Brooklyn Banya
“Brooklyn Banya is set up like most other Banya's: hot tub, cold pool, dry sauna, wet sauna and steam room.”
“I really liked the roof deck and the borscht was delicious, worth the $10 for a huge bowl.”
“But within 20 minutes of getting into my bathing suit all of that trepidation was gone!”
Brooklyn Banya
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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3.75 stars. This place grew on me. There are two saunas (one wet, one dry), a steam room, one cold(ish) pool and one jacuzzi. On Saturday afternoon, it was mixed gender, though I'm not sure if they have special days or hours that are gender specific.
The good: The steam room was HOT, the saunas were also very warm, they have a SUPER COLD shower, good food (mushroom blini was delicious), and the staff worked hard to facilitate a great sauna experience. The highlight was the free 5 minute chair massage shortly before I left.
The eh: TV's blaring in the middle of the room. When I go to a sauna of any kind, I prefer not to see/hear running dialogue and weird performances. It just takes away from the calming, internal experience. I also do not require fancy/new facilities, but I thought that for the price of $35, the facilities could have offered more. We also waited a long time for food – though it was delicious when it arrived.
The scene was mixed — families, couples, people who enjoy saunas.
Overall, I would suggest trying other saunas in New York before coming here.
So a bunch of friends got a Groupon to this local Banya and we used it on a Sunday afternoon, we were greeted by a perky lady who charged us an additional $2 a head for "tax." This is a smaller Banya but it was clean and not very crowded. A large hot tub, 2 dry saunas and 1 steam room. A nice roof deck with astro turf. The food is fine nothing special but was fine, service was slow but overall a good experience and very close to South BK.
It is not on par with Mermaid, the Fair Lawn spot, or the late Royal Palace. However, it is a decent, thoroughly Russian banya with a friendly touch for outsiders (aka non-Russians). Both times when I visited recently the manager was accommodating, in his own awkward way. The wet sauna gets really hot (they cranked it to 194 F) and during off-peak times it's quite nice (you'll have the room mostly to yourself). The people at the front desk in my experience have not been rude and crass, the way they can be at other dive-banyas. The ice pool is more of a cool water pool, but there's an ice machine if you want to get a little weird. There's also the roof deck, a banya standard these days.
The food is pretty good, actually, though the wait times are long and inconsistent, and there is always order confusion (last night they brought other people's plates over twice before finally bringing my lula kebab). There is only one beer on tap (a Krusovice lager), and this is definitely something they need to change if they want to keep attracting Americans (hipsters love this joint). The busboys/kitchen staff inexplicably wear surgical scrubs.
3.5 stars…
Disclaimer: This was my first bathhouse experience so I have nothing to compare it to. I wished I had read up on it beforehand because the one girl working here was certainly no help. I'm not sure if her customer service or English was bad but I'm pretty sure it was both. I'll take you through the experience as a newbie and you can learn second hand, the ways of the Banya (Russian for bathhouse).
When you first walk in theres a front desk. There was no one behind it when I came in and there was no bell to ring for someone. There was even a sign saying not to go into the main room without speaking to the front clerk. Eventually someone came out and took my admission price (normally $30 but I had a half off Groupon). She gave me a bag for my valuables which she locked behind the desk and gave me a lock and key for the locker room upstairs. No other instructions were given (either verbal or by written sign). I made my way upstairs to the locker room and changed into my bathing suit (which I assumed I'd need). I didn't know what the footwear rule was (do I walk around barefoot? do I bring flip flops? do they provide footwear?), I didn't know where the towels were, I basically didn't know anything. Turns out towels are in the main room downstairs and you bring footwear or rent them for $5 from the front desk.
I wandered downstairs to the bathhouse area where the lights were somewhat dim and there were only 7 people around (a mix of girls and guys in their late 20s). Bathhouses have been an eastern ritual for hundreds of years, I'm sure there's a order and timing of things but I had no idea so I just jumped from place to place. The options of what to do here are:
-hot tub (a round concrete bench with a powerful jet every few feet)
-pool (a small 3.5' cool temp pool about the same size as the hot tub)
-a steam room
-a dry sauna (at about 160 degrees)
-a wet sauna (at about 175 degrees)
-a cold shower
-a rooftop patio
-a restaurant
The one thing I remember hearing about and that I saw someone doing is that it's customary to go from one of the oppressively hot rooms where you're sweating your butt off to immediately submerging yourself in the cool pool or pulling the chain and dumping cold water on yourself. It takes some guts to take such a drastic temperature change but once the initial shock happens it's very soothing, especially as being in a sauna for even a couple minutes is (in my opinion) miserable. All the rooms were clean, a decent size, and I was often the only one in them.
The restaurant was empty but there was a bell to ring for service and a full menu (mostly Russian food), you could either sit in the nice looking dining room or in the plastic chairs and tables around the main bathhouse room. They don't serve alcohol here which is a shame as the rooftop would be a great place to relax with a few drinks. They do have non-alcoholic beer and fresh juice here though. The rooftop was tacky with plastic lounge chairs, the astroturf, and faux-greenery covered chain link fence but it did have several semi-priviate alcoves and it was comfortable.
The one thing you can't help but notice is that there is no soothing music or quiet sound of water. This is certainly not a spa. What you do hear anywhere you go is the roar of a motor, whether it's of an ice machine, an ac unit, or whatever it is. The only other sound was the low volume of the small tv in the corner playing MTV2 which was barely audible
The last feature here is that they offer massages (additional cost), I didn't experience it but it's nice that it was an option. Personally I'd go to a nice spa if I wanted a relaxing massage or Chinatown if I wanted something cheap but then again neither offer the full range of what Banya has.
For what it is I had a decent time but it's not really my cup of tea so I may not be back in the near future.
After reading the reviews my expectations were somewhat low, and as a regular Banya enthusiast I was shocked with joy upon entry! Beautiful. Clean, Spacious. NOT underground.. Okay, I've only been to about 3 other classic Russian Banya's, but honestly dudes: This one is Wayyyyyyy NICE. Even the gruff staff were far more accommodating than other experiences I've had. Details: There is one steam room, one wet/dry sauna, one super dry sauna, one Jacuzzi, and one cool pool- (not too cold but enough to get your blood rushing). The food is AWESOMELY flavorful, and the scrub for only $30 was good. It wasn't The Best scrub in the world, but far from the worst- the private room was lovely, clean, and I'd do it again in a heart beat. There was a charming rooftop terrace that was nothing to write home about, but cute. All in all the Groupon Entry, Food, 1 Beer, 2 Vodka's, 1 scrub treatment, Tax and Tip- our total for two was less than $90. That is something to write home about.
Last night (saturday) we hung out in our own private banya… actually, it wasn't quiet our own private banya but it might as well have been. There were barely any people during our 2.5 hr stay from 8 to 10:30pm. I'd say a grand total of 10!
No complaints about the small amount of guests though from me! Compared to Spa Castle, which requires almost 30 minute wait times to enter the place on a weekend, the no hassle entry and uncrowded steam rooms was a nice change of pace.
Brooklyn Banya is right in my hood so the beau and I walked right on over. We avoided driving mostly because we wouldn't be able to find parking on our street getting back so late, but as for parking on Coney Island Avenue, you would have no trouble securing a spot in the evening.
After checking in we were given 2 bags to put our personal belongings in and given keys for our lockers on the second floor. The women's dressing room was clean and nice enough. Every person is allotted two free towels, but you have to pay for slippers I believe…
There are 2 saunas, one super hot at 189 degrees and another much milder at 150 degree. There is also a pink steam room that gets super hot. A jacuzzi and a cold pool is in the center of the main floor along with a television that played mtv music videos. The cold showers (there are two) are off to the right and there was a scale conveniently plopped in the center of the room for those trying to sweat off the pounds.
Platzka's were $30 but we were lucky enough to encounter a group that had brought their own leaves and allowed us to try it out on each other so we were able to experience this traditional banya staple for free (you have to dip it in hot water before using it on every new person). It was really enjoyable and I would recommend bringing your own or paying for the service.
We also went up to the roof – which had a bunch of rocking chairs, lounge chairs and tables. It was dark and mild up there, and some of the folks seemed to take to drinking up there.
I noticed people had ordered take away and brought in their own drinks, so it seems like Brooklyn Banya is flexible about stuff like that despite having a restaurant/bar on the main floor.
All in all it was a good experience and I would recommend going if you want to relax, unwind and not have to deal with too many other folks.
Came here for a good friend's birthday party for my first bathhouse experience. If you're coming here with any type of a coupon – See: Yelp, Groupon, ect. think again. The person working the desk will give you a wide-eyed look and respond curtly, "No."
There's a hot sauna, dry sauna and a steam-room. It was an excellent afternoon bouncing from room-to-room and then diving into either the cold pool or hot-tub.
Some perks include a rooftop deck that smokers and sun-bathers will enjoy. In addition to that, they've got a full menu of food you can order. We ordered the pierogis (served boiled – I had hoped I could get them served fried but alas, the waitress who appeared to also be the chef could hardly get through my order. She was not interested in speaking to me – Definitely not the friendliest service) an enormous bowl of delicious borsch (You *must* order the bread on the side. It was fresh-baked and slathered in olive oil – Yum.) and Russian-style fried potatoes. My girlfriend ordered the stuffed European sea bass and it was bananas. Stuffed with shrimp, cheese and breadcrumbs. It took forever to be served, though. We made jokes they were catching it in Sheepshead Bay. Everyone was pleased with their food even if it was a bit on the pricey side. You pay for everything at the end so you can leave your valuables in the locker.
One thing you should definitely know – This place is like the Wild West. There are almost no rules. So, BYOB is cool. There's a liquor store a few blocks away. Also, the roof may or may not be 420 friendly. You can even soak/steam in your underwear. Laid-back environment that's great for bringing a group of friends.
Speaking of friends – If you can convince 2-3 of your friends to get massages you can get a great discount. I paid $50 for an hour-long massage. Afterwards I was eager to ask my buddy how his massage was and he said, "I had hoped he would put on a shirt for the massage. He did not." So, your masseuse will be a topless Russian man. Be prepared for that. He went on to describe it as the weirdest massage he had ever gotten and I definitely agreed. My masseuse pulled my hair! Like, actually, agressively pulled my hair, pinched my ears and put me into some really bizarre positions. With all of the cheap places to get a solid massage in NYC, I probably would't reccomend it.
If you're local and you've got an extra $35 and a day to blow- Go. It's a good time.
*One more note- Most definitely not handicap accessible. Tons of stairs involved.
came here with a group of guys to have a relaxing and tipsy Christmas, I was really excited to try this place after reading all of the other reviews, being of Russian heritage myself, going to banya is a must this winter, no question about it.
Pros:
They have a cute kitty named lucy, or as alona calls it, "the manager" haha :D, she's adorable, so sweet and friendly, did I mention I LOVE cats lolol
there is a sun roof open on the top floor, you can smoke or soak up some sun
you can BYOB and snacks
they offer decent massage packages, you can get a back massage out in the open for a dollar a minute, or you can get a fully body massage in the private room from 50-75 dollars, it seems like the more people that book the massages in the group, the more of a discount you will get, the therapists were very friendly and professional, I only saw female therapists no males
the Jacuzzi is spacious and super hot, perfect temperature for winter , some people felt it was too hot, but that's really how it should be this season, I fell asleep lol
there is an ice pool that isn't too cold, it feels great to jump in after you exit the saunas, you wont freeze to death, it feels just right
they have decks of cards and board games for your group
the design of the place itself is nice, they have nice murals on the walls, decent furniture for the dining tables , you can either eat by the pool side or you can eat in their separate café for more privacy
the entrance fee is decent, I was able to get a robe and entrance for 37 dollars, they take cash or credit
they offer lots of soaps and spa products at the front desk for a small fee
the hours are awesome, they close at 11, so you can stay as long as you want
all cultures and ages are welcome, there is 0 discrimination here
Cons:
the saunas and steam room isn't so clean, I think I only saw the rooms hosed down once, a lot of people left towels around, and cups of water around, I hardly saw any staff walking around to put in more coal or restart the steam room vapors, lots of leaves were left around from the platskas
there is no swimming pool, I think they should of invested one, children especially would love it
the space itself is small compared to other saunas in Brooklyn, I can only imagine how hard it is to get a table here on weekends, so please do call in advance to reserve a table to avoid this issue
the laundry was hardly being done, there was many times when the rack was empty, I was only able to get new towels twice, each load that was brought was hardly enough, its like people had to fight over these towels
same goes with the robes, you had to go to the back just to get a robe, the front desk didn't even have them, and trust me they wont even ask what your size is, my robe was huge
the service was strange, one waitress vika was great, she was funny, cute, and was able to go over the whole menu with us, she was willing to accommodate my sweet tooth, its sad that this place had a limited desert menu, she was at least able to get me either crepes with fruits or ice cream, but these items weren't even listed on the menu
another waitress who served us basically gave us the complete opposite answers, making it seem like practically half the menu was unavailable, supposedly you couldn't order fries or cheese fries alone, you have to order a meal where the fries come as a deluxe meanwhile it is listed as an appetizer, lol at least vika was able to hook It up for us, but the problem is it took 2 hours to bring us the fries, and they didn't even taste that good, they were almost burnt, I was sad, since so many reviews listed cheese fries as a must
the chicken kebabs were also pretty fatty, and chicken salad had the same fatty chicken, and very little croutons, and way too much dressing, they didn't even bring a bread platter to go with the salad
they also had very limited beer, it ran out a few times, they had to wait for a new delivery to come in, I had to fight for that beer, the selection was quite limited too, I didn't see any draft options, just Heineken or corona, your better off bringing your own beer here
I think each waitress should be able to give me the same answers, and should all know the menu by heart, I guess a lot of things were missing in the kitchen, and clearly there was a lack of communication amongst staff, but seriously vika got me everything I asked for compared to the other waitress who said we have nothing
also the keys that they give you only write the number on the lock, so if you were drunk like me , you will probably forget your key number, and will cause serious confusion, as a matter of fact alona has a hard time tracking tickets for both dining and massages, so when we got the bill at the end we had to sort through all the written tickets ourselves and pull out our orders from the night, the keys given should have a tag to avoid this problem
lockerooms and bathrooms were hardly cleaned, they were dirty too
the old Russian dudes are creeps here