Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Grotte de Glace
Sinquerim Beach Bastion
Port Tobacco Schoolhouse
Barracks / munitions storage.
Vloethemveld
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Cacio e pepe lasagna combines two classics.
C'è Pasta... E Pasta!
Spaghetto taratatà is named for the sound of rattling sabers.
Giano Restaurant
The gnocchi here get blanketed in a sugo with braised oxtail.
Cesare al Pellegrino
Romans insist you should feel the cracked peppercorns and cheese grains on your tongue.
Flavio al Velavevodetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Green-Wood Cemetery, overlooking New York Harbor.
Where Our Team Looked for Joy During Pandemic Lockdowns
The 2,653-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail spans the entire West Coast from Canada to Mexico.
Meet the Volunteers Who Keep Thru-Hikers Moving
The Haskell Free Library and Opera House building on the U.S.-Canadian border.
Could New Border Restrictions Literally Tear the Haskell Free Library Apart?
A woman peering into the cave of Sarah Bishop c. 1900.
The Curious History of New England’s Hermit Tourism

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City Manhattan Streecha
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Streecha

A Ukrainian church canteen doles out hearty fare in an East Village basement.

New York, New York

Added By
Sam O'Brien
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Sam O'Brien/Atlas Obscura
  Sam O'Brien/Atlas Obscura
  Sam O'Brien/Atlas Obscura
  Sam O'Brien/Atlas Obscura
  Sam O'Brien/Atlas Obscura
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
  wherearewedude / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

It’s easy to forget you’re in New York when you're at Streecha. When the blinds and curtains are drawn, the subterranean restaurant shuts out the sights and sounds of the East Village. Amid the hum of a Ukrainian newscast, the hanging portraits of poet Taras Shevchenko, and the aroma of stuffed cabbage and borscht wafting from the kitchen, it doesn’t take a big imaginative leap to transport yourself to Ukraine itself.

The restaurant is easily missed on 7th street, overshadowed by the crowds at McSorley's Ale House just a few buildings away. But if you spot the Cyrillic sign, head downstairs into an empty, fluorescent-lit hallway, and enter through a door bearing a sign that swears “We're open,” you’ll encounter a delightful hidden pocket of the neighborhood's Ukrainian community. With its humble decor, meals delivered on brightly-colored plastic cafeteria trays, and the bulletin board of upcoming events, the scene resembles a hall in a church basement. This makes sense, given that Streecha is a fundraising effort for the nearby St. George's Ukrainian Catholic Church. Servers and cooks are all volunteers and many of the customers are parish members.

The restaurant may be a pillar of the local community, but it is open to everyone. Simply walk up to the register, order, and wait for someone to bring out your tray. Favorite menu items include stuffed cabbage, or holubtsi—a satisfying blend of savory pork and rice filling, tender cabbage, and light tomato sauce—and varenyky, boiled potato-and-cheese dumplings that are hand-rolled by volunteers in the morning. Rounding out the usual offerings are dill-topped borscht—a pleasant blend of sweet and sour with bits of potato, carrot, onions, and beef—and sausage, or kovbasa, sourced from a local Ukrainian butcher. There are also rotating daily specials ranging from stuffed eggplant to potato pancakes. 

While the fare isn't flashy, it's solid, hearty food served in an incredibly warm, homey atmosphere. If you still have room afterward, check out the desserts (which, also depending on the day, can feature the likes of Napoleon cake, cherry turnovers, or doughnuts). And if you don't, remember to clean up after yourself and take your tray and trash to the hallway outside. This is a spot where everyone is welcome, but everyone is also expected to pitch in.

Related Tags

Hidden Immigration Churches Fund Raising Foods Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

Streecha is open Friday through Sunday. Check up-to-date hours and daily specials on their Instagram.

Streecha recently moved to 33 E 7th St.

Community Contributors

Added By

Sam OBrien

Edited By

knoxium, wherearewedude

  • knoxium
  • wherearewedude

Published

October 7, 2019

Updated

July 10, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://ny.eater.com/2024/5/23/24163593/streecha-closing-east-village-reopening-new-team
Streecha
33 E 7th St
New York, New York, 10003
United States
40.728476, -73.988949
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Wishbones of McSorley's Old Ale House

New York, New York

miles away

Kenka

New York, New York

miles away

41 Cooper Square

New York, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New York

New York

New York

Places 405
Stories 89

Nearby Places

The Wishbones of McSorley's Old Ale House

New York, New York

miles away

Kenka

New York, New York

miles away

41 Cooper Square

New York, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New York

New York

New York

Places 405
Stories 89

Related Stories and Lists

11 Heavenly Restaurants Hidden Inside Houses of Worship

List

By Sam O'Brien

Related Places

  • Tempe goreng and tahu bacem with urap sayur (vegetables sprinkled with coconut).

    Queens, New York

    Indonesian Food Bazaar at St. James Episcopal Church

    Once a month, an Indonesian feast appears inside an Elmhurst church hall.

  • Gloria Dei Old Swedes Church.

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    Gloria Dei Old Swedes' Episcopal Church

    The oldest active church in Pennsylvania is also the second oldest Swedish Church in the United States.

  • Minneapolis, Minnesota

    Our Lady of Lourdes French Meat Pie

    This French Canadian classic is a specialty of the oldest continually used church in Minneapolis.

  • Armenian Church of the Holy Nazareth.

    Kolkata, India

    Armenian Church of the Holy Nazareth

    This historic complex is home to the oldest Christian grave in Kolkata, India.

  • Katoghike Church today, with the new St. Anna Church behind it.

    Yerevan, Armenia

    Katoghike Church

    This little medieval church hidden in the center of Yerevan was lost and rediscovered—twice.

  • Barça Coat of Arms in Santa María del Mar.

    Barcelona, Spain

    FC Barcelona Coat of Arms

    Barça football fans might see the insignia hidden in a church window as a divine sign.

  • The Petroteca.

    Zacatecas, Mexico

    Petroteca of San Agustín

    Fragments of the former temple's lost facade are now displayed in a strange library of stones.

  • Entrance to the hidden chapel.

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Begijnhof Chapel

    A hidden church in a hidden courtyard tells the story of the Miracle of Amsterdam.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.