Bodrum is a fun place! We sat outside on a nice Saturday evening and it was lively but not too…read morecrowded. Engaged, kind, fast service. The food was good - some items were amazing and others were pretty good. I absolutely LOVED the babaghanoush and the Turkish flatbread was another fave. We also got the manti, which was great, and the sis kebab which was just fine in my opinion. Yummy unique drinks too! It's a great neighborhood spot.

Bodrum is a Turkish restaurant on the Upper West Side named after the lively coastal city in…read moreTurkey. The restaurant stays true to traditional Turkish flavors, and the food was absolutely delicious!! I had dinner with two friends, one of whom is Turkish, so of course we had to get their official stamp of approval. Thankfully, Bodrum passed the test! I had the lamb tagine, which was hearty, flavorful, and very filling. My friends ordered the stuffed cabbage and lavash, and everyone loved their food. The star of the night was definitely the stuffed cabbage. The cabbage had a flavor and texture that almost reminded me of grape leaves, and it was SO good. Everyone at Bodrum was incredibly welcoming and accommodating. Great food, great service, and a really nice atmosphere. Can't wait to come back and try more of the menu!!

The waitress Mikki is extremely attentive and helpful with menu choices. She is friendly and checks…read morein with customers to make sure they are satisfied. She makes dining a pleasurable experience..

The staff is EXCELLENT. The owner is HORRIBLE. He's mean to…read morecustomers and staff. We sat outside and he came out to tell us to move our seats because "this is New York" and he'll get a ticket if we're blocking the sidewalk. If he thought we were tourists, he should have politely explained why he needed us to move. I am not a tourist and live VERY close; the likelihood of a cop ticketing him is slim to none. The only time I see cops on the block at night is if extra security is needed at the Beacon.

We stopped here for lunch first and foremost to escape the heat, and ended up really enjoying our…read morefood! I'm not sure what their airflow/fan situation is but the temperature inside was HEAVENLY. So much so that there was a sleeping baby two tables down from where we were seated. The inside was very inviting yet spacious and (literally) airy. Now onto the delicious food and drink! I got the Mediterranean Summer cocktail which was basically a Moroccan mint lemonade with vodka and thin cucumber slices. It was so wonderfully refreshing and hit the spot! My boyfriend and I decided to share the mixed hummus but really shouldn't have- it was delicious but WAY too much for the two of us. Three of the little dishes had plain creamy hummus with lots of tangy tahini. Then the other three had the same hummus base but different toppings- chickpeas, sautéed mushrooms, and stewed fava beans. All three were delicious textural and flavor complements to the hummus. This platter came with a fresh tomato cucumber and parsley salad, and a big basket of stretchy, chewy saj pita bread. We also ordered a plate of vegetable dolmades which were outstanding- so fresh and full of flavor and easily among the best I've had! Then as if we hadn't eaten enough the waiter gave us some homemade pastries for dessert. There was a flaky and fragrant baklava type treat with pistachios, and two crumbly fig cookies. All were excellent and unexpectedly free! The hospitality, cool and relaxing atmosphere, and delicious food definitely make Gazala's worthy of a return trip!!

They used to have a second location in Hell's Kitchen. I grew up going to that place, my parents…read moreloved that they made the bread in the front window counter so you could watch whenever you walked passed. They have since closed that location and focused on their main location here. The food is still absolutely amazing. Hummus is so smooth, the chicken is tender, and the grill marks on the kebabs are perfection. We ordered a whole bunch of dishes to share and the waiter checked with us to confirm they could send out the dishes whenever they were ready. Everything tasted fresh and delicious, and it was a lovely lunch with my parents who usually don't travel all the way to the UWS for lunch, but were especially missing this place.

Such a beautiful space--the decor alone makes you want to stay all night. Telio really nails that…read morewarm, inviting Greek/Mediterranean feel. But what was truly memorable was the food. Everything we ordered was exceptional--fresh, flavorful, and just honestly superior. The Greek salads were crisp and delicious, the octopus was tender and scrumptious, and both the grilled shrimp and salmon were cooked to perfection. Dessert was just as impressive--everything is made in-house, and you can tell. We had a Nutella with strawberries pudding-type creation that looked like a potted plant (and came in a little pot!) (I wish I remembered the exact name!) and a delicate phyllo pastry with Greek honey that was absolutely outstanding. What really made the experience, though, was the hospitality. The owner, Nicolas, was incredibly warm and welcoming, and the entire staff made us feel so taken care of. One of those meals where you keep saying "this is so good" after every bite. We're definitely coming back!

Bizarrely awful experience. Here's a short list of things that happened:…read more 1) had to ask the server for bread 3 times. Doesn't come with the meal. They only had pita bread. 2) I brought my mother here for Mother's Day, and they forgot to bring her her entree and side. The waiter weirdly served me my entree, and my mother a small empty plate. Never returned to ask us if we had everything we needed, and let us sit there waiting for 10 minutes wondering why only 1 of us got our dinner. Eventually my food started getting cold, and when we asked the waiter where my mother's food was, he looked bewildered like he didn't understand what we meant. 3) he then blamed it on the order machine not working? Even though this didn't happen to anyone else at the restaurant? Machines don't have minds of their own, people make mistakes using them. He then tried to validate his excuse by showing us that he wrote down my mother's order on his notepad. Like that was supposed to offset that my starving mother didn't eat dinner on Mother's Day? Also, own up to your mistake bro and do something nice for us to show us that you understand what good service is. Total amateur hour. 4) tried to make up for it by bringing us this weird, gross dry dessert things that was awful. 5) when we asked for the rest of the food to go because we had had enough, they brought us aluminum containers and told us to pack it ourselves. I could see that at a cheap restaurant, but this was $150 for 2 people. The least you can do after butchering the experience is pack up our food in a to-go box. 6) there were 6 people at most dining that night, in a massive space that could probably sit 100+. We probably should have realized that was a bad sign and left before sitting down. 7) no discount on the check, or really any accommodations. They just didn't charge us for the meal they forgot. This place will be open for max another month before going out of business. Good riddance.

UES Greek restaurant with nice decor. Caters to the older crowd generally. The nice gentlemen was…read morewelcoming. After that, everything else was meh. We ordered the whole snapper for 2 with 2 sides. Snapper was decent. Brussels sprouts was overcooked, soggy and lacked any flavor. Waitress was mediocre and maybe it was a bad day but didn't care much about our table. Left $20 tip for a $115 pretax bill. They had the audacity to add $5 to $25 as it reflects on my credit card bill. It's not about $5, it's about the integrity of this restaurant. Who knows what other sketchy stuff they do.

My friend and I came to this super cute Greek restaurant for dinner. The space was lovely and…read moremostly white, with blue lighting and pretty hanging lights. There was a cozy ambiance to the place. We decided to order from the prix fixe menu. For the first course, I went with the Avegolemono soup, which consisted of chicken, orzo, and egg, along with taste of lemon. This was nicely savory, hearty, and comforting. For the entree, I selected the Pork Loin with glaze sauce, broccoli rabe, and Greek fries. The Pork Loin was sliced, tender, with a smoky taste, covered with slightly sweet sauce. The flavors were bold. Greek Fries were satisfyingly crispy, with plenty of yummy seasonings and feta cheese crumbled all over. The dessert I chose was Nutella Mousse, which consisted of crushed Oreos and fresh berries. Although this did not feel very Greek to me, it was tantalizingly rich and creamy, full of Nutella and Oreo combined. Service was solid. Our waiter was welcoming and everything came out in a timely manner. I would be open to returning to try the Baby Lamb Chops or Salmon.

Shalel is a beautiful space that really makes you feel transported out of the city. The interior is…read morewarm and inviting, and the whole experience feels a bit like an escape. Service was great, friendly and accommodating, even though we had a late reservation close to kitchen closing, which we really appreciated. The food was just as impressive, especially in both flavor and portion size. The baba ghanoush was delicious and tasted just like the ones I grew up eating. The mixed grill was a standout in terms of value, with tender, well-seasoned meats and a generous portion. The chicken tagine was equally satisfying, with moist chicken and vegetables that complemented everything nicely. We finished with the warm date tart, which was definitely on the sweeter side but perfect if you enjoy desserts like that. Overall, it's a great spot for flavorful food, large portions, and an amazing atmosphere.

Shalel has a subterranean, dimly lit, moody atmosphere that feels intimate without being overly…read moreformal. There's low sofa-style seating throughout, which adds to the cozy, tucked-away feel. Definitely a good date-night spot or somewhere to take out-of-towners when you want to impress. They have a balanced menu of large and small dishes. I ordered the halloumi and cauliflower, and while it was tasty, I was a little disappointed by the portion for $22 It was mostly cauliflower with barely any halloumi, so I didn't think the price quite matched what was served. I also offer a side of pita, not realizing most of the small plates come with pita. Since I was still hungry after the cauliflower, I also ordered the gambas al ajillo, which were delicious. I didn't try the larger dishes this time but the person I was dining with ordered the steak kebab and really enjoyed it. I also love that they have an all-night breakfast section on the menu. There's truly no wrong time for shakshuka. Next time, I'd love to try one of their sandwiches or pitas. Service was also great in a very understated way. They're attentive and present without hovering, which I really appreciated in a space that feels designed for conversation and privacy. Overall, a really cool atmosphere with an interesting menu and plenty I'd like to come back and try.

1st time visiting and I was extremely satisfied. The food was very very good. Chicken Gyro with…read morerice and salad was definitely worth it. Nice, quiet vibes. Good service as well.

Thanks to blackbird and myself this meal was free! We enjoyed trying this place for the first time…read moreand the food was great! The service was efficient and swift. The workers were kind and easy to talk with even gave a great substitute for the wine they didn't have available. Our meal was just at $50 for the dishes and wine! Would love to come back soon!

The food is authentic, fresh, and delicious. The falafel and the steak are incredible, steak was…read morecooked to perfection. Owner is so lovely and kind. Highly recommend

Mediocre service- waiter forgot to bring my order. portion…read moretiramisu- a pigeon would consider it small. mango cake- zero taste. poor rest room barely passes cleanlist test