Veselka

One of my favorite restaurants in NYC. It’s definitely a spot you shouldn’t miss. I’ve always loved the vibe in here and the service is excellent. Nice staff and servers. Love going here for brunch. Their pierogis are a must try for sure. I love that they have seasonal specials as well which is always good to try. Highly recommend this place.

This was my father‘s favorite restaurant for many years, and he would often organize his recreational activities so that he would end up nearby. Such an interesting and eclectic East Village crowd. There’s an interesting assortment of pierogies, borscht, stuffed cabbage, and other east European specialties. There is frequently a line to get in, but it moves pretty quickly, and the staff is always working very hard to please customers. This is very basic stuff, do not expect subtle flavors or artistic presentation but you will leave happy with a full stomach and not a tremendous dent in your wallet.

Not too much to add that others haven’t said: great staff, quick service, great menu variety, fair prices, delicious, quality food. Both times I’ve been I’ve had great experiences and have not had to wait long even though it was busy. Borscht was very tasty but the Medovyk honey cake with sour cream and walnuts was a MUST HAVE!

Absolutely amazing and probably my favorite restaurant that I visited while in NYC. I knew I wanted to visit for months before actually arriving in NY and drug my husband around to all the places I wanted to go, Veselka included. We were sat outside with no wait and our server attended to us quickly. It was not the overly friendly service I think we are accustomed to as Americans but I felt that made it seem a little more authentic. I took a risk I'm not one for that usually and tried the Ukrainian borscht, thinking I probably wouldn't like it and I didn't. I LOVED IT. We had several different items and my husband ended up ordering 2 entrees while I finished my one because he enjoyed the first so much and wanted more food. We also took the recommendation of our server to get the honey cake and that was very tasty as well. I can't wait for the next time I visit and can come back here.

We love this place. The staff is wonderful, the food is amazing home style and it’s a NYC institution. Always a great meal. Thank you all Cheers to Carly for the super sweet service Vegetarian options: There are vegetables

Both the of the borscht were amazing. One of the best soups I have ever had. We got two different combination plates: the latke with beef stroganoff and the cabbage roll with the different pierogis and a sausage. The side additions were so flavorful. Always such fast service as well

I had their Beef Stroganoff and a Cappuccino. The crowd was medium, and we got a table without reservation at around 9 a in the morning. The food is so so delicious. Loved our first experience of Ukrainian food. Would love to return when we revisit NYC.Dine in: YesOutdoor seating: No

I write this review knowing that the reputation of Veselka more than precedes it, but I am doing so anyway because I simply had to share my experience. Case in point: I told a friend I ate at a Ukrainian restaurant Downtown, and he immediately replied, "Veselka?" The day I patronised the restaurant was particularly cold, and there was a line outside to get in. It would have been a miserably frostbitten experience but for the heat lamps along the way and the reassurances of the kind staff that our party would soon be seated. Once inside, we were attended to and subsequently served almost instantly, despite how busy it was during lunchtime. And this brings us to the food: simply wonderful! Although most of us were first-timers more on that in a minute, my friend whose family is Ukrainian and Slovak swears by the dishes here, and with good reason. Every plate was picked clean within minutes! And the pricing, considering the quality and city, was quite fair. As we left the restaurant, I made sure to tell the gentleman who appeared to be the owner and/or manager how so many of us had never been before — but that we would be back.

Unforgettable dinner! Quick and friendly service, they were also generous with advice as I wasn’t super familiar with Ukrainian food but very willing to learn. Each of the three courses was delicious, particularly the fried pierogi.

Great food!!!! Only issue I had was it went too fast and my stomach didn't have room for more. Wish I lived in NY to eat more of this. Waitress was really knowledgeable and helpful, nice too! Great place to try. You won't regret it!