Phyllis Felts
If only there were away to rate this restaurant with more than a thousand stars! We’ve never had Belarusian food, so we headed to Vasilki. We think we had some of the best food we’ve ever had in our lives. Wow, just wow!
We had Boiled Stuffed Pelmeni with Chicken and Belarusian Garmoshka. I swear I don’t know which of the two was better because they were both so amazing. And I wish I had the words because they were just indescribable. My husband also had a Cafe Americana, freshly brewed and delicious.
The waitress was busy with a funeral party but she did well by us. The place is nicely decorated too. I just want more of their food. I want to try different dishes too. I can’t wait to return!
… moreEvialina Fedchyk
We came to Chicago just for two days, and this restaurant ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. The food was so authentic and delicious that we loved it so much, we came back the very next morning for breakfast!
The atmosphere feels warm and welcoming, and the dishes truly taste like home — everything is fresh and full of flavor. The staff is kind and attentive, which makes the whole experience even more enjoyable.
Highly recommend to anyone visiting the city!
… moreJulie Piazza
We threw my mom’s surprise party here last weekend and let’s just say I wouldn’t do it again. The menu is underwhelming, space is very small, and live music is not the typical live music at a Russian restaurant ( it was a one person show playing a keyboard and singing along like karaoke style). It was clear as day why the place was empty and we were the only people there! The menu posted online I learned is outdated and the actual cost is almost double from what’s listed on their site. Also, we had 3 kids in our party and they decided to charge us for kids seats and then charged us $10/plate for 4 frozen chicken nuggets and a handful of frozen fries…not to mention $3/person for soda, which is usually included in the packages. We spent significantly more than we would have at a Russian banquet hall that would be at least 4 times more fun and memorable. The surprise party was a disaster and never again will we go there. We are from Belarus and this was an experience that we wish we didn’t get to experience!
… moreAnn A
My Mother-in-law who is Russian heard about this restaurant from some of her friends. She begged my husband and I to try it on one of our trips to Chicago. The restaurant was easy to find and had ample parking available. We arrived close to 6pm and the place was almost empty. However, given that Russians tend to dine late we didn’t mind the emptiness. The waitress brought menu that were written in Russian which for my husband was fine but as I can neither read nor speak Russian it was a problem. I asked for an English menu which clearly did not have everything on it. the Russian menu was a total of 4+ pages while the English menu was 1 double sided page. I ordered Mushroom soup, Chebeuriki and some pork and chicken cutlets. Everything was delicious by the end we were stuffed! Oh an appparently one of the few words of Russian I know (Spaceba) was said in such a horrible accent it amused our waitress!
… moreTodd Meacham
The food was delicious. I got some golybsty as an appetizer and zrazi as my main dish!! They were both delicious and recommended by the server. The service seemed somewhat delayed as I was the only one in the restaurant but it still took them 30 min to prepare my food… I will give them the benefit of the doubt and say they made out fresh do it to the longer time!!
… moreChrono
Vasilki is a warm, unapologetically Belarusian hug of a restaurant that earns a very solid four stars for serving hearty, soul-warming food you’ve probably never tried before and will instantly crave again. The draniki (crispy potato pancakes) arrive golden and lacy-edged, ready to be smothered in thick sour cream or the house-made mushroom sauce that tastes like it simmered in a forest cabin for days; the machanka pork stew with its rich, oniony gravy practically demands extra pancakes for emergency sopping duty. Dumplings (both pelmeni and vareniki) are hand-folded, generously stuffed, and swimming in butter the way Grandma intended, while the cold beet salad and pickled everything remind you that Slavic fridge raids are a legitimate art form. Service is sweet and patient with newbies, prices are laughably gentle, and the cozy wooden interior feels like you’ve been invited to someone’s dacha. It misses the fifth star only because the room can get loud and the menu translations are occasionally mysterious, but for honest, belly-filling Belarusian comfort that leaves you loosened-belt happy, Vasilki is an absolute gem.
… moreTodd
Very interesting authentic Belarusian food. We brought my friend’s wife who is from Belarus and she was impressed.
Give this place a try if you’re looking for something different.
… moreMila Chernolutskiy
We had a great time at Vasilki restaurant tonight. Very good delicious food, pleasant waitress, amazing atmosphere. The music and singing was excellent. We danced and highly recommend!
… moreMikalai Paulavets
Good food. Place lacks traditional Belarusian ambiance like music and costumes. I’d come back only because there are no other options for Belarusian cuisine.
… moreDmitriy Fridlyand
Our experience at Vasilki restaurant was a mix of delicious food and chaotic management.
We pre-ordered four cold appetizers for our group of six, and that was all we received for the first 45 minutes. After that, dishes were brought out sporadically, about every 10-15 minutes. It took 1.5 hours for the final dish to arrive.
The restaurant had around 30 customers, but only one waitress (and a tired lady by the laptop performing ’90s pop songs). It appeared there was only one cook, as other guests expressed similar frustration with the wait times.
While the food was great, the experience for the entire party was disappointing, let alone not worth $450 we paid. We will not risk dining in here again.
P.S. The attached photo shows our table for six after a 40-minute wait, still largely empty.
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