Since we’re just hitting four bars on this trip to New York City, I wanted to choose four bars that each had a unique flavor and style.
Tonight’s bar has a flavor that is steeped in vodka and styled with a dark Russian lounge interior design.
And of course I can only be talking about New York’s one and only, Russian Vodka Room!
But first, we’re making a stop to meet a couple friends for dinner.
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Monday Night Dinner
Before we hit tonight’s bar, I’m meeting two friends for dinner here at the KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot restaurant on 38th Street. And look, that’s exactly where we are, let’s go in and find John and Sam!
And here they are: John and Sam!
Always great to see and visit with both of them and it’s nice to have them with me in this restaurant. They order and tell me what to do in here because I’m never quite sure what’s going on in here!
Our Hot Pot dinner was delicious and it was wonderful to see and catch up with John and Sam!
Now, it’s off to the next bar we go!
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Bar Number 144: Russian Vodka Room, Monday, June 15, 2026
Here we are at the Russian Vodka Room in midtown Manhattan. This is one of the few places I would ever actually go to midtown Manhattan for!
This place opened in the 90’s a few years after I moved to New York City. I believe it opened in 1996, but I could be wrong.
Let’s go in and see if much has changed in here!
It all looks exactly the same. One thing I love is that this is truly a dark and intimate bar. This bar has no windows.
There’s plenty of seats, so let’s get settled in and get a drink in here.
I had a nice evening in here, but I had two somewhat disappointing moments.
Let me set the first one up: I’ve probably been in the Russian Vodka Room about a dozen times through the years and they always exclusively had female bartenders in here that were always very attractive and very flirty. I always knew it was to get a decent tip, but I always enjoyed it. I was looking forward to meeting tonight’s bartender when a Russian fellow by the name of Alex greeted me at the bar and took my drink order.
Alex was very nice and friendly but happily he didn’t flirt with me and I missed the bartenders of the female persuasion, but what are you going to do?
This is the drink I got for the evening. It was a special for the evening and it called “Vodka Lemonade.” It was a big drink and loaded with vodka and delicious!
It was also sixteen bucks and with the tip I gave Alex twenty bucks for the drink. And yes, this will be the only drink (in here) for the evening!
I love the colorful back of the bar and a good portion of those bottles were different styles of vodka.
They do have beer in here with two beers on tap and four Russian beers and a Corona for the domestic drinkers out there.
But who drinks beer in the Russian Vodka Room?
Okay, brace yourselves, time for disappointment number two.
Here’s a couple shots of the somewhat octagonal bar in here. Look at the second photo and see that colorful square on the back wall? That’s a TV set…a fucking TV set! I hate TV sets in bars and prefer them to be in places that aren’t easy to see.
Okay, I get that sports bars have to have TV sets to show the games and this is why I don’t hang out in sports bars!
I always said I loved the Russian Vodka Room because there were no windows and no TV sets.
I still love it, but I hate that TV set and miss the fabulous babe bartenders!
They have a nice and colorful floral and light display dangling from the ceiling in here above the bar.
There’s seats and tables opposite the bar in here. The decor hasn’t changed a bit since I was last in here over 16 years ago!
They have live music in here and tonight we have a jazz trio playing tunes.
Okay, a parting shot of the bar and time to move on and get some cheap beer at a dive bar in downtown Manhattan! Cheers from New York City!
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The Drink
The vodka lemonade drink was wonderful, but since it was twenty bucks with the tip, I only had one!
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265 W. 52 Street
New York City
212-307-5835
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Bar List, Rules, Banner Art & Donation Link.
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