borsch, vodka & tears

soul warming. an absolutely delicious, rustic journey through hearty polish cooking. hits you straight in that tender love region. lovely, stews, soups, small things, big things, anythings. great for coffee. lovely for summer or winter. actually. suited more perfectly for the colder months, with heaters outside and meaty homemade encapsulatents, warming you to your bones. i'd recommend this place to anybody. for any occasion. simply. yummy.

some consider it a chapel street institution; a stalwart that has withstood the test of time and numerous intoxicated patrons after they indulged upon the niceties of their extended vodka list. many consider it a place to get hardy polish-inspired food (and other morsels from that countries neighbours) however i think of borsch, vodka & tears  on chapel street as a fun place that you really can't take too seriously. not in the sense that the food or anything is a joke per se, but because it is a fun atmosphere that doesn't try to exude an attitude or be something that they are not. a heavily stocked bar with vodka from both poland and the general area around its borders greets you before service tends to. most of the time you are left to choose a table to your liking however it is a small dining room so the few choices by the window will either be already taken or dirty, which was the case when i turned up on a recent visit. a seat was happily taken in the rear of the restaurant which

i am a little torn... it wasn't quite the authentic polish experience i was hoping for. the food was delicious, i would definitely recommend the pierogi and pork loin schnitzel (its a very generous size). the service was pretty average, basic things were missed like no cutlery/ plate for one person (even though we booked a table) and they also started taking plates away before everyone had finished their meal (which i find quite rude). the food was good, service was average, and the atmosphere was okay (too many people in a small space makes it very noisy and cramped).

a lovely, quaint cafe/restaurant/bar in a great location. you really shouldn't go past the coffee cream cocktail. the meatballs are as equally delightful.

styled after a krakow bar, borsch, vodka & tears in prahran specializes in polish vodka, authentic wormwood absinthe and hearty polish cuisine. sit by the bar and soak up the charming bohemian atmosphere of yesteryear. try one of their turkish apple teas, served with pomegranate molasses and medos honey vodka and a big bowl of borsch. if this doesn’t get your blood pumping, nothing will.

helpful staff and delicious food.

hearty food, always reliable. funky crockery and more vodka than you can shake a stick at. it's a favourite of ours. highly recommended, along with its sister restaurant "after the tears".

walking in on a cold saturday night to a cozy mood lit restaurant we were greeted by friendly staff who took us straight to our seats. despite us being 1 of 3 tables there, it took about 10 minutes for our waitress to bring menu's, which was my only criticism. for there out the experience was great. our waitress explained the menu (read: vodka selections) as it can be quite overwhelming for a first time. the food was brought out quickly (gnocchi, lamb croquettes and polish borsch) and was plenty for the two of us. the vodka is very much up to personal preference so go by the bar staffs recommendation. i will definitely be back

it's an amazing place, the design, the food, the drink, the service.
we were a group of 10 people, all the dishes were great. highly recommended.

amazing food, incredible vodka and outstanding service from taylor and the rest of the team. highly recommend the chopin chocolate vodka and the health kick cocktail. yum

my friend and i walked in with no reservation for dinner (about 8pm) and despite it being busy they were able to accommodate us while being super pleasant. due to our wildly different needs we ordered 2 dishes each. in retrospect one share plate is enough for one person! i loved the smoked trout salad and wished i had a second stomach for the russian tomato salad. my friend loved the vegie borsch. really loved that the menu was clearly marked what was gluten, dairy or meat free.

the best way to warm up this winter is with a few polish bitches. now i am not usually a big friday night drinker but i did find myself at borsch, vodka and tears on a friday night after innocently attending a pop-up craft market at prahran town hall. i do love a pop-up market. anyhoo, i have always wanted to try this cosy, intimate polish bar and this was the perfect time to do it. arriving at 6pm afforded my companion and i what i predict is a rare opportunity to sit up at the bar and be part of the action. this seating position provided us a lot of entertainment and education but it was also our undoing.

it was such a great dining experience! plus, it is pretty inexpensive for new york standards. they have lots of options to choose from, and if i ever get the pleasure of going there again i will be making room in my tummy for all the tastiness.

sadly, it was time to leave the eastern bloc and time to head back to the city for more shenanigans.

breakfast. i didn't even know this place was open for breakfast! i was really pleasantly surprised. the food was amazing. inside is not a very breakfasty environment but outside is fantastic.reasonably priced too.