Ruta, a modern restaurant that prides itself in being one of the first Ukrainian eateries in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, will start serving alcohol Friday at its newest location in downtown Bethesda, according to Director of Operations Ruslan Falkov.
Drink options will include Ruta’s signature cocktails such as the Patriot, a layering of blue curacao and yellow pineapple juice that signifies the colors of the Ukranian flag, and the drunk cherry, inspired by the sour cherries commonly grown and beloved in Ukraine.
Since opening in Bethesda in late August, Ruta has been serving classic Ukrainian fare, such as borscht, a classic soup made of beets, cabbage and potatoes ($8 for a cup, $14 for a bowl); varenyky, Ukraine’s version of a dumpling ($9 to $18); holubtsi, a stuffed cabbage dish ($18) and desserts including honey cake and apple strudel (both $14).
The restaurant at 4862 Cordell Ave. is named after the Ukrainian Ruta flower that blooms yellow and orange. Ukrainian folklore says that on the country’s major summer folk holiday, Ivana Kupala, the flower turns red for a few minutes and those who find the flower are destined to “find true love,” Falkov explained.
“Ruta is all about love. It’s about love to our country, about love between people, about love to food about love to cooking, about love to serving food,” Falkov said, describing Ukrainian food as “soul food.”
Ruta opened its first regional location in April 2023 in Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Before opening that location, Falkov was living in the District and working as the chief of staff at the Ukrainian Embassy while trying to promote Ukrainian culture in the area as the co-founder of Ukraine House, a cultural education center in D.C. Falkov, who now lives in Germantown, said he and the restaurant’s founders were inspired to open Ruta after noticing the lack of full-service Ukrainian restaurants in the region.
“In Chicago, there is very big Ukrainian population. We have the famous Veselka [restaurant] in New York, which is great. I think we have a few in Philadelphia and on the East Coast, but never had one in Washington, D.C.,” Falkov said.
Ruta’s Bethesda location offers indoor dining with a bar and a covered outdoor dining section. Ukrainian culture is displayed proudly throughout the orange- and red color-themed space. Paintings of historical figures hang on the walls, Ukrainian pop and rock music plays throughout the premises, and a traditional, flowery Ukrainian painting style, called Petrykivka, is hand-painted on saltshakers, flower vases and the walls.
The opening of Ruta’s first location came more than a year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Falkov said it was important to open Ruta during that time to preserve Ukrainian culture and build connections among Ukrainian people living in the area.
“Every Ukrainian has a personal story because of war,” said Falkov, who is originally from Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula that was seized from Ukraine by Russia in 2014. He noted that about 90% of Ruta’s employees are Ukrainian.
Since opening Ruta in Bethesda, Falkov said the reaction from the community has been “very supportive” and “beyond any expectations” he had. Falkov also noted that within the first month of operating, several customers have become “regulars.”
As fall begins, Falkov said that Ruta is working on an autumn menu infused with pumpkin flavors.
“Also, we are adding special menus that we change on a monthly basis, where we are adding new dishes for regulars so they can try more Ukrainian cuisine – so, typical, seasonal dishes,” he said.
Ruta is open for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, and 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Lunch is served from noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
