Following our Middle Eastern streak, my husband and I came to A La Turka, lured by, you guessed it,…read moretheir $45 Restaurant Week menu. The food was phenomenal, and there wasn't a single bite that we didn't enjoy. We began our meal with two appetizers, the eggplant shakshouka and the sauteed shrimp. While I preferred the eggplant for its taste, I was surprised by the small portion and the lack of egg. Isn't shakshouka known for its signature fried egg, nestled in a bed of tomatoes and peppers? I could be wrong. Nonetheless, it was delicious, and the accompanying loaf was wonderfully soft and flavored with garlic oil. It was the best table bread I've ever had. For our mains, we ordered lamb chops and adana kebab. Both were so delicious and huge! I'm often leery of lamb for its gaminess, but this one wasn't gamey at all. Rather, it had a slight funk, much like a well aged cheese. It was delicious, and the sear on that tender meat added a nice smokiness. The kebab was well seasoned and it, too, had a nice, moderate sear. For dessert, there was only one option, the baklava, and it was everything a baklava ought to be: generously soaked in syrup, the filo dough flaky, with layers of crunch from the chopped pistachios. I loved everything at A La Turka, and if I ever wanted Middle Eastern food again (which I often do these days), I'll come here!

Had a delicious dinner at A La Turka, though the service started with a bizarre twist. We…read moreexplicitly told the staff upfront we wanted to stay to watch the Knicks game in an hour and a half, and they cleared it. Then, mid-appetizer order, the manager suddenly told us we only had 90 minutes! We were shocked, but after our friend double-checked with the hostess, the issue completely disappeared.The rest of the night was smooth sailing. We got a nice window seat and our waitress was very attentive. The food was excellent--highly recommend the mezze platter, the chicken kebab, and the flavorful kofte kebab lamb patties with bean salad. The Turkish coffee martini and Tito's/club sodas were great too. I'd definitely return for the food! And perhaps if there were another sporting event!

What a hidden gem in New York City! This authentic Persian restaurant is truly something special…read more The food is exceptional, the prices are very reasonable, and the staff couldn't be more welcoming. From the moment you walk through the door, you feel as though you've stepped back in time into a wonderful, family-owned restaurant where hospitality still means something. You're always greeted with a smile, and the owner personally walks through the restaurant, saying hello and making sure everyone feels at home. The food is incredibly authentic, full of flavor, and clearly prepared with tradition and care. There's something so special about discovering a place that has been here for years, quietly serving amazing food without losing its charm or character. A true hidden gem and one of those wonderful New York restaurants you want to tell everyone about. I highly recommend it and will absolutely be back!

Had such an amazing experience at this restaurant celebrating my sister's marriage. They treated us…read morelike family and they were consistently checking in with us and they suggested what food we should have so everyone could try a little bit of everything. We did the dip platter and a mixed grill and everyone got to try some Persian ice cream will definitely be back. This is such a nice homey spot.

My husband and I stumbled upon this restaurant, and I have to say- it is one of the BEST…read morerestaurants we have eaten at in a while. The service was amazing. The food was impeccable. The humus was authentic and so delicious. A romantic vibe that was elevated yet, not pricey or stuffy. We will absolutely be back on our next trip to NYC. The Turkish coffee after dinner is a must!

Awesomeness!! Get the mixed grill. Yum The balloon bread is…read morereally good too. Hummus was perfectly balanced

Had the brunch menu and everything we ordered was great! The hummus is delicious, pitas were warm…read moreand fluffy. The shakshuka was a little spicy which I wasn't expecting but delicious and the charred eggplant was cooked to perfection. Would def come back!

The hummus kitchen was me and my boyfriend's first date so whenever I come up to New York we always…read morecome here and they NEVER disappoint! always fresh food and great service! I recommend the Moroccan fish!

Located in Hunter's Point, LIC, this spot is a gem. The ambiance is casual and cozy and the staff…read morewas absolutely so friendly and welcoming. As it was my boyfriend and I's first time trying Turkish food, they helped explain some of the dishes to us. We got their appetizer spread, their lamacun, and their manti. Everything was phenomenal, but I highly recommend their appetizer spread and their lamacun. I loved the spread as you got the chance to try multiple different dips and it was a huge portion. Their lamacun was also the first I've ever had and it made me think: "Why haven't I had this before?" It was so good. Will definitely be coming back.

Safir is a small, cozy restaurant that makes for a great, relaxed meal. The service was warm and…read moreattentive, and it ended up being the perfect way to wrap up the weekend. The atmosphere is comfortable without feeling crowded, making it easy to settle in and enjoy the meal. The food was excellent from start to finish. The sigar borek were perfectly crispy, cheesy, and just the right amount of salty. The lamb beyti kebab was packed with flavor, and the accompanying sauces really elevated the dish. We also had the manti, Turkish dumplings that were well-seasoned and incredibly satisfying. Portions were generous across the board, and everything tasted fresh and high quality. It's the kind of place that leaves you looking forward to your next visit.

Amazing food, and the most gracious service! My waiter was the owner of the restaurant, and you…read morecould tell! His passion for the menu was very clear. Their lunch special is an unbelievable good value for the neighborhood - so much food and every bite a delight! Vegetarian options plentiful and given every bit the same care and attention as the rest of the menu, which is always nice. Thank you!

A couple Saturdays ago when the weather was perfect, we wanted a Central Park + brunch kind of…read moremorning and stopped in here. We were walk-ins and got seated right away. Their windows open out to the street, so we were sitting right by it and honestly the best part, just soaking in the weather. We ordered the baba ganoush with pita and the Turkish eggs (6/10). I'm pretty particular about my eggs and these were watery and lacked flavor. We almost never leave food behind but this time we did. The service is incredible and staff was so kind. Maybe their dinner menu is better but I wouldn't recommend coming here for brunch.

Very rarely do I give a place 5 stars, so when I do, you bet I felt the place deserved it. We…read morestopped by this place last weekend as we were nearby. There were other Greek style restaurants nearby but felt this place may just be a tad better than the rest. We were quickly sat down and the interior of the restaurant was very clean looking, pleasant, and bright. They started off with free warm bread and two types of dipping sauce (tzatziki and some type of cilantro sauce). Both were bangers and the bread was soooo warm. My wife ordered the Khoresh Bademjan $26 which was chunks of boneless baby lamb stew with eggplants and tomato. It was not spicy which was to my wife's liking and the food was soooo tender and scrupulous. I ordered the dark meat chicken kabob platter which came with saffron and whole pieces of tomatoes/onions grilled. The chicken was amazingly soft and love the large chunks so you can really taste it. The saffron rice they give for each portion was very plentiful and definite leftovers for sure. Both dishes far exceeded our expectations and we will definitely return. FYI - there are other locations of this place as well.

Really liked this spot for a Valentine's and a birthday party we had missed in February with my…read morepartner. Everything was nice, including the decor. The Persian lamb kabab, Sulton Kabab and Zereski rice were delicious and we will be back in the near future

The absolutely horrendous service experience makes me question all the 5-star reviews as fake/paid…read more Came for a Sunday brunch, we were probably the only people at the restaurant when we arrived and ordered. Got a hummus and some brunch mains (hummus was to share but mostly for our toddler to get started during the wait). 30 min or so passed before they showed up with the hummus. I initially thought they decided to bring everything together so it took so long but no. Had to wait another 30 min for the mains. I had to ask for more bread since 1 hummus for 5 people was clearly not sufficient and taking 1 hour to deliver brunch food in an almost empty restaurant is beyond unreasonable. Took them another 40 min to get a piece of pita bread out, came after the 1-hour-wait mains. Manager came to apologize and said she will come back "to walk us through what happened and what they can comp". Okay... of course she never came back and the waiter took off a coffee and hummus off the bill. The two cheapest items. Not even the overpriced mocktails that are sugar water priced like an alcoholic drink and literally cost them nothing. Hummus I couldn't even eat because after 1 hour of waiting had to really entertain the toddler (who behaved perfectly until over 1 hour of sitting around in one spot starving). Really disappointing and concerning that the restaurant seems to be creating fake positive reviews that mislead customers about the actual quality.

Beautiful restaurant with illuminated marble throughout including the tables and walls. Somebody…read morespent a lot of money to decorate this restaurant. What is a little unusual for a place this beautiful is they have TVs along the walls. This night guests were enjoying the World Cup. They also have outside seating. The food was very good to excellent. We enjoyed the octopus, hummus, tuna avacado, and the fried zucchini. The wine served by the glass or bottle was tasty and everybody enjoyed their main courses, including Lamb, short ribs, & chicken kabob. Service was good until the restaurant got busy and then our waitress disappeared for a bit. Bookmarked!

I've been here twice within the last two weeks. Once with a friend, once with my husband, cousins…read moreand best friend. Delicious both times, possibly even better the second time. Service is friendly and attentive. The cold apps we ordered came out quickly, the entrees took a little longer, but that tells me they're actually preparing the food and not just heating it up. Fine by me! The spicy feta dip and tzatziki were my favorites, but I also loved the Shrimp Santorini (orzo, shrimp, tomato sauce, baked feta) and the bite of my husband's moussaka I had was great. Their special watermelon salad was also a favorite! Cute place, good for dates, friends and families!

"Average Greek" Went here for a group dinner on a Saturday…read morenight. It was fine but nothing special. I guess for the UES it's not bad but I would head downtown or across the water in Astoria for much better food. What's to cheer - standard selection of Greek food - Good red feat dip and pita bread - Fair prices - Branzino was ok and decently grilled - Zucchini chips were nicely done What's to jeer - Service was puzzlingly bad. Water was constantly refilled but difficult to get a second drink. Many people working who aren't actually waiters. No food runners from the kitchen - Calamari wasn't great - Deserts were meh

We went to the UES location on our way to the Roosevelt Island air tram. We chose it based on…read moretrusted Yelp reviews when searching for options in the area. We were surprised by how lovely the space is since its tucked away in the middle of the block, at the garden level. It really is delightful. It's nicely lit, with soft white lighting reflecting off its intentionally placed mirrors along the walls, which together make the space feel bigger than it is. Service was quick and attentive, and the food was delicious. I look forward to trying the UWS location, which is more convenient for me.

I was at the Upper East Side location of this miniature Israali/Levantine chain a while back with a…read morecouple of others. Compared to some of their other locations, it's a bit nicer here, being a bit more dimly lit. The service was friendly. Overall, the food was pricey and just okay, with the Upper West Side and especially the Park Slope locations being much better in both flavor and presentation, enough so that I wouldn't recommend this one. We started with two of the mezze/appetizers. Much better of the two was their interesting take on a Spanakopita for $18, consisting of a Swiss chard and feta pie, cherry tomato, and a spicy pepper sauce. The portion was a bit meek for the price, which became a theme, but the flavor was nice. The phyllo had a nice mix of crispiness and softness, and the inside wasn't too sour from the feta. The cherry tomatoes added a nice burst of freshness, and there wasn't too much pepper sauce, or else I think it would have become a bit too soggy. This was good. Much worse was the $15 Babaganoush with chopped pickles, Fresno pepper, and sesame bread. I'm unsure why, but the color was very off compared to the typical version, being greenish instead of the usual gray, which made it look just a bit unappetizing. I liked the pickles and pepper, and the bread went well with it, but overall it didn't help, as it lacked smokiness and wasn't as thick as a typical version. Overall, it was flavorless and pricey, with a good 20 places even in the area making a better version, with most of them being cheaper. My main of choice was regrettably a $32 Salmon Papillote with chermoula and root vegetables that thankfully no longer appears to be on the menu. The portion size was tiny for the price, and for it being chermoula, it lacked the spice or depth of the tasty Moroccan sauce. The salmon was decently tender, but the root vegetables were undercooked to the point that the carrots were still hard. This was terrible, but it's been replaced, which is a good thing. Another person had the same dish, and the last person had the much better $27 Chicken Shawarma Tacos, served on a toasted za'atar pita with fermented red cabbage, pickles, and spicy yogurt cilantro sauce, served with za'atar fries, tahini & amba. The portion size was much more decent, and the flavor of the fries, at least, was nice, with the za'atar adding some nice herbal and sour notes, and the fries themselves having a good texture. He also liked the "tacos," and the portion seemed adequate. For dessert, we had two. Mine was the good Malabi for $13, an almond milk pudding currently served with rose & beet syrup and pistachio. Back then, it was more dark chocolate and orange-based, with a dark chocolate-covered orange slice and the cake having a bit of orange. The floral rosewater and orange flavors reminded me of a very tasty mix of malabi and Greek Portokalopita. The others shared a pretty good Knafeh for $16 with baked phyllo dough, sweetened cheese, and pistachio ice cream. The knafeh/kunafa was served a bit differently than at other spots, and it was much less sweet than normal. I liked how many pistachios there were, but the cheese texture felt a bit off. Outside of the soft phyllo, the dish reminded me more of some less sweet versions of the Turkish künefe than the Levant style. It was fine. We had an off experience here. We disliked one of the two appetizers and found the other one OK. My entree was pretty terrible; the other entree was good, and both desserts were different but tasty. I would recommend the other Miriam locations instead, as at this price point, some consistency would be nice.