Matryoshka

Haven't had authentic Russian food like this one for a long time, especially in Manhattan. This unique restaurant is connected to the spa, and it is easy to miss the entrance. The mushroom soup is so delicious! The Moscow Pelmeni are also testy, the cabbage rolls are average, I will try different filling next time. The price is affordable and the portion is very generous👍 Many movie and sports stars have visited it. It has many steps down/up and turns and with herbal smells from the spa, but worth it. I will definitely go back.

Wow. What some great good. Little place tucked away in a Turkish bath house but worth going. Very friendly staff and gave great recomondations. The food was so tasty. I've never been to Russia but I'm assuming if I had a Russian grandmother this is how they would cook the food. So good.

Such a gem in the middle of the city. We were visiting with a baby and noticed they had a restaurant (also a spa). They went out of their way to help us find a location to change a diaper and then introduced us to some excellent food the we literally cannot find in Texas. If you are curious about Russian cuisine this is your spot. It was excellent and the service was above and beyond. Highly recommend

I loved this place. It was exactly what I wanted for this particular experience. Disclaimer: I expected and desired a hole in the wall. The interior and exterior would have you guessing that the food would not be any good. This is unfortunate, as the service and food beats that of more modern looking restaurants. This is the place for Russian food done right. I recommend the lunch specials, for thrift and for variety.

Took my mother here so she could try Russian cuisine for the first time. Everything was delicious. Portions were fair, and the decore really tied it all together.

Great Nastoyka and Sala but I found the pelmini lacking.

Having never tried Russian cuisine before, I'll say this... it's delicious! There were 5 of us, each ordered something different and every dish was just as good as the next. Will definitely go back to try more items. They also have a spa, may have to give it a try too. Definitely recommend!

This place is tucked away underground inside a sauna, so it's like having lunch in a speakeasy, but the borscht was really good! The meatballs and salad were also good and sizeable in portion, competitively priced at $13. The service was stereotypically Russian.

4 - Met Expectations Had the borscht and varenki. Pretty standard place for Russian food. No complaints.

Everything we had was great and felt like homemade cooking. We had the hot borscht soup (good pumpernickel bread that comes with it), potato pancakes, Moscow style baked Pelmeni (chicken/mushroom), and potato vereniki. All was great just definitely heavy food so had to get a green salad too. The restaurant is inside an aged Russian spa and the decor has a very traditional vibe. Felt like stepping into a time machine or travelled to old Russian time and hard to believe it's the financial district.

Tried Russian food for the first time at this charming restaurant hidden within a spa. Despite being a bit tricky to locate, it's worth the find. The place was nearly empty, likely because it caters mostly to spa-goers eating on-site. The staff was friendly and service was quick. Prices were affordable too. The Beef Tongue, served cold, had a taste reminiscent of cold spam. The Harcho soup was delightful, with rice that melted in your mouth. The Moscow Style Pelmeni stole the show, bursting with flavors. Don't miss out on those dumplings! The drinks, including the refreshing Kompot and the light malta or Guinness-like Kvas, were a perfect match. Definitely recommend giving this place a try.

Lets start with the delivery -I wrote three separate times the phone number to call/tex in the delivery instructions and yet no one called or texted me to let me know where my order was. Food - just awful, there was zero flavor in the stuffed cabbage. And it was covered in tomato paste, Ive made better. Not worth the price of 18$ -the pelemenie was only about 12 and there was no sauce, no utensils no dill. Overall this will be a pass for me, service was awful and the food did not taste like traditional Russian food.

The entrance was a little confusing as we had to walk though the spa and down and up several steps. You get to look down on the spa on the way in and see folks lounging around as well as feel the steam rising. It made me nostalgic for an onsen. We sat in a cafeteria-style room with several tables. We were the only customers. The waiter brought menus and gave us a few minutes to order. He was really helpful by making suggestions based on our questions. We went with the Greek salad, beef tongue, Kiev style pelmeni, and lamb skewers. The tongue came first which was very tender and was even better with the grated horseradish. We also ordered beer to accompany the meal which were big (16oz?). I really enjoyed the Greek salad, especially the basturma - little strips of deliciousness. The Kiev pelmeni was baked with dumplings, mushroom and cheese/cream on top. It was good but some parts of the dumpling were hard and needed to be rolled around in the sauce to soften. The lamb was the only dish we didn't love. It was a bit tough and didn't have much seasoning. Aside from the lamb, it was a solid meal.

I don't understand why there isn't a line a mile long for the vareniki in this place. absolutely amazing - almost as good as my mother's and that is saying something. There is a weird ambiance and a bizarre floor plan - but it was worth it for the food.

As others have most likely mentioned, this is a bizarre experience. You wind up walking down multiple levels through a bath house to find the restaurant. The restaurant receives the same bath house air, so get used to it. The food though is authentic and delicious! I went here about 10 years ago and live in the area and promise to go back when we can.

Matryoshka was One of my favorite take out restaurant. I has enjoyed the ir cosine for many years. Today is my birthday and I wanted to one again enjoy their food. I was very disappointed, the borscht was terrible, very thin broth and the meat over cooked and flavorless. We ordered chicken Tabaka was greasy and the skin was not crisp, Last time I order from this restaurant Raul Alvaro

This place is inside the Wall Street bath house. This review is a bit of a copy. I ordered from the 2nd lunch menu. The food took a bit to come out though. The bread was the generic good as other Russian places go. I got some compote to drink which was good and fruity. I got the beef tongue as my appetizer. The portion size was good and the food was also. My harcho was quite a bit more spiced compared to other places. There was a lot of black pepper and some thyme or some similar green. A bit too many bones without lamb on them. It lacked a bit of the lamb fattiness as well from some other places. It was in short just OK if not a bit bad. The golubtsy/stuffed cabbage was massive. It was Georgian style at least according to the menu which came stuffed with carrots as well. I found the meat to be good albeit a bit sweet. It was a very light tomato sauce. The sour cream helped reduce the sweetness. The portion sizes are large and the food was not that expensive which is a lot to be said for this area. Not bad. 2.9.

My Russian coworker took us here for lunch. There were over 10 of us and she made reservations for us at 11:30, before the restaurant opened. If you have a group, I highly recommend making a reservation or going early because the restaurant is pretty small. There was one server for most of the time we were there, not somewhere to go for a speedy lunch. The lunch special is a great value and there are two price points, but you are welcome to pick courses from the cheaper menu and go with a more expensive entree. You get a salad, soup, and then an entree. Some of the entrees come with a side of buckwheat, rice, or fries. The table also gets a I got the Olivier salad, which is like a potato/egg salad that my mom makes. Also got borscht soup (how can you not) which tasted similar to the Chinese version. I couldn't see any beets. For my main, I had the chicken tabaka, which is roasted chicken. I had to take half of that home. Since it's in a bathhouse, you do smell the bathhouse. The air conditioning was cracked up in the restaurant.

small restaurant, good Russian food. Service was good, they serve lunch specials and food a la cart. There are spa services and pools available in the building.

Had the vegetable Bosch soup with pickled vegetables... wide variety of appetizing vegetarian dishes along with dumpling, a variety of fish and other Russian dishes ... and the best part is the restaurant shares space with the Wall Street steam room, spa and swimming pool. Hidden gem in the financial district. Reasonable prices.

I LOVE THIS BANYA! I've been to banyas all over Brooklyn and even some in Moscow and this place is legit. I don't understand the poor reviews. Its not a luxury spa by any means, but that's not what you should expect when you go to a banya. The atmosphere is perfect, relaxed and Russian AF. The decor is adorable and full of matroshki. The food is incredible. If you're Russian, you know its hard to find good Russian food outside of Brooklyn. The food here is authentic, delicious, well priced Russian food. Sometimes I just get takeout since I work so close by. I cannot recommend this place enough!

Went for a birthday to have relaxing time and instead had worst experience ever. Waitress Tanya (blond hair) is extremely rude with attitude. Customer service is terrible. No one comes to clean the table or take order. Facility is dated and need renovation. Towels feels like 100 years old. Time to change! Instead of white they are grey. Paid for 2 people (adult-+kid), but got only one locker. During winter time its hard to fit in( boots and coats). Restaurant- boys were nice, but forgot to make 2 orders. Ordered bronzini and chicken tabaka and they didn't have it, but surely added to the bill. Overcharged by $80 with the food we didn't get!!! Unbelievable!!!! Never again!!!

Incredible food, excellent service, friendly staff, great vibes. I highly recommend and will most definitely be back!

I work around here and sometimes go in for their lunch special. The last time I went, I started off with their energy salad, had some chicken soup, and ended with a cutlet. The cutlet and soup were really bland but I really enjoyed the salad. I have had their dumplings in the past as well, and they were much better. The service, as always, was terrible. I had to wait for what felt like hours to get a glimpse of the waiter and give my order or ask for my check. The servers also seem rushed and did not answer any questions I had the past few times I went. However, given the location, the food is dirt cheap and can't be beat.

Honestly I expected this experience to be a great one and it fell so so so flat. The food was fine. I ordered pork chops with buckwheat. The problem was the "waiter". This is a Russian restaurant within a Russian bathhouse (banya). I'm Russian and I went in there and politely asked for the menu to take out. I spoke only Russian and the waiter would only respond back in English as if he had no idea what I was saying, or as if he didn't speak Russian. I found that extremely weird, especially when he was speaking Russian to the other table that was seated already. I took offense to this. I also took offense to his attitude the entire time I was there. It was empty other than myself, the other table and one other person. When I ordered I asked in Russian if the pork chop was good and he said yes very abruptly and I asked him again to see if he could elaborate about how it's prepared etc. instead he arrogantly asked me "Do you want it or not?!" Eventually after I ordered I asked how long approximately until it would be ready and he walked away ignoring me completely. I'm 100% done with this place, which sucks because I live so close to the restaurant and love eating homestyle Russian food like at my family's house. Not coming back. I suggest management teach their wait staff how to behave. This is a customer service industry! I'll be taking my business to Mari Vanna in Flatiron or a few of the other places a bit further away.

This place is a hidden gem! You have to walk through a maze to find it, but once you arrive you'll be comforted with home style Russian food. Everything is good. The Borscht, the cutlets, heck even the tomato salad. The fresh herbs will hit your nose before the plate arrives. Lunch specials are ~$12 and comes with your drink which makes it a good deal for the area. Just ask the person at the front desk where the restaurant is or follow the signs. This is a great place to impress someone for a business lunch and you'll get bonus points if their grandma feed them Eastern European cuisine.

A little wait but you will eat the best home style Russian food you ever had don't be afraid to order a lot cause the food is real good and cheap for New York prices ..give your self time to just enjoy a great dining experience in the heart of FIDI . Try everything you always wanted to try again in Russian food ...enjoy

The management here is doing a very very bad job. Lunch start at 12pm and workers coming to work same time, they to greedy to pay them from 11am . Plus the they start charging $10 for cork charge for the liquor. which is not acceptable in Russian place , most of the russian people from wall street go here to drink not for the 2+ food. My guys will never come back.

DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS PLACE! One star is too generous. I ordered from seamless and the prices are incredibly too high for the portion size and quality of the food. The beef stroganoff is horrible, my mother makes it far better. The mashed potatoes are lumpy and disgusting. I don't know how the hell someone could mess up mashed potatoes Just save your money and trust me when I say it's AWFUL! Waste of money. I'm so angry

Love the pelmeni and the stroganoff !!!!! The verenki with cherry is delicious and the Napoleon cake hit the spot.

This is a review for a restaurant that is by all accounts inside a Russian banya. I was eating next to a guy sitting around in nothing but an open bathrobe and tighty whities with quite a spread in front of him, smoked salmon, beef stroganoff, caviar, mineral water, vodka, other delicacies I missed. Now there's a guy who knows how to live. I was half expecting him to tie a napkin around his neck and demand a heated blankie or perhaps vodka soaked gummy bears. What I'm saying is most of your dining companions will be in boxers and makeshift bikinis, which might be fine for you. My friend and I came here just for dinner. I was wearing my coat. I really wanted to bring my friend to El Gran Castillo de Jagua after that because I'm greedy so we shared and ate relatively lightly. This is authentic Russian/Ukrainian food, simple with not a staple missed. Stuffed cabbage, vareniki (cherry dumplings), kharcho (lamb soup), maybe fifteen items on the menu, simple and direct. I tried the frikadeli (chicken meatball) soup, which is usually prescribed as part of a bland diet. Meaning I usually totally hate it. It was lovely and salty. The stuffed cabbage was tender outer leaves and meat, with a tasty sauce. Probably numbering among the best stuffed cabbage I've had (and they didn't cut the minced meat with no rice either!) We ended our meal with cherry vareniki because I insisted. They were quite good, though with a bit too much cherry sauce on top. I probably enjoyed the first two courses the most because I was surprised how good food can taste in a restaurant inside a Russian banya. And how they can make a dish that's usually last on my list a favorite part of the meal. Though it's expensive and I have some kind of fear of actually bathing in a banya (it's weird I know), I want to at least come back to the restaurant. I'll try to forget that my friend and I peeked into one of the private rooms with a pool table and a tv and saw one of the guys in robes lying around flop naked. Um sorry dude.

The management here is doing a great job. Matryoshka is almost as good as anything you'll find in Brighton Beach. Great service at the restaurant. I always see the same waiter but he is extra attentive and quick. Very nice guy too. The borscht and pilmeyni are very authentic. The same for the blintzes. I'm Russian and this tastes just like my grandma's food. Bonus points for the kompot which is spot on. I've ordered delivery from there once and it was super fast and everything was piping hot. I was entertaining a large group and everyone enjoyed the food. In fact, Russian culture and politics became the topic of discussion for e rest of the evening because of the food. They have a $30 minimum, but I think that's more than fair. This isn't exactly fast food. I've never tried the dessert but looking forward to the Napoleon based on their other reviews. Overall, Matroyska is A+++ for service and quality of food. I predict it will be the next "hipster hangout" and Wall St. investment banker dinner spot.

I was excited that a Russian restaurant finally offered delivery to our area. Yeah, think again. Here is the run-down: Borscht - some of my least favorite in NYC. Just doesn't taste right and I can barely tell what some of the vegetables in it are. Also very expensive for the small portion you get. Vareniki (cherry) - mediocre. Has funky aftertaste. Blintzes (cheese) - actually pretty good in principle, but completely burned the second time I had them. Beef stroganoff - meh. Fish assortment platter - absolutely terrible, stay away!!! Greasy, oversalted, and full of bones. Just don't go there. The free cake they throw in is actually quite good. I really wish these guys would hire a better cook because I badly WANT to like them. Another downside: $30 minimum for delivery.

I love their lunch! House salad - delicious. Very good fish soup. I tried blintzes and vareniki - both really delicious.

Just ordered from this place on seamless. For the price, the portion is very small. The beef stroganoff has very weird meat and taste terrible. very disappointed. this is the second time that I have ordered from here and I will never order again. do not order from this place.

Such a grate place. The service here is good and nice atmosphere. Food is always fresh, good quality and extremely delicious. You can also order for a fast, free delivery.

best russian food in the area, so good!!!! I highly recommend it, best homestyle food in the neighborhood, exactly like home.

I live near the restaurant and really enjoy a few of the dishes. They are very fast (delivery) and very consistent. The chicken cutlet with fried egg and buckwheat are excellent. I don't love the $30 minimum, however.