The Fiddler

Groupon steered me to this restaurant –& so glad it did! The 30min drive was well worth it. EXCELLENT wait staff service, food preparation, temperature, seasoning & presentation. Portions are large, fresh, hot bread basket & salad (amazing dressing!) accompany dinners. The beet soup was hot, filling and generous. The chicken kebab, pork kebab dinners were cooked perfectly. A round ravioli type dish (we chose chicken filling) was deliciously seasoned with butter & dill then is accompanied with sour cream as well as oil & vinegar– you choose how to dip.
Dan the owner walks about visiting diners; making it very clear there are MANY Russian patrons who are regulars. Just the fact nearly all the patrons were Russian was an assurance the food would be authentic and good. We will return without question. It was well worth the drive. Try it, hopefully you’ll like it too!

Love this joint. There aren’t very many like it in the area. I love Russian style delis, like Stage, and everything that a place like Stage deli is missing can be found at the fiddler. High quality fish, lamb, dumplings, soups, Russian spirits, pickled veggies, and more.
This is place is like the Russian version of Polish Village café, in Hamtramck.
The dining room is a little plane, but whatever, it’s all about the food.

I had a Groupon for this place for $ 40 value for the price of $ 25. It could only be used on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. We decided to go on a Friday night. I was really excited to try it because it had gotten pretty good reviews on Unilocal and I had never had Russian food before. It was a little difficult to find on Orchard Lake. It was kind of hidden on the back-​side of Crispelli’s. Any way, we finally found it. Upon entering, my first impression was that it appeared to resemble an 80’s banquet hall. There were disco lights everywhere and loud, Russian music was being played. Some people were up dancing. In general, it looked like people were having fun, eating, drinking, and being merry. I had to ask the waiter if this was the correct area because it seemed like a private party was going on more so than the general public restaurant area. It was pretty crowded and my friend and I felt a bit out of place. We were seated over to the side by the window.
I already knew what I wanted to order because I read the Unilocal reviews and looked at the menu. Unilocal also had an offer where you got a free glass of wine with your check-​in. I showed the waiter and he said that offer was only good on a certain day or time and so I couldn’t get it at the time. I explained that I didn’t see that listed anywhere. He said he’d have to check with his manager. He came back and said I was able to get it. So, I ordered a glass of Riesling… can never really go wrong with a glass of Riesling. For the appetizers, we went with the borscht and pirogies with meat. I didn’t care much for the borscht. It was okay, a bit on the sweet side for me. I ate about two spoonfuls and was done. I cared for the pirogies even less… so much so that I asked the waiter if we could get the meat blintzes instead. Again, he needed to go check with the waiter. He came back and said that it was okay for us to get the blintzes instead. I didn’t care for those either although they were better than the pirogies to me. I took a couple of bites and was done. My eating companion said they weren’t bad and continued to consume them. For our entrees, I went with the sturgeon. My companion was having a hard time deciding so I suggested the classic beef stroganoff. I mean, you can’t really go wrong with that, right? Wrong! It did not taste like traditional stroganoff to me. It was simply not good. I was also disappointed with the sturgeon. It did not resemble the picture on the menu and had a weird aftertaste. It was my first time ever tasting the fish so I don’t have much to compare it to but it was not good to me. The salad that came with our entrees had an overly sweet dressing. The bread was basic but edible. So, needless to say, I ate bread and butter and drank my glass of Riesling for dinner. We did end up taking our food to go and dropping it off to some friends. Just because we didn’t like it didn’t mean it should go to waste.
In all fairness, it was my first time tasting Russian food so I’m not sure how it’s supposed to taste. I can say that I did not enjoy what I tasted. I’m sorry, I really wanted to like it but I just did not enjoy it. The service wasn’t bad. Although our waiter had to «check with the manager» for everything, he did a pretty good job. But I don’t see myself returning to The Fiddler again.

Had dinner last night. Borscht was spot on, bread and salad just ok. the salad dressing was overly sweet suggest ordering on the side. Lamb was quite good and 4 chops was a good value. Chicken was just ok lacking spice and a bit dry. The BIG disappointment was desert the neapolitan was inedible. my wife and I could only stomach 1 bite. Dried out and tastless. The waiter said perhaps due to it being baked that day. Excuse hardly believable.

I hosted my birthday party here. Food tasted great. We especially liked the fact that we could customize our menu and it was family style. I would definitely recommend fiddler as a banquet hall if you are looking for an event venue to celebrate any special occasion. It’s a unique experience — and not only includes great food and service, but also live music and a very vibrant dance floor!

What a unique experience! The service was extremely fast and the servers were always on point in taking away our empty plates. When we came (Sunday night), there was a live musician who not only sang but also played the violin. They also cleared the middle of the restaurant so people were dancing which was super nice. A very family friendly place.
With regards to the food, this is the first time I’ve been to a Russian restaurant and I’m definitely going to find more. We started with the summer salad, which tbh wasn’t anything special. But, their house salad which comes with all the entrees was great! We also got the Borscht which I this beet soup and it tasted so good. The perogis were great as well but it didn’t stand out compared to the soup and house salad. Now onto the entrees. You MUST GET THE LAMB CHOPS! you get 4 big pieces of the perfectly cooked lamb that’s very tender and juicy and filled with flavor. We also go the chicken cutlet, which was just okay. Then, the 7Layer Napoleon Cake! It was great and I highly recommend getting it.
All this food I mentioned was the perfect amount for 3 people and with our Groupon ($ 25 for $ 40), our total came out to $ 40 ($ 80 without the Groupon)
I would definitely recommend coming here Friday or Saturday night as those nights are guaranteed music. Tonight I think we just got lucky :)

They have the best food! Service was awesome and so was the server. I would recommend to everyone to try out this place.

I was excited to go to this place already, as I love Russian culture and knew I would love the cuisine as well. That being said, this still eclipsed even my high expectations. I was fortunate enough to find a groupon for the place for 40 $ in food for only 25 $, a huge steal for the quality of the food and service.
It started with the atmosphere. Everything is lit perfectly, with soft jazz music playing and the place is extremely clean. The waiters are all Russian and ready with good recommendations to help with the difficult decision of what to get on the menu. They have a great selection of appetizers. I went with the Cheese Blintzes and they were absolutely amazing. They serve them with a fresh fruit preserve/​sauce that just goes great with the hot, perfectly baked rolls of gooey goodness.
Next they brought out the house salad and bread, both of which were extremely fresh. The bread was unique from most house breads and nice and firm. It went great with the Russian import beer that the waiter had recommended to me. I truly enjoyed it and will definitely be ordering the beer again.
The entrée of Siberian pelmenis had extremely generous portions and were cooked to absolute perfection! I had mine with beef, but chicken and lamb were also options. They are served with sour cream, which takes them to that next level. I was completely in heaven!
Then came dessert. The 7 layer Napoleon cake was so flaky and held together very nicely. It wasn’t nearly as sweet as I was expecting and tasted more like pie crust with just a hint of some kind of frosting-​style filling. I rather enjoyed it, but if you are trying to get your sugar fix, you might want to try something else.
The Russian chocolates were very interesting and not what I was expecting. It had a wide variety of chocolates, some of which had odd fillings. Others tasted like they had coffee infused with them. It varied with milk, dark and white chocolate. It was good, but not what I would consider to be far superior to American craft chocolate.
The price was fair all around and the service was extremely professional. Live jazz music was being played starting at 7pm (on saturday) and it was just one guy with his laptop and keyboard. It was not too distracting and was a nice touch to an already elegant atmosphere. I can’t wait to visit again and recommend you do the same!

We have only eaten here a few times over several years mainly because they are not on our side of town. We should be eating here more often because we love the food, the staff always treats us well, and they have a very different and interesting menu. I remember having a variety of Russian and Jewish entrees and thoroughly enjoying everything we have had. I particularly like their Borsht, both hot and cold are great. I’m thinking we need to make a return visit.

— Great Authentic Russian Food You Can Taste
I have been to The Fiddler more than 5 times and it is a pretty good place for people who want to try tasty Russian food. The food I like the most is Borsch, which is a Ukranian vegetable soup (color: red) and I think it is both very healthy and tasty. If you order bowl size, the portion is so big that your stomach will be at least 50 percent full.
You can also enjoy their dessert called Napoleon. Napoleon looks great and tastes great as well.
One thing I am not satisfied with is that they don’t open for lunch at all and they don’t open for at least 3 days a week.

Don’t let looks deceive you, this place has awesome food! I’ll admit, that while it does look like a stereotypical chain mall restaurant, inside are some of the best recipes and flavors I’ve ever had. It was a wonderful experience all around and I look forward to my next visit. My only gripe is why the place was dead during what should have been a lunch/​dinner rush, but I can only assume that people don’t know of this wonderful little gem hidden in the rough.
My mother was given a Groupon for The Fiddler which included a 4-​course meal for four people. Everything from the service to the food was excellent. The Borscht was particularly sweet and flavorful. My mother and boyfriend got the lamb chops, while me and my brother got a delicious mushroom and eggplant dish for our vegetarian option which was utterly superb! I can absolutely see us returning in the future!

Wonderful food. Went for our work holiday party. We ate for hours. Just fantastic. The band was a bit loud for my taste but there was a birthday party there too so celebration was the theme. Not sure if that is the normal environment.

I usually visit this place for anniversaries and birthdays but never once had the pleasure to do so for Sunday brunch. The menu is to die for, especially in this cold season. Good salad selection, not to mention entrees. Very satisfying even for the most picky eater like myself. I highly recommend their lamb chops and pelmeni. The free compot is very tasty.
I would also like to commend the owners and the staff. Everyone was very professional and courteous. I am definitely back next time I’m in town!

We tried this place out for the first time last night, and enjoyed just about every minute we were there. We were part of a large group so we had the banquet-​style meal. Which started off with a chopped vegetable salad, followed by soup, then there were meat-​pie appetizers, then came the entrees. Platters of individual meat-​loafs I guess, that’s the best way I can describe them and roasted potatoes. The entrée course was the highlight of the meal, the texture of the meat was so surprising, with amazing flavor, and the potatoes were roasted to perfection! Finally we were served coffee, tea, and a layered-​pastry dessert, which rounded out the meal so nicely. (I should also mention that there were baskets of bread as well)
We’d never been to a Russian restaurant before, so when the live music started and the lights dimmed, a few uncertain glances were exchanged. But this added a lovely authenticity to the meal, we even got in a bit of dancing. To wrap this up, we’ll certainly be going back again. I would recommend this place to anyone seeking to try something new, interesting and very tasty. I highly doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Lunch includes free compot, also has a deal on Unilocal 10 for $ 20
Lunch menu is cheaper as well and same portions of food.
Try 3 different Russian salads– olivje, eggplant and plain Russian -$ 10
Strogenoff, pelmeni, borch are very good!
Friendly staff, good music, clean place and cheap!
We will be back!

The food here was delicious and the staff was very friendly! Also the ambiance was great, the had a live singer and a guy on keyboard, it really help set the environment up for a great feast. The lamb chops here were particularly fantastic! Make sure that when you go here, you have your meal the traditional Russian style with a bottle if Vodka on the table and a shot glass for all the adults. I highly recommend this place, I will definitely be going back!

I took my wife to The Fiddler for our anniversary. It was GREAT. The service was wonderful & so was the food. It was our first time going to a Russian restaurant, but it won’t be our last. There wasn’t a course that we didn’t like. The neapolitan dessert was an incredible ending to a wonderful evening. WOW! Why are you still reading this? Get in your car and go there NOW! :)

Went there with a groupon and my boyfriend in tow. Without the groupon, our 5-​course meal with one drink each (2 people) would have been $ 80 total. So for the price of near-​free (our coup was for $ 69), it was great.
The Fiddler had some of the best food I’ve ever tasted. There was nothing we didn’t like. The borscht was delicious, ukrainian pierog, also great, but the best was the neopolitanka dessert at the end. I was so full from the 4-​course (including lamb chops and a smashed hen), but I was loooving it and eating up the dessert.
Only downside was that our waitress was a little awkward. Kind of young and probably new to waitressing. And the decorations were questionable. Everything on the floor and walls was alright, but then you got to the ceiling and ask WTF? Disco balls and brightly-​colored Christmas-​light balls is what it seemed like. Paintings on the wall were totally not Russian either.
At least they did have a real fiddler performing (weekend nights only). So all-​in-​all, food = amazing, 10 stars! Atmosphere = 5 out of 10.

It’s different, it is a Russian restaurant, and they are proud of this fact. There was in fact a fiddler playing music accompanied by a karokia machine and singing occasionally.
So we tried a sampler platter of russian salads and Borsch soup, and a Russian desert. The borsch soup was good and flavorful but it’s still cabbage. The salads are more vinager base than anything else. This restaurant also offers a number of fish dishes, appetizers and entries, too. So the food was good, different from the normal fair, so it was a nice change of pace. I’m just not sure when I would go back and try more of the menu, which is why I’m rating it a three.
The atmosphere of the place was strange. So I understand this is a family own restaurant, and they are trying their best, but it was a strange seating arrangement with individual dinners close to or near a couple of large banquets going on at the same time. Maybe the closeness would have improved with a couple shots of vodka.
But if you are stuck looking for a change of place to go, this would be a place I would suggest to you. I think it’s worth investigating a different culture’s cuisine.

Mom and I drove 25 miles from Sterling Heights to try this unique restaurant. We are not Russian and they only thing we know Russian is Maks on Dancing with the Stars… then again, we don’t even ‘know’ him. So we were looking forward to trying out a pure Russian restaurant. The restaurant is a small, sparsely decorated room. The ambiance was festive with lights swirling around the room and a lone man on stage signing to a sound track of various, presumed Russian tunes.
The waitress was somewhat slow but the young men waiting to clear the table were friendly, quick and efficient. The food was very fresh and plentiful. The prices were little high at a low average of $ 15.00 to high average of $ 25.00 but I think it was OK price wise for the amount you were served and the fact that everything seemed very fresh.
In addition to the delicious, fresh salad and bread the main meal was served with two moderate sized stuffed cabbage and roasted potatoes (my selected side). I love stuffed cabbage and this meal did not disappoint. There was plenty of tasty meat inside. I would have preferred more cabbage on the outside rather than one thin layer but over the stuffed cabbage was good. There was a small amount of tomato sauce on top that added to the flavor. The roasted red potatoes were plentiful and roasted to perfection, they were delicious.
Our drinks were tasty and moderately priced. I had a house cabernet at $ 6 and mom had a Cosmopolitan at $ 6.
Our dessert was forgettable. We were looking forward to the Napoleon cake but it was nothing but a small slice of strudel with some white cream inside. I also ordered the Russian Chocolate and received two candy bars. They were pretty good candy bars although both were dark chocolate and I really don’t care for dark chocolate.
Overall it was a very positive and interesting experience.