Masha & the Bear

Great place! Fun, welcoming, amazing!

It’s nice to see a place that serves Russian food AND has a chalkboard list of craft beers (especially outside of brighton).
They have infused vodkas as well.
The idea of the place is great and I hope more like it open up soon. However, the execution could be far better. The food is decent. It’s nothing like what I grew up with. There is no love in it and the flavors are far too mild. The vodka is infused using the absolute cheapest vodka so I wouldn’t drink too much of it, though I would still try the hops and honey vodka (cause that is just original).
Overall it’s a cool place and the food is just okay. I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit but if I’m in the neighborhood I might stop by.
If you are looking for authentic Russian food this is the mild, made for Americans version. So go elsewhere.

Wow! As a Russian who grew up eating Russian food, I was really impressed. I came here on New Year’s Eve (which is a very important holiday for us Russians!). I ordered the mushroom and onion blintzes, and asked for them to be served with the cream sauce they normally use for the chicken blintzes. It was amazing. I also ordered this special app they had which was almost like a pita/​lavash with meat filling served with a dill yogurt sauce, also very tasty. My friends got the beef stroganoff and pickled veggies which were good. The food took a pretty long time to come out BUT we were sitting right by the kitchen so I saw that the cute older Russian lady was make every entrée to order! Definitely will return when I’m in NYC again.

Easily 4 stars and maybe 4.5. The lamb shank was tender, flavorful and the sauce was full of delicate seasonings that added to the enjoyment of the meal. My dining partner had the cabbage stuffed with beef and rice, with a dollop of sour cream. It was gone in no time. There are enough items in the menu to bring me back again. It truly does feel like you are eating in someone’s home!! The service was very cordial, and while they have a nice tap beer selection, I do hope they expand their wine choices in the future.

This place is actually quite good. It is basically a bar with seating but the food is pretty top notch. Had the fish soup, blintzes, latkes, piroshky, and salad. Infused horseradish vodka was well done. This place, like other Russian spots, however, definitely is skimpy on the price to food quantity ratio. Yes, things are well done and yes this is New York, but I think you can bump up the portions a little to make everyone happy.

Food, drinks & service were all great. Nice laid back vibe as well. Looking forward to coming back here soon.

The sweetest Russian owner ever. Very cultural experience to learn about the food. Food often uses vodka in cooking. Service 5 stars. Food 4 stars. Want a good time and cultural experience. Highly recommended.

Amazing food and service! Great service! We had the beef straganof and loved it! Will come back to try the Russian dumplings ;)

Love it! Ukha, Borsch and Pelmeni were outstanding! Trust me I’m Russian I know how my food should taste:)

Russian food in Williamsburg, hello there beautiful.
Had dinner here and ordered an assortment of some of my favorite russian dishes:
–Pelmeni (dumpling with meat)
–Borscht (red beet soup)
–Chicken Liver Pâté
–Chicken Tabaka

These guys know what they are doing. All of the dishes were delicious and authentic.
For drinks, they have a full bar and their infused vodkas. I tried the recommended, Horseradish infused vodka, but was not really impressed.
Will be back when I need my Russian food fix and don’t want to track to the Brighton Beach.

I LOVE THIS PLACE. The owner is so friendly and passionate and taught my friend and I how to drink vodka with our food. Which, btw both were amazingly delicious! If you ever get a chance to go here! Highly recommend!

I think they have excellent beer, vodka a 5 stars for food. The TVs are distracting. Regulating temp and lighting would make it cozier.

LOVED this place. It’s always nice to find something different, especially in New York. It’s a small but well-​executed gastropub featuring some really delicious Russian fare, house made infused vodkas and one of the better craft beer selections that I ran across while in town. The owner is a cool, witty guy and the pretty bartender is good at her job and knows her beer. I highly recommend a stop into Masha & the Bear, get out of your French Fry Comfort Zone and enjoy some good grub and vodka.

Food
1.) Cabbage with rice n chicken — this was yum comforting mm satisfying
2.) Chicken meat pie $ 3 — not bad
3.) garlic chicken — whole half a chicken flattened garlic flavor good. Would’ve wanted it more tender n juicier fall off none if possible haha sorry maybe wishful thinking
Drink:
Horseradish infused vodka! =Crazy a kick, opens up ur sinuses/​palette
Offers full bar
Service
Good. Very friendly owner
Atmosphere
Small cute bar small tables for food, good ambiance. In trending Williamsburg neighborhood, lots to walk to

#Pretty good Russian menu if you are hankering for Pelmeni and Vareniki. The Herring in a Fur Coat was the favorite among my group. It sounds really gross, but it’s pretty good.
I got into an #argument with my friend because I thought we were sharing all the dishes, but I felt like he ate all the #Beef Stroganoff. So me and someone else were like let’s order more, because we were still hungry. And my friend and his gf were were like «we are so full.» And I was like fuck you, you ate all the #Beef Stroganoff! Well the next day, we realized we were both really drunk and now that I look at the photo, there’s not a whole lot of #beef in that #stroganoff anyway.
The #owner gave us a complimentary shredded cabbage dish. I was too #full to eat it by then.

What an awesome bar/​restaurant. The owner is super friendly and passionate, he infuses his own vodkas, Russian, and they are amazing. Try the ginger, super smooth and full of flavor.
Very nice beer selection too. Great atmosphere, music selection is groovy and relaxing, not too loud. Worth the visit.

As a 1^st generation American I grew up with abundant flavors from the old country, but as I grew older and moved out I had fewer and fewer opportunities to indulge in authentic Russian cuisine. One day, while trying to find a last-​minute restaurant to accommodate a group of 10 for my friend’s 30^th birthday, I stumbled upon Masha & the Bear on Unilocal.What’s this? Russian gastropub? Infused vodkas on tap? Good for groups? Takes reservations super last minute? Masha & Vitaliy? I’m sold.
Friends, this was a magical experience from start to finish. Our group of 10 was served by Vitaliy (the owner) himself, and the impeccable service was accompanied by endless crude Russian jokes told by Vitaliy throughout the evening to keep us laughing (and cringing) for hours. «How is Masha’s cooking so good? I keep her husband in the basement.» Also, they have pumpkin infused vodka — oh yea.
The food was a delicious blast from the past. They really do it right here, and the prices are totally reasonable. From the pelmeni (get them boiled, not fried) to the peroshki (meat pies) to the Russian beat spread served on peasant bread to the galuptsi (meat stuffed cabbage) everything was hearty, delicious, and prepared with love and care. I literally can’t wait to come back here, and I’m so glad that Masha & the Bear is gracing the hipster depths of Williambsurg with its presence.

I have to say that when the neighborhood Hardware store closed down, I dreaded the arrival of another douche den springing up in the area. Being a Russian New Yorker, I was surprised to see a Russian restaurant open up on Grand street! Usually, I gotta schlep down to Cony Island to eat a Russian meal and now… I don’t have to. Sure, this place is a little unusual, Russian food is still a strange and exotic mystery to most people, the food of Communists and Dissidents, Chess Masters and Ice Skaters. It’s a little daunting but if you wanted to taste real, authentic Russian flavor… this is the place to do it. The food here is excellent, all the flavor and richness of the Russian dinner table in every bite.
PS — The delivery is delicious as well, and that’s a big deal.

THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE A CULINARY EXPERIENCE !
Please read the New York Times review for the sanitized version of what I am about to say.
It’s a drinking den with some aspiring home cooking attached. That’s what this is. It does it well — don’t get me wrong. However if you are looking for a new experience in Russian cooking or a culinary haven, this will not be it. I doubt if Anastasia had lived, she would be seeking out the plates here.
I think the owners are well aware of this too though. The presence of a crushingly large TV behind the bar tells me it’s not a restaurant but more of a casual drinks and snacks joint. My Bloody Valentine and the Gorillaz were playing in the background– need I say more.
From the things I tried– the little fried Siberian dumplings were the best. The rest were «comfy»
But not a work of art. But they would be if I had had 3 shots of vodka…
Which I regrettably did not on a Tuesday night.

What an awesome place!
Food, ambiance, it’s all great. What’s great about it?
1. Vodka on tap? Yes please
2. Beloved Eastern European/​Russian food? So good!
3. The friendly owners? So much fun.
Will definitely be back and with more of my friends.
Just loved the place. Great beer selection, awesome food.