Veselka
Best Ukrainian Restaurant in New York · NY
Pierogi and borscht in the East Village since 1954.
Veselka — "rainbow" in Ukrainian — has anchored the corner of Second Avenue and Ninth Street in the East Village since 1954, when Ukrainian refugees Volodymyr and Olha Darmochwal opened a small newsstand-and-candy shop that grew into the city's most beloved Ukrainian diner. Three generations later it's still family-run and still open around the clock.
The kitchen turns out hand-pinched pierogi, deep-red borscht, stuffed cabbage and potato pancakes to a round-the-clock crowd of students, cab drivers, artists and night-owls. In recent years it has also become a rallying point for New York's Ukrainian community.
From one East Village storefront it now reaches Grand Central, Brooklyn and beyond — but the original diner is the heart of it, and the 2025 Centurion Award winner in New York.
What they're known for
- Hand-pinched pierogi
- Ukrainian borscht
- Potato pancakes
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; Veselka met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in New York since 1954 — 72 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in New York.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: New York has kept Veselka busy for 72 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by New York regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best Ukrainian restaurant in New York for 2025 for seven decades of handmade pierogi and borscht at the heart of the East Village's Ukrainian community.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Ukrainian Restaurant in New York New York, NY · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationVisit Veselka
The details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about Veselka.
- Legal / trading name
- Veselka
- Category
- Restaurant
- Founded
- 1954, New York, NY
- Founders
- Volodymyr & Olha Darmochwal
- Location
- 144 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
- Centurion Award
- Best Ukrainian Restaurant in New York — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
A signal you can check.
This is a dated award record published by The Centurion Awards after reviewing public evidence for Veselka against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
Frequently asked questions.
What is Veselka?
East Village institution founded in 1954 by a Ukrainian refugee, serving handmade pierogi and borscht on Second Avenue for generations.
Is Veselka award-winning?
Yes — Veselka is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Ukrainian Restaurant in New York, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best Ukrainian restaurant in New York for 2025 for seven decades of handmade pierogi and borscht at the heart of the East Village's Ukrainian community.
Where is Veselka?
Veselka is in New York, NY.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.