Russian Samovar Restaurant and Piano Bar

This classic Russian restaurant is one of my favorite restaurants in the city, ever. They have a super old-school vibe with moody ambience, dark oak furniture and fun trinkets / paintings decorating the walls. On the weekends and Friday evenings, they have live musicians and pianists who play classic Soviet era music. The food there is really high quality — I love their lamb racks. They also make their own flavor-infused vodka ranging from sweet to savory. My personal favorite flavor is the horseradish, which might sound weird but it’s really good!! I NEVER leave this place without getting the honey cake “medovik” for dessert though — hands down one of the best cakes EVER.