Was looking for a Russian restaurant to take my husband to when we visited the city with my parents (he's from St Petersburg). We loved it! My husband says the restaurant is more Georgian style, but so very delicious! We ordered borscht, vareniki, Tzarevna dumplings, khachapurri, and -- my favorite -- shuba! Tzarevna is sort of a trendier version of all the traditional foods, so the shuba was very cute when it came out. My husband also said he liked it better than his mom's (hopefully she never sees this review! Lol) since it's a little less herring-heavy than it is traditionally made, so it would be a great way to try it out for someone new to Russian/Georgian cuisine. We also had syrniki for dessert, which was delicious. My mother is *not* adventurous with food and she really enjoyed all of the foods we ordered, and my husband was happy with the nostalgia of his comfort foods. It was a win! As I said earlier, it's a trendier spin on the traditional favorites, so the space is both nostalgic and cozy while having a sort of mid-century modern spin. Definitely a great spot to try if anyone is new to food from this region and wants to have a great dinner! And EVERYONE should order the khachapurri because it is just delicious (picture attached). Thanks for a great evening!
Cindy F.
Truly a hidden gem with its affordability and quality. Georgia / Eastern-European food is not the easiest to come by in NYC, but Tzarevna pulls off elevated fare with fresh, quality ingredients without being too rich or decadent. My first dining experience at Tzarevna was a joy - we ordered some of the common dishes, and were even able to order one wine tasting for my party of 3. Standout dishes for me were the duck, dumplings, and khachapurri. Even better was the bill that came at the end - for food of this quality + the wine tasting, this meal was a steal. Take a chance on Tzarevna - you'll have no regrets.
Ti W.
I came here because I was craving for borscht, and it was ok borscht but a bit on the oily side (I asked for the beef borscht). We also ordered the salad with beets, potato and marinated herrings, and it was very delicious. The signature dumplings were well flavored with a lot of dill and other spice, but again the only downside was that they were a bit too oily for me. In general, this can be a nice cozy restaurant to try out some Eastern European food if you are curious, and it's probably as good as what you can get in the US.
Azadeh Nematzadeh
Great food and experience, perfect spot on the lower east side. They have the best honey cake.
Michael Fil
Delicious food and great service. Flavors are true to what my family would prepare. Super fresh and yummy.
isaiah oh
Beautiful eatery tucked away on a trendy street. Got a chance to see inside the kitchen and was inspired by Chef Ricky's passion for food. The menu showcases Russian/Eastern European cuisine with integrity and innovation, with each dish having it's own character. Really glad I was introduced to the food here, and am looking forward to seeing its growth.
Kathy X.
Ever since I first heard about this restaurant when the owner competed on Chopped, I have been wanting to try this place. This place was then featured on another Food Network show, touting it as serving the best Khacapuri, which is Georgian cheese bread, in NYC. I was finally able to try this place for dinner on a chilly, wintery evening. The interior decor was elegant and inviting with warm lighting, cute artwork, as well as knick knacks on the wall, and cozy ambiance. I ordered the Crab Khacapuri, which is their signature dish. This is their housemade sourdough cheesy bread. In the center of the sourdough was crab meat with a raw egg yolk, along with celery. It was absolutely delicious! The bread was pillowy soft and tasty, while having a slight, satisfying crunch. There was ample amount of mouthwatering melty, boldly flavorful cheese with amazing pull, which was the perfect pairing for the delightfully well seasoned crab meat. So, is it the best Khachapuri in NYC? Since I haven't tried a ton of Khacapuri in general, that's hard for me to answer, but this version is pretty darn amazing! Then I had the "Tzarevna" meat dumplings, which consisted of veal and pork. The dumplings were lightly fried, served with sage and pomegranate. In the middle of the plate, there was a creamy yogurt sauce filled with spices, and topped with scallions. This dish was quite generous with 16 circular little dumplings. (I took most of it home, since the Khachapuri was so filling) It was also plated very nicely. However, the taste left much to be desired. The meat filling was on the bland side and the outer shell wasn't that crunchy. Also, there was very little pomegranate. Service was lovely. The waitress was so nice and engaged me in conversation. The staff in general were friendly and polite. Overall, I really enjoyed the Khacapuri, but was disappointed by the dumplings. I probably won't return for awhile, though would like to try the honey cake at some point.
Abby B.
Honestly, I haven't actually been IN the restaurant, but I love it here. I order delivery a wholleeeee lot, and I have never disliked one single thing. To be fair, I almost only ever get the khachapurri, but that thing is unreal. No lie, my friend just said, "whoa" after he tried it. It's unsettling. Anyway, I hate writing reviews; I find them to be pretty up-their-own-ass and self-important in general, so when I write one it's because a place TRULY deserves it, and damn, they do. Tonight I opened my order to find a note on a box that said "extra order of dumplings, so you can have them." Y'all, if that doesn't bring a tear to your eye, grow a soul. ILY, Tzarevna, even if I'll never know how to pronounce you.
Geoff W.
We had our anniversary dinner at Tsarevna, and the food and the service were both top-notch. Our waiter was attentive, very kind, and extremely helpful with the menu. We split the Tsarevna dumplings as an appetizer and they were mouth-wateringly delicious. My duck plov was to die for, and my partner loved the beef stroganoff. The wine was fantastic, and the honey cake was a great dessert. This place would be great anytime, but they particularly need support right now. Please support them, and don't blame them for an autocrat's overseas decision!
Glenn C.
My main dish was the Duck plov/ or rice pilaf with cumin, carrots, and barberries. This was very tasty with a good amount of shredded duck. The berries added some extra sourness and overall I would say it reminded me of some of the Plov you find more in Azeri cuisine because of the fruitier flavor. Another person ordered the stroganoff which is pricey on the main menu but fantastic. I'm surprised the most expensive dish is on the prix-fixe but sure why not. Their only complaint about the latter is that there wasn't enough of the sauce to go with the buckwheat. I also tried a dumpling from someone else which was fine. I started with the Solyanka/ a soup made with salami (or listed with smoked ham on the main menu and I'm sure if there's actually a difference,) olives, and mushrooms and served with sour cream of course. I've had the soup prior with fish and with meat and compared to other places, I would say perhaps it was a little bit less sour then the usual but it was still very tasty. I tried a piece of their khachapuri from someone else's non prix-fixe menu which was fine as well as the Shuba/Herring under a fur coat which was a tasty version though less fishy then the usual. My main dish was the Duck plov/ or rice pilaf with cumin, carrots, and barberries. This was very tasty with a good amount of shredded duck. The berries added some extra sourness and overall I would say it reminded me of some of the Plov you find more in Azeri cuisine because of the fruiter flavor. Another person ordered the stroganoff which is pricey on the main menu but fantastic. I'm surprised the most expensive dish is on the prix-fixe but sure why not. Their only complaint about the latter is that there wasn't enough of the sauce to go with the buckwheat. I also tried a dumpling from someone else which was fine. As there's only two choices of desserts, I ordered the Honey Cake/Medovik/ and another person had the Syrniki/ or quark pancakes served with condensed milk and jam. The honey cake is fine but I'm spoiled by the very good one found in some other spots so we both preferred the latter which was very well made. Overall the food here was very tasty. I'm not sure if I would have found the menu to be as reasonable if said prix-fixe menu wasn't there but as of right now, I would say it's worth it.
Cute Russian restaurant in LES with great reviews! Love the vibes and decorations. My favorite were the potatoes and the honey cakes. Yummm!
Greg F.
We were hungry and cold on a snowy day in NYC. Somehow we found an oasis of warmth and incredible food at Tsarevna. Beautifully decorated, great service and an old-world elegant but unpretentious feeling. It was still brunch time, so we started with mimosas and black bread with scallion butter and radish. So simple, so good. My wife and I LOVE Georgian cuisine, so of course we had to get ajaruli khachapuri, and their classic version was delicious and cheesy. Potato vareniki and oladushki with sour cream and berries were both excellent and devoured to the last crumb. I also had an amazing glass of Vine Ponto khikhvi orange wine, and I highly recommend you try some of the Georgian wines they offer.
Steven B.
Excellent food, great service, and good vibes. A taste of Europe with a touch of modern cuisine. Highly recommend.
Kristen Gayagoy
Can’t rave about this place enough! Went here for resturaunt week with a friend. We both got appetizers (herring and borscht), entrees (duck plov and beef wagyu stroganoff), and dessert (honey cake and cottage cheese pancakes). The borscht was the best I’ve had, and the herring was delicious though very fishy (I like that, but some may not). The beef wagyu stroganoff is out of this world amazing! Best I’ve ever had, a must try. And the sour cream and condensed milk combo with the pancakes was so good. We also did the Georgian wine tasting. Overall an amazing culinary experience, and I’m already making plans to go back!
Greg Morgan Jr.
I was pleasantly surprised by the hospitality and service, especially with the restaurant being in soho! The duck was amazing and there was some type of crab dish that was great but I forgot the name. It was like a giant pretzel though. I had a bunch of courses and nothing disappointed. Didn’t get a chance to try any drinks but I’ll def be back!
Was looking for a Russian restaurant to take my husband to when we visited the city with my parents (he's from St Petersburg). We loved it! My husband says the restaurant is more Georgian style, but so very delicious! We ordered borscht, vareniki, Tzarevna dumplings, khachapurri, and -- my favorite -- shuba! Tzarevna is sort of a trendier version of all the traditional foods, so the shuba was very cute when it came out. My husband also said he liked it better than his mom's (hopefully she never sees this review! Lol) since it's a little less herring-heavy than it is traditionally made, so it would be a great way to try it out for someone new to Russian/Georgian cuisine. We also had syrniki for dessert, which was delicious. My mother is *not* adventurous with food and she really enjoyed all of the foods we ordered, and my husband was happy with the nostalgia of his comfort foods. It was a win! As I said earlier, it's a trendier spin on the traditional favorites, so the space is both nostalgic and cozy while having a sort of mid-century modern spin. Definitely a great spot to try if anyone is new to food from this region and wants to have a great dinner! And EVERYONE should order the khachapurri because it is just delicious (picture attached). Thanks for a great evening!
Truly a hidden gem with its affordability and quality. Georgia / Eastern-European food is not the easiest to come by in NYC, but Tzarevna pulls off elevated fare with fresh, quality ingredients without being too rich or decadent. My first dining experience at Tzarevna was a joy - we ordered some of the common dishes, and were even able to order one wine tasting for my party of 3. Standout dishes for me were the duck, dumplings, and khachapurri. Even better was the bill that came at the end - for food of this quality + the wine tasting, this meal was a steal. Take a chance on Tzarevna - you'll have no regrets.
I came here because I was craving for borscht, and it was ok borscht but a bit on the oily side (I asked for the beef borscht). We also ordered the salad with beets, potato and marinated herrings, and it was very delicious. The signature dumplings were well flavored with a lot of dill and other spice, but again the only downside was that they were a bit too oily for me. In general, this can be a nice cozy restaurant to try out some Eastern European food if you are curious, and it's probably as good as what you can get in the US.
Great food and experience, perfect spot on the lower east side. They have the best honey cake.
Delicious food and great service. Flavors are true to what my family would prepare. Super fresh and yummy.
Beautiful eatery tucked away on a trendy street. Got a chance to see inside the kitchen and was inspired by Chef Ricky's passion for food. The menu showcases Russian/Eastern European cuisine with integrity and innovation, with each dish having it's own character. Really glad I was introduced to the food here, and am looking forward to seeing its growth.
Ever since I first heard about this restaurant when the owner competed on Chopped, I have been wanting to try this place. This place was then featured on another Food Network show, touting it as serving the best Khacapuri, which is Georgian cheese bread, in NYC. I was finally able to try this place for dinner on a chilly, wintery evening. The interior decor was elegant and inviting with warm lighting, cute artwork, as well as knick knacks on the wall, and cozy ambiance. I ordered the Crab Khacapuri, which is their signature dish. This is their housemade sourdough cheesy bread. In the center of the sourdough was crab meat with a raw egg yolk, along with celery. It was absolutely delicious! The bread was pillowy soft and tasty, while having a slight, satisfying crunch. There was ample amount of mouthwatering melty, boldly flavorful cheese with amazing pull, which was the perfect pairing for the delightfully well seasoned crab meat. So, is it the best Khachapuri in NYC? Since I haven't tried a ton of Khacapuri in general, that's hard for me to answer, but this version is pretty darn amazing! Then I had the "Tzarevna" meat dumplings, which consisted of veal and pork. The dumplings were lightly fried, served with sage and pomegranate. In the middle of the plate, there was a creamy yogurt sauce filled with spices, and topped with scallions. This dish was quite generous with 16 circular little dumplings. (I took most of it home, since the Khachapuri was so filling) It was also plated very nicely. However, the taste left much to be desired. The meat filling was on the bland side and the outer shell wasn't that crunchy. Also, there was very little pomegranate. Service was lovely. The waitress was so nice and engaged me in conversation. The staff in general were friendly and polite. Overall, I really enjoyed the Khacapuri, but was disappointed by the dumplings. I probably won't return for awhile, though would like to try the honey cake at some point.
Honestly, I haven't actually been IN the restaurant, but I love it here. I order delivery a wholleeeee lot, and I have never disliked one single thing. To be fair, I almost only ever get the khachapurri, but that thing is unreal. No lie, my friend just said, "whoa" after he tried it. It's unsettling. Anyway, I hate writing reviews; I find them to be pretty up-their-own-ass and self-important in general, so when I write one it's because a place TRULY deserves it, and damn, they do. Tonight I opened my order to find a note on a box that said "extra order of dumplings, so you can have them." Y'all, if that doesn't bring a tear to your eye, grow a soul. ILY, Tzarevna, even if I'll never know how to pronounce you.
We had our anniversary dinner at Tsarevna, and the food and the service were both top-notch. Our waiter was attentive, very kind, and extremely helpful with the menu. We split the Tsarevna dumplings as an appetizer and they were mouth-wateringly delicious. My duck plov was to die for, and my partner loved the beef stroganoff. The wine was fantastic, and the honey cake was a great dessert. This place would be great anytime, but they particularly need support right now. Please support them, and don't blame them for an autocrat's overseas decision!
My main dish was the Duck plov/ or rice pilaf with cumin, carrots, and barberries. This was very tasty with a good amount of shredded duck. The berries added some extra sourness and overall I would say it reminded me of some of the Plov you find more in Azeri cuisine because of the fruitier flavor. Another person ordered the stroganoff which is pricey on the main menu but fantastic. I'm surprised the most expensive dish is on the prix-fixe but sure why not. Their only complaint about the latter is that there wasn't enough of the sauce to go with the buckwheat. I also tried a dumpling from someone else which was fine. I started with the Solyanka/ a soup made with salami (or listed with smoked ham on the main menu and I'm sure if there's actually a difference,) olives, and mushrooms and served with sour cream of course. I've had the soup prior with fish and with meat and compared to other places, I would say perhaps it was a little bit less sour then the usual but it was still very tasty. I tried a piece of their khachapuri from someone else's non prix-fixe menu which was fine as well as the Shuba/Herring under a fur coat which was a tasty version though less fishy then the usual. My main dish was the Duck plov/ or rice pilaf with cumin, carrots, and barberries. This was very tasty with a good amount of shredded duck. The berries added some extra sourness and overall I would say it reminded me of some of the Plov you find more in Azeri cuisine because of the fruiter flavor. Another person ordered the stroganoff which is pricey on the main menu but fantastic. I'm surprised the most expensive dish is on the prix-fixe but sure why not. Their only complaint about the latter is that there wasn't enough of the sauce to go with the buckwheat. I also tried a dumpling from someone else which was fine. As there's only two choices of desserts, I ordered the Honey Cake/Medovik/ and another person had the Syrniki/ or quark pancakes served with condensed milk and jam. The honey cake is fine but I'm spoiled by the very good one found in some other spots so we both preferred the latter which was very well made. Overall the food here was very tasty. I'm not sure if I would have found the menu to be as reasonable if said prix-fixe menu wasn't there but as of right now, I would say it's worth it.
Restaurantji Recommends
Cute Russian restaurant in LES with great reviews! Love the vibes and decorations. My favorite were the potatoes and the honey cakes. Yummm!
We were hungry and cold on a snowy day in NYC. Somehow we found an oasis of warmth and incredible food at Tsarevna. Beautifully decorated, great service and an old-world elegant but unpretentious feeling. It was still brunch time, so we started with mimosas and black bread with scallion butter and radish. So simple, so good. My wife and I LOVE Georgian cuisine, so of course we had to get ajaruli khachapuri, and their classic version was delicious and cheesy. Potato vareniki and oladushki with sour cream and berries were both excellent and devoured to the last crumb. I also had an amazing glass of Vine Ponto khikhvi orange wine, and I highly recommend you try some of the Georgian wines they offer.
Excellent food, great service, and good vibes. A taste of Europe with a touch of modern cuisine. Highly recommend.
Can’t rave about this place enough! Went here for resturaunt week with a friend. We both got appetizers (herring and borscht), entrees (duck plov and beef wagyu stroganoff), and dessert (honey cake and cottage cheese pancakes). The borscht was the best I’ve had, and the herring was delicious though very fishy (I like that, but some may not). The beef wagyu stroganoff is out of this world amazing! Best I’ve ever had, a must try. And the sour cream and condensed milk combo with the pancakes was so good. We also did the Georgian wine tasting. Overall an amazing culinary experience, and I’m already making plans to go back!
I was pleasantly surprised by the hospitality and service, especially with the restaurant being in soho! The duck was amazing and there was some type of crab dish that was great but I forgot the name. It was like a giant pretzel though. I had a bunch of courses and nothing disappointed. Didn’t get a chance to try any drinks but I’ll def be back!