Russian & Turkish Baths
Sauna · East Village ·
Saunas, steam rooms, cold plunges, massages, and cafe
Saunas, steam rooms, cold plunges, massages, and cafe
"I wouldn’t think of a spa as the first place to meet people, but New Yorkers are doing just that: communal bathhouses are not uncommon in the city, and the Russian & Turkish Baths in the East Village is a nearly 135‑year‑old communal bathhouse." - Devorah Lev-Tov Devorah Lev-Tov Devorah Lev-Tov has been a travel, food, and drinks journalist for more than a decade, with bylines in publications like The New York Times, Vogue, and Bon Appétit, in addition to Travel + Leisure. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"The bath house is an iconic neighborhood establishment that opened in 1892 and is currently run by Boris and David. It’s not your typical Manhattan spa and there is nothing fancy about it but you’ll leave feeling relaxed and refreshed. Along with the baths they offer different treatments and massages. In the summer they open up the sun deck on the roof so people can layout. A pro-tip: BYOS — Bring Your Own Sandals." - Champions
"If these sauna walls could talk. The Russian & Turkish Baths opened in 1892, and if you just want to dip your toes into the colorful history of this East Village institution, you can visit the cafe without buying a day pass. But the restorative borscht and wrinkly pierogi are at their most comforting when you emerge hot and hungry from a session in the notoriously high-temp Russian room, and possibly smarting from a platza treatment (a thorough spanking with oak leaves). Like the baths downstairs, the dining area feels like a very social but somewhat dilapidated gym. People drink cranberry kompot or beer, while past visitors like John Belushi and Frank Sinatra look down from articles on the wall." - willa moore, will hartman, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah, jonathan smith, anne cruz
"The Russian & Turkish Baths have kept East Villagers well-scrubbed since 1892. Today, anyone emerging from its various heated rooms—glowing, hungry, and possibly smarting from a platza treatment (a thorough spanking with oak leaves)—is surrounded by many great food options. But a bowl of their restorative borscht or comforting pierogies just feels right, especially between sessions in the steam room, or the notoriously hot Russian room. The baths downstairs are like a very social but somewhat dilapidated gym, and that atmosphere extends to the haphazardly cleared tables of the upstairs cafe area too. People in various states of undress eat blintzes and drink cranberry kompot, or sip 10th Street Lager, brewed specially for the place. Past visitors like John Belushi and Frank Sinatra look on from framed articles on the wall. If you’d just like to dip your toes into the colorful history of this place, you can drop in for a meal without buying a pass. Food Rundown Anna’s Borscht The most popular dish, this is a great bowl of vegetarian borscht: a deep red, more opaque than the aromatherapy room downstairs, and full of little strips of beet. It comes with toast and some sour cream. photo credit: Sonal Shah Pierogi Available stuffed with potato or slightly sweet, mashed cabbage, the dumplings come sweating and nestled in their own little ceramic pot sauna. We love their wrinkled skin and two-bite size. photo credit: Sonal Shah Beef Stroganoff This is a big plate of comfort: fluffy mashed potatoes, tender strips of beef (which taste good even if unevenly reheated), and squeaky, quartered button mushrooms. photo credit: Sonal Shah" - Sonal Shah
"During a visit to the bathhouse I shared bowls of pierogi and pelmeni ($8–$10 per order, served with a side of sour cream and stuffed with potato or meat) in between stints in the sauna, a reminder that the baths’ cafe offers restorative snacks as part of the communal, occasionally chaotic, but ultimately calming experience." - Eater Staff