If you have any connection to Central Asia or want to try cuisine from that part of the world, head to Farida. Walk down the stairs in a central part of Manhattan and enter a different world with colored lights on the ceiling and windows painted with scenes from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. To feee a family of three, including our nine-year-old daughter, we ordered the chicken plov, langman, beet caviar, and the kids mini dumplings. Everything tasted great, but the winner was the langman. The passion fruit and mango lemonade was refreshing. (Note: It's carbonated.) At the end, order the chak chak for a traditional dessert of fried dough with honey read more

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Farida had a nice atmosphere with live karaoke, and the staff were friendly, but unfortunately the food was extremely disappointing, especially for the price. We ordered the mini umka puffs (three beef and two cheese), and they were very oily and soggy on the bottom. The beef filling was mostly salt and pepper with no real depth of flavor, plus lots of fat and gristle. The cheburek was almost the exact same experience -- same filling, same sauce, and again not very tasty. The Uzbek plov was also very, very oily. The meat in that dish was better than the others, but overall it still lacked flavor. The steak manti was honestly close to inedible. It tasted bad, very fatty, and what initially seemed like juicy filling inside turned out to just be condensation water. The Kazan kebab was especially disappointing because the picture on their website looks incredible. In reality, it looked nothing like the photos -- the meat was basically boiled, extremely fatty, and pretty unpleasant. Thankfully, the tender beef short ribs were the best thing we ordered. The meat actually had flavor, and the potatoes were good. The lemonade was also very good. I went in expecting Uzbek food to be less heavily spiced than other cuisines, which is completely fine, but this was beyond that -- the food just felt low quality and poorly executed. For four people, with only one lemonade and no alcoholic drinks, the bill came to about $260, which felt insanely expensive for the quality we received. The atmosphere was nice, but the basement dining area was also extremely hot and uncomfortable. Overall, this place did not live up to the hype. Check the pictures for the dishes we ordered. read more

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I was with a group of friends in the area and we had just completed a 5k and wanted to grab brunch. I didn't know spots in the area very well but found Farida and made a res. I'm Ukrainian so I knew I'd like something on the menu. I have to say this spot is so slept on. They had an incredible menu of Eastern European and central Asian dishes. The blini took me back to Ukraine and my childhood- so comforting and delicious. The manti were flavorful and filling. Our server Maria was lovely and sweet and informative. We even played a game at the end and won 15% off our bill. Minus one star only because they didn't have a few of the dishes on the menu available that we were hoping to try, but they accommodated well with excellent replacement recommendations. Honestly I wanna go here every time I'm in the neighborhood. The food and hospitality were comforting and nostalgic and honestly refreshing- I feel like a lot of the establishments in the city these days are lacking one or both. Thank you for an incredible experience! read more

Farida - Hand Made Manti 5 pc - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

I recently visited Farida to sample their happy hour, and it did not disappoint. Happy hour runs weekdays from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM, offering a generous 50% off wine, beer, tea, and appetizers. While the wine list is well curated, the real stars are the traditional Central Asian small plates. I paired a smooth glass of Cabernet with two standouts: * Manti: Incredible hand-pulled dumplings. I opted for the meat filling, which was savory and tender. * Mixed Samsa: Perfectly flaky baked pastry dough with a delicious pumpkin filling. The staff is exceptionally kind; as someone new to Uzbek and Kazakh cuisine, I truly appreciated my server's thoughtful recommendations. The interior is a vibe of its own--laidback and low-lit with a Central Asian aesthetic that surprisingly (and pleasantly) channeled the energy of 1970s blacklight rock posters. I'll definitely be back with friends for a full dinner. read more

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I don't recommend going after 5 on a weekday, since it's gets really busy. There were only 2 servers, who barely checked on us, so it took us an hr to leave after we finished our food. They took forever to take our plates away & give us the check. 3/5 mango passion fruit lemonade $19- why is this carbonated? I wouldn't call a carbonated drink lemonade, decent otherwise, was just not expecting a soda like drink 5/5 Tender beef short ribs $38- super tender, was falling off the bone, I'd go back for this Umka mix $20 : 3/5 chicken- decent 4/5 steak- really good, def a steak/beef girlie 2/5 Kyrgyzstan Ganfan- beef veggie stew, has celery & bell peppers ( both of which I don't eat) which you can't take out since it's pre-made, the stew itself is decent, however, the beef was really tough, I had a hard time chewing. They have live music around 7. read more

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I went to Farida with two other friends and we ordered 2 of the tasting menus alongside one of the steak puffs. I really enjoyed the puffs, the breading had a unique layering to it that made it super soft and savory. I also enjoyed the plov and the meat board, both of which had good flavors. Some of the cuts of beef/sausage were a bit dry but the chicken was super juicy and well seasoned. The rest of the tasting menu experience was good but not super memorable with no real standouts to me. The portions were quite large and we comfortably split the 2 tasting menus among 3 people which was nice. The honey layer cake was quite good, it's intricate with a strong honey and cake flavor but it's also not too sweet with not a lot of added sugar. It was expensive though at $15, so I can't say I would recommend it for that price ever. 4/5 The interior of Farida is super nice and cozy, it wasn't super busy (unlike most nyc/manhattan restaurants) which was nice for a casual dinner with a small group of friends. 4.3/5 read more

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We ordered online and it took two hours for the order to be delivered from a mile away. My partner is from Kazakhstan, and was very excited to try some familiar food. However, not only were their portions incredibly small, they were also not even authentic. The "lavash" was literally a tortilla. The shashlyk was good but the size of an appetizer. For what we paid, which was *incredibly* overpriced, this was not worth it in the slightest. We called to ask for a refund and the person who picked up said he "couldn't hear us" and that the "connection was bad"--mind you, we do have wifi connection! Overall, terrible service, terrible portion sizes, and inauthentic food. I don't recommend going here if you are looking for a good experience. read more

We were hungry and the images of this place made our mouths water. We were on-the-go so we order a few small snacks that we could munch on while we walked. Our order took a minute but the interior was very nice to wait in. It was dark, warm and cozy and the aroma was amazing. We ordered: Umka Puff Pastries - this include the flavors: spinach, pumpkin, chicken, beef and was a good way to give everything a try. Unfortunately we only liked the beef as it was juicy and flavorful. The chicken was dry, the spinach was okay, and the pumpkin was not good, but we both didn't like pumpkin very much anyway. Cheburek - this was all beef and it was delicious. We gobbled them all up right away. Would recommend going for their meat orders only as they seemed to be more savory and flavorful than the vegetarian items. Be mindful that the items here are a bit pricy as well. read more

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Uzbek Puff Pies are FIRE baby, I recommend you try them at Farida's. Food is pretty pricey here as well, so do not forget your wallets. Puff Pies are delicious with the Middle Eastern style taste and Turkish taste. Our first time here, and we were impressed and happy. I will come back for more. Service was good too. read more

One of New York's bright spots these days is its rich offering of Central Asian cuisines, primarily across South Brooklyn and to a lesser extent Rego Park. However, Farida is one of the few outposts to open in Manhattan. It is a good option in the neighborhood, although I think there are better choices for this cooking elsewhere in the city. My favorite item was the mini-samsas, which we ordered with cheese and spinach - both fillings were quite tasty. But I found the flavor profile of the pumpkin manti as a main a bit challenging, with a peculiar mix of sweetness from the squash and bitterness from the dill. The ambiance is a bit claustrophobic, located slightly underground on a narrow FiDi street, although they've certainly made it as festive as possible. Overall 3.5 stars rounded down, but a decent option in an area lacking good ones. read more

Farida - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

Farida Restaurant is an absolute gem! The food was outstanding, and the hospitality truly made the experience unforgettable. Max, our host, and Abu, our server and co-host, were incredibly warm, friendly, and welcoming. From the moment we arrived, they made us feel completely at home. Their recommendations were spot-on, and their attention and kindness made the evening extra special. We ordered the Tender Veal Liver with Mushrooms, the Mediterranean Breeze, and the ground lamb kebab--everything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. You can truly taste the quality and care in every dish. To top off an already amazing feast, Max and the restaurant generously treated us to the Chak Chak dessert on the house--and wow, it was absolutely delicious! Such a wonderful and thoughtful surprise. Do yourself a favor and try this amazing dessert--it's so, so good! What really sets this place apart is the exceptional customer service. Max and Abu went above and beyond to take care of us, and their genuine hospitality is the reason this has become one of my favorite restaurants in New York. Incredible food, incredible people, and a wonderful atmosphere. I absolutely love this place--highly recommended! read more

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First time trying out Central Asian cuisine. My friends and I shared a bunch of apps and entrees: vareniki, baursak, beef and onion blinis, beshbarmak. Fresh, clean, and hearty. The kebabs were also tasty. I loved the ambiance too, nice and cozy. read more

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Very nice selection of Uzbek & Kazakh cuisine. Everything was cooked and seasoned very nicely. They have a few Kyrgyz, Russian, Armenian, and Georgian dishes on the menu too, but the focus is mainly on Central Asian foods. Would really recommend the boiled beef chuchvara and the lamb kazan kebab! read more

Farida - Boiled Chuchvara - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

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What a lovely dinner here with friends. Lots of seating and cozy environment. Tried a bunch of things to share: Plov, some cold salads , shishlek, beef roll and desserts. A nice spot to do some culinary exploration if you're downtown. Worth the stop! read more

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this place is super cute! I loved all the little embroidery on the chairs and how welcoming and warm they make it. They have a large bar in the front with smaller seating and they have a room at the back for larger tables as well as private events if you want to throw them We tried the Manti and we love the pumpkin ones as well as the spinach. I would definitely come back for the kebabs. They were amazing. I also really love the herring in a fur coat. The one dish would pass on would be the dessert which was sort of fried noodles with ice cream. but I think everything else was outstanding. The service was really good as well. They have a very sweet young girl who explains all the dishes to you and answer your questions and helps you to decide what you would like especially if the food is not familiar to you. I would definitely recommend this place and would come back. read more

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Very nice ambiance and live music; the Mediterranean kale salad was really fresh and server was very nice. their layered honey cake was juicy with right amount of sweetness , I lemonade was mostly carbonated soda with fruits slices and just OK. Overall very cute unique place and will go back! read more

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The food was ok. Didn't have much of a flavor, it was bland. Very small portions but pricey. The service was very slow bit the waitress were nice and that's why I gave it two stars rather then one. The ambiance of the returns was amazing, from the lighting, decoration and paintings. I would not recommend this place to my friends and family and will not be returning to eat here. read more

This is a nice halal spot to try if you're interested in trying central Asian cuisine. We were easily able to get a reservation online. Nice ambiance with a good amount of seating. I tried the savory meat pastries, which were solid. My favorite was the chicken lulya kebabs. I'd get that again for sure. My friend was not a fan of the service because they weren't very attentive. It wasn't that busy so that could use some improvement, but I think they were trying their best. read more

The food? Not bad. The place? Gorgeous decor, moody lighting, perfect for photos. But the service? Honestly one of the worst I've had in NYC. We came in during a very slow hour -- barely three tables. Our server? Nowhere to be found. We kept looking around, trying to catch someone's eye, but they were all busy chatting in the corner. And then... boom, a 20% auto gratuity slapped on the bill -- no heads-up, no check-in, no nothing. For a moment I thought maybe I was on a hidden camera show. The lamb was chewy in a good way, and the plov had solid flavor. But that kind of service made it hard to enjoy anything. Sorry FARIDA -- once is enough. read more

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If you prefer good ambience and bad food, go waste your money here. Food tasted bland, small portions and oh yes very expensive. read more

I wanted to like Farida so badly, and I will caveat that the food was pretty good. However my experience with service here was quite terrible. We walked in on a Friday night without reservations, and they were busy. Two relatively large tables and smaller tables throughout the restaurant were also full. It takes us a while to be acknowledged and ultimately seated, but when we are, no one comes around to give us a menu until we are asked ~10 minutes after getting seated. Things go downhill after ordering. We already tempered our expectations for the speed at which the food was going to come out since it is a small restaurant and they are busy, but the first person's dish came out over 30 minutes after ordering. And that is not even the most ridiculous part-- my entree came out 30 minutes after that...... an hour after placing the order. On top of that, the meat was cold to the touch. I sent it back and it returned lukewarm, but I just wanted to get out of there at this point. Server briefly apologized, but this was honestly a horrific experience. The icing on the cake is that the bill came out with a 20% auto grat added for parties of all sizes (since we were 2). I want to give Farida the benefit of the doubt, and say they were just completely swamped, but the overall experience leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Hopefully they are able to use this as feedback to improve in the future. read more

Farida was a cool experience and had nice ambience, but was not good value for the food. Most of the dishes were yummy and flavorful, but expensive and very small in portion size. I'm sure it's hard to find this type of food in the city though, so I'm glad to have tried it. The service was also a bit cold and impatient -- it was hard to get water and even to get extra utensils so we could share food family style (we were a group of 6). read more

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Maria is a fantastic server. The food is incredible. And the ambiance is lovely. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough.

I really wanted to like this place because I was excited to try a cuisine that I haven't before and that I haven't typically seen represented in the NYC dining scene. The interior of the restaurant is pretty and the live music performed was a nice touch. Unfortunately, as a vegetarian, I didn't enjoy the two things I ordered. I wish they were more flavorful. I also found it strange that many of the items my friend ordered were unavailable (they had run out of these specific things apparently). I was also not a fan of the automatic gratuity applied -- I can understand for large groups but we were just a group of 4. read more

Farida - Pumpkin mango - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

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Kind of disappointng. We went here because we were in the mood for plov. The server told us "I can't do" plov. Imagine that- an Uzbek restaurant without plov. So we order a beef stew- that was $27 and had next to no beef, and was a very tiny portion. Guess we're sticking to Brooklyn for Uzbek food. read more

Very attentive service, we truly liked the central asian interior and the vibe! My husband and I ordered plov and kebab and we loved everything. For the drink we had a mojito lemonade which was very refreshing. Recommend Farida to everyone visiting NY! read more

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Had dinner here and it honestly felt like being invited to someone's home - if that someone was an amazing Uzbek cook. We had the solyanka and the blinchiki with meat, and wow... after one spoon I realized how much I missed real food Everything was rich, comforting and made with love. The solyanka was the perfect balance of sour and savory and the blinchiki gone in seconds. The staff was super kind and attentive - the kind of service that makes you feel like a guest. Warm food, warm vibes, 10/10 would come back with an empty stomach and high expectations read more

Farida - Solyanka - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

Amazing food, exceptional service and cozy atmosphere. They have live music every day starting at 7 pm. This a little gem everyone should stop by and enjoy the fantastic dishes. read more

Aidana was great Food quality,atmosphere and service all were 5 stars Everything we ordered were fresh and delicious Highly recommend read more

a hole in the wall in the financial district. the indoor is nice cozy ambiance a bit dark and they have great live music. a pleasant dine in experience for iftaar the food was a mix of dishes across central asia. we got uzbekistan pilaf and some beef manti and lagmon soup. they were pretty gamey flavored but the pilaf was good. the pricing was ridiculous despite being only 3 dishes there was gratuity racked in for a party of 2 and then taxes and credit card charge fee too it was highway robbery and totally not worth the price point ratio C+ read more

Farida - manti - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

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Interesting Central Asian cuisine find in the heart of Downtown Manhattan! I don't know why it is labeled as Uzbek-Ukranian here though. Maybe Uzbek-Tatar (cheburek is a Tatar dish)? It is located on Cedar Street across the street from where Financier Cafe used to be (now replaced by Greek bakery). Overall, the food was very good quality, made from fresh meat and vegetables. Try their manty, shish kebab, and salad with smoked salmon. read more

Farida - Farida Uzbek restaurant on Cedar Street in Downtown Manhattan. - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

Delicious restaurant tucked away near Wall Street. This was my first time trying Kazakhstani cuisine, and it was fantastic. Restaurant feels cozy with small booths, murals, and welcoming wait staff. Decent prices. read more

Fantastic service, cleanliness, and top notch food. Shurpa, shashlik, crepes. Will come back. Real central asian dignified hospitality. Loved it. read more

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I was having a cold/cough day so had their beef and noodle soup for lunch! Expensive at $20 big you get a lot for it and it tastes excellent! read more

We were excited to have found authentic Central Asian cuisine, but our experience was full of disappointment. Our takeout order of "Authentic Lamb Kazan Kebab" ($40 price), came with a shard of plastic. To add to it, the meat had a big chunk of fat. The food taste was okay until we found the plastic shard. It left a bad taste. For the price, one would expect a lot more attention towards quality. read more

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Staff are exemplary. All the waiters and servers were super friendly and talkative. Appreciated that we talked in Russian, and asked us a lot of questions about ourselves, while also sharing their journeys. Superb hospitality. Highlight of our experience. Cozy, warm decor, consisting of heavy, wooden furniture and culturally appropriate lamps and tchotchkes. Good was solid. Not the best Uzbek/central Asian I've had, by a stretch, but a filling, quality meal, nonetheless. $22 lamb manti were tasty, but the second they cooled Down, the lard that was inside, congealed and started sticking to utensils the roof of the mouth. So. much. Lard. It overpowered every other taste and texture. Never ate manti with such insane amount of unmelted lard. Not a pleasant after taste. $32 lamb shank was disappointing. Meat was bland, lacking all flavor. Vegetables were the highlight--they soaked up the juice and tasted sweet and crunchy and delicious. Our waiter recommended short ribs, and I wish I'd listened to him. Get the ribs! $30 beef fillet mignon kebab was juicy and flavorful. Definitely overpriced for the portion, but if you're spending money, this is the dish to spend it on. $6 mash potato was okay. $15 Napoleon was very expensive for the small size. But, Napoleon is never cheap. It wasn't sweet, and was mildly flavored, which I appreciated. Overall, a decent meal, but definitely overpriced. You can find better. But the service and staff are what will be the highlight of your experience. read more

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Amazing halal Uzbek cuisine with a warm, welcoming vibe! The menu is full of flavorful dishes, and the waiter was incredibly kind and hospitable. Live music added a great touch to the atmosphere. It's a bit on the pricey side, but totally worth it -- especially for a date night! read more

This was my first time having Uzbek cuisine and visiting this restaurant. Just wow... I came here for lunch on a Wednesday and had the best experience. Their menu is diverse and have various dishes from different countries. We tried a few different dishes, from Uzbek appetizers to a Spanish entree. Everything was seasoned so well, with the perfect balance of flavors from herbs and spices in the food. To top it off, the staff was so friendly and the environment was so pretty. Highly recommend if you're interested in trying various types of cuisines, all in one place. read more

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I had never had Uzbek food before, so Farida was my first exposure. It was truly delicious! Lots of great vegetarian dishes and dumplings, so I left feeling full and happy. The atmosphere was nice too. The only thing that was a little different was a man came to take a picture of our table and tried to sell us a framed picture. It was a dinner with work colleagues, so it was a little awkward. But an interesting experience! read more

Another place where I was the only white person or the only person speaking English, telling me I was in the right place! Farida is down the steps of a below the street level spot in the financial district (they are closing their midtown location). It's steps away from Alamo Drafthouse, so that's what brought me there . . . but it was a delight! Farida focuses on central asian cuisine (and it's halal). Think Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakstan. My server was Uzbek and spoke Russian (he speaks perfect English as well, but thought it was super cool that he spoke to most other patrons in Russian).--This tells you this is a place where people who know go! I told him to order me what he would order himself. For the most part I went with what he said. Just for the record, he says he loves the dumplings, so if you're into dumplings, go for it. I just know I don't like dumpling texture, and that's a ME thing, not a them thing. I ordered the Umka puffs with with steak. Great flavors with the sauce, though a little chewy. Next time I would probably try to spinach and herbs. They also have baby pumpkin and chicken. The outside was crispy and hot and the inside was savory. My server explained it's best to eat with the hands, as the enzymes on our hands enhance the flavor of the dough. For hot appetizers, next time I wouldn't mind having the juicy meatballs (which the server also recommended, I was just by myself and could order only so much food). Also the fried Chuchvara (ground beef dumplings) looked tasty. I aso had the Kovurma Lagman (also styled Laghman). When Lagman House Duncan Cuisine in Sheepshead closed, I thought I had missed my chance to try this special kind of noodle. But Farida has a couple of Lagman noodle dishes. The noodles are chewy and hearty (in a good way) and the beef is tender and succulent. Lots of tasty veggies too. I sampled their shashlyk selection (salmon, veggie, chicken, crispy chicken, veal liver, beef filet, ground chicken, lamb, and more). I had the beef short rib at the server rec. Pretty good, but next time I would probably try another type. I had a couple cocktails, which were fine, but this is not a craft cocktail place. I think I would much rather try their interesting supply of mixed lemonades and teas. The menu here is huge. I can't touch on it all. But there is something for everyone, including vegetarians and vegans. Soups, stews, noodles, The decor is cool--retro in a way, exotic, colorful. They have a stage for live entertainment on some nights, and I would love to see the belly dancers! I loved everything--the vibe, the service. I am so happy to have tried this lesser known food region. My server was Jahangir. Please, everyone, give him all the tips and all the kudos! Thank you again! Will definitely be back for more of this gem! read more

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