Darina Cafe

The food was really good. Had the Lamb, the issue was that there was a party going on and it really made it hard for me and my fiancé to have a conversation. The waitresses worked very well to make sure we were well taken care of but it was loud. Also we were sitting in the middle of the restaurant and that made it very awkward. I put it this way I felt like we were at a wedding but we had to sit in the hallway.

This was cute, but for a very very specific audience.
Someone was having a 1^st Birthday Party, another was having a Baby Shower. Between the two parties in this not huge place it was just a little chaotic. I can’t imagine how the kids birthday entertainer with pythons and chinchillas and all was able to give himself, the animals, the kids, and those that were trying to stay away from the animals, enough comfortable room.
This is not a very kids friendly establishment, considering they were hosting a kids birthday party. There was no changing station in the bathroom (so we had to go outside and change our baby in the car). There were a total of 2 high chairs, which is probably not bad for an average night out, but not when you have a baby’s 1^st and his few infant friends.
The food was a little sparse and pretty average for my taste, although I’m not sure what their levels of banquet menu are. Quality is nevertheless quality and they have a number of competitors in that department. It’s definitely convenient though for those living in Staten Island and not having to resort to Brooklyn for this kind of entertainment. I would definitely not consider coming here from Brooklyn, however, if I had to host a party (or any other borough or Tri-​State Area for that matter).

Fantastic small café for family get togethers and casual weekday dining.
There are not that many places in SI that I know of for casual Russian food.
This place has a small usually set menu, but what they do have is made perfectly.
The blue crab salad is delicious and fresh.
The veal cheek stew is also amazing.
They are doing everything right, from food to service!

As a disclaimer, I am not a fan of Russian food. I have yet to eat any Russian food that I really like and want more of. It’s all potato or beets or eggs and everything is seasoned with mayonnaise and dill. OMG. With that said…
My husband is Russian. Every year since we have been together, we go back to NY to visit his family and I am forced to eat Russian cuisine. While half of it isn’t terrible, the other half makes me twist up my face in disgust at the thought of having to eat it. That’s mainly the home-​cooked stuff though, like Babuska’s «fish fat gelatin» as I refer to one of her dishes. Anyhow, I digress.
Darina’s, what can I say? For one, it’s very quaint and cute (that’s me sugar-​coating for small but smartly decorated to make the most out of its space). The furniture and restaurant are nice and new, the bathrooms very clean with its modern toilets that save water. Of course it’s also because the location of the restaurant is new; it moved there not too long ago, I was told, due to the flooding of its former location because of Hurricane Sandy.
We were there because of a big post-​wedding night celebration and the hubby’s uncle loves this establishment. I have no idea what most of the food was since it was a large gathering with all the dishes preordered.
The service was excellent. If it were based just on that, five stars all the way. The ambience was relaxed and the food just kept coming out a little before the last dish was done with. The timing was perfect.
I don’t know whether it’s the hubby’s family or Russians in general but with the several Russian restaurants I’ve been to so far, caprese type salads were ordered every time. Even at the wedding. Those are pretty good but it’s difficult to screw up a combination of few greens, sweet tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.
The two things that I remember eating there were kebabs and a baked flaky meat item. There were three kinds of kebabs: chicken, pork and beef. The chicken wasn’t bad for cheap quality meat with lots of stuff that should’ve been cut off and removed before cooking. The pork sucked, too dry and not enough flavor. The beef was the most well-​seasoned and flavorful of the three but overcooked. So all in all, not winners.
The other thing I recall thinking it was good was a dish that was akin to a dry casserole. The outside was soft and flaky, almost croissant-​like. It encased a top layer of fresh, delicious trout (so clean it tasted like moist white meat chicken), then a layer of chicken, then mushroom and something else that I can’t remember anymore. It was actually surprisingly good and perfectly seasoned, just delicious. I have nothing bad to say about it. The flaky outside dough was made from scratch by the owner’s wife or something like that is what one of the servers told me.
The meal ended with the mediocre Neapolitan type dessert of phyllo dough and custard filling. Surprise, surprise. I would come here again, no arguments. But that’s partly because it’s the most decent and pleasant choice between the other Russian restaurants and home cooking.

I’ve become a Russian Birthday Party veteran — they usually consist of:
— Long Table full of family and friends
— BYOB Vodka, Cognac, sweet white wine (Riesling /​Moscato), and red wine
— Massive trays of food (meats, cold cuts, potatoes/​mushrooms, tomato cucumber dill salad, salmon, and other hearty things)
— Endless Toasts (and endless shots)
— Tons of Traditional music and Dancing in a «Soul Train» line or circle
— «Thick» Birthday cards
I came here on Sunday for a party — I’m wondering if Russians actually have this many birthdays. Parking is easily available outside, the DJs added some of their own karaōke flair on a few songs, and I inhaled the dumplings (julien), stuffed puff pastries, and beef ribs. My only complaint was the food rotation took awhile and there was a long delay before the cake (the kids were getting fiendish for some cake and ice cream).