Russian Eatery Stolovaya Gets High Praise (But With A Caveat)

Revered New York City food critic Robert Sietsema recently praised the local Russian eatery Stolovaya for its hearty and affordable fare. But his review came with a tip that most of you are probably familiar with, and which may actually be a selling point for some carnivorous eaters: Guests are advised to bring their own vegetables.

From the review on Eater:

Stolovaya (which means “cafeteria” or “canteen” in Russian) doesn’t give a damn about vegetables or your reverent attitude towards them. While the entrees with their attendant starches are voluminous, the vegetable component is invariably just shredded cabbage and a hillock of baby peas poured cold from a giant can. Usually, the Russian diners who line the tables leave peas and slaw behind. You may want to bring some fancier vegetables in from the outside to complement your meal. At Stolovaya, it’s BYOV.

Yelper Abby F. agrees that that the heavier dishes are the the main draw at Stolovaya. She cited the hot beet borscht, dumplings stuffed with potatoes and mushrooms, chicken meatballs, and the “beef and gravy over kasha, sala (pork fat, yes!) with bread and scallions” as some of her favorite dishes.

Sietsema recommends the meaty Uzbek-style kebabs ($7.90 to $9.90) and the Georgian specialty chicken tabaka, where it’s cooked beneath a brick and blanketed in crushed garlic — but he advised diners to avoid the Chilean sea bass because the species is “often unsustainably caught.” And of course, he notes you have to get the pelmeni and vareniki — the space was previously known as “Russian Style Ravioli,” specializing in those dumplings.

Also, some online reviewers advise non-Russian-speaking guests to request the English menu. Otherwise, the waiter will probably hand you a menu in Russian.

Stolovaya is located in 813 Avenue U between East 8th and East 9th Streets, 718-787-0120.