Veselka
Ukrainian Restaurant and Eastern European Restaurant$$$$
East Village, New York
The folks at Eater and The New York Times like this place. Would you agree?
"Pierogies here are amazing - fried (with sour cream & apple sauce)."(241 Tips)
"Bigos, borscht and blintzes are amazing too."(111 Tips)"The potato pancake is great and so is the Blintzes!"(27 Tips)
"Try the Ukranian Meatballs, Potato Pancake & Perogies"(29 Tips)
627 Tips and reviewsFilter:
- pierogies
- blintzes
- good for a late night
- breakfast food
- potato pancakes
- (15 more)
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Sonya BlazeyAugust 22, 2015No borscht can touch this! Seriously the best one. I understand there are different kinds but once you taste this you wonder why.
Jen GrunwaldAugust 7, 2014OMG the borscht. The hot kind. DELICIOUS. Also, mix and match pierogi! So good.
The burger is strangely one of the best in the city - it's different. See: http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/08/veselka-burgers-east-village-manhattan-nyc.html
Marc MayerApril 12, 2018Why haven’t you ordered the blintzes yet? Put your phone down and order the blintzes.
Jennifer LevineJuly 8, 2015Crowded but a good value. Try the special and don't forget to visit their pastry case!
Gabriel LongJanuary 6, 2015You can pretty much point blindly at the menu and get something good, but the borscht and perogies are great
The Local East VillageAugust 14, 2011"The restaurant owes its signature dish to Malgosia Sibilska, who has been almost single-handedly preparing Veselka’s borscht since emigrating to the East Village from Poland nearly 30 years ago." Read more
Cameron WDecember 28, 2014Try the Ukrainian borscht, it is great. The veal goulash is also quite good.
Not what they're most known for (get some pierogis or kielbasa!) but Veselka happens to have perhaps the best egg creams and milkshakes in the city.- Fried short rib pierogis. The crispiness is well distributed. Get a large plate and make the table jealous.
Kevin O'NeillMay 14, 2015Perrogis that my babcia would love. The classic cheese and potato w/ cream cheese is all you need- MarmyFebruary 27, 2018Potatoes varenyky with onion, bacon and sour cream was good, but very small portion. At home I eat usually 20 pices 😋 The drink menu didn’t contain any brand of ukrainen vodka - a pity...
In addition to the great food like blitzes, perogis and omlettes, it's open 24 hours with wifi, so you can get your work done overnight!
Mike StrockoJanuary 2, 2013The Ukrainian borscht, potato pierogi, and meat-stuffed cabbage: all excellent. Comfort food at its best.
Chill here at 3 am and sit in the far back corner by the mural; a guy dressed like Edgar Allen Poe sits and reads from a huge book and orders coffees.
Emily KaneJune 9, 2015Did you get the corned beef hash? No? Go back immediately and get the corned beef hash.
SiobhánSeptember 14, 2017Eastern European beer is definitely not something I'm familiar with but my Eastern European other half was impressed with what they had — good and authentic.
Sass ConfOctober 5, 2013Ukrainian soul food in NYC. Fantastic daily specials, deserts, and must-have varenyky (pierogi)
Their pancakes are awesome! Forgo the sausage and get their delicious thick cut bacon instead.
Yera HaFebruary 10, 2015Fun 4am weekend activity: try every flavor of pierogi topped with apple sauce with a buddy.
Karla SosaMarch 18, 2016Pierogis!! Their sandwiches and soups (especially the borscht) are also delicious
John ShrimpMarch 17, 2018Since 1954, Veselka has been serving up traditional Ukrainian food in the heart of the East Village.
Monica StangleMay 13, 2016Perogies, potato pancakes, and the meat plate. Carnivores and vegans alike can indulge here.
Get the borscht. It's the best in the city - even better then your grandmother's.
J CrowleyJuly 24, 2014Great late night pig-out spot if you're cranked. The peirogis are a nice insurance policy for tomorrow morning.
Colleen LimaAugust 23, 2013You must have the beet, goat cheese, and roasted walnut salad! It's the most delicious salad you'll ever have.
Andrew LitvakDecember 12, 2013Hot chocolate with Callebaut dark chocolate, Valrhona chocolate powder and Monin chocolate sauce. Amazing.
Jack GashiAugust 6, 2014It's open 24 hours, but I'm not sure that's a good thing. There needs to be a special name for a hangover with kielbasa taste in your mouth.
Village VoiceApril 19, 2012Veselka's Ukrainian Meatball Hero voted #9 on The Village Voice's 10Best Late Night Eats in New York City: http://bit.ly/w33HqB
Boiled pierogies, chicken cutlet dinner, cherry lime rickey and the BORSCHT. This place is a landmark.
NearSay NYCJuly 25, 2011The portions are huge and delicious! Open 24 hours Veselka is great for an aftermidnight snack.We love the cheese blintzes, Bigos and Bosch.
Andrew HuangFebruary 18, 2015Their chicken noodle soup is great. And what is this salad dressing?! I don't know what's in it, but also great.
Emily WilsonSeptember 22, 2016You want your pierogis boiled, not fried. Trust me. The truffle mushroom are the best.
Sarah WilliamsAugust 1, 2012best borscht in NY; try the salmon salad, and the incredible iced tea that is better than Arnold Palmer
If you're super hungry, get the Meat or Vegetarian platter. It comes with stuffed cabbage and three pierogies. You'll also get soup and salad. And like someone below said, you MUST get the borscht.
Lizz SpanoFebruary 11, 2011I love the food here. Aside from perogies which are a specialty of the house I always order a matzoh ball soup and a grilled swiss with tomato on whole grain.
nikkiJanuary 29, 201724-hour breakfast specials come with bottomless coffee and a small orange juice :)
Fun fact: Velselka is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week because they're afraid the baby might come to life if they turn off the lights.
All of their Ukrainian specialties from stuffed cabbage to kielbasa to bigos (stew) are fantastic- especially late night! Try the pierogies too- great.
Open 24 hours. Try the borscht for an experience and the cheese-filled pierogies.
- Village VoiceSeptember 16, 2011Indulge in the meatball sandwich at Veselka. Filled with pork & beef-based meatballs, topped with mushroom gravy on a challah baguette. Yum!
Best place to hang out at all hours of the night! Gets really busy at breakfast lunch and dinner but all in between times are great to go by!
Elizabeth PriceMarch 22, 2013The meat plate + a stuffed cabbage entree is the perfect amount of food for late night post-bar dinner.
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Foursquare © 2025 Lovingly made in NYC, CHI, SEA & LA
For sixty-seven years, customers have crowded into Veselka, a cozy Ukrainian coffee shop in New York City's East Village, to enjoy pierogi, borscht, goulash, and many other unpretentious favorites. Veselka (rainbow in Ukrainian) has grown up from a simple newsstand serving soup and sandwiches int...
Closed until 8:00 AM (Show more)
- Mon–Sat
- 8:00 AM–Midnight
- Sun
- 8:00 AM–11:00 PM
(212) 228-9682
Features
Reservations
No
Credit Cards
Yes (incl. Discover & Visa)
Wi-Fi
Yes
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Parking
Street
Restroom
Yes
Food & Drink
Menus
Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner
Drinks
Beer, Wine, Cocktails
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