Veselka

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144 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10003

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(212) 228-9682
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Veselka - New York, NY
Veselka - New York, NY
Veselka - New York, NY
Veselka - New York, NY
Veselka - New York, NY
Veselka - New York, NY
Veselka - New York, NY
Veselka - New York, NY
Veselka - New York, NY
Veselka - New York, NY
Veselka - New York, NY
Veselka - New York, NY
Reviews
( 26 )
( 51 )
( 8 )
( 7 )
( 7 )

Best

First time I've ever eaten Pierogis, they were delicious! The beet soup was very tasty too, yum! To top it all off, the server was very knowledgeable about the menu an very atten...

Worst

It's amazing how many restaurants there are in New York City that rate mediocre at best. Given the number of great establishments you can eat at on every type of budget, mediocri...

What happened? 8/19/2005

Went here today and the service was hideous! Usually spot on with food, service and prices, but our waitress was terrible! She was rude and nasty and disappeared for the longest time.........we waited for over a half hour while she chatted and gossiped with her little buddies in order to get our check! Needless to say, no tip! Pros: Food, Prices Cons: SERVICE more
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MMM, Brunch 3/28/2005

My boyfriend and I ate brunch here on Easter and although we did have to wait 45 mins., the service was prompt and friendly. The porogies were amazing, especially the spinich and cheese. The kielbasa, the potato pancakes, the coffee, all hit the spot. And our whole easter brunch only cost us about $40. We will definitely be back to Veselka soon! Pros: Service, Dish Choices, Price Cons: Wait Time, Close dining more
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Good food, good time 1/19/2005

Veselka is a quality diner and serves up fairly authentic Ukranian grub. My hunter's stew--chicken, sausage, and saukraute were good, as was the mushroom and barley soup; my friends' pierogies were also quality. This place is comfortable and has a homey feeling. And as a bonus, open 24/7. Pros: Food, Open Late Night more
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excellent 1/14/2005

excellent deserts, great atmosphere - great place to stay for a while and people watch more
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great place 12/11/2004

Really good pasteries and the service was fast and couteous. Only problem is that the wait was long but definitely worth it! Even though they were crowded we were not rushed. Pros: excellent desserts, good service, clean more
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yummy 10/21/2004

always a classic place to go with out of town guests or friends. busy but in a fun way. i love this place-one of my absolute favorites! more
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Pierogies, yummy 8/17/2004

Velselka has really good pierogies. The rest of their food is standard diner fare. If you are hungry and you want polish accented diner food then go here. Definitely not a place to eat if you are looking for any more than that. Service is also really slow and semi unattentive. Pros: Good pierogies more
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don't leave without eating the meatballs 11/22/2003

you must get the meatballs!!! i'm not even a fan of meat, but they were delicious. unlimited coffee refills. but beware of the staff. some are very moody and ignore you until it's time to tip them. Pros: great value food, prompt seating, late-nite Cons: slow service more
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Very Good Eastern European Food 10/18/2003

I visited Veselka seven times during a three week visit to New York and never left dissatisfied. The service was very good though they tended to be a little slow with the check. On the other hand, I never felt rushed to vacate the place at the end of my meal. Sit near the back and enjoy the wonderful original mural painted on the back walls. I was only a little disappointed in the stuffed cabbage and pierogies but only because the Ukrainian recipes were somewhat different than the Croatian/Slovak recipes I grew up with. The borscht and split pea soups were outstanding, as was Ola's veal goulash. The raspberry blintzes alone were worth the ten hour flight from my end of the rainbow in Honolulu to the other end, Veselka (rainbow), in the East Village. For the tourist: this is a fascinating, dynamic and safe neighborhood. Pros: Delicious Food, Hours, Neighborhood more
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great comfort food 7/21/2003

The best place for hot soup on a cold day, great pierogies and borscht. Be sure to visit J. Bacynsky's across the street for Babka afterward. more
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Memories of Grandma 6/27/2003

If you are Eastern Eurpoean, Ukranian, and so on, this place will bring you back to time when grandma was rolling out the pierogi dough in her kitchen and frying the onions in tons of butter. I usually come in the colder months for takeout soup (try the mushroom barley) after paying a visit to the butcher across the street for some kielbasa, but last night some friends and I hopped in a cab late night, some 40 blocks to get some cold borscht, blintzes, pierogis, and stuffed cabbage. What a treat! Tourists you say? I think not, maybe you are thinking of the 2nd Avenue Deli. All I saw here were LESiders enjoying some great food. Pros: Cheap, Open 24 hrs, Great Food more
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overpriced tourist spot 6/9/2003

The great thing about NYC is that there are so many restaurants that you only have to visit the bad ones once. Not that Veselka is horrible, it is just VERY average. Unfortunately it poses as a far above-average spot and people are being fooled. Watch the lines on any given weekend. The food is only mediocre at best. The coffee is atrocious. If you want a good deal on Polish or Ukranian food, go over to 1st ave to one of the diners between 10th and 14th Street -- Neptune or similar. Lots of good food for a very reasonable price and lovely back yard seating. Leave Veselka for the unsuspecting tourists. They will be duped into eating their lame brunches. Pros: ehhh. . dunno Cons: price, crowds, food more
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So many choices 4/30/2003

Have only been here once. You know those places where you sit down and look at the menu and you can't decide what to order because so many things sound good? This is one of those places. A good mix of tradional diner offerings mixed in with great-sounding Ukrainian options. Opted for the ""Deluxe Meat Combo Plate"" - portions weren't huge...but enough to fill me up. Everything was good. I now only feel the need to go back to try all the other things I didn't order the first time. Pros: Fast Service, Good Food, Decent Value more
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Makes me proud to be Ukrainian 4/24/2003

My grandma used to take me here when I was little...she used to tell me that they were the only people in the world that make pierogis like hers. And it's true. Maybe I'm biased, but this is a great dive-y type place to go on the LES with a couple of friends before a big night of drinking. Try the beet salad, yum! The pierogis, of course, the borscht with sour cream, and if you're really daring, give the kasha varnishkes a shot. One bad thing - the Ukrainian beer - tastes like Shlitz. The servers ARE weird, but nice. I freakin' love Veselka. (That means 'rainbow,' by the way...like the pot of gold at the end of it!) Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Hours more
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a solid diner, but a diner nonetheless 3/18/2003

If you're looking for great comfort food in a slightly funky, very busy setting, this is the place to go. This is a solid diner, but a diner nonetheless. Veselka's does offer one of the best cups of coffee in the city (when the brew is fresh). If you're going for weekend brunch, try the raspberry pancakes. The desserts are also solidly respectable, if you still have room after all those pierogi. Pros: inexpensive, open 24 hours, friendly service Cons: crowded prime times more
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Excelling in Mediocrity 3/12/2003

It's amazing how many restaurants there are in New York City that rate mediocre at best. Given the number of great establishments you can eat at on every type of budget, mediocrity is not something that should be tolerated in New York. Veselka perhaps slips under the radar because of their eclectic menu -- I can't think of too many places where I can choose between pierogies, chili, mac and cheese, and borscht -- to name a few. But sadly, everything I've tried here is just ok; fine if you're passing by and need a quick bite. But for those people who tolerate the long lines, especially for weekend brunch -- move on. There's plenty of other much better eats in the area. more
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Home Cooking 3/3/2003

Growing up on homemade Polish food may not sound great to many, but after tasting a few bites of my mothers cooking you would change your mind. I never thought anyone matched her skill in the kitchen, but Veselka does up some of my classic favorites to delight. Try the glumpki (stuffed cabbage) or Peirogies (like ravioli's). They will not disappoint. Pros: Glumpki, Peirogies, Quick Service Cons: Long Wait for Seat more
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yay, 24hours 1/30/2003

having used to work at a bakery where the closing shift ended at 1:30 in the morning, i've grown to appreciate how rare it is to find a really good place to eat that's open any time of day. veselka does breakfast all day and night, and their waffles with raspberry sauce are killer (they make a mean omlette too). unfortunately my friends and I rarely get the chance to enjoy all their wonderful food...because we've gotten so addicted to their bacon burgers. a good burger with everything is hard to find in this city...at least when you want it under ten dollars. the only one i've had in manhattan to beat veselka's is at the corner bistro, which unfortunately has disappointing fries. veselka does not have this liability. more
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Excellent Food-Great Value! 12/8/2002

This place was simply excelltent, with great staff, service and value. Highly recommended! more
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nice space, bad mashed potatoes 11/7/2002

the mashed potatoes are not too good. the egg noodle side dish is even worse. my order of egg noodles seemed either very old, or undercooked. i think it was both. the corner i sat in was infested by fruit flies. the place itself is nice. the service is teeters between mediocre and bad. more
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Menu for Veselka


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Editorial

  • Veselka's 24-hour kitchen is a magnet for East Village night owls looking to fill their stomachs before heading to bed. Solitary diners get comfortable at the counter, while eclectic groups fill up...

  • 7/17/2007 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: 24/7
  • Payments: American Express, Visa, Discover, Diner's Club, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Downtown, East Village
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