Okay so this is more of a catering/event venue than a place you'd go to for a sit-down meal on a Saturday night, so I'll base my review on that. Laterna is beautiful. There are three rooms, one small room inside, one big party room, and the backyard. I came for a private party in the smaller room indoors. The staff were extremely friendly and nice. You can tell they try hard. Loved the horotaki salad. The only issue we had was slow service for drinks and I'm not even talking about cocktails. There was water and wine on the tables, but I think it would benefit to have a pitcher of Coke and Diet Coke on the tables too. I had to order one multiple times because they kept forgetting, which I understand because it's a busy day with everyone there for a party. Overall, very cute place. I can see why it's a hit for events. read more

See all

Had my daughter's baby sprinkle here recently. The food was excellent! I had the gilets for sole it was delicious. Chicken Marsala was also delicious from what my guests said. The warm bread was also excellent. The appetizers were great also The zucchini chips, calamari, Saganki and the spreads were all fabulous. The owners are so nice I would definitely go back for another event read more

This is a venue that must be privately booked FYI, I came here for a greek baptism party and It was a cute set up in the back that felt really intimate. The food was good, a little too salty but overall good. The staff did a good job running the show, it seemed like there was less staff than what was really needed but they accomplished the goal. They had white wines placed on each table which was enjoyable. Overall a clean place and good venue for a tiny party. read more

One TRILLION Stars Excellent food Excellent service Excellent band and singers Top Notch Ambiance A hidden treasure you MUST TRY read more

Went to a fundraiser luncheon here on Sunday. The banquet room was nicely decorated. Food was buffet style. Buffet included bread, spanakopita, salad, pasta, potatoes, vegetables, salmon and chicken. Choclate cake and coffee for dessert. Service was attentive. Wine bottles and pitchers of water were always filled in a timely fashion. No complaints. , read more

Very pretty place in Bayside. Great for private events, have indoor and outdoor areas. Pretty place, good service, clean, modern and tasty food. Parking out back!! No need for street parking. read more

See all

The food was great it just to a little longer than I expected. I haven't had food like this since I went to Greece. The service is also great. read more

Laterna Restaurant - Delicious food - Greek Near Me - Bayside, New York

Family got together during a difficult moment was delicately handled and this restaurant is a treasure in Bayside. Their outdoor seating was very welcoming and the food was so fresh with nice portions. Thank you so much read more

Had a 40th bday party with about 45 -50 guests. Very nice room, well laid out. Service was very attentive and minimal wait on anything. Food was terrific (buffet style option). Was my 3rd party there, and would highly recommend. read more

I was here for a large event that took over the entire place, so I am not going to get into menu specifics. All the food was great and the best thing for such a large group was seeing everything come out as if it was for your table only. Meaning from the actual temperature of the food to the wellness of cooking everything was perfect. Also, not being from the area it seemed like a nondescript street of retail with nothing at all standing out. It made me wonder where the heck we were going for this meal. After parking on the street and walking over with the doors wide open to the outside and seeing what seems to be a completely renovated interior I knew for sure all of my worries were for naught. read more

Just had an event here for 70 people! My guests raved about the food; the calamari and penne were a huge hit! Dennis was extremely communicative and attentive to all our needs. The room is gorgeous and can fit almost 200 people, so for our small party, was plenty spacious! The staff was helpful and we would absolutely have a future event here! Thank you soo much Laterna!!! read more

Laterna Restaurant - Lovely room! - Greek Near Me - Bayside, New York

Inquired about having an event here, was quoted $50 pp. Reached back out a month later for a draft proposal and they increased the price to $55 pp without mentioning anything. I asked if they would be able to honor the original price quoted and they completely ghosted me. I have heard from someone else they increase the price without saying anything. Glad I didn't have my event here and found a better place that is transparent about pricing and had delicious food. I heard the food here is terrible and dry. Look elsewhere. read more

First off, customer service was the best. The ambiance in this restaurant is great. We went for dinner and ended up staying for the live music, best decision! Loved the music and the dancing. Will definitely recommend and I will be back! read more

Consistently great food, great service and what a beautiful restaurant. The music was a bonus! The steak was so tender and cooked perfectly! The apps were hot and delicious and the shrimp was to die for! Can't wait to return! read more

I celebrated my 50th birthday at Laterna and must tell you I was treated like a Queen. The Amazing food, tasty drinks, perfect set up, and Outgoing Servers were all Top Tier. Throughout the night both the owner and her son checked in on me and my party to ensure we had everything we needed. Leading up to the event, Dennis continued to tell me to relax he would take care of everything...and he did. I highly recommend this place. My only complaint is the patio room, although BEAUTIFUL, only has fans and can get warm contingent on the weather. Other than that I would 1000% return for dinner or have another event there. It's been 3 days since my party and friends are still complimenting the food and ambiance. read more

Loved this spot, great ambience and food. And drinks are off the hook. Renos is the ultimate mixer in bay town, his drinks are on point! If not make sure you get Dennis to make you tequila shots! His skills are on another level!!! The real deal!!!! read more

Laterna Restaurant - Greek Near Me - Bayside, New York

Great for a dinner great for events , they remodel the restaurant, it Looks beautiful. The food is Reallu good, everything is fresh tasting

Love this restaurant!!!!!! Our best guys Vasilis and Renos made us drinks!!! So friendly !!! read more

Laterna Restaurant - Moschifulero, margarita jalapeno !!! - Greek Near Me - Bayside, New York

I cannot thank Dennis enough for this weekend. I have been planning our daughter's first birthday party for months as it was a very special day for us. Had to make a last minute switch of venue due to a bad experience elsewhere and I was thrilled and relieved to know the party room I wanted was available. Dennis is absolutely amazing. So nice, accommodating and really made what would have been stressful as easy as possible. I had an exact vision of how I wanted the party and Dennis helped bring that to life. The pictures speak for themselves. The restaurant is absolutely stunning, the bright natural light made the decor pop even more. Dennis and the staff were constantly attentive and the vibe of the restaurant truly makes the experience worthwhile. Family and friends raved about the service, the food and just the entire ambiance of the venue. Thank you again! Would recommend all future parties (big or small) here. Dennis is the man! read more

See all

Food is good. Ambience is good. Nice live Greek music. Came here this past weekend - during the Pandemic - wore my mask pretty much throughout the entire evening. ZERO ADHERENCE TO GUIDELINES COVID-19 GUIDELINES. NO SOCIAL DISTANCING. NO ONE WAS MEARING A MASK EXCEPT FOR THE WAIT-STAFF. Also - and this is the worse part - THEY ALLOWED SMOKING INDOORS. This is typical of Greek-Americans who think that the rules don't apply to them. (fyi, this is written by a Greek American). UPDATE: (reduced star to 1 based on convo with venue) My wife and I tested POSITIVE for Covid. I called the venue to let them know and they said we were the only ones who had notified them. We know of at least 7 positive cases from that evening. Maybe no one is calling because they are "friends" of the venue, but we are not, and don't care to be. Our health is more important that pretending to be good Greek-Americans who only care about their selfish selves. I asked why they did not adhere to CDC Guidelines (masks, social distancing, etc) and also why they allowed smoking inside to which the reply was "I am sorry you are sick." Beware of going to this venue. read more

I've walked by this restaurant many times and thought they only catered parties, I always saw many large parties held here. Tonight my friends and I went to have dinner and we had a wonderful evening. We chose the outdoor seating area and it was such a pretty space, they really did a great job building this area. It is decorated in whites and blues like Greece and strings of twinkly white lights hang from the ceiling, it was the perfect ambience for a gorgeous night. We were greeted by our server in Greek which was no problem since my whole party was Greek LOL. We ordered a variety of different appetizers: fried zucchini, loukaniko, prasini salad all were delicious. Then we ordered a bottle of the rose wine that was $65 a little pricey, they told us it was a French wine. It was fine we all liked the wine. We also ordered the seafood sampler, I liked the calamari and the shrimp, my friends didn't care for it, they liked the salmon. We probably wouldn't order it again it was $70 and really was not one of our favorites. We had a nice evening, it was relaxing no one rushed us out after our meal, even after we paid the bill we stayed for a while talking and just enjoying the outdoor space. We would definitely go back but next time no seafood sampler, we will stick with the appetizers! read more

See all

Another successful family event at Laterna Restaurant. My family and I have been hosting almost all of our events here for 20+ years. We always have the best of time, and are made to feel right at home. Great food, great service, great space + awesome live band! We most recently had a baptism here which went perfect. We are grateful for everything and most definitely recommend Laterna! read more

It's good. The menu is limited to pizza, paninis, cold cut salads. Whatever you get is tasty though. Cocktails are tasty but can be sweet. Def a safe bet if you're an out of towner. read more

On a Wednesday night we were the only table there; after about 15 minutes one more table came in. It's always a little odd when a restaurant is so empty. We started off with some Greek Spreads for the table which were very good versions. We also had the grilled octopus and the Greek sausage. Both were just OK; I've definitively had better versions before. The Pastitsio was good and serviced in quite a hearty portion. The pork kebab was lacking flavor and a bit on the dry side. We mentioned to our waiter that we were celebrating a birthday and he came out with a cake and a large sparkler candle; I wasn't expecting that but it was very nice. This may be a place that is better served on the weekend, but all in all it was a lovely evening. Tip: There is parking in the back, but there are no signs saying so, nor is the restaurant name on the building in the back, so for first timers it was a little uncertain, but you can walk right in from the parking lot. read more

Not impressed. We had 2 spreads and one out of two were a hit. The Greek salad lacked taste and feta cheese was so mild. The Laterana salad lacked pretty much everything. The entrees- salmon and ribeye steak were ok. For the money I go elsewhere. read more

I had been here once for an Engagement party and recall the food being fairly good. We came on a Wednesday night and were the only ones when we walked in (guess we didn't need those reservations!). We were seated and served water right away and my sister ordered some appetizers for the table including the spreads with pita, Greek sausage and the grilled octopus. Not being all that adventurous I did like the tzatziki and pita. The sausage was interesting. Not the taste I am used to although it was cooked quite well. The entrees were fairly good and for my sister's birthday they brought out a cake with a huge sparkler to sing to her which was nice. There was parking in the back as well although there is nothing to tell you that. read more

Laterna Restaurant - Greek Near Me - Bayside, New York

I went to a party there that did not have wine included and only had mimosas. The waitress intentionally came around and offered wine to the guests, making the guest think wine was included. She opened up multiple bottles and left them unattended by the guests so naturally people thought it was included and drank them. This place took advantage of my family and charged them a lot of money. The waiter also drank the wine at the party which is so unprofessional and we got stuck paying for it. I would not recommend using this establishment because they are sneaky and not professional. read more

We celebrated our mom's 80th birthday. We had 30 people in our party. The food and service was fantastic. We were able to hang out and mingle without any one stressing us for time. We ate and danced and took pictures by the Christmas tree. It was a memorable and beautiful night. read more

Came here for out door dining today. Waiter was absolutely charming and friendly. Our fries appetizer came on time but as we ordered our main dish they did get swamped with carry out and the food took longer than expected. The fries absolutely declious. A plumper five guys? Well seasoned. The mains were worth the wait. Salmon filet was like lemon butter. Delicious and flaky. Pork kebab, tender and flavorful. All side vegetables were perfectly steamed. Although we couldnt finish our mains, we were served a complimentary cheesecake as their dessert of the week and it was to die for! Finished it all lol. Great experience over all, will be back. Thanks guys! read more

One of my colleagues brought a tray of their spanakopita to an office party. It was the best spanakopita I've had. The filo dough was flakey yet the pie held together well. The spinach filing had a perfect consistency. The flavor had a great balance of savoriness and creaminess. I highly recommend the spanakopita. read more

I threw my husband a dinner for his 50th birthday. Dennis was great from beginning to end. I could not have asked for a better place to celebrate. We had a fabulous time and everyone raved about how nice the restaurant was and how great the food was. Dennis always accommodated any changes and was always available to speak when I needed him. My husband said the night was memorable.... that speaks for itself. read more

Had a bday party here. The food was not so fresh. The place is great and music as well. The downside is that there iant many people that come here during the weekends which kinda sucks. But overall an ok place read more

It may look like your average neighborhood Greek Restaurant/Catering, but Laterna is anything but! As you enter the place you are welcomed by a magnificent setting of decor. Sitting in any table you have a wonderful view of the live band that plays on Fridays and Saturdays. The menu offers a wide variety of mouth-watering starters and main dishes. All the products were fresh and the dishes had the warmth of home-made food. The chefs takes great care in selecting the best quality ingredients. The restaurant also caters for all tastes by providing a large selection of the best wines of the region. I had a pleasant dining experience with food of the most exquisite flavours. For this reason I highly recommend going to Laterna Restaurant. read more

I had my son's birthday party at Laterna and it was a great experience all around: the venue, food, friendly staff, just everything! My guests had a great time and have shared many times how much they enjoyed the experience and food! read more

Came here for a Wedding Rehearsal Dinner with about 30-40+ people. The space was perfect and even the ambiance of the band playing in the background. The band was a bit loud, but that was the point right? Regardless, they only had one guy for our entire section which in my opinion is a 2-3 person job. He did his best and refilled our water as fast as humanly possible. HOWEVER, then the bottom fell out. There was some mix-up in the kitchen -- I am honestly not sure what happened, but our food did not come out for over 2 hours. Now, we had a fixed menu (Chicken, Eggplant, Salmon, or Steak) so they knew what to expect. It was not like we asked for custom dishes for each person. The food was superb, and honestly there are no complaints -- maybe it had a TAD bit too much butter for my tastes. I felt bad because by the time they brought the food (after lots of complaining from the wedding party) people were either a) not hungry b) irritable or c) had already left Yikes... I honestly would go back for the food. They just need to plan a little better for big groups. Sigh. read more

You just can't beat this place. I very rarely write reviews but I was so impressed that I had to make an exception. My mother recently celebrated her 100th Birthday and we invited over 50 friends and relatives to celebrate at Laterna. We reserved the private front room which was perfect for our event. Libby and her son Dennis went all out to help us plan the event. They helped with all the details including menu options, drink options, dessert options, table placement and other details. The waiters and waitresses were incredible. The waitress took extra good care of my mom and even helped with suggestions on pictures I should take. The best part was the food. Everyone commented about the delicious food from appetizers to the main course. This is the second family event I've held at Laterna and definitely plan on hosting more. read more

Went there for the first time last night. All the 9 o'clock reservations were filled so we took 7:30. Walked in to the music players rehearsing for the 9 o'clock parties and a wedding in the adjecent room. Had I been informed that this restaurant is mostly for large parties and celebrations I would have passed. The atmosphere was somewhat awkward since we were the only customers. The food was good as was the service, but I would never return unless we had a large group who like Greek music and dancing. read more

Food was HORRIBLE. There were 8 of us and not a single entree was good. We were the only people there so it couldn't have been because of rush. It was def not worth the money. read more

Came here for an office Christmas party along with about 35 + other people. It was a fun venue with a DJ, Greek dancing and plenty of food and drink. The staff were friendly. I get the impression fish dishes are their forte as they were better executed then the meat dishes for example. I especially enjoyed the baked clams. The difficulty when cooking for so many people is how to keep the food fresh and hot, most of the dishes were tepid temperature wise. Perhaps a review of processes or additional hot plates may help. read more

The food was very good, the service was super fast and the waiters were very professional and polite. I had the chicken and broccoli with peanut sauce. The menu said the dish was spicy, it was the perfect spice. Not too hot but enough to taste it. The restaurant was clean and very nice. read more