The appetizers, cocktails, entrees and deserts were exquisite. Quality and presentation, of every dish, were top notch. Service was friendly and our waiter was excellent. The dining room was on the noisy side and the lighting could be better. Surprisingly, there is no valet service. read more

Food is good but nothing really amazing for the price charged ......TAPAS DE ESPANA in North Bergen is way better and amazing taste and delicious sangria i will say the best in NJ and great prices ! read more

I couldn't give this establishment any other rating, because it's top notch. The only thing I could say that was bad would be how packed this place is, but not packed where you were stuck to another person. It's very open and spacious. The food was amazing. Had the lobster gyro, grilled octopus, and befteke. All were appetizers and they were so delicious and freshly cooked. Great staff, great drinks made by the bartenders. If you do plan on coming here for dinner you'll have to make a reservation, especially for the weekend. Very elegant and upscale place. You will not be disappointed with the menu. It is kind of pricey, but you are getting quality food. read more

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My boyfriend & I were able to get a reservation through OpenTable on Friday evening this fall. We were told by Ramsey residents that it is somewhat hard to get a reservation at Varka, so we booked well in advance. We were seated outdoors under their huge heated tent area. This is an upscale restaurant, and even with the COVID-impact on their dining area, they definitely tried to make their outdoor area look upscale (compared to some others we have seen in the NYC area). It was a chilly night but we were kept warm with the heated lamps. The service was great, very attentive. We ordered some delicious cocktails and the following to share: Shrimp Santorini ($25): This starter was very rich, delicious and surprisingly filling. There were a lot of shrimp in the dish to split between 2 people. Whole Fish for Two - American Snapper ($33/LB): The fish was cooked to perfection; super moist and freshly seasoned. The dish also comes with a side plate of assorted veggies. Eggplant Moussaka ($14): We didn't think that the fish/veggies would be enough, so we ordered this as an additional side. We weren't disappointed at all, since it was very tasty (highly recommend), but we definitely over-ordered. Although we were stuffed, we had to order dessert; Molten Chocolate Cake ($12). The perfect end to our meal. There is quite the price tag on the meal, but it is well worth it for the quality of the food, drink and service (We also happened to see some NY Jets players dining here, which was pretty cool since my boyfriend is a big fan). read more

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For years I worked not too far down the road from Varka and always heard good things about it. I even knew some lovely people who worked there. But I'd never been! Finally the opportunity came up when a cousin who lives in NJ heard about it and wanted to try. We were blown away by the food and the gracious service. My cousin and I decided to share the chocolate espresso martini (yeah, 2 lightweights, don't judge! ), and I was very impressed that it was served to each of us in a separate glass; I'd been to nice restaurants that split a salad in the kitchen, but never a drink. Very much appreciated that! Her husband had a glass of wine that he seemed to like. For the table, we got a bread basket - crusty rustic slices - and a plate with 3 small dishes: excellent olives, sliced radish, and what I believe was a fava bean dip. Plus, olive oil poured onto a saucer. All were delicious. We were 2 couples. Each couple shared the Greek tomato salad (horiatiki, to me, but their menu didn't use much Greek vocab), and this was served on 4 plates, split in the kitchen. They shared saganaki, served between them on 1 plate and they cut it to share. My husband and I shared the spanakopita, served cut into 4 slices on 1 plate placed between us. Very tasty! All 4 of us chose the same entree! Here, fish is priced by the pound and is on the menu as for one or for two. Both couples chose the American red snapper for 2. Our server told us it might have to be 4 smaller fish rather than what apparently would usually be 2 larger fish; we were fine with that. Each plate came with a big, perfectly filleted and grilled piece of fish, garnished nicely. Absolutely cooked to perfection! I should note that on the final bill, we saw 4 entries of fish, each with a weight next to it. We don't know which was whose, but each portion was ample. They ranged from .99 lb to 1.12 lbs, so not a huge difference among them. The head and tail were on each plate, too! For the table, one large platter of fresh, warm but not really "cooked," tomatoes and crisp but tender fresh green beans. I don't know what they do in the winter, but here was fresh summer produce at its finest. There was ample time between courses, we didn't even have dessert and we were there for 2 hours or so. This good food and gracious, unrushed service came at a fairly high price but worth it. Food and service top notch. NOTE that there is a fee tacked on if you use a credit card, but it comes as no surprise as there is a sign as you enter and a notice on both menu and check to that point. I'd call this a special occasion restaurant that's pricey but well worth the price! read more

Good grilled fish very fresh Good service and a nice environment A little expensive for the overall experience. Lovely Olive oil and bread read more

Family dinner 4 adults and 1 baby (2year) DECOR: 4 (More dating spot not family) FOOD: 4 SERVICE: 3 (Wrong order & busboy too busy for service) FOOD RATINGS: Roasted Beets: 4 Stuffed Calamari: 4 Varka Chips: 5 **Must** Keftethes: 3 Octopus: 3 Kumamoto: 5 (Nice Size) Caviar: None!!! Greek Tomato Salad: 4 Diver Scallops: 5 Fabric Whole Fish: 5 Langoustines: 5 **Must** Fries: 5 Apple Tart: 3 Amygdaloptia: 4 ** Watch Out ** 1) Wrong food order! 2) Charge 3% credit card charge! American Express is about 3% but rest of them are under 3%. 3) Check the BILL!!! Bill came out right but credit card receipt was almost $1 more! (Its only almost dollar more but don't feel good! Also, the response from the manager made it worse) No apology! Nothing! 4) Togo bag sucks! One food container was leaking. 30 minute ride home. Paper bag soaked and ripped open in the trunk. Car got messed up and had to throw away half of the food in the bag! read more

Varka Estiatorio - ***** WARNINGS **** 1) 3% Credit Card Charge!! Expensive!! 2) Food Bill: Right Credit Card Charge: CHARGED MORE!! - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

- Elegant outdoor dining and romantic indoor dinning area, plus a huge parking lot behind the restaurant - Friendly staff. Came here on a Thursday night without reservation and were quickly seated - Appetizers and salads are very delicious - - not an authentic type you can find in Astoria Queens but very fresh and tasty - Ordered Greek Salad, grilled calamari & octopus, halibut and dorado and enjoyed every single bite of it. The only downside is that they don't serve ouzo in proper glas - I want to drink my ouzo traditional thin glass not in water glass, but overall highly recommend it. read more

Amazing service! From the warm welcome of the hostess to the great attentive waiter and busboy staff !! The food was absolutely delicious!! Our 6 year old son called this restaurant "THE BEST RESTAURANT EVER" It was our first time here and will definitely return!! read more

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Visited Varka about a month ago for my birthday dinner. They have two spots for dining, we were seated in the front tented area. Started off the dinner with a martini, which was perfectly made and smooth. For the table, we ordered lobster gyros, octopus, and the varka chips. Lobster gyros and octopus are must orders. Both amazing. Varka chips, never came out. We didn't remember until the final bill came. So I might have to come back to try these chips. For dinner, I ordered the lobster pot pie. I've never ever seen something like this, so I had to try it being a huge fan of lobster and pot pie. I really like it, it's pretty huge for one person, but I was able to take it down. Decent amount of lobster, could be more. Overall, fantastic entree. Great dining experience, and looking forward to my next visit. read more

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Food is amazing. Everything tastes fresh and refined yet flavorful. Ambiance tops it off. read more

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Great ambiance. Love the bar area and the staff is super attentive. Love the Mediterranean cuisine!

The best Greek Restaurant in Bergen County NJ, been here many times already Food is pretty good, but always go for whole fish(Lavraki Dorado, Barbun etc) and salad plus whatever you'd like to try read more

Food is delicious consistently - but the noise level is very difficult to have conversation without really speaking loudly - especially in the back room. We love the outdoor seating in the warmer months and the service is always top notch. read more

Great Food and Service. Full Bar. Loud ambiance . Quality Food. Parking available Dress code business casual.

Terrible service. No excuse. Almost seem like they were too busy to care - but place was empty.

I love this place! I have come here with friends. I've brought customers here. Last night, my wife and I came to celebrate my birthday. The food is always amazing. Service is always awesome. No need to go to NYC, when you have a gem like Varka nearby. read more

My husband and I came here for a date night and what a perfect ambiance. The weather was wonderful so we selected to sit outside. The outside dining area had beautiful and lush plants as well as umbrellas for shade. It felt like we were in Greece and it was comfortable. We ordered the lobster gyro, grilled calamari and tomato Greek salad as apps. All were delectable. For dinner, my husband ordered the arctic char and I had the swordfish kabob. They were both cooked to perfection. I had a glass of Sauvignon blanc and my husband had the mango martini as a cocktail. We enjoyed this dinner so much! The service was also on point. Our server knew the menu well and he was able to make recommendations to us regarding pairings. It should be noted that reservations in advance are a must. I tried to get a 6:30 PM reservation for a Saturday night and I had called earlier in the week on Thursday and all they had were 5:15 PM or 8:45 PM. The only issue I had was when I called on the Thursday for a reservation, the woman who answered the phone was a bit curt when I asked if there was anything later than 5:15 PM as we were hoping to snatch a reservation around 6:30 PM. My husband and I were almost discouraged from coming because we felt staff might be rude, but it was quite the contrary when we arrived. Unfortunately, we seemed to just catch a staff member on the phone who wasn't very welcoming. Otherwise, aside from the phone call- 5 stars for Varka! read more

We had an family get together last week at Varka, and the food and service was good. Small portions, but very tasty. However, one would be hungry after going to dinner here, so you may need to go and get a bite to eat after dinner. We each ordered the sole with a salad, and for around $50.00 for the filet of sole, we expected more than one piece; we were wrong. One piece per plate, with some green beans on the side. The salads had tomatoes cut in quarters so they looked bigger and some sliced onions. That's not the worst part. They charge a 3.5% merchant fee for credit card OR debit card bills. Firstly, it's not mentioned on their web-site or regular menus. Only when the server gave us a desert menu, then we saw the 3.5% fee. We did not order desert, just asked for the check and left. Also, debt card fees are fixed at 0.05% + $0.22 as per federal law (2010 Dodd-Frank Act), yet they charged my debit card the 3.5% fee. There is also no notice anywhere in the restaurant of this fee. I sell products for a living at a store not far from Ramsey, NJ. I've sold products for well over two decades to the public and always accepted credit cards. Never once did I charge an debt or credit card fee to any of them. It's really appalling merchants such as this get away with breaking the law, and no one does anything about this. We will not be going back. More merchants should be called out for NOT DISPLAYING OR DISCLOSING CREDIT CARD AND DEBT FEES BEFORE YOU SIT DOWN OR WALK INTO THE RESTAURANT. IT'S JUST BAD FOR BUSINESS. The place was half empty, so I am not surprised that others also feel the same way. read more

Went here for lunch on Friday for the first time. Beautiful open restaurant with a nice seating area and bar. We were greeted by a friendly hostess and our waiter was great! The menu is vast and adequately priced, the food was fresh and delicious, the portions were enormous. The staff also do not rush you between courses which is very nice. We will return! read more

Amazing seafood and drinks. An absolute must-visit if you can. Especially for the Varka Chips.

Frequent visitor, food is great, service and ambiance is exceptional and the prices are fantastic.

First time there, hearts lots of great reviews from others. One of their busiest night's and sitting at the bar. Unbelievable service by bartenders Fabio and Adolf. read more

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I had a very nice experience this Labor Day Weekend at Varka. The staff was very professional and the food and drinks were on point. I recommend Varka to lovers of Greek food. I got the fish and chips with a mojito and everything was great! read more

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

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I've been there many times I stopped going often because I think the prices are way out of line. The food is good but it's not gold. Their prices have even gone higher their drink prices are pretty outrageous.. I went there the other day and got notified their charging 3.5% if you use a credit card. Add that to a tip for a very expensive bill and I'm not going back. I suppose next we're gonna get a surcharge for electricity? Maybe a rent charge? read more

Food is very good, service quite satisfactory, ambiance festive. Acoustics not great and prices pretty high. read more

We got recommendations from two different people, and it exceeded expectations! Everything was wonderful, from the ambiance, to the unassuming service, to the table side service of our fish. read more

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Love Varka. Pretty fascinating that such a great restaurant is tucked away in Ramsey. Haven't had a bad dish here yet. Prices are higher than average but the quality is worth it. Restaurant has a nice dark ambiance and it's always full so make sure you have reservations. They make an amazing thick cut bone in pork chop and a very interesting lobster pot pie. Go. You will not be disappointed. read more

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Well let me start off by saying I visited this place a couple of years ago and was slightly impressed only to return last night and was super disappointed in the staff service. They were very rude obnoxious and acted like they were doing us a favor. Not accommodating at all rushed us to order. You would expect fo a high in place like this to have a little more respectful service but We did not receive that. I can honestly say I will never return to this place again. read more

Went for my 30th birthday dinner and while it was expensive, it was by far the best fish I've ever had at a restaurant. It was such a great dinner. My husband got the lobster pie and that was phenomenal too. Cocktails were awesome. Great ambiance. We'll be back! read more

Varka Estiatorio - the food is yummy (there isn't anything on the menu that I tried I wouldn't recommend from the dishes to the drinks/cocktails), the service is good, but the prices are high! I came to grab lunch with a bunch of friends, and even their lunch prices were much higher than one would expect to pay. The outside doesn't look like much, but the interior is beautiful, and they have their own parking lot. They are also very accommodating and can adjust the dish to accommodate the amount of people in your group if you have more people than pieces of an item in the dish (like lets say there are only 3 gyros, but you have 4 people, they can make 4 gyros). If you're looking for a nice place to celebrate an occasion and you like Greek food, it's definitely a place to go, but not if you're looking for a casual place for lunch that leans towards a much more wallet friendly price point. read more

Varka Estiatorio - Varka chips, octopus, mini lobster gyros, Greek salad, Greek spreads - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

Went back to Varka against my will as our daughter was treating us and wanted to go there as the food is good. BUT they have the audacity to add 3.5% surcharge to the tab for using a credit card. An unheard of practice. When we called the manager over he was smug and basically said that's the way it is. Well this person will not return. read more

Varka Estiatorio - Beware of the credit card surcharge added to your tab for using a credit card especially an Amex card where they tacked on $7.45. - Greek Near Me - Ramsey, New Jersey

An amazing dining experience with high quality food. Large parking lot in the back, came during 8:30pm on a weekend. Highly recommend making reservations in advance! A good friend of mine works here & gave a nice tip that they can take reservations late until 10pm. Luckily none were that late so she was able to sit with us during our dessert. Upon entering, a lovely bar nestled on the side... it's an open floor plan, you can see the entire restaurant from the entrance. The host desk offers to take your coats & even has a 3 tier complimentary Greek cookies to greet you! My favorite was the almond one. The bar has great cocktails starting typical $12-$14. I was recommended the French martini which is known to be really sweet but instead got the mint one, lightly sweet & strong! Very busy & packed... in the meanwhile everyone should walk over & take a look at their live seafood stall. I nearly jumped when the lobsters wiggled their antennas haha lots of super fresh, super large shrimp & langostines. An amazing display! We started off with delicious Varka Chips & a Greek Spreads. The zucchini & eggplant chips were thin, toasty & hard to stop hogging. The dip platter had 4 types like a hummus, eggplant, tzatziki... but my favorite was the one with the almond called skordalia, I believe. TRY ALL! Oooh, and you must MUST order the grilled octopus! It's one of the things they're known for! The table could not stop raving about this appetizer. My good friend working there recommended the langostines & I should have trusted her, but decided to go with the Lupe de Mar which is a branzino characterized as a "white fish with mild, moist & tender flakes". Very true to its word.. light & fresh. *Heads up: All fish we ordered came with head & tail but filet'd as best as they can! But I wished for something more like my fellow diner who ordered the tasty Angry Lobster. I was very jelly of her dish, very garlicky & cooked just right. The Varka lobster seemed pretty simple compared to the Angry Lobster, of the two choose the latter. The Royal Dorado (from an amateur's POV) was hard to differentiate from my branzino & cooked simply as well like my branzino, splash of lemon... fresh & beautiful in presentation. Lastly, the best part.. dessert. Hard to choose & hard to share lol but we managed to share 4 kinds: the renowned cheesecake, chocolate lava, yogurt & the almond cake. Ranking top 3... 1) cheesecake is AHHHMAZING, best homemade cheesecake I've had in this area, light, fluffy, GENEROUSLY portioned & not too sweet 2) the almond cake came with a delicious gelato, THAT gelato was #2 and lastly 3) chocolate lava, good but not as good as the cheesecake. The yogurt is largely portioned & sweetened with honey & fresh berries, this was also a delish dessert but not my top. But Varka is a must come for a celebration, a romantic date or for delish quality dining. Will return! read more

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Had a dinner party for six people. Ambiance fine Food. Wife and I shared the dinner for two Snapper. Large portion of Soft mushy tasteless fish. Two of our party had the Angry Lobster. Looked good tough and overcooked. One had shrimp wrapped in phyllo special, Ok would not order again, Number six had Halibut and was satisfied with his meal. Appetizers good, Varka chips, grilled octopus very good. Total Bill 673 which included 18,00 fee for using a credit card. I do not carry that kind of cash. Added insult to injury. Not my idea of how to treat customers. read more

Amazing all around. You get what you pay for. Excellent drinks, food and service. Small bar, but if get there early, it's a good scene

I believe the quality of the food and the technique preparing some of it earned them the 4 stars. I loved the Tuna entrée. It was cooked to perfection and the quality and size of the fish portion made me happy. Also enjoyed very much the zucchini chips, it is not easy to fry so well. I missed a bit more tzatziki for so many chips. The bread they brought in the beginning was really nice too. What I did not like was the ambience, it was uncomfortably noisy, like a sports bar, not OK. Our waiter wore a mask and every time he came to speak to us he would lower it in our face (probably so we could hear him better). He kept doing it over and over. All the other waiters wore masks except for one guy dressed in black that walked like the chief he did not have to. The patrons... I did not see a mask anywhere and the place was packed. Also their beer selection is very poor for this decade. Not one single IPA, no Stouts, no Porter. read more

I've been here a few times and this last time was TERRIBLE. I decided to take my mom here for her birthday and I kind of regret it, as we were waiting for the waiter to come I noticed the owner was being very negative and openly yelling at his employees in the middle of the restaurant which was very rude. Also, they have all their seafood on display in the back which is nice but the waiters WITHOUT gloves on grab the fish, throw it on a scale, then WITHOUT washing their hands after touching the fish touch the computers. One guy even scratched his crotch then grabbed the fish. That's disgusting especially as someone with an extreme seafood allergy that definitely makes me not want to come here again. Very unprofessional. read more

We were looking for some good seafood places and stumbled upon this place on yelp. We didn't have reservations but we did get seated right away. The place was fancy for sure! By the time we left there were a lot of people. We got the octopus, seasonal fish and galactobourico. We weren't sure on octopus, but they suggested that it was the best appetizer! We tried it and we were in shock for sure. It didn't taste fishy at all. It was well marinated and it almost felt like chicken lol. Will definitely recommend the octopus for sure! The seasonal fish was huge! We got a 2.8lb one and it was the right amount for 2 people. They even give you the head of the fish to eat, but we didn't touch it. Lol. And for dessert the galactobourico was the cherry on top for the dinner! It was so good!! Will definitely come back again! read more

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This is authentic Greek restaurant; with professional staff and very busy. The food definitely above average and appetizers are great. However, the price is very high with average of $90 person without drink. read more

Best seafood restaurant in New Jersey. Excellent food and friendly service!!!!!!!!!!!!