Mari Vanna
M-Th 12pm-1am; F-Sa 12pm-2am; Su 10am-12am
Washington D.C.; Los Angeles; London; Moscow; Saint Petersburg
Mari Vanna is a Russian teahouse, restaurant, and bar that endeavors to transport its customers across space and time to a quaint, though incredibly vibrant, St. Petersburg of a bygone era. Or, perhaps more accurately, the owners of Mari Vanna sought to bring all cultural and material aspects of traditional Russian teahouses overseas to West 20th Street: the interior of the restaurant is covered entirely in quirky, charming assemblages of old Russian antiques, books, telephones, clocks, and handmade toys. Green plantings, pale pink walls, white doilies and hand-carved wooden surfaces throughout the space bring this Russian atmosphere to life. Mari Vanna is a wonderful, quiet respite to eat a daytime meal, but the heavily-stocked bar and multiple, enormous glass containers of fruit-infused vodkas are quite indicative of the raucous, high-spirited night scene that takes over the restaurant at night.