The Latest Rasputin Reviews:

From Russia with Love:
Dine and Dance at Brooklyn's Famous Russian Nightclub

by Simon van Booy

Woodbury Magazine
FALL 2008

If you like a little adventure every now and then, but don't have the time to jet over to London or Barcelona for the weekend - then round up your most exciting friends and book a table at Rasputin - a Russian restaurant and nightclub in Brooklyn with a cabaret show you'd be hard pressed to find outside the more decadent casinos of Las Vegas.

According to Michael Levitis, Vice-President of Entertainment and Marketing, and part of the family that owns the restaurant - most of Rasputin's clients are upscale Russian-Americans, guests from Russia and Americans from New York City, Long Island and New Jersey.

"Rasputin is modeled after the leading Moscow cabarets/nightclubs," says Mr. Levitis, "In that we offer the ultimate entertainment experience with live music, dancing, and a cabaret show - we offer a taste of the 'New Russia'."

There are three reasons to make the trek to Brooklyn on Saturday night, and they include the live show, the food, and the dancing. Where at many Long Island nightclubs you run the risk of seeing your friends' kids, Rasputin attracts adventurous Manhattan couples and wealthy Russian locals who whiz up to the valet in German and Italian sports cars. As you enter through the giant castle-style doors, you'll be whisked to your table by a friendly maltre-d in a tuxedo. Be sure to request a table on the balcony (Rasputin is designed more like a theater than a restaurant) so you can look down at the stage and the dance-floor, which is an interesting mix of Russian models and middle-aged couples.

Needless to say, the vodka flows like water - and most tables order bottles in ice, rather than individual drinks. The wine list is also impressive, and compliments the diversity of the menu very well.

The food at Rasputin is spectacular; and awe may turn to incredulity and dismay, when you realize exactly how many courses are included in any of the four Prix Fixe menus (which can and should be viewed online at www.rasputinny.com). Although you can order A La Carte, the Prix Fixe menu is absolutely the way to go. And you have four choices, starting with the Banquet Noble (Friday/Sunday $65 [per person]; Saturday/special events $95) and going up to the legendary 25-course Banquet Rasputin (Friday/Sunday $140; Saturday/special Events $160) which inCludes expertly prepared dishes like braised short ribs in port wine reduction with Israeli couscous, tilapia bundles stuffed with lump crabmeat in lobster bisque, and New Zealand rack of lamb with smashed Parmigiano potatoes. The waiters hover attentively and as you reach for one of the several dishes that balance on tiers upon the table, expect helping hands to take over and serve the ladies first - a custom that has slowly been lost at many 'good' restaurants. While Rasputin might not be on Park Avenue, the level of hospitality is very high, which means you won't have your plates taken while someone at the table is still eating.

According to Mr. Levitis, Rasputin is unlike other Russian restaurants, in how their menu fuses elements of continental, French and Asian cuisines with a Russian flavor. And the menu is updated and amended quarterly.

By the twelfth course - if you've been pairing with wine or sipping on a Vodka cocktail, it's ok to lose count, or forget whether you preferred the whole branzino stuffed with yellowfin tuna tartare or the Chinois filet mignon with grilled pineapple gami. The quality and freshness of the food is taken very seriously - and anyone who's experienced it will surely agree that it's presented as beautifully as a MaMA exhibit.

Take a break from the feast for a little dancing, and you'll return to the table to find carafes of cranberry juice and fresh orange juice topped up. The staff is incredibly friendly, and though the waiters may not speak much English, they'll quickly convey their willingness to provide you with anything you could possibly need. Before long you'll feel like some high-powered Russian politician enjoying the best that Moscow has to offer. The feeling of being in a completely foreign environment is wonderful, which is perhaps one reason why a fleet of town cars hover outside, waiting to ferry parties back to Manhattan.
Despite the enormous body-builder bouncers inside the door, the atmosphere at Rasputin's is extremely civil, and very friendly, which means you can dance on whim or just nurse a cocktail around the bar area without feeling as though everyone is sizing you up. The friendliness may also be due to the fact most clients, both Russian and American (expect a 50/50 mix) are fairly wealthy - and with an unlimited suppiy of vodka and gourmet food, everyone seems to take great pleasure in the shared experience of decadence.

Two things you can certainly say about the Russians are that they write incredibly long novels, but they also know how to dress - perhaps a little too well. So if you've ever wondered where you could possibly wear those impossibly high Loubutln heels and that black dress at the back of the closet - they'll both fit in at Rasputin where you may find half the inventory of the Saks shoe department. Men generally go for the casual trendy look: tailored suit with Italian polo shirt and Ferragamo loafers.

In terms of the show, Friday nights generally (and you can check the website) feature events, concerts, (the stage is at the front of the restaurant) and singers like American idoi's Anthony Fedorov (performing live every summer weekend). Saturday night is when the famous "World of Cabaret" takes place - starting off around ll pm and lasting about 40 minutes. The costumes for the Saturday show are more elaborate than anything you can imagine (but think - Cirque du Soleil meets Victoria's Secret), There's also a high-end amplification system and laser light show that is quite impressive-especially if you don't know whether It's the 2nd or 3rd bottle of vodka.

For many Russian regulars, the elaborate dinner concludes in the early hours of the morning (just as Rasputin morphs seamlessly from sexy cabaret to sexy nightclub) with coffee, tea, fondue du chocolate, quatre patisserie platter, and a feast of seasonal fresh fruits and berries-just in case you were stili hungry.

By the time you get home, you'll be exhausted, though With that rare feeling of having experienced a night so lavish, you'iI be happy to stay in and watch TV for the rest of the month.

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Rasputin Restaurant Review -
a Russian Restaurant and Nightclub

By Babbie De Derian,
Travel & Food Editor

Splash Magazines
September 2008

Brooklyn is home to a closely knit community of successful and elegant Russian families. One of them is Michael Levitis, who emigrated from Russia over 20 years ago, is an attorney, has a mortgage and title company, and is the co -owner of Rasputin, Brooklyn’s most popular Russian Restaurant and Nightclub. It is located at 2670 Coney Island Avenue, a thirty minute subway or car ride from Manhattan. Michael has created what some consider a masterpiece, a night out in Russia right here in New York.

Regardless of your age or nationality . . . whether you live in one of New York’s five boroughs . . . or are a tourist passing through, if you are looking for a special ethnic, fun, festive and delicious Saturday evening - and if you like to dress to the nines, enjoy a fast paced cabaret and love to dance, I highly recommend Rasputin, a one of a kind restaurant that will immerse you in Russian culture and a fusion of exquisite cuisines.


When the invite came to experience a taste of Moscow in Brooklyn last Saturday night, I gained a few pounds just reading Rasputin’s extensive Four Course Prix Fixe Banquet Menus online at their website, before I even ventured out of Manhattan. They offer four different decadent Banquet tasting menus, ranging in price from $99.00 to $160.00 per person, including the show, and dancing, plus a wide variety of a la carte selections. They include: Banquet Rasputin, Banquet Royal, Banquet a la Russe and Banquet Noble.

Seaside Car Service picks me up at my midtown New York City apartment at 8:30; the ride is quite pleasant, driving on the Beltway along the water. My first impression of Rasputin is a feeling of being transported back in time. Everyone is stylishly and expensively dressed; there is a sense of opulence, glitter and a little glitz; most are seated with family and friends at long tables. We are a group of ten, here to experience and taste a special Rasputin evening… and to be treated like Imperial Russian Royalty.

I am led to our table, which is already laden with a bounty of first course delicacies we will be served as starters on the “Banquet Royal” Menu ; I am quite impressed with the plating, presentation and table décor. When we are all seated, servers remove one dish at a time from the table, and take turns serving us family style. Plates are removed and replaced with others; I find myself devouring more creative dishes than I can possibly describe. Each salad, fish and meat is a savory fusion of different flavors that titillate and tantalize my taste buds ; I do not know if we are still into the first course, or have moved on to the second. Vodka is poured to accompany the black caviar served on a warm blini. Yummy, I love caviar. The wine flows, as does the attentive service; we are served a Robert Mondavi Private Selection crisp

Cabernet Sauvignon and a Robert Mondavi Private Selection Merlot, both priced at $40 a bottle. Wines by the glass are reasonably priced from $ 8 to $10.

Some of my favorite and most decadent dishes: the whole branzino stuffed with yellow fin tuna, confit of duck with essence of honey and Meyer lemon, the cold lobster salad with chef Lovely’s special sauce, Yukon gold potatoes and mushrooms, Chilean sea bass with Thai carrot ginger infusion and the New Zealand rack of lamb with smashed parmigiano potatoes.

At 11 P.M, the lights glow brighter when the cabaret begins. After imbibing on food and wine for two hours, I am happy to sit back and be entertained. The show is fast paced; singers and dancers warble and whirl; the finale is colorful and exciting. Now it’s time to move my own eager- to- dance feet onto the dance floor. Haven’t boogied like this in months, but like Cinderella at the ball by 2 A.M. my chariot is waiting to take me back to that other borough.

Moscow in Brooklyn is close enough to visit more often than Moscow in Russia, so I plan to come back with another group of friends for more caviar and vodka. I don’t know much about Rasputin, the Russian scoundrel who was said to have had a way with women, other than he was a mystic who lived from 1869 to 1916 and had a big influence on the Czar of Russia, but I do know Rasputin Restaurant’s Executive Chef Lovely M. Sandou has a magical and mystical way with food, you don’t want to miss. It’s a great place for a private party or a corporate event.

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Russia, Rooftops and Carnival – Nightlife New York City Style

City Guide
September 2008

Going out at night in New York City is a pastime for many, and for those visiting the city interested in enjoying some unusual, and fun, nocturnal fun, we recommend these places. If you’re interested in exhilarating entertainment—off the beaten path— the place to go is Rasputin. This Russian-themed supper club offers everything on a grand scale, so prepare to be thoroughly entertained by their spectacular cabaret show while savoring the finest Russian-French fusion cuisine from their extravagant prix-fixe gourmet tasting menus. Enjoy live music and dance the night away with that special someone! Rasputin is the perfect place to celebrate your birthday, anniversary, special occasion… or just a night out. In the grand tradition of the most famous Parisian cabarets, Crazy Horse and the Moulin Rouge, Rasputin presents the most spectacular cabaret show in New York. The fabulous choreography and exciting music, together with the beauty and grace of the performers, will leave you breathless. The costumes are dazzling and designed by Tatiana Kudravtseva, the head costume designer for the world-renowned Marinskiy Theater in St. Petersburg. Each costume is handmade in Russia by Old World artisans, recapturing the authentic style of the costumes of the world’s most famous cabarets. The cabaret show at Rasputin will transport you back to the heyday of European cabaret, creating a truly electrifying experience. <...>

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Rasputin Restaurant & Cabaret

MyAreaGourmet.com
September 2008

Choosing to dine out in Brooklyn opens the door to a world of international cuisines, but one hot spot in particular offers New Yorkers a complete European experience without ever leaving Sheepshead Bay.

Rasputin Restaurant and Cabaret is all about providing a lavish and extravagant French-Russian dining experience, complete with dancing and a cabaret show. Rasputin Restaurant has been one of Brooklyn's most sought-after destinations for 16 years.

The menu offers meals fit for a tzar, and the over-the-top cabaret performances are inspired by famous Parisian cabarets like Moulin Rouge and Crazy Horse.

"During these tough economic times, people are cutting back on expenses such as European vacations but are still looking for unique experiences that are closer to home. Those who are still craving for cultural experience are spending their weekends at Rasputin, feasting on delicacies such as blinis and caviar as well as seafood dishes such as eel, salmon, lobster and filet mignon and succulent lamb chops.

"Additionally, the night also is packaged with a 40-minute cabaret show and a live band - for $200 per couple. So it's a night filled with fabulous food and live entertainment, rather than just a typical restaurant experience. Rasputin is attracting more restaurant-goers because they are getting more creative when it comes to planning a night out."

~ Marcel Finkelstein
for Rasputin Restaurant and Cabaret

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