Mari Vanna is a Russian restaurant in the Flatiron District that is know for an emphasis on traditional Russian cuisine in a setting that reminds you of a Russian grandmother’s kitchen. The outside has a sweet awning and flower beds along the window. Inside the restaurant is dimly lit with chandeliers, light wooden ceiling beams, framed family photos, decorative lamps, and an antique-styled wallpaper. The front has shelves lining the wall with little knick knacks on it and along the other wall is a bar running alongside it. The back of the restaurant is a large room with several large tables for groups and smaller round tables with wicker-style chairs, as well as a large armoire with glassware. The entire restaurant has a elegant, but homey feel to it. We visited to celebrate a friend’s birthday and decided to try a variety of Russian dishes and share them. We ordered the Herring Under a Fur Coat, Potato Vareniki, Traditional Chicken Kiev, and Golubtzi, as well as Blinis and Medovik for dessert. Each member of our party found the food to be delicious and we found the Vareniki and Medovik to be particularly tasty. Additionally, the service was phenomenal, helping to create a fantastic evening out. Overall, we found Mari Vanna to be a lovely setting to try delicious Russian food, and afterwards enjoyed a stroll in Union Square Park.

 

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