✦ City Guide · Eastern European

Best Eastern European Restaurants in NYC

The best Eastern European restaurants in New York City — 5 ranked picks across the city, with ratings, dishes and live availability.

5 picks

The 5 best Eastern European restaurants in New York City, ranked. Karczma takes the top spot at 4.7 stars, and Karczma is the one the most people have weighed in on — 3,126 reviews. If you only order one thing, make it the pierogies at Karczma. They are spread across 5 neighborhoods, so there is probably one near you. Most of this list stays under $40 a head. None of these take online reservations — they are walk-in or phone-only, so go early.

New York City has 8 Eastern European restaurants on our list, spread across 5 neighborhoods.

Karczma Watch

Karczma

Eastern European  ·  Greenpoint  ·  $

★★★★½ 4.7

a kitschy barn-themed Polish room with the best pierogi options around

Must-try: Pierogies, Kielbasa, Hunter's stew

📍 136 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222

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Sammy's Roumanian Watch

Sammy's Roumanian

Eastern European  ·  Lower East Side  ·  $$$

★★★★½ 4.7

a Jewish steakhouse crossed with a bar mitzvah afterparty

Must-try: Chopped liver, Chocolate egg creams, Steak

📍 112 Stanton St, New York, NY 10002

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Romanian Garden Watch

Romanian Garden

Eastern European  ·  Sunnyside  ·  $$

★★★★☆ 4.3

a huge banquet-style room with live music and big racks of lamb on weekends

Must-try: Stuffed cabbage, Ciorba de perisoare, Polenta

📍 43-06 43rd Ave, Sunnyside, NY 11104

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Ocean View Cafe Watch

Ocean View Cafe

Eastern European  ·  Brighton Beach  ·  $

★★★★☆ 4.0

Nicolas Cage photos on the wall and reasonably priced Ukrainian cooking

Must-try: Vareniki with caramelized onions, Blintzes, Borscht

📍 290 Brighton Beach Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11235

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Cka Ka Qellu Watch

Cka Ka Qellu

Eastern European  ·  Belmont  ·  $$

★★★½☆ 3.9

a museum-like Albanian restaurant with bread worth the trip alone

Must-try: Flaky veal dumplings in yogurt, Dips and cured meats, Pillowy bread

📍 2321 Hughes Ave, Bronx, NY 10458

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best Eastern European restaurant in New York City?

Karczma — 4.7 stars across 3,126 reviews, the highest on this list. a kitschy barn-themed Polish room with the best pierogi options around

Do these restaurants take reservations?

None of the 5 on this page take online bookings — they are walk-in or phone-only. Going early, or on a weeknight, is the reliable move.

Which neighborhood has the most Eastern European restaurants in New York City?

Brighton Beach, with 3 on this list, followed by Greenpoint with 1. In total these 5 picks span 6 neighborhoods.

How were these picked?

Ratings and review volume decide the order, but the list itself is drawn from restaurants people actually post about — 5 of the 8 here have a TikTok attached to their card. Every entry is checked as open before it ships.

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