Review Nevsky Russian Restaurant - Elsternwick

This was a fantastic restaurant find. The food was delicious. The beer and wine were great. Service was efficient & pleasant. The pate was the highlight of the meal. Absolutely perfect! Would highly recommend a visit. Pricing was $60 a head including drinks for 3. I can't speak for the authenticity of the food, but it was really good.

Wonderful. There were no disappointing parts of the experience. We were a party of 3 and all had the ‘A Russian Tale’ banquet. Amazing value for money. I think if you ordered single dishes it could be quiet experience so I can’t recommend the banquet options highly enough. The photo attached is the cold entree course. The food was all amazing, we did have dishes that weren’t to our taste but they were still great quality and well presented. The service was fast, super informative and friendly. The team are amazing and couldn’t do more to improve the experience. Everything down to the toilets were clean and looked after. If you are after a great dining experience that’s a little different but amazing food, this is it.

Fantastic experience at Nevsky. We went on a Tuesday night so were lucky to get attentive and informative service along with fantastic food. Pate was one of the best I've had. Great home made flavoured vodkas on offer. Highly recommended, we will be back.

Dining alone, I was unable to order the chef's degustations, so I created my own based on the most popular dishes and the degustation menu. I was very impressed with the high standard of each dish – fine dining level. For me, the highlight was the Seliodka (herring fillets). If I had to nitpick, I would say the borsch needed a bit more beef. The staff were warm, welcoming, and knowledgeable, and I enjoyed the Russian music. This experience has made me a Russian cuisine convert! I will definitely be back.

Bestie has been wanting to try this place for ages so we finally booked it in. After studying the three different banquets available we decided to get the Hermitage banquet at $68 per person - it includes more seafood entrees, which is more worthwhile. With this option you have to inform them at least 24 hours prior so they can prepare fresh seafood. Our seating was at 8pm because we were worried that if we ate too early we wouldn’t be hungry enough. By the time we were seated and the cold entrees were served, we were quite ready to dig in. Boy were they amazing! The smoked salmon, cooked prawns and herring were super fresh and matched well with the condiments on the side. The cold meats were also delicious. “Caviar” was more like the fish roe you see in Japanese sushi, but went incredibly well with crepe and butter. A shot of normal vodka was included in the banquet, which was meant to be consumed along with the seafood. After that, we ordered a tasting flight each which came with three of their specialty vodkas (made in-house), in both sweet and savoury flavours. Unfortunately we didn’t really enjoy these - perhaps our palates were not used to them or they didn’t match the food so well. Hot entrees were okay but not too special. By the time we finished those, we were already nearly full. Thankfully mains only consisted of creamy prawns, confit duck and leg of lamb. Prawns were tasty and quite rich so that filled us up even more. Confit Duck was a little undercooked in our opinion so we did not eat much of it. Lamb was alright but not extraordinary. Dessert was a strawberry romanoff panna cotta and came with coffee. Overall, it was a worthwhile experience and we are still glad we did it, but next time we’ll probably just order a variety of entrees. Service was very warm and attentive so definitely thumbs up to that. Recommend coming here at least once for an authentic Russian experience in Melbourne.

This is the best Russian restaurant in Melbourne hands down. If you are authentic Russian dishes cooked by actual Russian chefs, you cannot beat Nevskys. Good Atmosphere, friendly staff, food is perfect. 10/10

My first time eating Russian food ever! The beef was soft and the potato dumpling (sorry I forgot the name!) First time trying borsch too (not pictured), and it was tasty. I liked the atmosphere for the fact that it's not loud. Good place to eat, definitely coming back

Great traditional Russian food served by amazing friendly staff. Very satisfying experience!! 😌 👌

Lovely little restaurant at a good location. Service and food were excellent. We had the beef dumplings, pork loin both full of flavour and delicious without being too heavy. Waitresses were very attentive without being overbearing.

Must try: <br/>Herring fillets with boiled potatoes <br/>Egg salad <br/>Ham hock split pea soup <br/>Dumplings <br/>Pork loin with braised red cabbage <br/>Cabbage beef roll <br/><br/>My partner discovered this first and he brought me take away from Nevsky I was immediately in love! 2 Saturdays from then we would venture out to Elsternwick for an early dinner. The host , she’s so great and welcoming and funny as well! She brought the whole atmosphere together, comforting food, buzzing atmosphere, large groups with birthdays, kid you not Saturday night is extremely busy at Nevsky but they somehow always managed to get us a table. Will be returning again and again. Thanks for the awesome food! <br/><br/>

This was my first time trying Russian cuisine and I must say I'm impressed! Service was friendly and they go the extra mile to make you feel at home. The food is unique, hearty and nourishing, perfect for a cold winters night. I recommend the sour cherry crepes with cream, they were so good I devoured them up despite having a heavy meal before. Definitely will return!

Yearning to try Russian cuisine, we finally made it happen after hearing good things about Nevsky.<br/><br/>Quite few can come close to.producing flavors that are synonymous to their country of origin and it's safe to claim that @nevskyrestaurant is one of those rare gems<br/><br/>Thanks to our 9 months stay in Russia, our taste-buds were able to relish and register flavors from the cuisine that has culminated from fusing Bit of European and Asian Cuisine into what's locally grown and bred with subtle flavors.<br/><br/>Ordered Russian Mule, Russian Vodka and an Apple and Cinnamon based Vodka drinktogether with Strogonoff, Fricassee (obviously,have been missing Russian version of Julianne), Potato and Caramelised Varenikee (Dumplings), Sosiski and Chicken Kutlety<br/><br/>It's hard to not love anything that's quite close what we have relished in Russia (I'm sure you are tired of reading this 😆😆) but Sosiski (perfectly cooked yummy sausages served with caramelised onions) and Stroganoff (Veal cooked in cream and served with Buckwheat) were easily the Dish of the day<br/><br/>Simply binged on Julienne aka Fricassee and it was quite close to second best.<br/><br/>Hospitality, very friendly and charming. Pricing, just perfect for the portions and taste.<br/><br/>Vegetarians / Vegans have just one or two options so don't expect much<br/><br/>Cocktails were Superb!!<br/><br/>Definitely visiting.<br/>

My friend recommended we try this place out, and I’m very glad she did! I’m all for trying different food when I can, so decided to go to Russia! Loved the very rustic interior, the fireplace going and the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. It’s a quaint interior, but the food is full of Russian spirits. First vodka, favourite thing is the vodka comes before the food in the menu. They make 12 different flavours of vodka, but also have the standard and expensive vodka brands! The lady who served us was fantastic! She was energetic, happy for a chat as well as serving everyone. The food is hearty, and it’s full of flavour. The flavours are very different to your standard Aussie food, so don’t come in and complain as this is Russian food! Would highly recommend going, plus book!

Absolutely love this place! Always delicious, authentic food, fantastic atmosphere and exceptional, friendly and efficient service! The dumplings and the house flavoured vodka are an absolute must!

We had the $55 banquet and it was delicious! They keep on bringing our food and you won’t go home hungry. Never had Russian cuisine before. Service was excellent and friendly. You even get a complimentary shot of vodka. I would go back again.

4.5<br/><br/>Nevsky has provided me with an introduction to Russian cuisine that has me wanting to come back for more. The food was excellent, and the hospitality even more so, in particularly from the waitresses serving us and the fellow who played the theme to Shanghai Bund while waiting to see if we would notice. Further, it was great value for money. $55 for a set banquet meal that had us already almost full before the mains even arrived!<br/><br/>We started off with a variety of cold entrees, each one as delicious as the next. The cured salmon and herrings both possessed great depth of flavours, and the duck pate was incredibly rich and creamy. I personally did not like the cured pork fat, but the rest of the cold meats were right up my alley.<br/><br/>Two hot entrees arrived thereafter, and I thoroughly enjoyed the crepes with the minced beef. The thin crepe held within it juicy and flavourful meat. The baked pasty was fairly thick, but the fillings inside were on the generous side.<br/><br/>Mains were crumbed chicken patties and chips, stroganoff, salmon and meat pelmeni. The crumbed chicken parties would have benefit from a bit more seasoning, but I couldn't fault the rest. The stroganoff was especially delicious paired with the hot chips - pour the stroganoff sauce on the chips, eat, repeat.<br/><br/>Dessert was a cherry blini and while it wasn't something extraordinary, it was simple and tasty.<br/><br/>A shot of vodka each also came with the set menu, and it is always good fun to start off the meal with some alcohol.<br/><br/>Another great recommendation by Timinmelbourne and what a great night it was with Tim, his partner and One Piece Left.

This restaurant is great. Nice environment with a little fire place. I ordered the $55 banquet and it’s so much food and you won’t sleep hungry. The food is amazing, and comes with a shot of absolut vodka.<br/>Overall really really good experience and very reasonable price for what you are getting.<br/>Should go there for celebration, group dinner!<br/>

Had a wonderful time. We were seated right next to the cozy fireplace which was lovely. The food was delicious, especially the dumplings! Service was great, can’t wait to come back here!

Had never been to a Russian restaurant before and my experience was very pleasant. We were a group of 7 people, with all our banter and confusion over ordering the staff was patient and very helpful. I can't remember the name of the dishes we tried but everything tasted good and was well presented. I am not a connoisseur of the cuisine so cannot be critical of the authenticity of the dishes. A decent place to celebrate a special day. Highly recommended.

Group of 8 with family and some guys from work. Being polish I came in quite sceptical as I know all of the food thanks to my grandma. So I was pretty much comparing everything to her food. Was actually very surprised with the amount of food we got for $55pp. It kept coming and coming, I was so full at the end. Food was pretty good, but a tiny bit on the bland side, I found myself having to put a pinch of salt and pepper on most things. Other than that very enjoyable and service was terrific. Will be returning for sure! Oh, and grandmas is still best haha.

I’ve never been to Russia so I’m not sure how Nevsky’s meals compared to the real thing, but overall I found their meals a bit bland and lacking flavours. Nevsky provided great, family-style entertainment though (think Hofbrauhaus). Their set meals were also reasonably priced and it was such a feast, so it was perfect for large gatherings.

What an experience it was going to Nevsky! I’ve never been to a Russian restaurant before but my friend highly recommended so I thought hey, let’s go. <br/><br/>Firstly I recommend if you can get the large table near the front window, get it because you will be near the guy playing music. It makes it more authentic being so close to the music - when we first got there no music was playing and wow, my friend who used to live in Russia was so disappointed! Luckily the music arrived! <br/><br/>We ordered the $45 banquet and there was so much food!!! So amazing! The food just kept coming out. When I talked to the staff afterwards about how much food there was and how well valued it was, one of the staff members said that is how it’s meant to be in Russian culture, the table should always be full of food! I loved how they ensured to do that! <br/><br/>Also..... my friends have now claimed that Nevsky has the best dumplings in Melbourne! Sorry Chinatown but my friends prefer the dumplings at Nevsky! So I think the staff should feel happy about this especially since someone told me they had Russian dumplings before at another place that were dry. <br/><br/>The staff also wear cute head pieces! So cute! It was interesting to hear that they had ordered full costumes but hadn’t been able to wear them because it would be impractical to do so. <br/><br/>Also, the staff have a good attitude. My group and I were there from 6:30pm until 11pm (closing time!). I realised it was closing time and informed my group it was time to leave but the restaurant said other people were still dining upstairs and that we could have stayed there longer! They believe that they go home when the last person leaves the restaurant so they don’t always follow the closing times. <br/><br/>There was only one incident where the staff member dropped plates of food on me because my friend distracted her haha! All good. The dress had sour cream on it but the dress was saved! <br/><br/>I would definitely recommend Nevsky for a different dining experience. It’s good to try foods that we haven’t tried before.

I went here with a Meetup group tonight. The numbers were capped at 8 so we wouldn’t be forced to have a banquet. We ordered a drink before our meals. I ordered the Russian Mule which is Vodka, ginger beer and lime, it was a nice and refreshing drink, I wish I could order more but I was driving. <br/><br/>We ordered about 6 mains and 2 entrees to share. We were told these were large serving sizes but they weren’t enough for us piggies 🐷 hahaha. The entrees were the lamb brains 🧠 which we didn’t like, they had a fishy kind of taste, I thought I’ve tried brains and I liked them but maybe not. The other entree was the chicken fricassee which was delicious and cheesy. <br/><br/>My favourite main of the evening was the Polish kranky which was very flavoursome and it had some cheese. My friend who doesn’t normally like kransky loved them. The dumplings 🥟 were very popular with the group, I thought they were ok but I’ve had better dumplings made by my friend’s Polish Mum. We ordered some more kransky and dumplings because the serving sizes weren’t as big as we thought. The rest of the food was nice but nothing else really stood out. <br/><br/>We all ordered desserts. My friend and I ordered the cherry blini to share. My friend wanted ice cream instead of double cream and they were happy to accomodate. I loved the cherry blini, I think they used morello cherries from the jar which I like. <br/><br/>There was a young man and a young lady serving us tonight, the lady was a lot more friendly than the man. We were sitting upstairs and it was really hot and stuffy, there isn’t good ventilation and they couldn’t open the windows until it stopped raining. I enjoyed eating here but I wouldn’t rush back. There was a group of Russian people celebrating a birthday party and they were fun to watch. I prefer Borsch Vodka and Tears, I know it’s a Polish place but the food is kinda similar to Russian. I also think the food at Nevsky is expensive for the serving sizes.

Nice dimly lit place which was quite packed at 7.20 PM on Sat. Wait Staff were all wearing traditional dresses and had a Smile. Had the Piroshki S Kapustoy which was a Cabbage and Egg filled Pastry which tasted great; Blinchiki S Gribami which was like a crepe filled with Mushrooms and Onions and had a very smooth, Velvety finish to it, Kurinye Pelmeni was a main dish which was pretty close to Ravioli in an Alfredo Sauce but was really rich and creamy and filled us up. Also tried the Russian Pina Colada which tasted like Pineapple juice with a hint of Vodka. All in all it was a great experience, the portion sizes are tiny for the price charged but you don't mind it as the experience compensates for it. <br/><br/>P.S: I was really appreciative that the restaurant allowed an Elderly Gentleman who was a Patron there to hand out his Own home grown Orchids to people as it was a great moment which provided a great example of humanity which is still alive in people.

Friendly service, exceptional good quality Russian cuisine with an extensive menu. Would recommend to all even if you've never had Russian food before! Do yourself a favour and visit now! Table set up and restaurant design was delightful.

Came here for dinner with a friend and was not impressed.. I found the food bland and not very tasteful .. as I expected tradition Russian food and felt like I could go to the local deli and make this type of food at home. It wasn't the best Russian food I've had. I can't say it was very bad but could be a lot better

I found this place ok but nothing special. I'd expect it to have more warm and be more homey. The food is slightly plain and lacks flavour. The main dish I had was good but the starters we had could have been better.

Relatively small Russian restaurant with a warm & cosy interior - open fire place even. Staff are very accomodating and pleasant. We had the cured meat platter, mushroom crepe for entre and the duck & pork for mains which overall were good. Slight negatives were the meat platter was very basic (which is probably how it is supposed to be) and the mains both had the same rich red cabbage with it - this I found slightly overpowering.

What a lovely surprise it was dining at Nevsky last night. I know nothing about Russian food and have to admit I've never even tried it before but after my husband took me there last night I am now looking forward to the next time I can go back to Nevsky to try more of their other dishes. For entree I enjoyed borcht and for main shared the pork loin and minced meat cabbage rolls. Everything was cooked to perfection with lovely flavours and the service was very sweet and genuine wth staff very interested in how you found the dishes. The booze list is also extensive and I enjoyed some get interesting Russian beers. Clearly a popular venue with no spare tables in sight and its easy to see why so I suggest booking in advance! Try it!

This was my first experience with a Russian restaurant. There were multiple menu items that I could have selected and a decent specials board. We were spoilt for choice and took advice from the very approachable staff. <br/>My preconceptions were quickly corrected when presented with home style food cooked with a light hand and extremely well balanced flavours.<br/>Dumplings, cabbage rolls, buckwheat kasha, pork loin, sour cherry dessert crepes ... all of them deliciously individual and tasty. <br/>A very enjoyable experience.

We just had a family dinner of 10 people at Nevsky. What a hidden gem! You would easily miss this restaurant if you were leisurely scrolling through. Luckily, my in laws has been here a few times and knew exactly where to take us. As an American tourist, I am beyond impressed with this restaurant! <br/><br/>If you've never had Russian cuisine before, you're missing out in life. Nevsky would be a great start for you. Here's the breakdown: <br/><br/>Food: Huge selection of appetizers and entrees. The lamb was hand downs my favorite item on the menu. It was perfectly cooked at medium rare- so soft and tender with fluffy mash potatoes and grilled to perfection sweet tomatoes. The herring with rye bread was such a treat! Raw herring may sound odd for those less adventurous eaters but it's so good with a small piece of rye bread. The duck liver pate with the crunchy toast was so flavorful! I had to beg my husband for a little taste because I was pregnant 😭. The pirozhki was excellent. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the cabbage much more than the minced beef. My husband tried the pork loin and enjoyed every bite. We had chocolate blini with vanilla ice cream for dessert. It wasn't my favorite- too much chocolate over the crepes. I would skip that and opt for the apple crumble. I personally didn't try it but it looked much better from where I was sitting. <br/><br/>Drinks: There is quite a fine selection of wine and liquor. Obviously, we chose vodka to have with our appetizers. And wine with our meals. No complaints here. <br/><br/>Service: The waiters were extremely kind and attentive. They checked on us every 15 minutes. I love that they left a pitcher of water and coke for us so we don't have to hunt them down every 5 minutes to refill our drinks. <br/><br/>Ambiance: You wouldn't think it's a fancy restaurant from the looks of it from the outside. But it sure is! The dining area is well dimmed but not to the point where you need reading glasses- just enough to give it a romantic vibe. The brick walls give off an old historical feel to the building. The hanging chandelier leaves a classy and elegant vibe. We were here for a big family dinner but I would recommend it for a good date spot. If you're hoping to impress your girl with a chic and romantic restaurant, this is the place to go to. <br/><br/>Cost: Very reasonable prices! I would say it's actually much cheaper than I expected considering the ambiance, food and service. The appetizers were $5-15. The main dishes were $20-35. The portions were perfect- not too much but just enough. You will not leave feeling hungry. <br/><br/>All and all, I would highly recommend this restaurant. I wish we had this place in San Francisco! Give it a try. It's new. It's different. It's delicious. It's well worth the money. All these reviews can't be wrong. 😍

The staff were extremely helpful and assisted us with menu. We ordered the $55 banquet and it worth every penny. The food is different to our everyday Aussie meals and worth to try.

We really enjoyed our dinner: delicious food, good atmosphere, extremely helpful staff (can't praise them enough), friendly chief, who definitely knows how to make a feast.

The restaurant is set up very well, comfortable to say the least. The food was well prepared and served beautifully! The service was at its peak, very observant and quick!

We had a birthday celebration there and we were impressed with a food and a service. Dumplings, vareniki, salo, pashtet, olivie, pirozhki, you name it. Exceptional service ( just the right amount of it, not annoying). Totally enjoyed the moonshine (samogon). We travelled to Melbourne all the way from Auckland and Gold Coast and we are really happy that we choose Nevsky that night

Came here with a party of 8 and were accommodated for well. One of us had FODMAP dietary requirements and this was also dealt with in the form of a special meal which was unmarinated frenched lamb chops with roast potatoes and a garden salad.<br/>Service was very friendly.<br/>A few of us ordered the ragu and loved it. My boyfriend ordered the kranksy and loved it (although it was just two sausages with a little mash potato and gravy). Everyone else were happy with their meals. <br/>Overall good experience.

Didn't expect to find chips in a Russian Restaurant, but I guess it's a common staple in all restaurants. They were actually knows as 'frittes', which I can only assume were chips. As they arrived to the table, they looked presentable, like those at Schnitz with a green coloured mayonnaise on the side. It tasted like normal mayonnaise with green food colouring, but I digress. They tasted like chips you would get from a fish and chips shop, bit actually done well! Take away fish and chips (which I don't suffer through often thankfully) are soggy and laced in an indescribable concoction. The chips here were crunchy and had a pleasant taste. But guys, my sodium levels went high enough for a week's worth of recommended daily sodium intake. Did not appreciate. For the first time I have actually added points for the lovely man playing the accordion, really added something different to the experience.

The dumplings were naturally a must-have and they surely didn’t disappoint. It was overall a rather plain dish flsvour-wise. The dumplings skins were soft and silky, wrapping some lightly sessoned, quality beef and pork mince. The butter sauce wasn’t overly rich nor overpowering and the flavours combined exceedingly well with the generous amount of dill. The only complaint maybe due to the butter, the sauce was a tad too salty. Still some awesome and delicious dumplings though and definitely different from the Chinese variety.<br/><br/>Overall a rather unique experience to have in Melbourne. The dishes were flavoured perfectly and very filling without being overly rich or heavy.<br/><br/>How authentic is it? I have no idea at all, but whatever, because it was rather delicious nonetheless!

I finally went down to Elsternwick to try Nevsky as it's been on my list for a while and having just left there, it didn't disappoint. On a cold Winter's night this place really hit the spot. The flavours were incredible. Comfort food at its finest!

Warming restaurant for a cold winters night. I liked the way the dining area is divided by a pillar with an open GL fire, which gives each area a cosy intimate feeling. The wait staff were warm, welcoming and relaxed - I got the impression they enjoy their work. We had a banquet which included many Eastern European staples - seafood, cold meats, potatoes, cabbage, pork, duck, lamb, pickles, amongst many others - but it was all beautifully presented and with tons of flavour. There was lots of food but it was paced to perfection. The Vodka tasting was a nice bonus. Finished with Russian cream (Romanoff) dessert and good coffee. If you like Eastern European, or even just well-made hearty food, I'd highly recommend Nevsky.

Went there with my wife last night to celebrate my birthday. Despite being Russian, I have never been to a Russian restaurant before... We ordered the kharcho spicy lamb soup (actually it's a Georgian dish but very popular in Russia, and also I have always loved it!), golubtsi (minced beef with herbs, spices & pilaf rice wrapped in cabbage leaves), pirozhki (baked pastry filled with minced beef) and cream with strawberries Romanoff (for my wife). Two shots of cherry vodka - that goes without saying! LOL ))) What can i say? ALL food was authentic! My mum makes pirozhki and golubtsi just like that.<br/><br/>The place has fantastic atmosphere! Nice quiet music, prompt and very friendly service, excellent food! <br/>Highly recommended!

Great venue with the amazing ambience of the romantic lighting, fireplace and setting. Food was quite hearty and perfectly seasoned. Starters all tasted wonderful and the mains were all amazingly good also. We're looking forward to returning again soon.

We had a lovely dinner for two at Nevsky. I am Russian and I can definitely tell good authentic Russian food. We had the the Chef's Table banquette for $45 pp and it was really big! Even though my partner is a very big eater, this was extremely satisfying for us both. The banquette allowed us to try all different cold and hot entrées, and by the time the mains came out we were already pretty full :) The banquette also included 2 mains, dessert, tea/coffee and a shot of vodka each that went down extremely smoothly with the food ;) It covered practically all the essentials of the Russian cuisine and all dishes were served to share. The staff were also so friendly! They were extremely helpful and nice when I called twice before coming in, and gave an excellent service during our visit. It felt like they were passionate and knowledgable about the Russian cuisine and experience. The restaurant had a warm, family feel to it, with the interior laid with wood and a fire-place. There were many tables for 2 , perfect for couples, as well as a few big ones for groups. Whether you're Russian or not, I guarantee you that you'd enjoy Nevsky, as both my partner and I had a great time. If you're in Melbourne, I highly recommend this authentic Russian experience! Delightful food and service and absolutely great value for money! Would definitely come back.

A successful night of introducing my friends to Russian cuisine. We started with a tasty plate of crepes with minced beef, followed by marinated herring fillets complemented by warm potatoes. Onto creamy dumplings filled with chicken and mushrooms, tender duck legs with the most delicious red cabbage and medium rare lamb cutlets with a sweet sauce. We finished the night with a subtle apple and raspberry crumble. A great feast for us. The accordion entertainment was too loud for such confined spaces making conversation more difficult so we were quite happy when he had an intermission.

I'm from the West so to get any Russian food, decent or otherwise, is always going to be a trek. We have a "Meal of Fortune" group dinner about once a month and Boris brought us here. We absolutely enjoyed ourselves. We had the banquet which was a heap of food, cold entrees then hot entrees then mains then dessert. The food was great quality and was delicious. I tried some dishes I've never had been and some that I'm sad about being so far away from again in the future. The service was fantastic, very attentive and pleasant. Will definitely be back again if I'm out this way. If I'm not, I'll find an excuse to be.

We were in a Russian cuisine mood, so we tried Nevsky restaurant hoping to make up for our last experience searching for Russian cuisine. And to be honest, it they didn't disappoint, Good variety of foods, nice venue and good quality. <br/>we had a bit of everything there, I loved the borsch, and the Russian salad, it and a different name, can't remember it. and all the little varieties of Russian dumplings.<br/>A must for anyone who wants to try out traditional Russian cuisine.

First Russian cuisine experience and it was a good one! I recommend the banquet so you can try what Russia has to offer. You even get a shot of vodka! Ha.. Everything was tasty and it wasn't anything try hard which was what I liked. There was some interesting things like the cured fat 😢, but all in all you are not going to like every new thing you try. If your looking for something different, this is the place.

Loved this place. My friend and I had a degustation dinner together with vodka included. We did this as part of our world culinary tour and this place didn't fail to impress us! The food and the service was amazing, and I'm definitely going back to visit this place again. The only thing I wouldn't miss again is the cold pork fat, but i gave it a go. Otherwise this is a great place to try a different culinary experience.

Having finally racked up enough Dimmi points to receive our $50 voucher, K and I decided to go out of our comfort zone and try Russian food for the first time. Our restaurant of choice was Nevsky, a surprisingly large space in Elsternwick decked out in full brick and timber, giving it a very traditional feel. The menu boasted a wide variety of authentic Russian dishes, many of which I’d never heard of before, so the helpful waiter who provided suggestions was very much appreciated.

Beautiful authentic Russian food, very attentive service and nice live music, great entertainment and interactions . Love this place, highly recommend! Thank you for the beautiful night

Really nice decor, loved the fireplace, which looked very 1920's. Food was above average and although I really really dislike Beetroot the borsch was excellent, as were the Siberian dumplings. <br/><br/>We went for the cheaper banquet menu - there are three levels with the Imperial banquet requiring 24 hours notice! Ours consisted of cold entree of mixed salads and meats with gravlax and herring and a shot of vodka, hot entree of Borscht and mushroom crepes. Mains were roast pork with roast potatoes and braised red cabbage, apples and sultanas and the Siberian meat dumplings - like a Russian ravioli or Chinese steamed dumplings - delicious. Dessert was cherry blinis - yummy. We had a bottle of Shotbrook from the wine-list - which was well thought out. Sadly we did not take up the flight of vodka's for tasting - which looked like great value at $15 for 4 shots.<br/><br/>A lovely evening - great spot for a small group as the restaurant is cosy. We used our Dimmi rewards to get $50 off the bill but still great value.<br/>

Went here weeks ago with a few friends on a Friday night but haven't had the chance to write a review till now. Well, what can I say? I went with the banquet. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. A perfect choice for those of you who either need an introduction to Russian food or need a kind of nostalgic trip down memory lane. For those Aussies out there, your stomach will be full. And for those Russians out there, Sunday dinner at your babushka's when you were ten years old will suddenly come flooding back to you. The waiter and waitresses were lovely hosts for the night. All exotic with thick accents, making it a very authentic restaurant. Not like when you go to Japanese restaurants and everyone is Chinese. At Nevsky, they're Russians! And the food is cooked by Russians! Well done. 5 out of 5 from me.

Service was very attentive and friendly. There's so many delicious dishes to choose from that we ordered a few and shared them between us, which they were happy to accommodate. When we couldn't finish it all, the waitress offered to pack the leftovers in a take away container so we could enjoy them for lunch the next day - how great is that?!?! Never had Russian food before this but will definitely be back because there's still so much we want to try!

I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this Russian and Eastern European restaurant, but I was very impressed from start to finish.<br/><br/>There was nothing fake on this menu, everything authentic, made from quality ingredients, even the staff were authentic!

The Russian guy wanted to eat Russian food, and the only one I could think of was Nevsky.  So we went. Nevsky is warm and cosy and it felt like stepping into someone else’s home.  The service here reflects that too; the staff were friendly and engaging and always smiling.  On this particular night, there was also a man playing Russian songs on the accordion, which was entertaining and added to the atmosphere of the restaurant.  Tetris music on the accordion definitely took us back to our childhood.

NEVSKY RUSSIAN RESTAURANT is my favourite restaurant in Melbourne. The Hermitage banquet is incredible! My favourites cold entres include the duck pate, the selection of cold meats (the ox tongue is delicious). My favourite warm entre is the pirozhki, which has the best pasty for a pirozhki ever!!! The main mains are the utka (duck) and the rack of lamb cooked medium rare. The pork loin is also beautiful. The best desert, I think, is the chocholate blini. The ambiance of the restaurant is wonderful with all the Russian songs, and some of the staff spoke Russian. The chef, Ilya, is a terrific cook!!!<br/><br/>If you go there, I suggest trying all things DUCK!

Used our Dimmi vouchers for dinner on a Thursday night at Nevsky. The open fire was beautiful and makes the experience much nicer on a winter night.<br/>Staff were friendly and had a good knowledge of what was on the menue which is always a help if you are not familiar with the russian cuisine. <br/>Food was great, so tasty and freshly cooked.<br/>The ham soup was the best soup I had ever had. <br/>Will definitely come back.

A gastronomic delight!. We absolutely loved this restaurant. From its intimate and warm atmosphere to their wonderful gastronomic delight, we feasted heavily on their 'Chef's Table' 4 course banquet for $45 (includes a vodka shot!). Their 'cold entree' dish consisting of the 'Olivier' Russian salad, assorted cold meats, followed by smoked salmon cured in vodka, and herrings were absolutely delightful. Their 'hot entree' of pelmini (Russian meat dumplings cooked in a tasty broth with dill), borsch (Russian style soup cooked with beetroot, beef and cabbage) and blinchki (Russian style crepes with minced beef) were also heavenly. Their main dish of Pozharskie Kotlety (minced chicken breast patties served with euro frites and salad) was gorgeous. And lastly their dessert of cold set cream pudding with liqueur marinated strawberries, served with tea/coffee was great way to finish off. The service restaurant was impeccable and very friendly. We will definitely be back!

Wonderful Mothers Day. Fantastic food and service. Roast duck was to die for. Thx for loooking after us Nicky

AMAZING. What a hidden gem! The service was warm and refreshing thanks Nicky. It was our first time tasting Russian and loved every morsel of food. Couldn't fault any of our 3 courses. Hubby says lamb rack was the standout. Would have had the banquet as definitely great value for money but im pregnant so next time... cos we will be back! Cant wait to bring family and friends

Terrible Dishonest Service!!!!!. Booked a party for 30 people, was promised "specially cooked meals" for guests with dietary requirements - vegan, but on the night the staff told us NO changes to the menu, everyone has to eat what is available. They said they have no time to make anything extra and its just bad luck that some guests dont like what is available. Very dishonest and not willing to show any commitment to original claims. No flexibility to accomomdate as promised.

My friends wanted to experience Russian cuisine, so I took them out to this humble, little restaurant in Elsternwick. As always there menu was more steep than your average restaurant, but there is only a small market of Russian/Eastern European restaurants around so they can afford to charge higher. All in all, the food was great, really simply but tasty.

Best Russian restaurant in town!!! My parent used to live in Russia for about 7 years and we all must say it is really authentic. The restaurant atmosphere and services are excellent too!!!

Saturday night winner ;-). My daughter and I have been to The Nevsky three times and each time it has been a delight. Fabulous, informed, helpful, waiting staff and the banquets are really good value. Fresh, delicious and varied dishes...even for those who think Russian food is heavy and not their thing. The Nevsky will change your mind. The live accordian music on the weekends makes dinner really special and is actually very beautiful with tunes such as Midnight in Moscow etc.

...so to the food. The menu, very extensive, also gave Greedy Girl heart that beetroot was not ubiquitous. It was, however, dominated by quite heavy-sounding dishes. There are some vegetarians options but the cuisine seems to lean very heavily on meat...Nevsky prides itself on authenticity. It certainly gave Greedy Girl heart that there's life in Russian cuisine beyond beetroot.

What a great experience T.... What a great experience<br/><br/>The food was outstanding <br/><br/>Service great<br/><br/>Will be back

Our First Degustation.. My beautiful fiancé booked a 10 course degustation intended for Valentine’s Day at Nevsky. This was especially exciting because we've never formerly practiced a tasting style banquet. As we entered, we were pleased by the welcoming of a gentleman playing his accordion. The attendants were draped in glitzy folksy apparel to instil the cultural vibe, corresponding to the rustic infrastructure of dim lights, and societal portraits. The staff were smoothly amenable to our dietary/religious requirements and were sufficient with introducing the carefully positioned ethnic cuisines before us, and ensured that our requests were relayed back to kitchen-hand. The food was fresh, and healthy. We appreciated encountering foreign components and fusions of caviar and crepe, cured meats combining delicate dipping blends, shrimp swimming in a dill cream concoction, and formations of ground mince in subtle sweet pastry. The disenchantment however, was that each segment, although appeared aesthetic, didn't actually quake or wow to our sensitivity. Furthermore some dishes seemed to persist duplications; expending with only a slight variation- for example, ground mince in pastry, followed by ground mince in crepe, or cabbage mince in reduplicated pastry. We expected each dish to differ completely from one another. The strawberry emulsified cream pudding for desert was a dull moment to us as well. No larger than a 50 cent piece but the topped strawberries were marinated tangfully. Savouring every fleeting twinkling with my fiancé was, and always will remain as the highlight of my nightlife. In the state of Valentine’s Day, Nevsky or famine, nothing else matters. Thank you angel.

Just had a fantastic meal at Nevsky! <br/>I had been to Russia earlier in the year and I had been looking for a Russian restaurant in Melbourne since then.<br/>We had a banquet and for $55 per person it was delicious and we had mountains of food!!!<br/>It was a good way to try everything. The service was fantastic and the staff explained all the dishes and were super friendly!<br/>Highly recommend!!!

Beautiful food and service!. We had a wonderful meal here last weekend. The restaurant has a very classy vibe with its rustic brick walls and black and white photographs of old St Petersburg. Our waitress, Sasha, was from Belarus and explained the menu to us so well. There is nothing better than when the person serving you knows the menu by heart because he or she was brought up on it and is friendly enough to explain, recommend and share culinary stories. Well done! We will be back!

Interesting range of food and Vodka!<br/>Quite expensive but nice food.

Tasty. We had a great night. The staff are great and Nicky, in particular, was really great at making us feel comfortable and managing expectations. The food was tasty and authentic.

First time for Russian food. Loved this restaurant! Quiet Thursday night dining by a fireplace, really friendly and helpful waitress and the food - amazing!!! we has duck leg, ham hock soup and salmon salad. All very generous servings and super delicious. Will be back!

Love this restaurant. A unique dining experience in a very cute little restaurant. Fantastic food, friendly staff and very cool accordion player. We had such a great night here and would definitely recommend. Looking forward to going back for some hearty Russian food.

Excellent restaurant. Waitress was very helpful and the food was great. Couldnt really fault it, i will be back soon :)

GREAT PLACE. Had my 30th birthday there. as there were 20 of us we were given a private room which was awesome. All the staff were amazing and so helpful and the food was delicious. Alex the accordion player even came and played for us. Will definately be making it a regular place to eat. everything was perfect :)

Excellent dining experience.<br/>Food delicious, portion sizes generous and pleasant helpful waitress. Worth a repeat visit!

Fantastic experience. A group of friends and I meet every month for a supper club to try new cuisines and this month was Nevsky.<br/><br/>Right from the time Anastasia called to confirm our booking, I knew we'd have a good time (note to restaurant owner, Anastasia is your best asset!).<br/><br/>We were guided to the $45 banquet which was more than ample (we left very replete). Anastasia explained everything and all courses were plentiful and delicious (and came with a shot of vodka). We'd never had Russian, so this was a lot of fun to try and the quality was exceptional. I couldn't pick a favourite, there were so many dishes, but the blinis were pretty amazing.<br/><br/>We spent $65 per head including lots of wine and cocktails, which we all agreed represented exceptional value for our 3 hour Russian food experience. Thank you Nevsky and Anastasia, we'll be back!

Enjoyed the experience!. Every time we crave Russian food, this is our favourite place to go.<br/>Consistently good food and service!

My partner and I were just out for a quick and easy meal on a Sunday when we came across Nevsky. Neither of us had ever eaten Russian, which was the kicker for us to give it a go. The service was wonderful from the moment we walked in - attentive and super friendly, and also keen to give us an experience they could be proud of. Nikki - who I presume is the owner or manager - was our main server, and took us through the menu and, refreshingly, sought to make sure we didn't over-order. <br/><br/>The meal was absolutely delicious; we started with the cured Herring, then the mince Piroshki which was absolutely delicious, so fresh and filling. My partner and I are both big eaters, and were satisfied with one starter and one bowl of Piroshki between us, which made for a super cheap and really satisfying meal. Nikki was also kind enough to give us a taste of the amazing house-made horseradish vodka on the house. <br/><br/>All in all an excellent dinner choice - we'll be back with bells on!

Brilliant food served with a smile.. My girlfriend and I came in late on a Sunday night on a whim as we had not yet tried Russian cuisine. We found the waitress Nikki who seated and served us sincere and accommodating to our lack of experience with the food, suggesting dishes and combinations in a refreshingly friendly and enthusiastic manner.<br/>We had the marinated herring and Piroshki, both of which were just delicious - coupled with a taster of the in-house flavored Horseradish Vodka.<br/>A delightful experience, we will most certainly be going back for one of the banquets.

Cozy, friendly service, and great food.<br/>Food came out in a timely fashion and the serving sizes were just right.<br/>I look forward to trying out all of the menu!

Lovely dining!. Visited this fantastic Russian restaurant the other night with my girlfriend, and it was impressive. The service was friendly and attentive, the kitchen was quick and of course the food was delicious. We tried the Borscht, pork wieners and chicken dumplings. Beers were good too!

Great russian cuisine. I have been in this restaurant in october 2013 during my holidays in Australia. Originally I am coming from Russia (St.Petersburg) and I like to visit russian restaurants all over the world. I must say this restaurant is one of the best! That was genuine russian cuisine! I felt myself like I'm home again :) Thank you very much for this great experience and friendly service!<br/>I would absolutely recommend this restaurant to everyone, who likes european cuisine or just looking for cosy atmosphere and healthy food :)<br/>Всего хорошего!

Best Russian I've ever had!. I love this place. My husband loves this place. A review is well overdue.<br/><br/>We were visiting Melbourne for a long weekend break and decided to try Nevsky after seeing it on Urban Spoon. Phenomenal. We had the greatest time. It was winter, the restaurant was warm, inviting, Russian people eating there. Such a great night.<br/><br/>We decided to try quite a few of the offerings. Pelmeni, blini with caviar, olivier salad, borscht, lambs brains, salmon main, pork loin main and shared a kroskha dessert.<br/><br/>This was the highlight of our trip. The cocktails were great as were the beers, the service was second to none. We are coming back in February and will be coming back to Nevsky for sure. Their ikra krasnaya is to die for. Prices are very reasonable and portions are a hearty size.

This is my favourite restaurant in Melbourne. Excellent traditional dishes, great service and selection of drinks from Europe. Some of the staff even sound Russian which adds a sense of authenticity. Be sure to order three courses or more as some people seem to expect a pub meal and come away disappointed.

My friend and I went to Nevsky Russian restaurant this evening based on Urbanspoon reviews. They were spot on. It was a very pleasant evening, great service and our meals were tasty and fresh, with some interesting creative dishes. I will return and would recommend it as a lovely night out.

Cosy and friendly. Just back from a trip to Russia and we were keen to try Russian cuisine in Melbourne. We were not disappointed! The borsch was ideal for a cold wet night. The golubtsi and the pelmini were both tasty and filling. Service was very friendly.

Great place. Been there today for the second time, enjoyed it again and definitely will return! Same story: wife being abroad and too much work left no chance for cooking at home. Service is friendly and just great, everything is clean. Ordered borsch and ragu (slow cooked beef with vegetables and potato dumplings), and everything was very tasty and properly sized and served. It is very, very unfortunate that I had to drive, otherwise I would order some vodka and more food - after all I was born in xUSSR!<br/>Just a little note in case they read these reviews: as for me, it is better to serve borsch with sour cream not just cream - would be nice to have this option.

Interesting and tasty. Having never eaten Russian Cuisine before I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The atmosphere left a lot to be desired - we arrived at 6.30pm on a Sunday night so expected the restaurant to be busy but we were the only people there until we finished our starters. The Duck liver pate was yummy and the accompanying bread was out of this world. The Euro frites were delicious and we got lots of them!! We finished the meal off with there home made vodkas which went down a treat. The staff were really friendly and helpful.

A gem in Elsternwick. Love this place, been here 3 times in as many months. Impressed, especially by the zakuski (entrees) which are a standout. Nevsky is a real find. The staff are friendly and helpful too. Thumbs up !!

Great banquet. Dined here with 5 mates and had a great night. Had the Russian table banquet, impressive selection of cold and hot dishes.

We got in for an early dinner (before a local show) and had great prompt service and were told all meals would come out quick enough for our time frame. We started with a Vodka sampler tray which brought us back to our trip to Russia a few years ago. My wife had a Russian stew special which was fantastic and I went for Chicken Dumplings (with side of Euro Frites) and loved every part of the meal and friendly service.

Crave it !. Best Russian. Good service. Hearty menu. Good size portions. I love coming here. Always satisfied.

Decor and service were nice. Food tasted ok, not great. Underwhelming overall as we left hungry. Even after having mains and entrees.

Brilliant. I went to Nevsky tonight, and it inspired me to come home and sign up to Urbanspoon to write my first review. I went to taste the things I miss from my childhood- piroshki and pelmeni. Divine! The piroshki were better than my grandmother's- and that is really saying something. We had both the cabbage and the meat piroshki- both a more elegant version of what I remember from my childhood- incredibly delicious.The pelmeni were beautifully made- actually quite delicate- and with dill and sour cream (as a Shanghai Russian, I was brought up with pelmeni served with soy, vinegar and mustard- but these were just exquisite). My partner- a duck fiend- ordered the duck, and said it was the best meal of the year. I'm ecstatic to have found a place capable of showing how utterly delicious and elegant Russian food can be. Can't wait to go back.

Went to Nevsky Russian Restaurant last night and the food was wonderful. We shared the duck liver pate -the best I've had for a long time -very creamy and gorgeous delicate flavour(if that's possible when eating liver). My partner and I decided on the same main course -the roast rack of lamb. It was really good -pink and tender and seasoned just right. The wines were good. We're not vodka drinkers but there is an extensive list of vodkas and associated cocktails if that is your thing. What can I say...it was good, good, good, good.... We will be back; I intend to work my way through every item on the menu over autumn and winter. The salmon is next...

Great Food and Excellent Service!. I had a banquet for dinner and every single dish was delicious. Great variety and excellent service and ambiance. This place has a lot of character. I was at the medium size function upstairs as well as many casual dinners downstairs. Upstairs is a perfect spot for private functions and celebrations! Highly recommending it, especially for those who would like to try authentic Russian cuisine. Banquets will give you an opportunity to try a bit of everything.

Forgettable. The setting and service here were both pleasant, but the food was really pretty forgettable.<br/><br/>I had the stroganoff. If this is what authentic stroganoff is like, then I think I prefer the Margaret Fulton version. It was just plain bland. It also contained very, very little meat and a whole lot of mushrooms. Disappointing. <br/><br/>My partner had the utka: "roasted duck legs on braised red cabbage, with apples & sultanas, served with potato croquette and orange brandy sauce". Sounds delicious, but again it was pretty bland and ordinary. The duck was quite dry and the overall taste highlight of the dish was the cabbage. It was only OK.<br/><br/>Neither of us have ever eaten in Russia so have no idea how authentically Russian or otherwise the food here is. But in itself, the food simply wasn't memorable or particularly interesting.

Fantastic. Happened to just walk into this place on Saturday night, it has only just opened a week ago so a little quiet. I don't think it will stay that way for long with food like this - it was so yummy! I have never had Russian before so was guided by the waitress who made good suggestions - her English was not very good but made a very authentic experience. Loved the pelmeni and the Georgian lamb soup, good bread (complimentary) and of course, the vodka! It comes by the shot, carafe or bottle alongside a very reasonable wine list, only imported beers (try the Baltika) but all in all, a very good experience and value for money. Go there before it gets too busy to get a table!

Great new place with delicious authentic Russian food and wonderfully warm and friendly service

RNIS dined here on a Dimmi voucher but paid for their own tea. Nevsky is a Russian place on Glenhuntly road in Elsternwick near St Kilda. They are a tiny little shop so it is easy to miss. It takes abour 20 mins from the CBD by train. Here I was by a lovely young Russian lady and on one of the other ladies I adored their hat. Their hat was simply pretty. The green tea ($3.50 for a pot) was not bad. The service was so slow. It was about half an hour between entrée and main (the main by the way was vegetarian pelmeni which was a little bit over cooked and waay too much tomato sauce). I liked the filling in the main which was potatoey and not very cheesy. The salmon entree ($12) was really great. I loved the fresh salmon with the rye bread. What a health kick that was seeing as we have a lot of white bread everyday. And the starter came on time too. I saw another huge table share their entrees and mains but since I came rather late and wasn't hungry I thought not. They all loved their food. Pelmeni ($24 for a vegetarian one) It was fun to watch that table try a flight of vodka so for the vodka lovers out there, this place is for you. By the end I was full so it was off home for me.

The service was brilliant from start to finish. We felt incredibly welcomed and taken care of. Our lovely waitress and maître d even took the time to explain the different vodka shots we were having and how they varied in quality and taste. The ambience is lovely. There is a fireplace that burns throughout the evening and was incredibly comforting as it was a cold winter night on our visit. Looking at the extensive menu, we were not sure what we should order so we settled on the “Russian Banquet” that costs $55 a head. Overall, the food was of a reasonably good standard and tasted home-made. It was a pleasant introduction to Russian cuisine.