No one knows how to get out of the cold better than the Russians. We did, after all, invent the
shuba (fur coat),
valenki (felt boots), and
shapka ushanka (that big silly fur hat). In Russia, the best way to warm up is still the classic vodka shot method, accompanied by some
selyodka (herring) and black bread. Learning any new vocabulary yet? Good, because you’re about to barhop Russian style.
Novelist
Alexander Nazaryan recently wrote in the Times that there are no bars, only restaurants, in Brighton Beach, but whatever you call them, Russian establishments involve drinking and lots of it. Russian bars in NYC run the gamut, from the nouveau-riche West 50s to the college-y East Village joints to the places that are actually filled with Russkis. We’ve got you covered on all fronts, so let’s make our way from Midtown all the way down to the southern tip of Brooklyn.
~Natalie Gontcharova
