There will probably be days while you lookup on the sky and all you see are clouds formed like lamb chops and large blocks of feta. This might be since you just lately fell asleep watching Mamma Mia: Right here We Go Once more (and now that film is part of your mind) – or, extra possible, it’s since you need some Greek meals. Both manner, use this information to our favourite Greek eating places in NYC. Loads of the locations are in Astoria (attributable to the truth that Astoria has loads of glorious Greek meals), however there are additionally a bunch of different nice spots throughout the town. And regardless of the place it’s, each single one in all these eating places is value a visit.
THE SPOTS
Taverna Kyclades is one in all Astoria’s best-loved Greek eating places. Between the constantly glorious meals and comfy, low key environment, we’ve by no means had a foul expertise right here. Seafood is the specialty, and your order needs to be constructed round no matter entire fish sounds finest with a facet (or two) of tart, melt-in-your-mouth lemon potatoes. Bulk it out with loads of sharable starters, just like the assortment of dips, some charred greek sausage, and the complimentary galaktoboureko they drop on the finish of the meal.
Astoria is house to plenty of glorious souvlaki vehicles, however you’ll all the time see a crowd round Franky’s on Steinway, and for good purpose. Their meat (beef, pork, hen, lamb, shrimp) is top quality, and so they put giant, beneficiant chunks of it of their gyros and sandwiches. The very best experiences listed below are spontaneous, when the odor of freshly cooked meat wafts down the road and you may’t resist stopping by for a properly seasoned stick of lamb.
picture credit score: Daniel Krieger
Loi Estiatorio is a kind of Midtown spots that feels prefer it’s been round ceaselessly, however stays underneath the radar. The main focus at this unfussy restaurant could be very a lot on the meals, which features a easy, however skillfully ready branzino and a flavorful Greek salad topped with creamy feta that finally ends up being a shock favourite. The eating room may use a bit of pizzazz, however that is nonetheless a great spot to grow to be a lunchtime common, and also you’ll see folks having semi-formal celebration dinners and date nights right here too.
To Laiko is a Greek espresso store proper by the Ditmars station in Astoria that makes glorious frappes and even higher pies. The pies are full of spinach, halloumi, meat, or leek, with thick, buttery shells which are simply flaky sufficient. There are additionally plenty of different candy and savory pastries and low drinks, so use this place as a pitstop for some breakfast earlier than you get on the prepare.
The entryway of Bahari Estiatorio in Astoria has an enormous fridge on show of once-living fish with eyes that comply with you want they’re in a portray. However transfer previous the fish and also you’ll see two enormous eating areas giant sufficient to host a marriage (we’re sure these occur right here). This place is big, and normally fairly busy with teams ingesting carafes of wine and ordering seafood from the show up entrance. We particularly just like the lamb chops right here, and the assortment of Greek dips which are divided up with items of cucumbers into a bit of wreath. Should you’re searching for someplace to have a celebration, this can be a nice alternative.
A tiny, glorious Greek restaurant on seventh Road within the East Village. Pylos is a kind of spots that you simply both find out about and completely love, or have by no means heard of. There isn’t any in between. Deal with the appetizers, like fried zucchini, halloumi, after which be certain to get the artichoke moussaka.
Of all of the locations on this checklist, Astoria Seafood is the one one the place you get to hand-pick precisely what you wish to eat. This place is a component fish market and half restaurant, and there’s an enormous show within the again the place you get to decide on your individual seafood and bag it up earlier than you hand it over to the kitchen. There’s all the time a reasonably large collection of issues like snapper, porgy, shrimp, and octopus, and when your server delivers all the pieces contemporary from the grill, you’ll be pleased about each very last thing you selected. As an added bonus, this place is BYOB. The one actual draw back is that it will get extraordinarily busy, nevertheless it’s value a wait. So choose up just a few bottles, and convey some associates.
picture credit score: Chona Kasinger
Aliada’s menu is stuffed with fairly typical Greek specialties. There’s an extremely delicate and citrus-y octopus dish with tomatoes, caper berries, and onions on high, and a few fried and candy saganaki triangles that we’d like for our subsequent birthday cake. This Astoria spot is the form of snug, laid-back place the place you may carry your complete household or somebody you hope to in the future persuade to satisfy your complete household. There’s a terrific patio space out entrance with herb planters in all places, and inside, there are bowls of tomatoes sitting round only for enjoyable.
Telly’s Taverna has about as many choices for grilled entire fish as there are birthday playing cards in CVS categorized as “humorous birthday.” However in contrast to a card with a glittery sloth on it, you’ll truly wish to spend cash on these fish. Decide your favourite (when you want a visible, they’re all sitting on ice within the entrance of the restaurant) after which get some grilled or fried greens and spanakopita. The quantity of tables at Telly’s is infinite, and so they even have some good sidewalk seating and an enclosed backyard within the again. That is a number of the finest Greek meals in Astoria – which, as you’ll discover from this information, is saying one thing.
Should you put Agnanti Meze on the Decrease East Aspect, there could be a line to get in each single night time. That’s how good the meals right here is. Happily for you, this place is in Astoria, the place there’s an abundance of high quality Greek meals – and you may most likely cease by and get a desk proper now. This place serves a number of the finest grilled octopus within the neighborhood, and so they additionally make some excellent dips and a bunch of issues wrapped in puff pastry that you simply’ll take into consideration when you lie awake at night time. Convey a date or an enormous group, and go for a stroll by Astoria Park (throughout the road) afterward.
This small West Village spot has a loyal following and a very good Greek salad. It additionally has a terrific wine checklist filled with Greek wines that begin at $12 by the glass, and it’s excellent for a date night time within the West Village while you wish to share a bunch of issues (like zucchini fritters and saganaki) and depart with out spending all the cash you might have earmarked for clothes and shelter. Begin with the lamb meatballs, and make a reservation. This place fills up at night time.
picture credit score: Noah Devereaux
Loukoumi is the identify of a youngsters’s e-book a few cute little lamb. It’s additionally the identify of this traditional Greek institution that serves a wonderful plate of lamb (don’t overthink this when you’re there). This Astoria spot is a bit additional East than loads of the opposite Greek eating places within the neighborhood, however the meals and backyard patio make it value a visit over. They serve conventional dishes like souvlaki and saganaki, however we like a number of the lesser-known dishes finest and would come again once more only for the sweetbreads.
Akrotiri is one more glorious Greek restaurant in Astoria, and it’s excellent for a date or a pleasant meal with just a few individuals who don’t thoughts spending round $50 per particular person on dinner. It’s a bit of extra upscale than a number of the different spots within the space, and the menu has a bunch of issues like lobster pasta, truffled squid ink taramasalata, and a saganaki with quinoa and tiger shrimp. However we desire the extra conventional gadgets like the assorted forms of entire fish, the sliced octopus over black eyed peas, and the grilled Greek sausage that’s nearly excellent when you squeeze some lemon over it.
If you’d like Greek brunch, Ovelia on thirtieth Avenue in Astoria is the most effective place to have it. Throughout weekend mornings, they’ve Greek-inspired dishes like bacon egg and cheese on pita, and an excellent stack of baklava pancakes (made with entire wheat flour, walnuts, and loads of honey). At dinner, the menu is a little more conventional, with dips, salads, and big entrees. Should you eat meat, the monastiraki bifteki is what you need to be ordering right here – it comes with fries and kebabs with floor lamb, beef, and pork.
The taramosalata at Souvlaki GR ought to include two little yellow strips of mouth warning tape for after you eat it (it’s intensely fishy, superb, and we give it some thought on a regular basis). Other than the fish dip, we depend on the Greek wraps and different mezzes at this place for a fast and cheap meal that’s constantly good.
A part of the explanation why we like Gregory’s is as a result of it looks like the house of somebody who’s been to Greece many instances and all the time brings again a minimum of seven souvenirs. It’s a small area, adorned with seashells, flags, mannequin boats, and numerous work of seaside scenes on what look like Greek islands. And the opposite purpose why we like this place is for the scrumptious, easy meals. The calamari and octopus are particularly good right here – however when you simply need one factor, order some shawarma with lemon potatoes.
Greek potatoes are the best potatoes. For proof of this, it’s best to go to Yefsi on the Higher East Aspect and order something that comes with a facet of them. They’re sliced in half, extraordinarily lemon-y, and get up on the plate like little Stonehenge wannabees. This spot is unquestionably on the flowery facet, and it’s best to reserve it for dinners the place everyone seems to be snug spending a bit of cash. Order the zucchini chips and lamb souvlaki, and it’ll be value it.
picture credit score: Alex Staniloff
Very similar to a video of a raccoon consuming grapes or a big provide of unpopped bubble wrap, the lamb chops at Elea won’t ever fail to please us. They arrive with an enormous pile of fries on the facet, and so they’re one in all our favourite issues to eat on the UWS. The crudo and hummus are additionally nice, and, as an added bonus, the area is large enough to fit your needs and each single one in all your acquaintances. There’s a sexy upstairs with white partitions and a U-shaped bar the place you possibly can seize some meals by your self, and there’s additionally an enormous downstairs space that’s excellent for group dinners.
This New York Metropolis traditional has been open because the ’80s, and your loved ones members who’ve lived in NYC ceaselessly most likely nonetheless adore it. Should you’ve by no means been, it’s best to go expertise it for your self. Not simply as a relic of a time when the time period “Fashionable Greek Delicacies” was a brand new factor on this metropolis, however as a legitimately good choice for an upscale dinner in Flatiron. Persist with the classics (just like the octopus, the greek salad, and rabbit stew) and attempt to sit within the all-white greenhouse area within the again.