Borsh & Kompot is a casual Slavic restaurant and bar on Yuyuan Lu. It’s a cozy space that does home-style Russian and Ukranian food, kompot drinks, and house-infused vodkas.
The name represents an important food and drink in Slavic cuisine. Borsh or borscht is the famed beetroot vegetable soup served with sour cream, and kompot is a fruity, non-alcoholic beverage. Founders and close friends Jenya Boyar and Xenia Sidorenko started their Slavic food affair as most people do, through the joys of feeding others. They’ve partnered up with Priscilla Young, co-founder of Brut.
It’s a small restaurant and bar with a café-like vibe. During peak hours, it’s a bustling little space that’s intimate and friendly, like a mom-and-pop neighborhood diner.
The food is Slavic, mostly Russian and Ukrainian after the founders’ heritage and expertise. It’s homey, comforting, and easily enjoyable, and more than just borscht.
In addition to the teas and kompots, there’s Georgian wines and enough vodka to make any Slavic uncle proud. In addition to entry level and premium vodkas, there are half-a-dozen house-infused vodkas with more on the way. The infused vodkas are a specialty, created by Jun Wu, Brut’s other co-founder.
Most interesting was the horseradish vodka (¥35/shot, ¥175/carafe).
Borsh & Kompot is a homey café bar for those who want to entertain a bit of nostalgia. Either way, it’s worth exploring. The food is tasty, the vodkas are (dangerously) enjoyable, and service is very accommodating. It’s also dog-friendly.
Borsh & Kompot
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