Opened in 1943 by the Russian Boris Kreschsanovsky and his Hungarian wife Madam Judith, affectionately known as the ‘Countess’, Ayaspaşa Rus Lokantası catered to a different sort of crowd, frequented by those who preferred the low-ceilinged intimacy of Ayaspaşa and the homestyle cooking of the Countess to the heady and grand atmosphere over at Rejans. After Madam Judith passed away, Cemal Ok, who had entered the restaurant as a young waiter before learning all of the original recipes from the Countess herself, took over the management and today runs the eatery together with his son Serkan Ok.
One of the most intriguing items on Ayaspaşa’s menu is the veprevo koleno, which needs to be ordered three days in advance. The juicy leg of pork is cooked in beer and served with a side of pickled cabbage and mashed potato. The borscht soup served with a dollop of cream is wonderfully tangy and hors-d'oeuvres like the Russian salad, fluffy piroshky pastry with mushrooms, and blini pancakes with caviar go nicely with their signature black pepper vodka. For the grand finale, try the medovik, a layered honey cake that is served every day except Friday and Saturday.