Brooklyn Banya Russian Bathouse and Spa

No frills banya. The saunas and hot tub are hot and clean. Not too crowded. They have this Ancient Greece thing going on with the decor, which gives it a cool vibe. I didn’t get any food but the tea is really good. It’s a really enjoyable experience if you go in with the right expectations. Definitely not a luxury experience but that’s okay. Not every place has to be.

My girlfriend and I went there on Saturday. I been to this banya few times. Banya is ok. The stuff is awful. Lady is screaming on the other lady in Russian the whole time. Towels were with holes. I came to tell to the lady she started giving me excuses that didn’t make any sense. Regards holes in the towels. The worse time was when we were leaving and I paid for my food. Lady in front ask me DO YOU WANT TO OEQVE TIP. I AAID NO. SHE DIDNT STOP. SHE ASKED ME WHY NOT ? I said u guys were yelling the whole Tim e when I asked you something you gave attitude. People come her to relax and have positive vibes you have so much anger and negativity here Lady replied NO PROBLEM NECT TIME U WILL REMEMBER YOU AND NOT GIVE YOU SERVICE. PEOPLE ATAY AWAY FROM THIS HORRIBLE PPAFE. SO UNPROFESSIONAL. Also she said to us only cash and after us people paid Thru zelle but she didn’t tell us about option to pay with zelle. Very fishy. FOOD WAS BAD SALTY AND NIT TASTY. THEY LET YOU BRING OWN ALCOHOL AND FOOD THERE

I really love this place... It's like a great "bad habit". LoL Every 6months or so my husband & I go and enjoy half a day here! There are plenty of pros & a few cons. And to each their own, but in case it helps, here are my general thoughts, In brief: PRO: the food is unreal!! You haven't eaten bread until you try this "lavash" this one is fluffy & scrumptious--filled w delight PRO: the Healthy nourishing is maybe a better word food & drinks are served in VERY generous --shareable-- portions the salads & perogis are fresh and flavorful PRO: stay as long as you like, bring games, relax PRO: sauna options--the place is not "huge"--but it's Brooklyn CON: each time I've come with a groupon--there was a challenge to Its validity/use/dates, etc but just stick with it...it's worth it PLUS know you will need to pay gratuity $16 each CON: Price $45 to enter + food + tips adds up, but worth the treat now & again CON: décor is very dated... One review I read said " sauna-meets-my-russian-grandmas-livingroom"... #accurate, but once again, worth it, and it may seem a bit "worn" I.e. lockers need an update...bits of rust marks noticeable...not the end of the world, but still BUT I've never found it dirty PRO: some outside space for "open/ fresh air"-->" valuable" in the busy city CON: neighborhood is a bit run down again, just try not to think about it--focus on the relaxation CON: I'm never sure exactly when the chef comes but again...worth the wait!! PRO: Access to massage services! I've found it oddly frustrating that many massage places in The city esp Manhattan don't have a place to shower after...which esp if you want to use public transport makes for a very oily trekk home--very "unrelaxing" if you ask me... Also after a massage-- you can easily go back to relaxing at the sauna...all in all: a great environment for a massage! Pro: Banya Kitty!!! Enough said! Tip: Come early, when they first open...fewer people!! Feels like it's your own space!

Jacuzzi was filmy, people were smoking inside, the floors were dirty, and a cat lives in the women’s locker room. Like, it really lives there. Full time. And stared at me as I changed. A. Cat.

Too bad can't visit more often nowadays - staff is great and very hospitable, environment is clean

The spot was very nice! Well-maintained, nice facilities, and good communal vibe :

Amazing and authentic Russian banya experience. Price is worth it.

I had the most amazing time.

The bathroom in the men’s locker room was outrageously dirty and left a bad first impression. For example, the sink was filthy. However, I kept an open mind and hoped for the best. When we were sat down at a fold out table, a customer came up to us and yelled at us that they reserved that table. After 10 minutes of confusion between management, they asked us to move to a different fold out table they took from a closet. When we sat down again, the gentleman that opened it up for us told us to be very careful as it was a broken table and had a tendency to collapse The place was completely filled and they had absolutely no tables and gave us a broken one. My friends and I decided to leave and ask for a refund as they could not provide us with a table and the place itself was quite dirty. The lady at the front desk immediately raised her voice and called the owner who promptly told us that there would be no refunds. The front desk lady refused to speak to us. The owner told the lady to sit us down at the restaurant and the two started arguing about there being absolutely no space for us. When I asked the lady why she didn’t warn us about minimal space, she aggressively told me that I should have used my own eyes and looked inside. All in all, the place itself was dirty, reeked of urine, and is sorely mismanaged. They had absolutely no space to accommodate my friends and I but conveniently forgot to tell us this until after taking our money and refusing a refund.

My rating relates to the way this place is managed, which seriously tainted my experience. The facilities did the trick, wait staff was lovely, and food was good. But based on how the staff acted, it was clear that they were not being treated well by management. On our way out, the credit card machine didn’t work and we were asked to go to the ATM next door although there was a withdrawal fee. The young woman at the front desk was lovely, patient, and apologetic. But I felt sorry for her because it was clear that her boss had given her no options on how to deal with situations that would require a supervisor’s decision, and the line of people waiting for the machine to be restored and trying to leave without paying was obviously stressful for her. I also have reason to believe that some of the staff fears for their job security and may even have payment withheld at times. I won’t give examples because I do not want to expose anyone to punishment, but I will say that a shvitz is a shvitz, and if I’m going to shvitz, I would much rather drop my money at a place where management treats their staff with respect.