First time trying central Asian food and overall it was great! Don't know if I'd go out of my way to go to this place again but definitely worth a try for anyone looking for new cuisines. read more

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

Great tea! Great service and ambience as well! Beautiful environment and cool menus. Ask about their specials!

Mindblowingly delicious! Will definitely be back again! Had the puff pies, kazan kabab, short rib shashlik, and sea buckthorn tea, and all were *chefs kiss* amazing! The restaurant has super welcoming staff with nice artwork and ambiance. 10/10 one of my fav places in NYC! read more

See all

Seriously delicious food. Excellent flavors, good service, live entertainment at night - what's not to like? Would be good for a group to buy multiple plates and share. read more

This is place seems very authentic since most of the patrons spoke to the waitresses in their language. We were the only table that spoke English and the waitress very patiently explained each dish to us and made recommendations. App the meat dishes were great! The yogurt drink was heavy and soured and not exactly what I was expecting. The decors are beautiful and there was live music from a drummer. read more

Farida - Skewers platter - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Good food, live music, and incredible service! This spot is a hidden gem in Fidi! I've also never had Uzbeki food but this was delicious! read more

See all

I went here for lunch on a Thursday, and it was a pretty quiet place. The establishment was clean, but it does have the tiniest bathroom I've ever seen in a restaurant. Mini umka pies: these were so delicious. The pastry was super flaky, the filling was declicious, and the sauce it came with accented it perfectly. Kovurma lagman: this was a super interesting experience. I had never had Central Asian cuisine before, and it felt like a mix between East asian cuisine (fried noodles) combined with more South Asian/Eastern European influences.I really liked this. The noodles were crispy, but the stew it came in softened it up a bit for a really nice texture. The meat and veggies on top were very tender. My only complaint was that I realized when I got home they accidentally overcharged me. I got one of the lunch specials, but I was charged individually for it instead of the lunch special price. I'm sure it was an honest mistake, so I still highly recommend checking this place out if you're in the area. read more

You can't throw a stick without hitting a review containing the term 'hidden gem,' but it's actually appropriate here. I stumbled across this place one day during lunch when I was walking around the neighborhood looking for ice cream (I found it next door) and saw a very unusual entrance covered in Rainforest Cafe-like foliage. Five minutes' worth of research, and this was on the list for an upcoming lunch adventure. I stopped by Friday afternoon for a bite to eat. Virtually every review of this place mentions the ambience, and deservedly so. This is a VERY unique restaurant interior. The entryway to the dining area reminded me of walking through one of the rooms in Legends of the Temple (minus the scary guards) - it's really something. The actual restaurant itself is sort of a Central Asian version of a Buca di Beppo, one of my fave chains of all time that has Italian-themed shizzle all over the walls. You're more likely to find murals of Asian temples than Frank Sinatra pictures, but it's quite a spectacle to behold. The bar is right by the entrance, and the bartender behind the counter immediately told me I could sit anywhere available in the restaurant. The cathedral-like booths up front were unfortunately occupied but I easily secured a spot at a small table toward the back. Within a minute or two, I was provided with what I'm assuming is the Uzbek version of bread and butter - essentially crostini. I didn't try the topping that looked to be chopped up cucumber, but I did sample the brown one that visually gave off pulled pork vibes. The taste DID veer close to BBQ territory, and I subsequently confirmed that it was caramelized onions. Not typically an onion fan at all, but I'm now assuming that that hatred is based on the typically crunchy texture, which this definitely didn't have. Really enjoyed it, and I ate the entire portion. After intently studying the menu beforehand, I decided to play it relatively safe and go with the Cheburek ($18) off the hot apps section of the menu. There's an awesome Turkish/Eastern European restaurant in Clifton, NJ called Cafe Bubemara that has scrumptious Burek, which seemed to be pretty much the same concept as this (no idea what the inclusion of the 'che' prefix brings to the table), though these were definitely smaller versions, almost like large empanadas. The meat was a little crunchier than I personally prefer due to the onions/seasoning (maybe peppers?) that are cooked within the beef/lamb, but same token, you're getting decent flavoring with that texture - it's almost tangy in the same genre as falafel, I'd say. I also would have liked more meat within the dish; there were several bites in each pie that were nothing but the pastry, which reminded me of 90% of the chocolate croissants I've had, where there's just a thin sliver of chocolate inside. The service was excellent. Unsurprisingly, I got the impression I was the only customer there whose first language was English (absolutely not a negative) but everyone there was very welcoming/accommodating. True to almost every solo dining experience I've recently had in the city, it didn't take long to order, receive my food or get the check - I was probably in and out of there in less than 35 minutes, which is mighty impressive for a sit-down lunch at a legit restaurant. I can't sit here and say that I'd come here every week (it IS a little outside my gastro wheelhouse for sure), but it's definitely a top-tier candidate anytime I'm feeling a little frisky/adventurous. read more

See all

Visiting New York and wanted some hot borscht. Farida came up so thought we'd give it a try. Not only was the borscht like my Ukrainian mom used to make, but both meat and cottage cheese blini were also great. Our waiter Alan was friendly, attentive and steered me to an Uzbek tea that went so well with the meal. We'll be back. read more

Food was good. Service was good. Decor was good. We had the Farida Platter including beef, chicken, lamb and liver. We also had borscht and Chuchvara dumplings. Chack-chack for dessert. I recommend this read more

Farida - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

Excellent food, nice ambiance. The spices and flavors were delicious! Nice, attentive service as well, and a great selection of lunch specials. read more

Amazing ambiance and good service. This was my first time having Uzbekistan/Kazakhstan food so please take this review with a grain of salts Overall the food was tasty but definitely more on the neutral flavor side. The Umkas were delicious and definitely bigger than expected (reminds me of an empanada/puff pastry). The manti was good a bit on the dryer side. The beef shashlyk was probably my favorite - very juicy, although the fries served with was not as crispy. The only thing that was probably a 2/5 for me was the authentic uzbek plov - not sure if it's meant to be or if it's just our dish but the rice was extremely hard. Was recommended this spot by a friend who eats lamb so would say those dishes may be 5/5z Would probably come back again to try something else but if you don't eat lamb, your options might be a little more limited like me... read more

See all

I went for their lunch special, I got the Lagman soup and Plov. Highly recommend the Lagman soup

I can't tell you all the names of the foods we ate because Farida basically ordered for us. It's really nice that the restaurant's namesake (owner) is there to help us out and interact with customers. We had a large party and couldn't decide what to eat so a mix of things were brought to our table. The kabobs were really juicy and the samsas were flavorful & flaky. There were salads, mixed dips (like hummus), and plov (rice) too. Everything was delicious. My only little complaint was that the live music was really loud and it was hard to talk to/hear each other. I also would like to hear some Uzbeki music because I love it and it's what I was hoping for. But the singer was lovely. The restaurant is nice, pretty, clean and I'll visit again. :) read more

See all

Minor update. See prior review for the glowing part. I wish I could just edit my old review but alas. I was here alone and they put automatic 20% gratuity. I would have given you 20% but seriously that's not right especially if only one person is there and they left a bill where I could have added more tip. Good thing I checked. Food was still delicious. read more

This was our second visit from CT to this hidden gem in the financial district. Love the vibe -- the lights and the decorations and fellow patrons speaking multiple languages. Love the drinks -- special lemonades and teas (they have cocktails too). Love the food -- the pastries stuffed with spinach, the lamb shank, the dumplings with sour cream mushroom sauce, the dessert that was like a cottage cheese pancake. Great service, too. read more

Farida - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

See all

The meat was so tender, it was done right. The pâlov was bit dry. The service was good, the meat is halal so that's a 10/10. Ambience was a 1000/10, it was great intro to uzbek culture. read more

Really liked this beautiful restaurant in downtown. An interesting menu, beautiful decor and even with live music you could still talk to your dinner companions, I had the umka appetizer filled with spinach. Delicious with lovely crisp pastry and plenty of filling. Also at my table, others had the salmon kebabs and the plov. Service was spotty, while food came out hot and well presented, not everything came out at the same time. The plov was served after everyone else's meal was almost complete after the server was reminded. Also, they were out of most items made with cheese or blinis, which is what I had been looking forward to. I would return if I'm visiting the area again. read more

This place was a lifesaver at night when every other place was closed. When we got there, the ambiance was amazing. It was quiet (until a huge party came in), and the decor was beautiful. We had the Manti with pumpkin, Chicken burger, Umka puff pies, and salmon Shashlyk. Everything was delicious, warm, and plenty of dill. Even the fries were great, which is a sign of a good establishment. We also had the tea and the Farida cocktail. I Personally found the tea indistinguishable from milk and rather bland, but everyone else seemed to like it. It was served in bowls, which helped cool it to a drinkable temperature. The servers were kind and attentive. I definitely want to return to try more. Really awesome place. Highly recommended. read more

Zhak, our server, was amazingly entertaining and gave great suggestions for what to order. We started with these little complimentary cheese balls that tasted like white cheddar. We had a variety of puff pastries with spinach, pumpkin, chicken and steak then we also had the most amazing pumpkin dumplings of my life. We had another dish that had big flat noodles, potato and beef; I don't remember the name but it was tasty. The star of the show was the Farida platter with lamb, beef, and chicken - it was huge!! We couldn't finish it all with 3 adult men and 1 woman. We finished with a dessert of chocolate sausage and honey cake; don't let the name of the "sausage" alarm you, there is no meat and it was my favorite bite of the meal. Everything from the food to the service to the fun ambience with the conga drum was on point. I'll be back next time I'm on NYC! read more

See all

This is your sign to try amazing Central Asian cuisine at one of the few Kazakh restaurants in the city. My friend and I stopped into Farida in FiDi for an epic night of dining and (unplanned) entertainment. The owner, a gorgeous woman whose name is Farida, greeted us and mirrored our enthusiasm. They had a beautiful belly dancer some weekend nights and as soon as we walked in we knew we were in for a treat. The decor transported us to the Kazakh homeland and the menu was vast and never ending. We had a feast of kebab, carrot salad, manti, laghmen, and ended the night with some amazing tea. If you're looking to try something new you should definitely stop there and call ahead to see if they have a belly dance performance read more

Farida - Manti and lagmen - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

Delicious and authentic Central Asian food in a traditional setting. Nice service too. Pretty pricey and an extra charge for using a credit card. In 2022, really? read more

See all

Great place for Uzbeki food! The menu had so many good options that we had to order SEVERAL dishes back to back to keep trying. And they were all great! The borsch was especially perfect for these cold days! Service by Alena was wonderful and the freshly brewed loose herbal tea ... just delicious! The LIVE music and ambiance was outstanding too. LOVELY place. I will be back. Thank you. read more

See all

Such a wonderful environment. Customer service was above and beyond and the good was amazing! Will definitely go back again. I had the arugula salad and the cheburek. So good. Highly recommend. read more

Farida - Arugula salad. - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

Having been to their midtown location and enjoyed it, I was surprised and delighted to see that Farida has built a downtown outpost. Despite still being in the soft opening phase, this is already an amazing addition to our neighborhood food scene. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. But last night, Farida's husband gave us his recommendations which were spot on. Here's what we had: * Umka puff pastries (not pictured because we ate them too fast). They come out piping hot and the fillings are delicious - especially the beef and spinach with herbs. * A specially prepared medley of the three best salads - vitamin salad, avocado tomato salad, and navruz salad. All were quite tasty, but the avocado tomato salad was the star and an excellent pairing with a heartier main dish. * Uzbek plov (pilaf), is one of the most traditional dishes. A beautifully seasoned medley of beef, lamb, carrots, rice, and chickpeas. This is his grandfather's recipe, who got it from HIS grandfather. Unsurprisingly, they sell out daily in the busy midtown location. If you can order this, I highly recommend you do. In addition to terrific food, they offer a cozy atmosphere with interesting murals and Central Asian music videos, playing in the background. They also have a unique selection of wines from Russia, Bulgaria, Uzbekistan, Kazakstan, as well as the other more typical regions of Europe and South America. Apparently, they're going to be offering belly dancing and hookah in the near future. I look forward to checking that out as well. read more

Farida - Specially prepared medley of salads. Left to right: vitamin salad, avocado salad, navruz - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

See all

I never write reviews but I felt compelled this time because the experience we had here was so special. This incredible place is one of a kind and I'm very surprised it isn't more popular. We came on St Patrick's weekend and it was quite empty. The entrance was adorable and inviting, perfect for pictures. The interior is beautifully decorated and spacious with intimate booths and a bar. I think they might also have performances and live music here. The stage was empty when we arrived as we were the only ones there but I did see a microphone and a guitar. We were greeted and seated by a kind lady. I don't think I got her name but she gave us a nice background on Uzbek and Kazakh history and comprehensively explained the entire menu along with the cultural significance of the dishes. It was awesome and felt pretty educational. We ordered taking her suggestions into account. I was very impressed with our waiter Zack who was so professional and kind. He also gave us many suggestions and presented the dishes well. He had on this indie rock playlist that was nice and mellow and he shared the playlist with us because we liked it so much. I could see him being a cool person to hang out with. When it came to ordering basically everything on the menu looked delicious. We ordered : - Nomad Kazakh beshbarmak: delicious flat noodles in a shallow hearty broth and slices of beef and potato. The flat noodles really shine in this dish. - Handmade manti beef dumplings: these beef soup dumplings were good for sharing as they can be filling and they come with sour cream - Kovurma lagman: this one was my favorite, it is said to be spicy but it wasn't spicy when we had it. - Moms honey cake - A kind of Cinnamon citrus tea All came out to around 100 dollars Everything was amazing. Entirely worth the price especially considering the experience. We will definitely be coming here again! read more

We stumbled into this place looking for a quick lunch different than all the touristy places nearby. The menu was large and although very familiar with East Asian and Indian food, we didn't quite know what to expect from Central Asia. With the help of our waiter we selected some lunch specials to try to get a smattering of everything on the menu. The food starting coming, and coming. Big portions! Our expected quick bite to eat turned into an almost 2 hour feast! The kitchen wasn't slow, just that we were enjoying the food so much. Everything we had (umka, kharcho, manti, plov, kebab) was quite amazing. After finishing, our pleasant waiter brought us out a carafe of tea. We had such good luck on NYC restaurants this trip. We'll return here, too! read more

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. From the food to the ambience to the great selection of live singers, this place is a hidden gem that everyone should know about....or maybe it should stay a secret. Everything we tried was phenomenal! Been here once before for lunch which was great, but dinner is when you want to come to appreciate the music and atmosphere. Highly highly recommend! read more

See all

Delicious, food, great ambiance, friendly staff, and was worth every buck! I will bring my family here again in the future read more

See all

Was really different and very tasty. We shared everything and loved it all. Great service and live bongos.

I was so looking forward to eating here during my trip, but unfortunately had to walk out after sitting for 15 mins without anyone taking our order. First 10 mins, we didn't mind since it took a while to go through the menu. But the kicker was our waiter servicing a table who arrived after us first. We had 1 hour for lunch, which should have been plenty, but the slow service forced us elsewhere. Perhaps I'll be back when I've got a couple of hours to spare. read more

We had a great time at Farida. The food was very tasty and the staff was veey welcoming, in fact, we ended up dinning for more than 4 hours. The waiyer was able to recommend and explain the menu very well and they had live music while we were there. Will go back. read more

See all

I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how amazing the beef short ribs were! The flavor was incredible, and they were cooked to perfection. I'm still thinking about them! read more

Amazing food, ambiance and service!!! Our server Jahangir went above and beyond during our dinner! We enjoyed everything from the first to the last bite! We got veal liver with mushrooms and beef tongue salad for appetizers, both super delicious, and then proceeded to mains which were baby lamb chops and lamb kazan kebab. The portions were big and came with delicious sauces and marinated red onions and both sweet and regular potatoes. For dessert we got Napoleon cake which was perfectly fresh and nice end of the dinner. This restaurant is definitely a gem! We felt very welcome there, and left super full and happy! read more

We walked in not knowing what to expect, due to their basement entrance, but were greeted by an explosion of colors and textures that immediately lifted our spirits. This was a funky restaurant. We had the Umkas and they were delicious. I had the chicken Shashlyk with a side of rice pilaf my husband the vegetables Shashlyk and our nephew the chicken Chuchvara, everything was flavorful and perfectly cooked. My only disappointment was that the food took a long time (we were the only of two tables) and to top it off, they brought my nephews plate first, took about 10 mins to bring mine and after that about 15 mins to bring my husband's veggies. That killed the flow of dinner since we all ate at different times and when each other had already finished their meals. Otherwise, it would've been perfect. read more

See all

Farida is fantastic! Truly one of the best restaurant experiences I've ever had. Delicious food, quality ingredients and expert preparation, delightful hospitality, lovely atmosphere. Altogether a gem of a restaurant...go with friends, family, business associates...all will be thrilled! read more

Excellent homemade food. Tashkent tea a must try. Homemade plov. Manti and samsa are so flavorful. Lamb chops and filet mignon shish was insane. Friendly staff. Clean! Give these people a try and I promise, you won't regret it! read more

Fantastic spot for dinner after work that isn't the usual FiDi offering. Would recommend the puff pies, manti, ox tail stew, short ribs kebab. Strangely there were only two parties in the restaurant so it was very quiet, although the food was fantastic! Our dining experience was disrupted by an alarm from the kitchen that didn't stop after 5 minutes, so we hurriedly got the check and left. read more

Farida - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

Really enjoyed the different flavors and unique dishes offers. The kids really enjoyed the Puff Pies and Manti. We ordered more Puffs at the end because they liked them a lot. And we also got the Uzbek Plov and Skewered Meats which were also excellent. Ambiance was relaxed yet still upscale with darker mood lighting. Recommended to anyone looking for something a bit different. read more

Farida - Front door - Uzbek Near Me - New York, New York

My server said he made my cocktail with "heart". Mic dropped. That's all you need to hear to know it's going to be an amazing experience read more

See all