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
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. Open a year for the full citation and verification details.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Ukrainian Restaurant in New York New York, NY · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
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This page is the standing record for Veselka (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
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.
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