East Village Building Blocks: Historic Food Sites in Little Ukraine

While less than a square mile in size, the East Village has a rich immigrant history more varied than entire cities many times its size. The neighborhood has been home to many ethnic groups, prominently among them Ukrainians. The center of that community, largely located in the blocks of the East Village east of Avenue A and lovingly called “Little Ukraine,” is well documented through our Little Ukraine Tour on our East Village Building Blocks web page.

Little Ukraine can claim some of the most iconic and beloved Eastern European restaurants New York has to offer. In fact, at one time the area was known as the “pierogi belt” due to the concentration of establishments that offer traditional Eastern European fare. Today we will take a closer look at some of the legendary Ukrainian restaurants and diners that have historically called Little Ukraine home.

While most of these locations no longer exist in the area, they are remembered fondly as important gathering spaces for the Ukrainian community and the East Village community as a whole.

144 Second Avenue – Veselka

The famed Ukrainian restaurant Vesekla is an East Village staple, acting as a cultural gathering space for the area’s Ukrainian community, while also introducing many others to the country’s fare. The restaurant serves traditional Ukrainian dishes including pierogies, stuffed cabbage, potato pancakes, blintzes, and goulash. 

Veselka has been in the neighborhood in some form since 1954 years. In the wake of World War II, Wolodymyr Darmochwal and his wife, Olha, emigrated from the Ukraine to the United States, settling in the East Village, home to one of the largest Ukrainian communities in the world at that time.

Following his dream to run his own business, Mr. Darmochwal opened a small newsstand and candy store on 144 Second Avenue, naming it “Veselka”, meaning “rainbow” in Ukrainian.

Veselka remained a candy store well into the sixties, but Mr. Darmochwal began inviting several local Ukrainian women to come into the store and cook traditional dishes. He soon added a separate dining room, known as the “Blue Room.” As it was expanded further east into the building, Veselka quickly became a neighborhood institution, a haven for local artists, beatniks, and Eastern European immigrants. By 1990, Veselka became a 24-hour restaurant. The current owner, Tom Birchard, Darmochwal’s son-in-law, came on board in 1967 and has been with Veselka ever since, with his son Jason taking over in recent years.

About the building: 

This three-story brick building was originally erected between 1914 and 1915 as a movie theater with office space, designed by architect Louis A. Sheinart. In 1928, the building was converted to retail and office use. It was part of the Yiddish Theater District/Jewish Rialto during the early 20th century and has housed the Ukrainian restaurant Veselka since 1954.

The western facade is clad in rusticated stone and features a bracketed cornice above the storefront and a large single bay at the upper stories with segmental-arched window opening, framed by festive garland decorations. The north facade features patterned brickwork, simple rectangular window sills, and glass brick on top of the storefront.

117 Second Avenue – Kiev

Open from 1978 until 2000, Kiev was a popular Ukrainian eating establishment “known as much for its crusty waitresses as its generous helpings of sauerkraut and challah,” according to the New York Times. For most of its existence, Kiev’s stayed open 24/7, catering to the many characters who made up East Village nightlife at the time.

The diner had many famous regulars including Allen Ginsberg, who mentioned the establishment occasionally in his poetry. Kiev abruptly closed one day in 2000, when the owner Michael Hrynenko said he “got bored with it.” Today, the building houses the Italian restaurant San Marzano.

About the building:
This three-story and basement building was built between 1842 and 1843 for William Hoople. Constructed for both residential and commercial use, the building is three-bays wide with simple cornice. There is a two-story rear addition.

117 – 119 Avenue A – Odessa Cafe Bar/Odessa Restaurant

Odessa Cafe Bar was an East Village dive bar that opened in the early 1980s at 117 Avenue A, just across from Tompkins Square Park. It played a key role in the neighborhood’s culture until it closed in 2013. In the 1990s, the owners of the bar expanded to the neighboring 119 Avenue A, opening Odessa Restaurant.

Similarly to Kiev, Odessa Restaurant served Ukrainian cuisine late into the night and was beloved by the local community. While Odessa Restaurant outlived its neighboring Odessa Cafe Bar, it shut its doors a few years later in 2020. The building is now home to the trendy eatery, Superiority Burger.

About the buildings:

These two four-story buildings were originally erected in 1858-59, along with the buildings at 115, and 120-123 Avenue A. The lots were once part of William B. Astor’s holdings and was leased out in 1859. 

The present facade of No. 117 features simple rectangular window lintels and brick sills. There is not much decorative detail. The historic cornice, molded window lintels and sills have been stripped. The present facade of No. 119 has been highly altered from its original appearance.  The brick building features a store front at the first level and simple rectangular window lintels but does not maintain any decorative details. The historic cornice, molded window lintels and sills have been stripped.

156 Second Avenue – Second Avenue Deli

From 1954 until 2006, the Second Avenue Deli served the surrounding East Village from its original location on the corner of Second Avenue and East 10th Street. Opened by Ukrainian Jewish Immigrant Abe Lebewohl, this legendary kosher delicatessen served thickly sliced deli sandwiches, chicken soup, chopped liver, and other classic deli dishes.

Lebewohl, a Holocaust survivor, moved to America without knowing a lick of English but quickly began working at a Coney Island deli. In the following years, he worked in a variety of deli kitchens, gathering the skills he would need to open his own spot

The deli closed briefly in 1996 following Abe’s tragic and unsolved murder. It was closed again in 2006 due to rent increases, this time reopening in a new location at 162 East 33rd Street in 2007, where it remains to this day.

About the building: 

This six-story tenement was constructed in 1915, replacing three mid-19th century buildings originally on site, including one that housed the famous landmark Café Boulevard at No. 156. The Austro-Hungarian cafe was frequented by Baron Ferencz Béla Esterházy von Strakonitz, and the Czech composer Antonín Dvořá, among others.

To explore other sites in the historic “Little Ukraine” of the East Village, take our full Little Ukraine Tour. To learn more about the history of the East Village and its built environment, explore our East Village Building Blocks website.