted. The mest inside was bland. I've had frozen pelminis in alaska that tasted better. The gouda spread was good but different tasting. A lot of carrots, and I think bolied egg in the spread. Didn't taste gouda much, but still, I would eat again. The absolute star of our visit was the honey cake. If anything, just go for the honey cake. So delicious, not too sweet, and perfectly layered with the right amounts of everything! The outside sitting was ok, but the inside is cute.

A little bit on the pricey side, but the food was tasty! The desserts are especially excellent.

Wonderful food and you can tell it's the real deal! The borscht was unique and unlike any other I have ever had. I loved the Russian beers too! You have to get the vodka balls they are a real star here!! Only reason for minus one star is they shoved us in a back room by the bathroom. Even though I said it was a special occasion.

The only positives I will say about the restaurant is that the service from the waiter was great and welcoming. I will say though, for the amount and quality of food you receive for the cost after tip and tax is not worth it at all. You get 9 dumplings in an order of the savory vareniki which end up being $3+ per dumpling. I am seeing in different reviews that some people receive as low as 7 dumplings per serving; the inconsistency just shows that you will be skimped out if given the chance. Additionally, the dumplings are in fact not savory and lack in umami flavor from being vegetarian, the name should be changed to "vegetarian vareniki" instead. For the lamb plof, I had about ten tiny pieces of lamb and the rice was very dry. A single entree after tip and tax will end up being $34-35+. I recommend for the vareniki to have a consistent number that will be served each time so customers can decide prior to ordering if the cost per dumpling is justifiable. [edit] The price for 7 dumplings from the savory vareniki is $14.95 if you order it during lunch time and from the response I was given, you will be upcharged $10 for 2 more dumplings if you order it during dinner time. Stronger umami flavor also naturally comes from other ingredients like meat and spices. which is what the vareniki lack. This is why I recommended earlier that the dish name should be changed to "vegetarian vareniki". Even the lamb plof lacked in umami flavor considering there were only slivers of protein given (as seen in the photos). The restaurant prices itself the same as a fine dining establishment, when the standard of food is no where near of that. If looking for a place that does meet a fine dining standard and gives reasonable portion sizes, Barbacoa in Boise would be the better option. As someone who likes to try food of different cultures, this restaurant experience has negatively changed my outlook on being more explorative and curious.

First time eating Russian cuisine and it did not disappoint! Tasty fresh food.Ambience was immaculately clean. Friendly service. I will be back to sample as much as I can.

I will begin by sharing by my enjoyment of the lovely space. The restaurant is clean, quaint, well- appointed and smells heavenly from the culinary expertise wafting from the kitchen. We were greeted and served by Joel who is very kind, attentive, and professional. We started with a glass of Red for me and Hibiscus Tea for my companion. This was joined by the Gouda Cheese Plate which was a delicious mixture of several ingredients and served with Pita and crackers. The carrot and mushroom salads came next and were beyond delicious (carrot salad our favorite of the two:) For the entree we both had our hearts set on the Beef Stroganoff and it did not disappoint. The flavor was amazing and the noodles were fresh. The portion was far larger than I could finish in one sitting so I was blessed with plenty to take home. I can honestly share that the of handful of times that I have dined out in Boise, Alyonka Russian Cuisine far surpassed my expectations and will be my place to go for a special meal out!!

Excellent food and outstanding service here. The staff is happy to explain the menu and recommend selections, they are spot on in my experiences here. This is a small restaurant with homemade menu items, and it does not disappoint!

Flavorless pelmeni, overpriced for unseasoned 80/20 in dough. It's a true disappointment to a rarely found dumpling. They jam packed 10 into a small styrofoam container. Cutting corners at every chance.

First time at a Russian restaurant, so I really don't have anything to compare to, I would rate this experience at its face value. I ordered a Borscht soup since I have seen it in most Russian culinary documentaries, it was good. For my main course I had a Beef Stroganoff with egg noodles, and Pelmeni, some Russian dumplings, this part of the meal was honestly underwhelming; the noodles were not very good, and neither was the beef, the Pelmeni were a little better. I ordered the dessert sampler to try a little bit of everything, the Honey cake, the Lemon creme and the Vodka ball were my favorite. Overall an interesting experience, but for the price there are many better options.

I had never had Russian food before last night, but it is delicious! I have passed this cute little restaurant on State St. so many times, and saved it to my list of spots I have been meaning to try, and I'm so glad I finally had the opportunity! I loved everything about this place. The atmosphere, the food and the extremely friendly staff! I came with a small group to celebrate my birthday and it was perfect. We got the smoked Gouda appetizer to share and it was insanely flavorful! I had the beef stroganoff with egg noodles (the ultimate comfort food) for my entree, and we closed the night out with honey cake and lemon mousse! I also had the berry hibiscus tea and that might be my new favorite beverage in Boise lol. Seriously so good and refreshing and perfectly sweetened! I unfortunately didn't get any photos of the meal, because I was distracted with a baby and catching up with friends, but one friend got a photo of the staff singing happy birthday to me in Russian which was such a sweet moment! I will 100% be back to visit! Another Boise gem!

Alyonka has been open for socially distanced inside dining in the charming space for some weeks now and there are also three tables outside that have umbrella covers and with heat lamps nearby for folks who want to enjoy outside dining here. I think you'll probably need to call for reservations for both dining options; reservations aren't mandatory but probably wise given seating limits. My hubby and I still aren't doing in person dining, even outside, so we are enjoying Elena's wonderful food through take out options. She now has ordering option available on her website ( https://alyonkarussiancuisine.com/ ) and in our experience it works flawlessly to place an order which she will deliver to the parking lot or which you can go in to pick up at the counter. Every take out meal is delicious. The other night on the heels of difficult medical news for me we had "date night" at home courtesy of Alyonka because I knew I would feel better by enjoying Elena's food and so I did. :-) We shared borscht (I still say this is the best ever), cabbage filled and chutney filled pirozhkis, stroganoff - choosing the wonderful buckwheat option to go with it - and honey cake for dessert. My hubby doesn't eat beef and I eat very little of it but Elena's stroganoff is so good that it it "calls my name" and my hubby also breaks his no beef rule to enjoy it with me. And I can scarcely believe this is so because I used to cook and eat buckwheat (groats) often as a single lady but it seems we have not had buckwheat at home in all the decades we have been married and he loves Elena's buckwheat with the stroganoff. On other days we have chosen blini and pork kabob with the great carrot salad and rice and a red bell (I think) sauce so delicious I could eat it by the pint if I had the chance. And we always include the best ever borscht and sometimes one of Elena's delectable desserts. Whether you want to take out of dine in (where all covid19 protocols are being carefully followed), Alyonka's food is as special as the woman who creates it.

Great service, unique and tasty food... the dipping sauce she serves on the kabob plate is incredible. Also the honey cake will change your world, be sure to take some home for breakfast, it's amazing with coffee.

Elena and her staff are so friendly and inviting! Everything we ate from the pelmeni's to honey cake was beautifully presented and delicious! Thank you for a beautiful meal!

Great food, great service! The beef stroganoff is excellent, but the dessert sampler is fantastic!

OMG, it was wonderful food! Very personable waitress. I highly recommend going to this restaurant. The honey cake is to die for. Thank you so much!

Came here last night for the first time, greeted by the friendly server and I was sat immediately. My partner had been here before many times, but this was my first. We ordered the salmon appetizer, stroganoff, and pelmeni. Everything was fresh and superb, and the owner/chef came out to greet us at the end of the night. Genuinely friendly family service and I understand why the restaurant was packed on a week night! We will definitely be back.