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Russian Samovar & Tolstoy's Lounge - Russian Samovar & Tolstoy's Lounge, New York, NY

Russian Samovar & Tolstoy's Lounge

4.6
4.6
784 Reviews
$31 to $50
Russian
A photo of Russian Samovar & Tolstoy's Lounge restaurant

Russian Samovar & Tolstoy's Lounge

4.6
$31 to $50
Russian
Theater District

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 24 times today
  • Great for live music
  • Lively
  • Good for groups
There is only one way to describe it: Classic Russia in the heart of New York.
The history of Russian Samovar starts well before the restaurant itself. Originally Jilly's Canteen, and owned by a friend of Frank Sinatra, Jilly Rizzo, Samovar was the go-to hot spot for Sinatra and The Rat Pack.
In 1986, Roman Kaplan, founder of Russian Samovar acquired the property and was joined in 1987 by friends and business partners: Legendary dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and Nobel Award Winning poet Joseph Brodsky. Baryshnikov's baby grand piano is still used daily by our performers and guests can still request the Brodsky table, where the legends used to sit and drink away the hours. Guests of private events also enjoy our private dining room, where Baryshnikov filmed Sex in the City.
​Samovar has remained a celebrity hangout over the years. We've been lucky enough to feature impromptu shows by Liza Minelli and rumor has it that Mel Brooks adapted The Producers to film while sitting at our bar.

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

Private dining

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Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Russian, Continental, Eastern European
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon 4:00 pm–11:45 pm Tue–Thu, Sun 12:00 pm–11:45 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–12:45 am
  • Phone number
    (212) 757-0168
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Catering
    We provide catering to your home or office. No order is too small<br />Choose from platters or banquets menus. Or create your own. <br />We have staffing and entertainment for hire for all your event needs. <br /><br /><br />russiansamovar.com
  • Private party facilities
    We welcome you to explore our Private Dining options, perfect for any occasion. Choose from our banquette menus ($115, $150,$175) with alcohol or a la carte. Minimum spend applies based on the amount of guests. Staffing fee applies. If you can think of it, we can create it.
  • Private party contact
    Vlada Von Shats: (212) 757-0168
  • Neighbourhood
    Theater District
  • Cross Street
    52nd street , between Broadway and 8th Avenue
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Closest to<br /> <br />50th Street Station ( C or E train )<br /> <br /><br /> <br />7 Avenue / 53 Street ( B or D train )<br /> <br />
  • Entertainment
    Live Piano Music!
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dancing, Delivery, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Wine
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What 784 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.3Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Russian Samovar & Tolstoy's Lounge offers a "fantastic experience" with delicious Russian cuisine, a charming old-school NYC vibe, and vibrant live music. Guests rave about the "excellent service" and "amazing infused vodkas." While some note the decor is a bit dated, the overall atmosphere is lively and memorable.

784 Reviews
  1. Henry

    Orlando

    68 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    68 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were delighted with the excellent and very polite service, the cozy and romantic atmosphere, and, most of all, the scrumptious meal. However, we chose this place not only for authentic Russian food but because they advertise Russian music and entertainment as a background. That never happened, and needles to say we were very disappointed. A couple of musicians appeared late at night, and they spent 20 minutes tuning the piano, hitting the same key loudly. Very annoying. We loved the food, but we are now having serious reservations about going back.

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  2. ILYA

    New York City

    19 reviews

    4.0

    19 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We visited the Russian Samovar many times over the years. It still good: continue to serve great food, very pleasant atmosphere Classic old style restaurant

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  3. Joanne

    New York City

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful food, drink and service. Piano was lovely.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Mark

    Memphis

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great resto with nice staff and great food! Must try restaurant.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Ricardo

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 4, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    live piano music and great food made good experience

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  6. OpenTable Diner

    Los Angeles

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 18, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Made reservations for our 25th Anniversary and upon arrival was told they closed early due to renovations. Would have been nice to been told this when making the reservations or when I called that same day and they stated kitchen was open until midnight.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Natalia

    Greater Boston

    9 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on November 18, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    This is the place where everybody knows your name even if this is your first visit. A rare place where people go to be with each other, not just eat. There is always life music late at night. Sometimes it is blues, on other days you can catch gypsy performance. On this visit a random walk in from the street treated dinners to a soulful ballad. Great voice. This encouraged one of the dinners to perform a beautiful classic. Also great, professional voice. When we visit New York, we always try to go to Samovar. The food is also great. Try a flight of vodka. It is not very strong and goes done very smoothly.

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  8. Vladimir

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Amazing as always, make sure to order Chicken Kiev, it's epic

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  9. Katherine

    Raleigh

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 12, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was delicious. Excellent for conversation with lovely piano background music. Was catching up with old friends and it made for a new memorable night.

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  10. Herve

    New York City

    16 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on November 9, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I live right next to this gem for a long time, and I tried it for the first time last night. we had a fantastic experience and the owners and the staff are amazing. I had the best boeuf strogonoff ever. Moon is super welcoming! Herve from Flute champagne bar

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FAQs

Russian Samovar & Tolstoy's Lounge offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (212) 757-0168.

Russian Samovar & Tolstoy's Lounge is rated 4.6 stars by 784 OpenTable diners.

Russian Samovar & Tolstoy's Lounge does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

A photo of Russian Samovar & Tolstoy's Lounge restaurant

Russian Samovar & Tolstoy's Lounge

4.6
$31 to $50
Russian
Theater District

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 24 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Russian Samovar & Tolstoy's Lounge

256 W 52nd Street, New York, NY 10019

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    52nd street , between Broadway and 8th Avenue
  • Neighbourhood
    Theater District
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon 4:00 pm–11:45 pm Tue–Thu, Sun 12:00 pm–11:45 pm Fri, Sat 12:00 pm–12:45 am
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Russian, Continental, Eastern European
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Closest to 50th Street Station ( C or E train ) 7 Avenue / 53 Street ( B or D train )
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Entertainment
    Live Piano Music!
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dancing, Delivery, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Wine
  • Phone number
    (212) 757-0168
  • Catering
    We provide catering to your home or office. No order is too small<br />Choose from platters or banquets menus. Or create your own. <br />We have staffing and entertainment for hire for all your event needs. <br /><br /><br />russiansamovar.com
  • Private party facilities
    We welcome you to explore our Private Dining options, perfect for any occasion. Choose from our banquette menus ($115, $150,$175) with alcohol or a la carte. Minimum spend applies based on the amount of guests. Staffing fee applies. If you can think of it, we can create it.
  • Private party contact
    Vlada Von Shats: (212) 757-0168
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card
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