Masal Cafe

My last time to Brighton beach was well over 20 years ago. I remember it well. All of the…read morestorefronts with. Cyrillic writing, clothes, food with wonderful smells, trays and trays of caviar, just bursting out the door. And, a Starbucks. Today, not too many Eastern European businesses are left. Now, it's banks, cellular, provider, stores urgent care, a 7-11, even a Popeyes freaking fried chicken. Oh, and the Starbucks is still there. After walking out of a very bad experience at imereti Georgian cafe down the street (see separate review) I found this place. Boy, am I glad I did. I was seated in the front. The restaurant was gorgeous. ! I could hear a beautiful voice singing, Eastern European songs in the back of the restaurant and at one point,, he switched to Elvis's "I can't help falling in love with you" in English. That made me a little emotional, because that was my late partner's and my song... Anyway, I decided to go for the crêpes with red caviar (salmon roe), and the Ukrainian borscht. Bread and butter is brought to my table. The white bread was OK, but the brown bread had a deep rich flavor. The crêpes come first, and they were amazing. The crêpes were very warm, soft and delicious. I loved the "red caviar". A little bit salty, more briny than fishy, and a wonderful explosion of flavor when the eggs "pop." in the mouth. I was very happy. Next came the borscht. It had cabbage, beets, potatoes, and either beef or pork. I'm not sure which one. The meat , beets and potatoes was very tender, and the soup was delicious and not too rich. A very satisfying flavor., the beets gave it a little bit of an earthy flavor. The sour cream that came with it, just added a creamy richness to it without overtaking the flavor of the borscht. 1000% a home run. Dinner wasn't cheap. Two dishes, two iced teas (I found out they charge for refills), and tax, and it came out to about $48 before tip, .I didn't care. I don't mind paying extra if the food is that good, and this food was absolutely beyond awesome. I would be glad to come back and try other items on the menu. Thank you!

I have said this before and I will say it again, good food will only get you so far…read more That is putting it politely. Yes, the food is good. I enjoyed everything I ate, except some of it is on the saltier side, especially the pelmeni (a Russian tortellini). This was my first time eating these and I can say this is something I enjoyed. The Duck Legs are tasty, especially with the candied orange on top. It is not very boney and the portion of buckwheat received is generous and I ate every bit of that. The cheese blintzes are dense but also are a nice way to finish up. Free bread is served when you walk in and I ate this to an overall mixed result. The stumbling block for this restaurant is the service. Considering I was the only diner here during dinner, that is telling. The servers seemed to forget I was there and I often had to ask them to get me water. It was not until the third time I asked and was 45% of the way through my meal where they finally got it to me. The Kompot I got I enjoyed, but a cherry juice drink is not going to quench my thirst. Water will. I was also confused on how the meal is served. Perhaps that falls on me for a lack of cultural knowledge, but failing in the water game falls on them. It was only until the very end of the meal where I felt any sense of value here. The 1970's interior is something I did appreciate. All I needed was Russian caviar and the smell of cigars to take me back to a time when this was my fathers' Brighton Beach. However, I cannot endorse lackluster service. That is the biggest reason I will not be back, despite everything else.

1.2 mi•Sheepshead Bay, Midwood

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Ukrainian Borscht

Sheep by Barashka

4.3(23 reviews)

The space is great! Often empty, looks like an event space for the most of the time. Closed Mon and…read moreTuesday. First time I came, I wanted to try potato kebab, which I didnt see anywhere else, they were out. I ordered small pies, they were out. Waiter said they are never out of kebabs. So I ordered kebabs. 10 min later he came again and said they are out of it as well. Like how the waiter can not know what they have?!! Ended up with grilled sturgeon, which came bare on a plate, not even a leaf of green or anything. Wanted to give 3 stars or even 2, but gave it a second chance. Second visit they had everything and it was delicious. Apart from potato kebab, which ended up being just a puree on a stick. Nothing exciting. Food is really good but quite pricey. Especially for the area.

My husband had a birthday and we decided to have dinner at this restaurant. It has a very beautiful…read moreinterior, comfortable chairs. I would especially like to draw your attention to the menu. In addition to our favorite dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine, there are many delicious and unusual dishes. We ordered crispy eggplants, kutabs and a signature salad as an appetizer. For the main course: sturgeon shashlik, lula kebab, lamb shashlik, vegetables and grilled potatoes. Everything was very fresh and tasty, especially the crispy eggplants - amazing! In honor of the birthday, we were served free tea, 3 types of jam and Baku baklava. The waiter serving us was called Anar. Thank you for the excellent service! I would also like to note that the prices were reasonable, which is also important.

Interior

Lulya Kabob. Very good.

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More interior

Mari Vanna

4.0(839 reviews)

10.9 mi•Flatiron

My husband and I visited this restaurant on June5, 2026. We ordered the herring appetizer and the…read morehome made dumplings appetizer. We also had the chicken Kiev and the duck leg and breast entrees. The Napoleon was our dessert. Absolutely delicious! The ambiance is cozy and romantic. Our table service was amazing. Irina did a wonderful job taking care of us, especially when we joked around when I accidentally spilled my cocktail all over the table. Irina came back with a new table cloth and in a split minute everything was changed and cleaned up. Great job and service. Ask for Irina, she is amazing. Hope this post helps with everyone's decision to visit this restaurant.

I had read about this place a while ago and was happy that a friend suggested it for dinner…read more Charming atmosphere. The staff were lovely. Great cocktails. Learned that Beluga vodka is made in Montenegro (who knew?). Pet peeve- bread service as a menu item. The bread was good, but really? Just charge 50 cents more for everything. The food was excellent. We shared the eggplant salad, the blini with smoked salmon and the artichoke salad to start. I had beef stroganoff for the first time. It was excellent. Really rich, couldn't finish it. My wife had the Kamchatka, same thing. I had a bite of a friend's chicken Kiev (is it transgressive to eat this in a Russian restaurant?) and it was delicious. We were too full for dessert. Unique atmosphere. Excellent, but very rich food. Worth checking out.

Bar seating

Honey Cake

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Salo Plate and Horseradish Vodka

Veselka

4.0(3.5k reviews)

10.2 mi•East Village

Always consistently good! When you come here, you know what to expect, especially if you've been…read morebefore. Thr staff is nice and has that old school feel as it should since it's been around so long. The pierogies are really good, and I personally prefer them steamed, though you can also get them fried. I tried the egg noodles for the first time last night along with a four-piece order of potato pierogies. The onion and sour cream on the side are a must for the potato pierogies, and definitely ask for butter and mushroom gravy for the egg noodles. It makes for such a warm, comforting meal! There's so much more on the menu I still want to try. I'd definitely recommend stopping by if you're in the East Village!

Stumbled upon this place during a girls trip to NYC, and it ended up being the best food we had all…read moreweekend! We shared the pierogies (highly recommend the goat cheese and arugula one--make it a full meal with kielbasa sausage, caramelized onions, and sour cream), and tried the matzo ball soup, which tasted just like home. Don't miss the Bloody Marys either--so good! The food here was so similar to what my mom makes, which made it a special and comforting stop for me. Yes, it was super busy, but honestly, where in NYC isn't? The wait was actually shorter than at other spots we tried. If you're planning a trip or live nearby, I definitely recommend checking out this cute little restaurant!

1.2 mi•Gravesend, Midwood

Outside

Short rib Classic Pierogi 4*

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Matzoh ball

Gurman Restaurant

4.3(33 reviews)

We have New Year party at Gurman restaurant every year. A…read morehuge thank to the staff and the manager! Always perfectly done! Nice atmosphere, delicious food and friendly staff!

Attending a friends birthday with about 60 or so was a very nice event and the food was good as…read morewell. The service in this long and narrow space was really top notch. All of the staff were able to speak both Russian and English which made things easier for those who don't and they were quick to clear a plate or replace a napkin or utensil. There was a DJ who also sings and another singer as well to keep us all entertained. A smaller sized dance floor is available for those of us who wanted to cut a rug, so to speak. Another room in the back was setup for the children and a menu for them was set up as well. Parking is street side so you might have to walk a couple of blocks in a nicer Brooklyn neighborhood. Great night out with good food served in at least seven or eight courses. The lamb chops and the potato and mushrooms dish were particularly delicious. Also you can't go wrong with any of the pickled dishes available. This is a BYOB spot so bring your favorite bottles and servers will supply water and soft drinks for you and your guests.

Grilled Seabass. & Salmon

Grilled vegetables with feta

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Varenyk House

4.7(37 reviews)

8.8 mi•Ridgewood

Came on a Thursday night a few minutes before closing and they had such a large selection of…read moreUkrainian goodies! the staff were still hard away making dumplings in the back. Once stepping into the store, you are met with large freezers and fridges stuffed to the brim with all things Ukrainian. Many of their dumpling items are in large packages (2-3lbs a pack) and range from $8-$15 per lb depending on the filling. $15 a pound for their lamb and short rib Pierogis. Price-wise, it's very fair! And you can taste to quality and heart they put into these Pierogis. Can't go wrong with any flavor. I got the lamb and it was stuffed with tender lamb pieces, no filler. And they make for great quick meals! I also snagged a box of cabbage rolls stuffed with a pork and rice filling. Simple home-y flavor and better than rolls I've gotten from restaurants. Just reheat and it's ready to go! $15 for 5 large cabbage rolls was a great deal as well! Would get again. The only thing I wouldn't get again is their soup dumplings, as it was a bit difficult to cook and was a little too doughy near the top of the dumpling. Flavor wise, it was delicious and had a nice broth (assuming you didn't pop them. Only 1 didn't pop). But it was a difficult item to cook right in boiling water, like the instructions mention. Perhaps, user error. Every item is sold by weight and labeled after selecting your items. But they're happy to check the weight/explain price before purchasing.

The people who work at Varenyk House are nice and not chatty. There isn't seating available. I was…read morejust in the other day and it looks like they got a bunch of new freezers and offer hot food to go now, too, not just fresh frozen! I bought a bag of frozen potato and cheese varenyk (pirogies), and they were delicious. Attaching a photo of what they looked like after I cooked them at home (boiled and then sautéed in butter with diced onion and spices).

Homemade pierogies

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Everything is individually weighed

Nargis Cafe

3.9(859 reviews)

0.2 mi•Sheepshead Bay

The restaurant was beautifully designed and decorated. The…read moremodern ambiance was very pleasing to the eye. The restrooms were also very clean and well appointed. The salad was very tasty and dressing light but flavorful. Each of us had a main and were pleased with the temperature, flavor and presentation! One Chicken Kiev was very good, another was borscht and they loved it. One had a broiled salmon platter and said it was delicious. My grilled shrimp was to perfection. Wait staff was efficient, friendly and experienced. We traveled quite far to meet here and would do it again! A great spot for friends to meet. Parking is available in a municipal lot for 2.00 an hour. Our waiter Z was excellent!

It's a modern twist on one of the most ancient culinary treasures, and it surprisingly works really…read morewell! I am from Tashkent, and original kebabs require a special type of lamb that you can't find in the US, so this is not the real thing, but it's as close as you can get to it here. Service and ambiance are both impeccable. 5 stars, which I don't give lightly. #UzbekCuisine #CoalKebabs #TashkentWayOfLife

Nice decor.

This is Markovcha Salad Manti with Meat that I tried and it's very good

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Oceanview Cafe

4.3(201 reviews)

0.9 mi•Brighton Beach

Behind a retro blue awning sits a restaurant dear to Brighton beach and to me! Ive been coming here…read morewith my family since I was a child so the food, vibes, and TVs playing endless Russian music are so nostalgic for me. Recently, I took a friend here who is not familiar at all with Eastern European food and she loved all of the dishes. The cutlets were perfectly seasoned, and the buckwheat was buttery and warm. It tasted just like what I eat at home. We also had the sweet cheese vareniki which tasted desert-like and were so decadent with the sour cream. The Compot had a refreshing fruit flavor and paired so well with our meal. The service was quick, and we were able to request extra plates to share our order.

A friend who grew up in the Bronx had never gone to Brighton Beach. 'C'mon,' I said. 'Let's go!'…read more We didn't start off with a bang. Delicious elsewhere, their Ukrainian borscht -- one of my favorites -- fell a bit short. G ordered lobster bisque. Compared to a restaurant in Florida, Oceanview's soup had minimal lobster. Her rating, a measly '2 stars.' G's chicken kebob with grilled vegetables was as good as what I had here before. This time I ordered cutlets, fried with chopped chicken. It was okay, jazzed up with G's hot sauce. I won't get it again. With a glass of wine and a table outside, we enjoyed taking everything in: a heated argument between two Russian men cursing each other over parking. (It was like a skit from 'Saturday Night Live.') A table of locals chain-smoking ... I didn't think anyone smoked anymore. And of course, the rumble of the Q train above which is practically a signature of Brighton Beach. Lunch was actually pricey which is why we avoided both cafes on the boardwalk. In retrospect, we should've splurged on a scenic view for a few dollars more. 3.5 stars.

Inside

This is the sandwich they make which is really delicious and I Ecco lend it to everyone.

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Outside

Karczma

4.4(792 reviews)

10.1 mi•Greenpoint

We were walking around in Greenpoint and suddenly the neighborhood turned Polish, which is super…read morebecause I love Polish things...especially stuffed cabbage. I saw a couple pointing and nodding, so I asked, is this place amazing? They said yes. We were sold. We were wanting a drink and conveniently, they had a bar. Polish beer and incredible Polish cabbage on the way to meet friends for dinner at another restaurant? Duh!! Im Jewish - not religious - but it's important because beef/rice is the norm in my world. Karczma makes a pork version which was so so good. Big fat pieces. Thick, perfectly wrapped cabbage. Juicy, flavorful filling. The sauce was bright with tomato flavor. The wagon wheel decor was a curveball, but the warm and comfy vibe in the restaurant is what mattered most. We loved it.

Came here for lunch and tried a couple of the lunch specials…read more The breaded pork cutlet was my favorite over the kielbasa. Both pickle soups and white borscht soups were great. The two lunch dishes were enough food for 4 people.

Carrot Salad

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Łomża Honey

Tatiana Restaurant

3.2(378 reviews)

0.9 mi•Brighton Beach

•$$$$

Great show Great service as always smost of these places…read morealways have . The food was hit or miss but mostly okay over all. The food platter was a bit fishy but looked good . The steak was just okay sauce smelled a bit weird . Loved the marinated peppers and I don't like peppers ? Loved the fresh fish . Sushi nothing special at all. Good spot over all for years and will be until they close

Pork Shish Kabob Baby Octopus Salad…read moreExpresso Martini Server: Petroslav was an amazing professional. The outside was slammed, and this guy never missed a beat. Water filled. The food was flavorful. The pork kabobs were a bit fatty for my taste, but the meaty parts were packed with flavor. Great drinks. Great! My companions who brought me obviously loved their food as well. The atmosphere was scenic. The ocean view under the umbrella canopy was exactly where you wanted to be at the beginning of the summer. 5 stars: recommend to others.

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67 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Aurora T.

11 years ago

My friend took me here recently, when I wanted a cup of tea that was not starbucks. I think the interior is cute, tries too hard to be trendy, but I judge on food and service, mostly. I was so unhappy with the experience that I gathered the time to write a review. My order was simple I wanted a lemon tea, someone mentioned something about a powder tea, but no communication was given to explain what it was and whether or not it contained sugar. This is a pet peeve, know your product and educate your waitresses! However when I was given a different flavour- I asked, politely, and was given a blank look and my waitress disappeared. I also ordered a fig dessert, I think, which I never saw. When we got our tab- hours later, because we could not flag down a waitress, I was charged for my dessert, and was never given the flavour of tea that I asked for. He paid up front, we were in good humour about the mistakes, but we would never return. No apology nothing, we even had a hard time taking the charge of. FYI Management- Most places would immediately bring you the proper flavour of tea and/or comp you for it, and surely bring you dessert or take it off the bill with an apology and sans attitude. read more

Vera P.

13 years ago

My friend always raved about this place, which always left me wondering, I mean a café is a café. That is until she took me there on one of my NY visits. It is hard to explain exactly why this place is so different. There are not many things on the menu, but the are ALL incredibly tasty. Yes I say ALL, a few visits to per each of my visits are now mandatory :), and I made it a point to try everything. A special must tries are Manti, Baked Potato and omelets. My friend insists on sharing at least one omelet every time she goes there, no matter the time of the day, and she has been coming here for years haha. But after I tried it, I stopped doubting her sanity :). It is that good. Oh and desserts, I wont even talk about dessert, cause the review will be pages long, but make sure to try stuffed figs The ambience of this place deserves it's own review. Beautiful view of the bay and unique décor make it perfect place for any time, any company, any meal. Enjoy lunch outside after beach or cozy up inside on a cold night. We have been here for breakfast and at 2 am, it is never a wrong time to eat/tea here. read more

Vlad V.

121

9 years ago

I used to be a frequent customer at Masal. However, after last night's dinner I won't be coming here anymore. The service was awful, it took a waiter 20 minutes or so to take my food order. I ordered their "famous" baked potato, and it was brought to me literally 5 minutes after I ordered it. The potato was COLD, it seemed as if everything that I ordered was simply just microwaved and brought to me. However, they must have a shitty microwave, if my food was still solid cold. And I've also noticed that they raised their pricing! Felt really discouraged and probably never coming back here again. read more

Katie S.

7 years ago

Terrible service, absolutely ridiculous how your employees and cashier specifically are the rudest people I've ever met. I came here on Tuesday, October 1st, at 7 PM and was met with the snarkiest and rudest cashier ever. Not only did she give me and my friend the craziest attitude (that was uncalled for), she also had the audacity to tell her coworker not to serve us. She needs to be fired immediately, her attitude is unnecessary and unprofessional, management should know better than to hire people like her. I will be telling my other friends. read more

Guzel K.

11 years ago

Really disappointed. One of my friends recommend it and it turned out to be not nearly as nice as I expected. First of all, we had to wait for 15 minutes just to get menus, then 20 more minutes to give the order. The service is very slow plus most of the waiters can barely speak any English. I felt like they didn't know what they were doing at all. The food was nothing special but okay. At the end we had to hunt down our waiter again to get the check. I am willing to give this place another shot in the future, but for now I am disappointed! read more

Anna O.

8 years ago

I would like to share the most horrible experience we had yesterday in this place. We came to have dinner with my family. My 4 year old daughter was drinking water out of the glass cup that the restaurant provided. At some point glass broke and piece of glass got stuck in my baby's lip. We rushed to the hospital to check if she swallowed any glass pieces and thank God she did not. But her lip is torn apart now because of the broken glass cup we were served in this place. I would strongly suggest not to go to this place. Horrible service!!!!! read more

Savas I.

7 years ago

selamlar dun ogden 12 de ailemle ordaydim iki sakalli arkadas muhabbet ediyosu daha sonra kendimiz masaya gecdik iceride iki masa daha vardi sonra menuye bakdik siparis alacak adam yok kizlarda orda muhabbt elimi kaldir dedik hani bakarlar diye sonra siparisi verdik arkadaslar yemege oturdu esim soguk sut istedi oda gelmedi sonra avocado lu tost geldi soylemedigimiz halde sonra crepi nutella li soyledik meyveli geldi abla sagolsun degistirdi Anliyacaginiz yemekler fena degildi ama servis ilgi alaka 0 hatta sifirin altinda read more

Viktoria S.

12 years ago

Cane here for the first time after Sandy and was surprised to see that the place changed a lot. Although there are only a few tables in the place, the waiter took 20 minutes to actually come to out table and take the order. Ordered three baked potatoes, not very complicated order right? Wrong! They brought two. And when we asked where the rest of our order is, the waiter shrugged and left. Basically, very disappointed with the service and the quality of the food. Doubt that we will be coming here again. read more

Katie P.

11 years ago

This place is a joke!!! It's dirty, feels more like a cheap diner rather than a restaurant. Verrrrrry slow service, poor management. Food selection is not that great, they barely have anything on the menu. The dessert selection is better, but they are almost never fresh. I ordered a kadayif once, it was so hard, I almost lost my teeth trying to eat it. And the most disturbing thing is their restrooms, the filthiest, nastiest restrooms i have ever seen in my life. DO NOT REOMMEND!!! read more

Cris S.

18 years ago

I was there 2 weeks ago, one of my friend told me that Masal Cafe is very famous Turkish Cafe , We went there and eat Kumpir (baked potato ,lots of dressings in it )and drunk Turkish Tea I must says it was totally cool experience since we do not have ot of Turkish place in Orange county , The ambiance of Masal Cafe is excellent,Also from my understanding if you don't see someone for long time, that is the place where you can see him or her :) read more

Veronika P.

11 years ago

I come here so many times for the last 10 years this place is great when comes to a nice piece of cake and capuchino even the salads are pretty good, but the service is not great I don't know why for a place like this should be under a really good management... I guess the owner doesn't care about customer service.... Is getting worse and worse to many employees but no body knows what they doing...... read more

Baby S.

749

12 years ago

I have been to Masal many times, surprised I have never written a review, maybe because we have only had dessert here? Anyway, it's a great place to relax, they don't rush you. The tea is terrific, and they bring sugar in cubes which I love. The baklava and other Turkish pastries are also very good. Next time I am at the canal, I would like to try their sandwiches. read more

Stephanie R.

7 years ago

I love the food here, but service is horrible and it kills your appetite! Every time I come for their food I leave to promise to never come back! Horrible staff, careless, never look at you, ignore, never ask you if you need anything, take forever to come take order and bring check!!! Owners - you will lose business if you don't train your staff properly! read more

Anthony H.

243

8 years ago

The staff here is very pleasant and attentive. It's a decent place to relax and have good food. We generally come here for Turkish tea and their dessert menu. I highly recommend their tiramisu. The cheesecake is quite good as well. We've never tried the dinner menu so can't comment on that. Do try this place if you're in the area. read more

Zeynep A.

108

6 years ago

This place is so cute! The ambiance is so modern and spacious. The food is also good. I had the baked potato, which I also loved from the previous location. My mother had the lamb shank, which she said was cooked perfectly. I also had a homemade soufflé, LOVE! Highly recommend their new location to everyone. read more

Seyhan Ç.

12 years ago

Decoration is so disgusting and tiring that it no way represents Turkish style and culture. Cheap table stickers on tables and no hospitality. Bad ambiance. And also try not to hug each other, because this place has strict rules of personal space(!). Disturbing waiters and to many gazing people around!! read more

Samanthany B.

11 years ago

This place is easy to walk right by without noticing it, but I'm glad I found it. The breakfast was so good we went back for dinner and then took deserts home because we were too full to eat them. The food here is actually better than the places I went to in Istanbul. Everything was delicious. read more

Melissa T.

11 years ago

The manager sait is very nice and made our meal there very comfortable. Great cheeses and fresh veggies in the Turkish breakfast but the menemen wasn't flavorful and could be improved. The Turkish tea is not so good. Also the quality of the tres leches went down read more

Yunus Y.

13 years ago

Excellent place to just relax and have a nice time with friends and family. I love the fresh fruit platter they serve here can't get any better then that. Fast service, friendly staff and great selection of foods. What else can someone ask for! read more

Yusa T.

13 years ago

I love coming to masal with my buddies. It has an incredibly welcoming atmosphere, and the waiters/waitresses are very amiable... My friends and i come here on a daily basis and we've become close friends with the crew here. read more

Masal Cafe - turkish - Updated October 2026

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Two of us came here for lunch yesterday. My third or fourth visit -- never fails to please!…read more Delicious food at a decent price, excellent service. I had one of the pides (the one with the ground lamb) and couldn't have been happier with it. My companion had the chicken chops and was equally thrilled. Great to have a place like this in the neighborhood!

Food was amazing. We had two kebabs, chicken nuggets with French fries (for our kid) and Falafel…read morewith hummus. Everything was delicious, especially falafel. Service was great. Ready to help at anytime Ambiance was nice, neighborhood gem. We loved it ! Highly recommended

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Food was tasty and not too expensive. I could see where both the 5 star and 1 star reviews are…read morecoming from. Service was fine but not friendly. It was our first time trying Uzbek food but we liked everything we ordered. The lamb kebab and chicken kebab were both so moist and flavorful. The homemade potatoes and round non bread (kind of like a big sesame bagel without a whole) were comforting. It was extremely quiet in there to the point where I would definitely do takeout or delivery but might not dine in again.

Hands down one of the nest shish Kanin spots in Brooklyn …read more Salads are always fresh and good As well. Been here about ten times now. Definitely way better then the two spots across the street Gulchataue and Sherdor!! Both have bad service and the kabobs are nasty at sherdor and the meat Is tough at Gul.

Sahara Turkish Grill

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We stopped by this place earlier today to pick up lunch. The staff were helpful with suggestions…read morefor food selection. I ordered a mix of chicken adana and shish kebab platter with rice and Sheppard salad, hummus with Turkish bread, rice pudding, and tres leches. Everything together costed $55.25, a little pricey but the quantity was good. I had a cup of black tea while I waited for my food. It took about 10-15 minutes for my order to be fulfilled which was not bad. The food was good especially the desserts. They made a mistake with my salad order so I called them about it. They said they will give me store credit which I accepted. I appreciated that. The ambiance was nice. The restaurant was clean and air conditioned. The staff were friendly. I'm looking forward to trying other dishes next time we're in town.

Great ambiance! Good service and you can find table in no time. Their menu is ample and loved their…read moreserving size. Tried their lamb adana and chicken gyro which were both great! Their platters come with salad and rice. Totally recommend.

Opera Cafe Lounge

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I was here on Thursday for dinner with my date. We had mozzarella sticks for our appetizer, I had…read morethe Chicken Adana Wrap with fries, and he had the Opera Burger. The food was good, the service was good, and the ambiance was nice but just a bit chilly for us as we were sitting outside,

This was the first time I had a horrible experience here . I have given them such a great review…read morein the past . My friend and I sat outside about 5:20 . We both ordered the lamb doner gyro. The waiter did not put her order in. He was not attentive to her at all. She basically felt invisible. I ate my entire meal and he was no where to be found. It wasn't a full establishment at this time. There wasn't water brought to the table. I I had to keep repeating to him about water . Imagine she had to watch me eat my entire meal and hers didn't come. When I mentioned it he said she didn't order. The food wasn't as fresh or good as it was in the past . It was not worth it. The hostess had a few of her teenage friends visiting her at her station. Those friends were not employees or patrons. They were obnoxiously loud and aggressive in their tone of voice. It was extremely distracting to me I was unable to enjoy my meal. If I didn't look at her she would not have asked her friends to lower it down . I at one time recommended this over and over again. Now don't waste your time or money . It went down hill with food and customer service. I had multiple occasions here in the past not any more ..

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3.6

(29 reviews)

First off, the cafe and decor are beautiful. There are three distinct spaces- the upper level…read morehookah lounge, lower level cafe & restaurant, and the backyard outdoor area that is still covered in the rain. The menu item that caught our eye was the Cig Kofta, or Vegan Kofta. Served cold as an appetizer with large Romain leaves and small slices of tomato and a raisin rich vinegarette, this was very filling for two people, especially when paired with hummus and bread. Service was attentive and helpful, especially considering we were learning what half of everything on the menu meant.

The baklava wasn't fresh and honestly not great. Charging $3 for one piece and $10 for three is…read moreridiculous. Those prices are completely unjustified for the quality. It's simply not worth it.

Gulchatay Restaurant

4.1

(48 reviews)

Came here for her birthday, left here with a happy stomach. We started off with some cold…read moreappetizers first we got the raw fish and it was really good really fresh. Then we got some salads. One of them was a chicken salad and the chicken was really good and the dressing was also really nice prepared really well together and we also got a Greek salad which was just a classic standard salad. They also have avocado bruschetta which was also really good. The avocado was nice and ripe. We also got samsa and it was really good. The dough was nice and flaky and crispy and on the inside the meat was really nice and juicy. It was my favorite, but it was definitely still good. For the main, we got a huge mixed grill platter that came with a bunch of different meats like chicken, shish kebab and lamb kebab and it was so good. The meat was really nice and juicy and flavorful and it was cooked really well and all of this also came with a side of chips which were a great pairing and a little bit of a different twist compared to regular french fries. The kompot was great it was nice and sweet and flavorful. The service was nice the waiters were really attentive. The ambiance was just a classic Russian/uzbek restaurant. For birthdays they play a nice funny happy birthday song. Overall, it's a nice, heartwarming experience.

I've never seen such disorder from a restaurant. Shish kabob was raw inside but burnt outside. Too…read moremuch salt. Everything took forever to arrive, and it wasn't worth the wait. Waiter was rude and never apologized for the delay and the raw burnt over priced food. Then there was a loud argument because the delivery guy was waiting about 30 minutes after being told that it'll be ready in 5 minutes. No respect for someone's time and job. I hate when people are trying to do their jobs and someone sabotages them. Apparently it's not the 1st time. And hungry people at home are also getting bad service and long wait. Overall, it put stress on everyone. Ruined many people's evening. I regret not leaving earlier and gone somewhere else. I feel like they were giving good service and respect to their countrymen in the restaurant, but not to people of other nationalities and races. Do they deliberately sabotage food and timing because they don't want us to return?! Are they deliberately delaying the delivery orders to get delivery guy to lose his job? It' seems to be happening a lot from the Uzbek halal restaurants. Too much of a coincidence. Will not recommend them to anyone. I wonder if the owner cares about losses in revenues or he's a bigot. Very disappointing.

Ankara Turkish Restaurant

3.7

(36 reviews)

What a fantastic restaurant. It was the first time in the New York area that we had such a…read moredelicious meal--great quality, excellent service, and generous portions. I haven't experienced anything like this before in or around New York. The hospitality is also better than you would expect in a big city. If you're in the area, I would definitely recommend it for a delicious meal.

Ankara is one of the few Mediterranean restaurants I eat at because the food is always so fresh and…read moreflavorful! I usually stop by for the falafel because they make it with traditional ingredients, never burn it and the pita bread is soft and fluffy. Each day is a surprise because they use whatever greens they have on hand but it never disappoints! Today i just had to try the Gözleme, a traditional savory Turkish flatbread, made from simple dough and filled with minced meat. Omgg, Sooo yummy! People usually have it for breakfast but, like falafel, this is one dish you can have any time of the day! I took the falafel sandwich home for dinner!

Palmyra

3.7

(23 reviews)