The struggling Russian Tea Room is in for some competition as stiff as a shot of horseradish-infused vodka now that Brasserie Pushkin has opened its opulent doors down the block. If you've spent the last few years saying that what New York really needs in this time of economic troubles is a restaurant that calls back the glory days of Imperial Russia well, it appears somebody was listening!
Owned and operated by Russian restaurateur Andrey Dellos, Brasserie Pushkin is the New York outpost of Dellos's successful (and similar) Moscow confection Cafe Pushkin. While the original is located in a 19th-century Russian mansion, the new Pushkin's digs have a slightly less extravagant provenance (it used to be Wolf's Delicatessen) if no less over-the-top decor. Paintings everywhere! Chandeliers! A giant granite bar! Exquisite detail work! Sure, there may be some reclaimed wood—this is a New York restaurant opening—but it is hand-carved reclaimed wood! All of which is to say that this is a classy joint, so don't expect to see any ancient singing babushkas wandering around (unless they win Eurovision, that is)
Looks wise, this is not just another Russian joint in Brighton Beach. But food wise, there are lots of similarities. The pricey menu has what the layman would expect of a Russian restaurant, including blintzes ($21), beef Stroganoff ($30), borsch ($18) and sturgeon galantine ($16). Want to know more? You can check out the newspaper-style menu right here. And before you ask, yes, of course there are fancy desserts as well. In fact, there is a to-go pastry counter on the first floor that, at night, turns into a caviar and vodka bar.
41 West 57th Street // 212-465-2400
