Good food, cozy environment, very nice and professional service. My only issue was with the loud accordion.

Only negative was that menu was more expensive than one posted on their facebook page.
Food was excellent, as was the service.

Really delicious eastern European/Russian cuisine. The vodka cocktails were wonderful too. We were celebrating a special occasion and it was perfect for a small group. Definitely try the beef stroganoff, blintzes, and Napoleon for dessert. Yum!

I was confused with a food
We came @12pm, so were first, food was cold,
I didn`t find a variety, one type of the fish (how in the world the tilapia had been introduced from Russia?), one kind of the meat. Who did create these poor menu? I had paid $32 and I really was disappointed
The food itself was delicious, especially crapes and borsch. Russia`s recipes are so varied, and restaurant had introduced instant mash potato
Sorry, it was ones time visit for us

Easter brunch

Altho our waitress was excellent, the wait staff brought our entree's while we were just a third of our way thru our appetizer [herring]. They took back but didn't keep it warm: the only complaint!

Just try it! It will not disappoint.
Service in authentic attire, happy and willing to explain dishes and prep. Decor is charming and not something you experience everyday. It is a special place with special food and drinks. Just try it!

Great place, the best Russian food! Highly recommend lamb samsa, lamb chops, medovik, infused vodka, stroganoff and pelmeni!

This was our first visit to Mari Vanna and it did not disappoint! We went for Eater Brunch and we loved everything about it. The food and atmosphere were so authentic. We can't wait to go back for dinner sometime.

Excelente!!!!

Excellent food and atmosphere

The hostess was very welcoming and gave us a great table for two. We ordered Russian larger and cucumber/dill infused vodka and both were very good. For appetizers we tried the Pirozkhi which were Russian stuffed bread. Very nice and close to American tastes. We got got the Chicken Tabaka which was very tender and great seasoning. I could eat that dish anytime. But, a bit disappointing that it was served on a stone cold cast iron platter. We also got the roasted duck, very flavorful and very nicely cooked, but the duck meat itself was a bit gamey. Finally, we finished with the Honey cake, which was very nice sized and a perfect finish. Our only other request would have been to see the waiter more, after taking the order he was hard to grab.

Really satisfied with my meal. The ambiance is top-notch.

If you're russian or just like russian food and culture, you must go there! Great place to spend an evening with family or friends. Outstanding experience!

Awesome authentic Russian food in very folklore Russian interior.

They brought me an amazing birthday dessert (RUSSIAN HONEY CAKE WOWOWOWOW) and had a live accordion player sing to me! The dumplings and stuffed rolls are amazing too.

The food was outstanding (authentically Russian). The service was friendly and attentive.
Highly recommended.

My husband and I went to Mari Vanna to celebrate his birthday. We didn't realize that Sundays they have a wonderful brunch buffet for $29 that includes bottomless mimosas/bloody marys. The buffet was extremely delicious. We knew the food had to be authentically Russian, because nearly every other patron was speaking Russian, and the staff were all Russian, too. The food is incredible: everything we tasted was memorable! One important note: We were very disappointed that the coffee is NOT included in the brunch. It's $5/cup, and refills are not free. No one told us this, so we ended up with an additional $20 on our bill that we did not anticipate at all. It was especially frustrating because I do not drink, so I didn't have a single mimosa or bloody mary (which are included in the brunch); you'd think that they'd at least include my coffees then, since I didn't have any alcoholic beverage. So, the coffee thing left a bad taste in our mouths and made us with they had at least been forthcoming about it. But overall, we were very impressed by the quality of the food, and we haven't eaten that much in a long time! We would definitely come back, and recommend it to our friends, but next time we'll be sure to stop at Starbucks first because $5 per tiny cup of coffee with your brunch just isn't worth it.

Great food, but overpriced.

I found the cooking very ordinary. We had Chicken Kiev and Solyanka, and some of the ingredients like the peas with the first and many of the elements of the second did not seem at all fresh. It was moderately busy (Wed. night) but servers took a long time.

I loved the place. Food was very good and reasonably priced. I ordered the chicken Kiev and Russian signature dessert which was delicious. Russian beer and vodka was also good. Accordion player added a nice touch.

Server was not particularly friendly and meal was overpriced.

The food and the quality of service were excellent, and so was the atmosphere. This was our first time dining at Mari Vanna and we were very pleased.

Wonderful place! Food was great. Lamb was beyond my expectation!

Classic Russian and East European dishes served in a convivial atmosphere

The food was amazing. The atmosphere was welcoming and warm. The service was phenomenal. I would definitely recommend it to try this restaurant. Their food is unique in taste and presentation.

Great birthday dinner, complete with an accordion performance!

We recently came back this week (our second time - first time was fabulous!) and was a bit disappointed, not in the food as it is always the best!

The service was not up to par as the first visit and the restaurant was not busy at all.
Most Organizations are on a time constraint to 1-hour lunch along with employees and it took over 1 1/2 hour for the lunch we had this week with continual asking for service assistance, and there were only 5 tables of guests dining. Most only (2) per table. We want to continue coming, as your food is fabulous, fresh, mouthwatering, that makes you feel at home and want to come back again and again for more. Consistency above all is core to any business. Just a patron, who cares about good food, service, and overall satisfaction when dining.

I love this place, especially on Saturday nights, the music and the dj are awesome! Great food and very polite and attentive personnel. My favorite place to eat and party in DC.

Always a good meal at Mari Vanna. Decor is like elegant country farmhouse, delicious authentic Russian dishes, wonderful infused vodkas, and a strolling accordion player for atmosphere. Entree prices are roughly $18-$30, apps $10-$15. Make sure to try the pilmeni!

We went to Mari Vanna for Valentine's Day, and our experience could not have been better. We ordered the duck and the salmon for our entrees and both were delicious, and at a pretty good price for such an authentic restaurant. I also would recommend the beers (especially Baltica #4) and the desserts (we ordered Bird's Milk and the traditional honey cake).

Even though I reserved many weeks ahead, we were given the worst table way on the fourth floor. I asked for a change, to no avail. So many better choices for Valentine’s Day, we will never come back.

Will definitely be coming back soon. DC could use more Eastern European places, especially ones with this level of atmosphere and quality.

The excellent food was only surpassed by the great atmosphere and service!

I’ve been to Mari Vanna in Moscow and in London and both restaurants are great. I booked a table in DC when I had some friends come to town this weekend and was excited for them to try it. The hostess guided us to the third floor where it was pitch back except for strobe lights and there were three private parties of 10+ people. It would have been like eating in some sad night club. I asked if we could instead have one of the six other open tables available in the restaurant on the first and second floors but the Manager insisted that each of those tables had individually been booked out (even though the hostess seemed to think that a few were available so she went to “check”. When I complained to the Manager that the table they offered us was unacceptable, she said it was because I didn’t specifically request that the table was on the first or second floor when I made the booking (though of course when I made the booking no one asked which floor I would like to be on?). Never going back. Terrible experience.

The food was excellent! However, the value was not. When I left the restaurant, I was still hungry. Tiny portions and a big price tag is not acceptable for a place like this.

Intimate setting with tables very close together. Inviting and cozy, but not private if that's what you want. Service was excellent as was the food. We recommend trying their authentic dishes rather than picking one their newer additions since that is the reason to go is to try traditional Russian dishes.

Thanks for staying open longer for us! We appreciate it.
Needs little training on stuff though

The restaurant is only 1/4 block from the Mayflower Hotel and, therefore, very convenient to hotel guests. Food was very authentic and wine list provided regional Russian and adjacent eastern European options. Service was excellent, attentive and provided good insight into what was available. My wife and I would recommend this wholeheartedly for eastern European cuisine.

I love the charming decor. I've come here a number of times for lunch and tea as I work in the area and always enjoy the experience. The last time I ordered Cod from the lunch special and I wasn't that impressed but apart from that, all the food that I've tried, I've liked (caviar, eggplant rolls, beet salad). Their afternoon tea (3-5 pm) with the dessert platter is super awesome and I highly recommend!