I took some family here for a birthday dinner and weren't disappointed. This was my third visit and whether ambiance, food quality, or service, Varka is always consistent. This time we chose to pick out whole fish, added a steak for the table, and a number of other dishes. Loved the round table vs typical rectangle which provides more interaction and sharing for large groups. Drinks were divine and the wait staff was incredibly attentive. I have been here as a party of two where service was subpar. But perhaps because we dropped $1k for dinner this time it made a difference? (rhetorical) read more

I've been dining at your restaurant for approximately eight years, and last Friday evening was the first time I've left feeling disappointed -- which is why I felt it was worth sharing. I ordered the Chilean sea bass and was genuinely surprised by the preparation. It's such a prime piece of fish, but the heavy onion and tomato topping completely overpowered it. Unfortunately, the onion was still raw, which made the dish even more difficult to enjoy. It felt like the quality of the fish was lost beneath the garnish. The scallops were similarly confusing. Pairing seared scallops with a version of eggplant parmesan didn't feel cohesive, and the flavors competed rather than complemented one another. As for the appetizers, they fell flat. The hamachi lacked brightness and flavor, and the ground tuna and salmon quenelles did not taste particularly fresh. I do want to emphasize that the service was excellent, as it always has been, and the restaurant remains beautiful, clean, and well maintained. That consistency is part of why I've been a loyal guest for so many years. I'm sharing this because I care about the restaurant and hope this was simply an off night. I look forward to returning and experiencing the level of quality I've come to expect. Tell the chef to really taste the food and not ever send anything that isn't up to par for the reputation that Varka has maintained for many many years read more

BE WARNED -- the owner's behavior is shockingly rude, unwelcoming, and noticeably selective. Starvos made sure we didn't feel welcomed. What should've been a special occasion fell apart the moment we arrived. The owner spoke to my elderly father with an unnecessarily harsh, dismissive tone for simply checking in a few minutes early, while other guests were greeted warmly. The contrast was impossible to ignore. We were then summoned with a finger-point and seated in the middle of a busy walkway. When I politely asked for a different table, he argued as though the request was unreasonable. This wasn't about seating or tone -- it was about the way we were treated from the moment we walked in. For anyone who values respect, dignity, and genuine classy hospitality, far better experiences await elsewhere. read more

Service was OK Food was very so so and very very overpriced for the quality Grilled octopus was just like cuts from tiny legs. It use to be a great dish, today it was total disappointment. Chicken panini was too greasy and way too salty, I think the reason was quality of the cheese selected for it. Chicken wrap was very mediocre for the price and for this restaurant. I think at Whole food you can get it tastier and half the price. Cheesecake was good.... Coffee was mediocre also. Our drinks were watery, Bloody Mary and mahito were mostly ice and water. So the whole experience of our brunch was disappointing for the price of $80 per person ....... We use to like this restaurant, I guess we need to find a new favorite now read more

Great every time! Food, service, drinks, etc! They have an amazing martini menu also. Tiramisu martini so far is my favorite. The bartender during the day is always very friendly. We look forward to every time we come here! read more

Service was excellent, food perfect for me ! Maybe not enough food for a hungry appetite. Ambiance was nice but must admit a bit noisy with a small party near us with some very loud women. Not much you can do about that read more

Varka Estiatorio - Fish and Chips - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

The ambiance inside Varka is very nice but the overall experience was very average given the prices. I expected much more, especially because I've heard so many recommendations. Maybe our waitress was new but she didn't seem to know the menu at all and had to go ask questions about the food and drinks. Service was lacking and a bit disorganized; our table wasn't cleaned between courses (no change of plate or utensils) and it was hard to track someone down when we needed something. The Greek salad and saganaki were good but nothing special and definitely not for the price. We ordered barbounia (not knowing what it was but it sounded good based on how the waitress described it). It was completely not what she described and we did not enjoy it at all. We didn't eat it and the waitress didn't seem to care at all that she described the fish completely wrong. The only dishes that we really enjoyed were the plaki (Chilean sea bass) and the Greek cheesecake (which we enjoyed with tea- but the waitress brought the wrong tea and we had to wait again for the correct one). Those were both delicious. But overall I definitely don't think Varka is worth the hype. read more

Varka Estiatorio - Cheesecake - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

With all the gloring reviews,we were excited to try the food. Appetizers were great and surprisingly the portion size was quite generous. Both octopus and lobster were delicious We were already bit full after the appetizers so we thought to share the Pasta with grilled shrimp in lemon butter sauce. This one was meh. 3/5. Nothing great at all. And then the showstopper Almond fig cake! There were berries and dulce de leche on the side and it was mind-blowing. It kind of compensated for the pasta. It was our anniversary so the server was sweet to make the dessert complimentary. Great ambience, amaizng outdoor space and all in a great experience. read more

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3.5 stars! I don't go to varka often due to the prices. I went a while back and got the lobster gyro and they were so teeny for the cost. This time I sat at the bar and just did drinks and an app. I got the blood orange martini then the elderflower smash. I usually love an elderflower drink but this wasn't my favorite. Then as an appetizer I got the stuffed calamari which was yummy but it felt like it was missing something ! More spices in the tomatoes and feta it was stuffed with would have helped elevate the flavors. I didn't catch the bartenders name but he was very friendly ! read more

Varka Estiatorio - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

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The only enjoyable part of my annual birthday celebration last night was the lagostines! Our server was AWFUL. He even made a comment because we had our cocktails from the bar 'thanks for making my job easier' He did not come by a single time to see if we needed anything or how our meal was . I had to ask the maître d' for a second glass of champagne . He constantly fawned over the table next to us where a former employee was having dinner . For a place that is very expensive the service was below sub par ! When my husband complained all they did was comp a dessert which I did even want bc I was full. Thank you for ruining my birthday celebration ! read more

Very good service today. Fisherman's chowder was very good. Chicken sandwich was flavorful but on the thicc side. Wife loved the fish special. read more

Varka Estiatorio - Fishermans Chowder - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

I have been here so many times. There's a reason nj.com recently rated it a top spot. Inside is a great vibe. It's a restaurant first but thf bar area gets busy and hoping Wait staff always greets you is prompt and happy to accommodate. The drinks are always on point. You must get the chicken gyro wraps app. My fav on the menu. I posted a few pics to see the delicious food. Only downside is this place is def on the higher end price point wise. read more

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Our waiter Chris was a great server and shared a lot of laughs with us for our annual holiday dinner. All of our drinks were made just right , lychee Martini, raspberry martinis and others. The assortment of oysters were so good I can't tell you which one my favorite was because they were all so good. Of course the lobster and shrimp cocktail went perfectly with the oysters. the mushrooms were good but I'd skip them next visit. I had the Chardonnay lobster which I will dream about until I have it again. My coworker had the Plaki which she rated 10/0. The lamb chips were cooked perfectly with so much juicy flavor . We finished off with the freshest fruit platter, the galactobutico that was unfortunately the least favorite to hit the table, too much dough not enough crème. And the Greek yogurt with the sour cherries that brought me back to eating it in Greece it was delicious. Overall as always it's a 10/10 experience. read more

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My FAV restaurant in Jersey. I just can't talk About it enough. I have my birthday dinner here every year. So consistent and fresh. Massive portion sizes and amazing staff read more

Varka Estiatorio - Steak - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

Varka is consistently excellent when it comes to food and service. They have been serving the community for over 20 years for a reason. read more

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Food was good but nothing to recommend or write home about. Charging $750 for 2 couples with 2-3 max alcoholic beverages is absolutely absurd. That's $187 per person. I'll just go to manhattan and pay those prices and have a better meal. Additionally, the vibe and decor is dated it looks like an old school blue collar joint but charges high end upscale manhattan prices. Not coming back. read more

The food was fresh and presented beautifully. The service was good. The restaurant was nicely decorated. read more

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Looking for a great place for lunch - this is it. We ordered from the Lunch Pre Fixe Menu and everything was delicious. I had the Greek salad and fish of the day wish was sea bass. The service was excellent. Our server made sure that all of my allergy concerns were addressed and confirmed everything with the chef. I appreciate their service and thoroughness. We expected lunch service on a Saturday afternoon to be quiet, no such luck. It was packed and we were happy to see it. They accommodate families with small children as well. The restaurant is spacious with indoor and outdoor seating. There is a large parking area in the back with street parking if needed. Hidden gem. Don't miss it. read more

The food is good as is the service. Price is high but food is good. You can tell they care about what they serve. A bit noisy for quiet conversation. read more

We just came on 04/09/25, for a family member's repass. Food was served family style. Multiple appetizers were brought out, all of which were very delicious! Salad, assorted hummus, lamb meatballs, grilled octopus! All so tasty & mouth watering! We were served 2 types of wine & open bar was available! Staff was supper attentive and friendly! Then we were asked for our orders & I got the grilled Bacalao, the only thing keeping me from giving this review from 5 stars is my main meal was a bit bland, but still good! And then we were giving plenty of options for dessert & offered coffee or tea! The ambiance is the place was breathtaking! A lot of greenery & very clean! If we are back in this area again my husband & I would like to do a date night here! read more

Varka Estiatorio - Grilled Bacalao - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

Excellent service by the staff. Excellent job by the kitchen with plating and presentation. It costs more to pay with credit. The lunch special has an option for a spinach pie that looks pretty close to a chimichanga. It's very good and a nice size. I would eat this again. The sea bass came with the lunch special today. My wife enjoyed it. The skin was soggy but the other side was crispy. She wanted to eat the skin, but didn't like the skin. The donuts were the last part of my wife's lunch special. There was enough to share, five large donut holes. They were okay. They had a thick dough. We saw someone else with a nice cheesecake. We will order that next time. I had the crab cake sandwich. It was okay, but I'll try something different next time. The fries tasted similar to other Greek restaurants. I don't think I'd order the fries again. The salad was dressed heavily and the salad was very fresh. I'll probably ask for dressing on the side next time. The spinach pie was great. But other than that, we wouldn't order anything else again. Everything was plated nicely. The ingredients seemed fresh. We'll have to come back and find the dishes that we love as much as the spinach pie. read more

Service always excellent. I'm tired of the halibut always being overcooked, and today mine was more than a little overcooked. Next time, I'll either order something else, or insist they don't overcook it. The beets, pearl onions, carrots and potatoes served with the halibut are SO good, and the plating is always a delightful work of art. Baklava is the best dessert I've ever had at Varka. Can't wait to order that again. read more

The food is good, but the service needs improvement. The price point requires normal attentive waiters, Next time may not return due to service. read more

Another highly overpriced Greek restaurant in NJ. Greek food shouldn't be this expensive. It appears that this establishment is doing well so the owners don't have to care. Someday they will pay for their arrogance. You know that a restaurant has uncaring owners when they don't have the decency to read and respond to reviews. read more

Disrespectful staff. Decides to ID AFTER giving wine to my friend who's 23. Short man who was a waiter was disgustingly rude. He wasn't their initial waiter either. The waiter was actually really nice. So no idea where these other people came into play. Man in a suit, also rude, staring my sister and her friend down making them feel so uncomfortable. If you have a problem with young girls being in your establishment, who are 21+, don't let them sit down then and check IDs before serving. Sister brought home leftovers of tuna and that was just... terrible... read more

As always a unbelievable meal, everything was perfect ,I may be partial when giving this review,but it would be because it is one of my favorite places to eat,it must have something to do with the food ,I have been going to Varka for many years,actually use to go to the Seven Seas,before it became Varka,Seven Seas was ok,but Varka is great ,service is always 5 stars,never had a disappointing meal ,the price may scare people away but I think it's worth it read more

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Way over priced for what they give you. They are not generous on portions. No appetizers, no side dishes, no dessert, no alcohol. We paid $600 for six people. Halibut was dry and tasteless. Overrated, overpriced and at the end, we were still hungry. read more

Amazing spot. Great ambiance/vibe. Service super helpful and friendly. And the food is outstanding. Never disappoints! Will come back again and again!!! read more

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Ok been here several times since last review and now definite and easy 5 stars. Food has become excellent - as always finest and freshest fish - but somehow they have really put polish on. Still pricey but worth it and the $32 prix fixe lunch as real Deal. Mario on the fine wait staff is the best of the best too. Truly professional and friendly genuinely interested in customers satisfaction. Recommended read more

Great Greek restaurant. Place to see and be seen. Its parking lot is full of exotic and premium cars, the diners are the well to do's...and there was me Fresh seafood, whole fishes, good food and wine. Had a martini which was crisp and delicious. Had whole Black Sea bass with steamed veggies, sea bream, tuna sashimi. Grilled octopus and Carla chips were great too. Nice wine selection. For four of us, bill was over 400. Fine food, but you're paying for it. read more

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Another great lunch. They have a great pre fix lunch thats def worth it for the most expensive restaurant in Jersey. read more

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Nice lively place for a Thursday night! Came here for 7pm reservations and got a text message on the way there telling me my table was ready-which was a very nice touch! Service was and ambiance was great! Our server Zach was knowledgeable and attentive and provided awesome recommendations on the menu. We started off with the octopus and the varka chips- both are a must order. If you're not into octopus, DEFINITELY order the varka chips. SO good ! Nice and crispy with the right amount of softness in the middle of the chip. Octopus was charred well with a nice crispy exterior and juicy and tender inside, so it wasn't chewy and hard to swallow. Then we order the organic salmon, pork chops, lobster pot pie, and loup de mer. Everything was so good and fresh. Pork chops were nice and tender and all the seafood didn't taste too fishy. For dessert, we had the Galactobourico (crispy creamed filled pastry) and ravani (angel cake with cinnamon and ice cream). It definitely tastes better than how I'm describing it so I highly recommend their dessert. If you're into martinis, you have to try the espresso martini! It was SO smooth and went great with the pastries. I can see why this place is good for happy hour and a night out of town. Good vibes, great food, and good drinks! read more

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Impressive food and service in a fine dining experience $$$, recommended for special occasions. It's a good example of how food should be prepared and cooked. We had a great time at this Greek restaurant. Plenty of fish and seafood, with some meats on the menu. High marks go to the dinner of Chilean sea bass $44 (melt in your mouth but takes 30 minutes to make), diver scallops with eggplant moussaka $42 (not a boring dish), salmon with broccoli Rabe $39 and fish chowder (a little salty as soups often are but nice chunks of fish) and calamari. The desserts are typically $12 and were decent though probably the least favorite part of the meal: almond tart and apple tart with ice cream on top. They also bring you nice bread with olive oil, olives, radishes and hummus for the table. The prices are not cheap but the portions are also not skimpy. Also unfortunately they charge 3.5% if you pay by credit card and that signage is only on the dessert menu... that was disappointing because they didn't have this information on their website either. You should make reservations for the weekend but they only have lunch on weekdays. It was pretty busy on a Sunday afternoon. The service was good and you didn't feel rushed. The parking lot isn't large but we found a spot. There's also street parking and a lot across the street with Walgreens, a laundromat, and a vegan restaurant. read more

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I have been a patron of Varka for nearly a decade. My friends, family. clients and work colleagues frequent this establishment. I go to Varka 2 to 3 times a week as it is a great local spot. The food is amazing and the service is great. Charlie, Fabian and Adolfo always take amazing care of my friends and me at the bar. One bartender; however, Stathi, is everything but kind. He is known for slandering other patrons and speaking of them to his other diners. A personal friend had this happen to him, and now I had the same experience. A few months ago, Stathi's patrons asked me and my friends if we were strippers. Clear sexual harassment. Stathi laughed. For respect of the establish, I let the incident go. Last week on 8/15/25, a woman who had left the bar 45 minutes prior, sat right next to me and whom I did not speak a word to, came back to the bar and approached me aggressively accusing me of speaking ill about her and the like. The gentleman she was with told this as to start an issue as he had been coming there for weeks and sending me drinks to no avail. I did not feel comfortable or safe as she would not back up from me. As i stood up hoping she would back away, the bartender stathi and manager stavros came over to remove them from the restaurant. Out of respect for this establishment, I did not call the police at the time. Again, the woman was clearly intoxicated and the matter was escalating as she came back 45 minutes later with intent to confront me aggressively. A week later, I come back to Varka on 8/23 and I am reprimanded by the bar staff for the incident and accused of things that were not true. No one wanted to hear my side or how I was harassed and made to feel unsafe. I made the point that I did nothing when other patrons spoke poorly of me and Stathi had laughed. After approaching the stand-in manager to tell him what had happened and how I was now being treated, Stathi came around the bar and told fellow patrons "She started an altercation last week". To be honest, I also cannot unsee the crazy look he gave me while saying it to the patrons knowing that I was listening. I am a local member of the community. I run a local business. My family, friends, colleagues and clients attend this establishment. Not only did no one at varka seem to care about my personal safety and the fact that I was harassed, but I am now being slandered and defamed to other patrons by Stathi. The police report has now been filed noting the incident of harassment and I will never attend Varka again until Stathi is no longer an employee and a personal apology from the establishment is given. Any patron, but a woman especially, should feel safe at a local establishment and the employees should not be hostile, bias or discriminatory. Long story short, if you want a great meal, eat in their dining room. Do not sit at the bar with Stathi unless you want to be mistreated, spoken poorly of later, or called a stripper. read more

Nice spot. 1) Their steak and mash potatoes is very good. Though the restaurant is seafood based. 2) Revani dessert was very good. Not too sweet, but perfectly sweetened. 3) Service was good. I wished they had Coke Zero. read more

Varka Estiatorio - Revani cake - very good Greek dessert. - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

I'm a 1 or 2 star reviewer b4 heading to a nice place to eat. I feel like they're the honest reviewers. If they complain about petty things I begin to believe the 4's and 5's. So, how was our experience? Excellent. Service, Fish (Dover sole) Scallops, spreads, Greek salad, chips... just amazing! Sides... very good but probably could've gotten away w/ 2 sides for the 4 of us. (Yes, fries are a (mandatory side...c'mon man). And, just when you thought it couldn't get better, out comes desert. Apple tart... very good but, don't waste your time. Just get the cheesecake! Wow! It's the ultimate ending to a fantastic meal. read more

This place was fantastic. The servers were prompt and friendly. The atmosphere was relaxed and our party was able to have a great evening eating and visiting. I'm not a big seafood eater but the menu had other options that were just as tasty. I really enjoyed the fried zucchini and egg plant chips for an appetizer. The fresh cut fries were a bit soggy, but everything else we had was delicious. Highly recommend trying this place if you are in the area and are looking for a nice meal. read more

Varka Estiatorio - Strip Steak 16oz , Black Angus Fresh Cut Fries - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

Fantastic experience. We had reservations for a party of 6 and from the moment we stepped inside the service was impeccable. The fried cheese appetizer is outstanding, and our meals were delicious. Our waiter was very accommodating since we had a couple of vegans and the menu is predominantly seafood and meat. The Greek wines were also delicious. The overall vibe was great as well. Very bright and clean at 5:30 that evolved into a cool/trendy vibe as the night went on with darker lighting and candles. The restaurant was pretty full for a Tuesday evening. Very nice experience. read more

I recently visited Varka, a wonderful spot. Sharing appetizers was a highlight, the ambiance was welcoming, and the service was excellent. Perfect for sharing with friends! read more

Varka Estiatorio - Octopus - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

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Yesterday my husband and I returned to our favorite restaurant to celebrate our 16th year wedding anniversary. We have been here a number of times before and always enjoy the food. We were not disappointed yesterday! The grill octopus, angry, lobster, and Dorado fish was superb. But what really hit home this visit was our wonderful waiter, David! He truly treated us like royalty and in the end had a wonderful surprise to celebrate our anniversary! Thank you, David! Can't wait to come back!! read more

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