Turkish Cuisine

A friend and I had after-theatre dinner here, and asked for the prix-fixe dinner special for $26.95. You not only get soup or salad, but a choice of entree, beverage (tea, or rich Turkish coffee), and a dessert. A wonderful deal, and no small portions here. We both had the rich lentil soup to start; perfect for a chilly evening, and then had a chicken and lamb dish with salad, kofta and other delectable sides. I had the creme brulee for dessert with mint tea, and my friend had the Turkish coffee with pastry. They also have a weekly lunch special for $10.95. The ambiance is cozy, but colorful, warm and inviting. They also don't rush you out, like some restaurants do in order to maintain seating requests. A party of two doesn't need a reservation here, really. My friend had made one, anyway, but we got there about an hour earlier, and were promptly seated. By the time we left, the place was packed! Turkish and Middle Eastern food is hearty and filling, and you leave satisfied. For the price and the charm, this is a nice place to know about. I'd highly recommend it. more

We had lunch here- they have a$10.99 lunch special. It included appetizer, entre, drink. I had the cold spinach appetizer with a bit of white sauce on top- very good-really decent size. My husband and the other couple had the hummus-very good- came with a bunch of hot pita. For entre, I had the chicken kabob and my husband and others had the kofti - ground lamb. Both came with salad, rice with bits of veggies in it and some red cabbage. Drinks were either hot/cold tea or soda. since it's a few blocks from the port authority terminal, it's really convenient for day trippers. Would definitely go back again. more

We ordered the Sigara Boregi for an appetizer. It consisted of 4 small pieces that were sitting on a bed of wilted, brown tinged iceberg lettuce. They were tasty but rather ordinary, and for $6.95 I expected more food with a better display. I ordered the Chicken Beyti Kebab. The portion was quite large, about 8 pieces. The sauce was light and nicely spiced, although the filo wrapping the meat quickly became soggy. The meat was grilled nicely. The salad had too much dressing and was soggy and consisted of more of the wilted iceberg lettuce. My husband ordered the Combo Grill which consisted of a variety of grilled meats, rice, tomatoes and peppers. It seemed to be a bit on the dry side, but was a fairly decent portion. The prices of the entrees range from $15.95 to $17.95. They are NOT $8.95 to $15.95. I don't feel the quality of the food is worth these prices. It is decent, but I feel it is comparable to any diner/cafe food, cooked and presented without much imagination. I would expect to pay between $10.00 and $12.00 for this type of food, at the very most. The beers were $7.00 each, I feel they could have been priced at $5.00. There was no room for desert, although the tray presented to us looked quite tasty. Our bill came to about $96.00, for 2 people. Service was attentive, without feeling rushed. We sat in the garden out back. It would have been nice as there are a few large trees shading it, but there was too much noise coming from the establishment next door as well as the sounds of air conditioners humming. The inside of the restaurant is decorated with cheap tourist souvenirs, fairly uncomfortable patio furniture and the lighting is too bright. The bathroom door does not lock. I feel this establishment caters mostly to the Broadway tourist crowd who may feel they are getting a bargain (euro to dollar). There are too many other great restaurants in this city, priced more reasonably and with better atmosphere. We won't be returning. Pros: Convenient location, not crowded Cons: Overpriced, ordinary food more

This place is a really nice find - with good food at decent prices. I've been here several times, and I haven't been disappointed. The walls and tables are adorned with the 'evil eye', which was a little startling when I had first stepped into this restaurant. The babaganoush and falafel are good appetizers. As for the entrees, unless the entree is broiled, grilled or baked, the other main dishes seem to be a bit greasy (i.e.: chicken with couscous, chicken & eggplant kebabs) but they are still very tasty. Warning about service: while the wait staff is friendly - just beware of one of the waitresses who comes across extremely disgruntled and a bit aggressive. Pros: good food, good prices, in a nice area (Hell' Kitchen) Cons: (1) disgruntled waitress more

This place has some serious kitsch going on, but in a good way. The glittery table clothes and geomentric art was set off by the shelves of figurines, and other little trinkets spread throughout the tiny restuarant. Cozy and inviting, good service, knowledgable and helpful waitresses who will make excellent suggestions. Interesting desserts, I recommend the white one with the filo dough and walnuts. Overall good food, good fun. Pros: Good, fast service, fun atmosphere. more

The food is good - especially all the small plates...amazing falafel and tabouleh (?) salad. The place is small...quaintly decorated. Nothing fancy but eclectic and appealing with enough ""evil eye"" ward off charms to protect all in the restaurant forever! Definitely worth going if you want some Turkish food. The staff was also friendly... Pros: falafel more

The impression we got was of Turkish comfort food. Nothing sophisticated. Kebabs and couscous and salads, mainly. But for where it is, and how much more expensive restauarants up in the West 40s can be, and for something maybe a little different without being scary different, you could do worse. Pros: Good Location, Good Prices, Comfort food Cons: Food a bit bland, Few menu choices, Unmemorable decor more