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 record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. 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.
The details, verified.
- 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
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.
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. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
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.
Visit Veselka
A signal you can check.
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 for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
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.