Wow! I absolutely loved this place. First, the service was exceptional, so welcoming and respectful. I felt like like I was being treated like a princess. It was my birthday, and this was the right place to have dinner. The restaurant is sophisticated, upscale, and fancy, but they staff was so down to earth and the vibe was respectful and welcoming. I loved it! Start to finish my dinner was perfect. I got a little tour of the restaurant. Check out the upstairs. I love Greek food, and this is among the best. The spanakopita were so delicate. I had a rainbow beet salad with saffron, pears, and arugula. I loved the flavors. So light and delicate. Octopus was so good. They serve you delicious cheese, and they're more than happy to bring out more. I had a beautiful dessert. Such a special place! The decor was my favorite colors - turquoise and white. Love this place. read more

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Delicious flavors good portions. Solid service. Always a wonderful meal. Squid ink past and lamb chops were both great

Amazing cuisine- fresh ! Octopus was amazing. Saganaki is perfection. Make sure you try it.

This place really takes you to Greece. The atmosphere is pretty simple yet just rite. The wait staff are good and attentive but could disappear during shift change. The food is pretty good. They had scallops on the menu when I went. And we'll if you know me, I love scallops! Will order them anytime they are on the menu. The scallops were cooked to perfection, and cooked with pork belly we gave it a good flavor. But the pork belly is too fatty to eat. The prawns were well seasoned but the portion was pretty small. And the tomato, cucumber and feta salad was soo fresh. read more

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Pretty good spot, but it didn't live up to my expectations per se. The menu reads as an upscale take on some Greek (and Mediterranean) cuisine, so I was excited to see this type of food elevated. And while the food was good, I am not sure Nerai lived up to that promise. The Pastitsada needed both salt and the horseradish needed to be ramped up a few notches. The braised meat was executed well, but needed that gremolata to cut it, which it didn't, and overall just needed more "oomph". I did enjoy my sour cocktail, but they could've come a little faster, as our waiter wasn't around often enough to re-order many of them. Additionally, I was thrilled to see some skin contact wine on the list, as well as Nerai embracing the lesser-known wines from Greece. read more

Had a lovely experience here with the hubby while visiting from upstate. The young barmaid with the dark hair recommended the pecan old fashioned and the katafi shrimp. Both recommendations were excellent! The atmosphere was welcoming and a friendly reception as we entered and left. They took our coats right away. I can't wait to return when we're back in the city! read more

Great food, ambience and service. Really appreciated the care and attention given by the Sommelier in choosing the right wine, based on my taste. Highly recommend the Grilled Octopus. read more

5 stars should speak for itself! Amazing service, ambiance, drinks, food, dessert. Just 10/10. If you can visit -- definitely go! I took my bf for his birthday and everyone from the host to the server was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and accommodating. Just excellent. read more

I came here for my girlfriend's bday dinner and I highly recommend this restaurant. Food was good and waiters was attentive. We had a great time! read more

Nerai is a chic restaurant in midtown, serving upscale Greek cuisine. I came here on a Monday evening for a five course set dinner, that was complimentary. The restaurant is extraordinarily chic, with booth tables that are large, and good for a setting for small groups. The dinner included a traditional Greek salad, char-grilled octopus, lobster pasta, rack of lamb, and a small white chocolate and pavlova dessert. Everything was excellent, but the clear standouts were the rack of lamb and the lobster pasta. The lobster pasta was cooked in a rich, buttery sauce, served with a generous heaping of fresh lobster and squid ink spaghetti. It was delectable. The rack of lamb was cooked to medium rare, just the way I like, and came with a red wine jus, and a creamy sauce that complemented the vegetables nicely. The char-grilled octopus was tasty, but tasted a bit rubbery. The dessert was presented nicely, but was the weakest point of all the dishes. The service this evening was friendly most of the time, but my dining companions were making lots of requests of the servers that oftentimes were not met- they had to inquire several times about where their well-cooked lamb dishes were, while I had finished mine. During the night, they often looked harried and run-down. This was probably due to the stress of having to cater to a full Yelp event. Overall, though the food was delicious, service was fine, and I would recommend visiting for a lovely dinner in a romantic dining room. Good for date night, or night out with girlfriends or parents. read more

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Wonderful dinner at Nerai. Welcoming, pleasant atmosphere. Upbeat friendly staff. The six of us enjoyed the wine recommendations and appetizers. Everyone loved their entree, the lamb and red snapper special was perfect. Thank you Nerai for a wonderful evening. read more

Marvelous food, great service, elegant ambiance- what is not to like and repeat frequently!

I've had the best time ever on the weekend of September 19th (my bday) dinner with my husband. Writing a review is nowhere near of how great this establishment is, you have to go there and experience it yourself from entering the dining area to the minute you leave. This restaurant offers Middle Eastern/Greek cuisine, with unique flavours of both worlds. Hummus spread, spanakopitas, delicious choices of sea food such as oysters, octopus, tuna tartar, and of course Mediterranean meze and salads. Main courses are great portions not too large but Just perfect to enjoy the right amount. My scallops were cooked to perfection with sunchoke purée and Dover Sole is best one my husband have ever had in this city, and we've dined in quiet few fine restaurant in NYC but this one definitely wins the price. Special Shout Out to A Very Talented and Creative Chef MOSHE GRUNDMAN for making our dinner extra special. Another shout out to wonderful GM Mr. Michael Coll, he was very pleasant and professional, helped my friend to choose the perfect bottle of Greek Gaia Assyrtiko which we enjoyed very much , it complemented our dinner after fine cocktails. And of course, thank you to our waiter Henry, for being professional and attentive. And hostess Merissa was lovely and took great pictures of us. Overall, this place is a huge hit, it's cozy/beautiful/delicious definitely one to remember and to come back. Thank you to all staff for making it so good for us! We will be back soon. read more

Exceptionally disappointing. There is little Greek here except for the names of the dishes and the lousy wine list. The food is fair. Often over seasoned, small in portions and very much over priced except for its location. Wine list for glasses is very limited and very pricey for completely in exceptional, poor choices. This is a "no tipping"place which adds to its problems. I'm a very generous tipper but here the quality and portions being poor and small, I can only hope the server staff is compensated well given the stiff prices for such low quality. Servers here are very attentive and accommodating. I did not complain about the first wine ordered but when they asked me if I was enjoying it I had to say I was not. They then offered an alternative - which I thought was very nice. Unfortunately it was as poor as the first and their description of them was quite off. $18 a glass for swill is too high. I've had far better Greek salads in Astoria at storefront mom and pops. The grocery store tomato's almost looked like a joke for poor produce. The salmon tasted swampy and was pan seared, not grilled. The accompanying rice puckers salty making it inedible. The meatball ap which was supposed to lamb and beef tasted only of the latter, and the "whipped goat cheese"was non existent. Only an insipid tomato sauce. 18 for 3 smaller than golf balls meatballs. Short ribs were good - they usually are everywhere - but the orzo accompaniment depressingly over seasoned and cheap tasting tomato sauce. Spinach side - a child's portion at 14 - again puckery salty to the point of not being edible. Seriously they are flying under a false Greek flag. "New American " would be more suited. For high quality upscale Greek, Periyali is a far better choice and there are several others. The space is upscale, true to the neighborhood, but the quality/value ratio way too low. Completely forgettable. read more

At-time-of-writing outdoor Greek dining. Tables are arranged under umbrellas with heat lamps. The cuisine and service was well executed and my particular favorites were the trio of spreads, fig & halloumi salad and the hand made baklava. I would probably not choose the autumn risotto again as I did not find it particularly flavorful. read more

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WORLD'S GREATEST MARTINIS !!! The service was phenomenal and very quick. The stuffed and dirty martini was hands down the best martini I have ever had !!!! The ambiance is very relaxed yet elegant. Couldn't recommend more. read more

So glad we found this place! Reserved a table an hour before which was definitely the move as this place is popular. We got the trio dips, which were delicious and served with warm bread, the saganaki which was warm and delicious, and the tuna tartare which was definitely my favourite (served on crunchy potato sticks which gave it a great texture and taste). I had the risotto as my main course which was creamy and delicious. Our waiter recommended the chocolate mousse for dessert which was also incredible. I definitely recommend Nerai for amazing service, ambience and food! read more

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Very nice and cozy place. Food was just ok nothing special but service and environment was very nice so highly recommended read more

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Came to this place twice, and got to experience both their indoor and outdoor dining. Both their indoor space and outdoor space is beautiful. In their indoor space, I sat with my friend on the second floor, and it is decorated with beautiful flowers. In their outdoor space, they have a beautiful outdoor flower arch that makes their outdoor dining scene come alive. Both times, I got their grilled octopus. It is very delicious, but I must say, their portions for all their dishes is on the smaller end. Got their lobster pasta (squid ink pasta), and the sauce is both sweet and creamy!! I ate this up so quick and wished there was more pasta on the dish! The lavraki fish looks big in the picture, but the fish is so thin. I didn't think the fish was anything special, but this fish is very popular at this restaurant. For dessert, I got the walnut cake with a latte. The walnut cake is sweet and moist, and was the perfect way to end the meal with a latte. As I stated before, everything tastes great but the portions are small. read more

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We did the Chef's tasting menu. It starts with a soup shot - delicious. The salad comes next, which was also very good. The pasta that comes after though, wow. Extremely flavorful and al dente. The entrees were good, but not as spectacular. I'd recommend the restaurant, but I am deducting a star because for the price, I expected the main entrees to wow me. The service was great. My water cup was never empty. Note however, they charge for bottled water if you don't opt for tap. read more

My first time there; it was my girlfriend's birthday & the staff really bent over backward and made it a special night for us! The food, ambiance & service was fabulous! We will be back... read more

Wow the halibut was delicious! Perfectly cooked! Would return to this restaurant any day

Wonderful Greek cuisine with an elegant ambiance. Great to find this place in Midtown East!

One of my favorite places in midtown. They have the best staff!! I enjoy grabbing a drink and eating at the bar. Fried cheese is amazing and so are the spreads. Also love the meatballs and seafood dishes. The space is pretty and sleek. read more

Casually strolled into Nerai for a yelp elite event, expecting lightly passed hors d'oeuvres and and an open bar and not thinking twice about showing up twenty minutes late. To my pleasant surprise, this was an exceptional event, with a prix fixe five course meal with wine pairing... my oh my... my mind has been blown and this is by far the fanciest yelp elite event I've had the pleasure to attend. The entire staff treated us right and gave us the entire upstairs dining room. From the get-go they had printed out menus along with the wines that would be paired together. We were served a greek salad, grilled octopus, lobster pasta with squid ink linguini, lamb chops and pavlova with white chocolate mousse. The event itself was 100% a 5 star experience. If you're looking for a venue for a work party, wedding rehearsal or birthday party, I know Nerai will treat you right. As for the food, 50/50 in terms of OK vs. OMG great! My favorite dishes were the lobster tail squid ink linguini and the lamb chops served with some of the best dolma I've ever had in my life. However, the octopus and Greek salad left something to be desired. Don't get me wrong, the entire dining experience was incredible and the hardest dishes to cook - they knew how to do right, I just would have expected more in terms of seafood and salad from an authentic Greek restaurant. Would I recommend Nerai? Definitely! Bring your next party or group of friends here and you won't be disappointed! read more

I was looking for a lunch date spot with my husband before our baby is due. I have gestational diabetes so I have to stick to a very low carb/sugar diet and the food here was perfect and so yummy. I don't think figs are in season anymore but the fig was so fresh and the lavraki was just heavenly. I was sad to miss out on the dessert because I've had their baklava before and it was amazing. read more

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My April best restaurant! The pasta is not so surprisingly tasty but the beef? pork? Anyway the meat in the picture is so good! And I like the lamb chops. But we got too full after four main courses for two. read more

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I love Greek food and this is one of my favorite places. It sometimes gets loud but the food is always great.

The food was disappointing. The service wasn't good. They charge $6 for a Diet Coke in the smallest glass ever and bring refills without informing you that refills are not free. Spending $40 on Diet Coke is ridiculous. read more

Had a birthday dinner in the private room down two flights of stairs. Everything about it exceeded expectations. Appetizers were delicious, as were the dinner choices for our party. The staff, in particular, were attentive and accommodating. I have submitted this review because we were particularly appreciative of the food and service, and thought others should know. Robert P. read more

Very fresh seafood that is way above average. Beet salad 5/5 - solid although nothing special Fennel Salad 5/5 - love the fresh figs Greek Salad 4/5 - fresh but wouldn't order again. You can find this at any other Mediterranean restaurant Filet mignon 5/5 Poached Bass 6/5 - very well executed. Melt in my mouth. Scallop and pork belly 5/5 - scallop is so tender. Seafood Orzotto 6/5 - this could be a Michelin stars dish. Kataifi Ekmek 5/5 - not too sweet Chocolate mousse 5/5 for chocolate lover Walnut Cake 2/5 not recommend Baklava 2/5 too sweet This restaurant is a great value. Service is so so. There is one guy who takes all the order. Not the typical friendly person but I would come back since the food is really good for the NYC price. read more

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Love every single thing about this restaurant. Great menu, friendly staff and perfect ambiance.

We headed here on Monday night to celebrate a birthday since I saw that they have a very nice plaza setup which made for the perfect backdrop for the special occasion. Even better, they have $1 oysters on Monday! They are great when it comes to allergies as they asked several times as we ordered. Everything we had was delicious and it was a great night out in the city and I felt very safe eating there with the precautions they are taking. read more

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Threw a private party here and the food & service off the hook!!!! Hope to go back soon. read more

Nice atmosphere and good service. The food was just okay. The appetizer trio of hummus, feta and tzatziki amounted to about a very small coop of each. The hummus was said to be made in house. It sure seemed store-bought to us. The trio of spanakopita was tasty but lots of dough and a small mount of spinach. These small appetizers had large price tags. Our fish entrees were good but not for $38. But maybe today's prices are just something to get used to. We would not rush back. read more

Hm I seem to be in the minority, but I don't think this place is worth it. We ordered a trio of spreads, tuna tartare, the falafel lunch, and two of the seafood dishes. The trio of spreads was delicious, but the seafood orzo was not flavorful and the falafel was dry. The service was also a bit too much, checking on us so often. It also took maybe 30+ minutes to get the main dishes out after the appetizer, so don't be expecting a quick lunch. Even though I'm giving it three stars I recommend going yourself and giving it a shot! It's not terribly expensive and was fine, but to me it was just too average to give anything more than 3. read more

My parents hosted my rehearsal dinner at the Garden Room at Nerai in April 2019. It was fantastic! We had 40 guests and they all had an absolutely wonderful time - people raved about the wine and food and the service was really top notch. It was really a special location - the room was so gorgeous and they put flowers on the tables for us to make it look extra nice. The staff was so kind and responsive during planning and helped us with table arrangements, etc. We've also dined at Nerai before the wedding and it is truly one of the nicest restaurants I've been to! I can't say enough good things about their food and wine list. I recommend Nerai for any private events or special date nights read more

This is an elegant restaurant where you can get away from the Times Square crowds. The Greek salad is especially well prepared. The tomatoes are very fresh. read more

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This place is a gem. The ambiance is elegant (to an extreme) and intimate, the food is fresh and flavorful and the wait staff is friendly, knowledgeable and very amicable. All in all, it's an excellently upscale experience, where you'll dine alongside the cream of the crop of Manhattan society. I'd recommend any dish with octopus, any of their salads, the lamb chops, and tiramisu. read more

Nerai - Giant indoor olive tree. - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

This is just a dream. What an amazing meal. I would have ordered the entire menu and devour everything. Party of 5 at lunch with coffee and desserts included, came to be $250. It is not bad at all. And we didn't order salads yet we didn't order the most expensive don't dishes either. The interior is very elegant, with dim ,lights; definitely need to dress business smart. It seems to be a site for power lunches since Blackrock, JPM, and KPMG are located there. The portions are small. If you are a whale like me, who likes food, expect to order three servings, because one is not enough. It is a pity because the quality of the dishes is mind blowing. Even something a simple as their potatoes will blow your mind. For dessert, try the baklavas with Greek coffee, the latter is not bitter at all, instead, it is a smooth invitation to wake up and take in the beauty of the world. The baklava is a warm smile. Definitely do not come at an empty stomach, because this is not that kind of place. Do try to get a table outside, because the outdoor set up is simply magical. However, even with a reservation and specifying the outdoor tables, the outdoor tables are not a guarantee. read more