Russian nights

If you thought Monday night was your one night to relax during your typical bacchanalian NY week – you were wrong. The best parties are on Monday, they are Russian, and they are named Mari Vanna.

If you do not hum the Kalinka with a rabbit fur ushanka glued to your head, it could be difficult to penetrate Mari Vanna’s dacha. On Monday evenings doors close at 9pm. To enter, you have to ring and show your credentials or have your own set of keys with its little “matryoshka” (the iconic Russian doll). Being a key-holder is reserved for a handful of privileged elites and regulars. Keys open the doors of the NY restaurant but also those of London, Moscow and St. Petersburg!

Once the restaurant’s threshold has been crossed, you’re instantly transported to Russia, surrounded by the whole Russian intelligentsia expatriated to NY. You will find home-made infused vodkas at the bar (pear/vanilla, honey but also horseradish!) and Babushka-style cuisine on your plates. Beef stroganoff, blinis and borscht soup. We highly recommend the “Herring Under a Fur Coat” as appetizer – a savory Russian specialty.

Decorated as a neat dollhouse, don’t be fooled by Mari Vanna’s setting. On Mondays, the DJ turns the music up and vodka rounds are ordered one after the other. With the splendor of tsarist evenings, the place stands out in NY nightlife’s microcosm.

Want to get a key? Visit our Facebook page to win a set.

Nasdrovia ! На здоровье!

 

Mari Vanna
Key Mondays after 9pm
41 E 20th Street, Gramercy
212-777-1955