I came to Effy's Cafe with my fiancé for a late brunch on a Sunday afternoon. When we arrived around 2:45pm, there was no wait time at all and plenty of tables available inside and outside although there were more people than we expected for the time. This place does not take reservations so it is a nice place to just spontaneously walk into on a nice summer day since it is so close to Central Park. The first table we got was kind of uncomfortable since the booth chair was out of proportion high compared to the shorter tables they have so we ended up switching to a table with regular chairs by the window. The ambiance here is very chill, cozy, and cafe like which I enjoyed. Sitting by the window made it a perfect spot for people watching. Service was very good and our waitress was very attentive of our table the whole time. For food we ordered:
- Effy's salad: I was craving something lighter but nourishing and I am so happy I ordered this. The salad was amazing and one of the best I have had at a restaurant in a long time. This came with kale, roasted sweet potatoes, beets, slivered toasted almonds, avocado, and this super light and perfectly balanced honey balsamic vinaigrette. First of all, the tilapia was beautifully grilled and came in a generous portion. The seasoning was perfect and the meat was super buttery and flaky. The other elements of the salad were amazing too: the earthiness of the beets, the sweetness of the sweet potatoes, the hearty kale, the crunchy but delicate almonds, and the creamy avocado. The dressing was also very good which is surprising since I tend to find restaurant dressings either too salty or too sweet but this was just right. Would come back just for this!
- Tunisian tuna sandwich: my fiancé got this and I tried a few bites. I really liked this! The bread was of very good quality, the tuna had a nice seasoning, and everything was tied together beautifully by the tangy flavor of the pickles and the richness of the hardboiled eggs. The fries that came on the side were actually some of the best fries I have had in the UWS. They were so crispy, light, and a little moist on the inside. Literally perfect. Liked these better than the sandwich itself.
- Chocolate mousse cake: This was very good! The dessert portion was generous and came with layers of chocolate sponge cake, as well as some layers in the middle of milk chocolate mousse and white chocolate mousse (?) which really added a nice moisture and texture gradient to the cake. A little on the sweeter side but pretty good.
- Cheesecake: Another very good dessert! Surprisingly light and not too sweet. Really liked this.
Overall, this is a great spot for brunch/lunch/dinner! It is near Central Park, the service is good, and they have a very diverse menu with options for everyone. Seating in the booths is a little uncomfortable which would be my only comment but I will definitely come back again. read more