Since 1954, Veselka has been serving up Ukrainian food from the same location in the heart of the East Village.
Veselka, which means rainbow in Ukrainian, was founded by Volod...
Read moreSince 1954, Veselka has been serving up Ukrainian food from the same location in the heart of the East Village.
Veselka, which means rainbow in Ukrainian, was founded by Volodymyr and Olha Darmochwal in 1954. Volodymyr and his wife were Ukrainian refugees in the late 1940s and found a home in the Little Ukraine neighborhood of the East Village of Manhattan.
Ever since then, Veselka has grown from a small newsstand into a 24-hour gathering place, serving up Ukrainian soul food with traditional dishes like pierogi/varenyky, stuffed cabbage, potato pancakes, blintzes and goulash to the delight of locals and visitors alike.
The restaurant, now owned and operated by Volodymyr’s grandson, Jason Birchard, was owned and operated by Tom Birchard for many years, the son-in-law of the original founders. Throughout the restaurant’s 70-year history, it has been expanded several times, been featured in many prominent films (such as Ocean’s 8, Trainwreck and Juno) along with numerous features in local and national publications. Veselka is, put simply, an institution of New York City.
Beyond its culinary acclaim, Veselka remains deeply connected to the local Ukrainian community, with Ukrainian staff and ongoing support for organizations linked with humanitarian efforts in Ukrainian.
