"It's a breath of fresh air." "The neighborhood needs more restaurants like this." "A diamond in the rough." You've heard it all before so I won't cliche you to death (well, not more than I already have). An interesting concept as it's a Mediterranean menu that doesn't focus exclusively on any of the Mediterranean cuisines, with Greek and Italian and Spanish et al items on the menu, you have a good selection to choose from. In the two times that I've been here, the food has been very good. Salt crusted branzino was cooked decently although there were supposedly boned despite them deboning, octopus app was tasty, and burrata was delicious on the crusty olive-oil-topped toasted ciabatta. The best part was, both times I've been here it was full but not crowded and the prices were extremely reasonable (for NYC at least). Definitely a place that I'll go again and a great place to take people who have more conservative tastes who want to try something a bit "adventurous" read more

Extremely disappointed. I had brunch on Amali few months ago and it was amazing. I went back today and the food was very bad. The chekhchouka was disgusting. Coming from a north african country i can confirm that it was a joke. Not even close to a real chekhchouka and it was acidic. The carvalli was too salty and too much far. On the top we had to pay 142 dollars for the horrible food. I strongly don't recommend read more

Came here for dinner on a whim after spending the afternoon in town. The wait staff was very attentive, and helped us navigate the menu regarding dietary restrictions, and recommended their own favorites along with what was freshest. Farm to Table dining is important to me, and the meat entrees were all labeled with the farms from where the items were sourced. We started with the beat and hummus, and fresh mozz apps, then enjoyed the scallops and brick baked chicken. Both dishes were cooked just right, and seasoned nicely. My only gripe was that I wanted the skin on the chicken to be a little crispier. The scallops were a definite hit though! Will definitely come back again for the fresh pasta! read more

On our last day in NYC, we attempted to go to The Met... but the line was too long and our flight was in a few hours so we found this place as we wandered back to our hotel. It was a small, quaint place with amazing food! The octopus appetizer was delicious and one of my favorites! The octopus was perfectly cooked so it was not overly chewy and the bed of veggies it came with complimented the octopus well. I don't remember the name of my dish but it was a Benedict-like brunch entree. A perfectly cooked poached egg on top of wilted kale and a piece of what looked like baguette bread. Yum! My husband got a ragu pasta that was pretty good too. read more

Amali - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

Updated review again - the manager reached out to me after my lackluster takeout experience and offered a full refund! Awesome and really unexpected customer service! I don't do reviews in pursuit of that outcome, but it was nice to see that they take this very seriously, I really wasn't expecting it after I reached back out either. I'll come back and try the spaghetti al chitarra again soon! read more

A beautiful restaurant, great for a date night with the ladies or your romantic partner. We ordered the octopus and the spicy dip as our appetizers. The octopus was cooked perfectly, very tender. I'd skip the dip. I shared the pork belly and the risotto with my mom. We enjoyed both dishes. For dessert, we got the chocolate ricotta cheesecake and a latte. The meal was delightful and very filling. Overall, it's a nice spot to get a lovely dinner. read more

Beautiful restaurant and delicious food! The 5-6 Aperitivo hour is definitely worth attending :) read more

Nice ambiance. Food is so so. Fluke crudo was great; delicate fish and zesty kumquat go well together. Tagliatelle Bolognese is made with house paste. It was well-made classic but didn't blow our mind. Now, grass fed beef was really bad. Cut was horrible with third of it being fat and connecting tissue. We asked for medium and it arrived medium well. Meat had wierd aftertaste. I asked the waiter about the cut and aftertaste. His reply was that this meat comes with organic Happy Valley farm and it is great meat. I raised my concerns and I was told to enjoy it. We paid 50 for really bad piece of meat. Anyway, there are other options around the area in this price range which are much better. read more

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Came to Amali with my father and brother for his birthday. Dad and I arrived a bit early, so we say at the bar and ordered a couple drinks. I got a kettle dirty martini, which was great, and dad got a gin and tonic. During our convo dad knocked over his drink and the bartender quickly replaced it, no questions asked. Once my brother arrived we were immediately seated. The atmosphere is very clean and earthy feeling - very relaxed. Our waitress arrived shortly and took drink orders. (They have a great wine selection, btw) Food: started with a cheese, the rogue smoky blue. It was great! Only issue: three people eating and only three crackers given with a big piece of cheese. Gimme some more crackers please! Appetizers: Octopus a la Plancha - yum yum yum. The acidity of this dish was great. Definitely a must order dish! and Pink Shrimp: holy moly garlic... So good! They give you two pieces of bread with this but we asked for more (Greeks need to dip!) and it wasn't an issue at all. Entrees: I got the Braised Rabbit. Definitely enjoyed it although not sure I would order it again. Just wasn't wowed by it. My brother ordered the Grass Fed Beef, now that was good! It came a la carte so he ordered a special side of the day which was sweet potato with bacon and herbs - also very good! Dad ordered the grilled dorade (porgy), it was super lemony and grilled beautifully. He ordered spinach as his side, which he also enjoyed. Dessert: we ordered the hot cocoa cake - a warm chocolate cake filled with a spicy chocolate gelato and topped with a burnt marshmallow topping. It was very rich but very very good. They sent an apple and quince crostata with honey vanilla gelato as a birthday dessert for my brother. That happened to be his fave of the desserts. Overall, we all enjoyed dining at Amali. It is definitely a restaurant that I would gladly return to with an appetite! read more

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I was very excited to try Amali, but honestly it was just okay. For a restaurant of such class, the food was a little bit bland and lacked flavor. Everything was very fresh and well cooked, but there was something missing. I had the tagliatelle bolognese, my friend had the tagliatelle with a butter cheese sauce, and my other friend had the pork. The dessert was very good! I has the coffee brûlée. You could really taste the roasted coffee and the milk gelato on the city was delicious! My friend had the gelato with salted caramel and also loved it! The restaurant is overpriced for what they have to offer. read more

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Phenomenal food and service. We loved everything about the restaurant. I highly recommend the duck and the lobster tortellini.

Excellent! Absolutely exceptional dishes, each an inventive but perfect creation The drinks were of the highest quality and even the classics were special The staff was Incredibly warm and professional The vibe was as wonderful as the food; nice lighting, cozy but easy to see, ample space between tables and attractive features to each room Definitely an incredible culinary experience! read more

A good dinner but nothing special to draw you back. Our server was very friendly and helpful, a stark contrast to the male host who was awkward and cold. The back area was big and bright but had a stale smell in the air. We were a group of 6 and were seated comfortably. The food was just ok. The octopus, tagliatelle, lobster bucatini, and scallops were our better dishes. Skip the skordalia dip, croquettes, burrata, mushroom polenta, and broccoli. They were mostly underwhelming and the dip had a slimy texture that wasn't very palatable. Overall, good for groups and ok food. read more

Cool vibe. Friendly staff Sommelier was extremely helpful!! Funky 80's music was in the background. Cool artwork. Food and wine great roasted broccoli was AMAZING! read more

Let's get this straight right off the bat: the food at Amali is really good. My friend and I ordered branzino with roasted broccoli and cauliflower, and we loved it. The problem is everything else: this is an Upper East Side fine dining restaurant with Bloomingdales and many media/law practice businesses in the area. This is generally a corporate credit card kind of place. All the surfaces are hard -- nothing to absorb the sound -- so it is very noisy and it doesn't take much to get there. On top of the noise, they're playing classic rock over the sound system. Maybe that's good for an East Village bar. Not an UES fine dining establishment. I also found our waiter to be too aggressive -- hovering around, pushing appetizers and drinks and desserts relentlessly. He was almost in our faces sometimes. All of this pretty much distracted from the quality of the cooking and food. And I just don't need that when I meet somebody for dinner. read more

Food was not bad, but I would expect more given the price tag. Mediocre service. All in probably 3.5 star if Yelp allows that option. read more

Amali - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

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Very great service, no much wait time. Plus the handsome server has great attitudes. Also, the food is great. The steak is super tender and the lobster pasta is so so so so so good. Also the octopus is juicy and soft, the wine with the octopus is perfect match! read more

Amali - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

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4 girls: 1 from the UES, 2 from afterwork on Park ave., 1 directly from JFK were gathering that night so I though Amali was a great location for all of us to meet. We ordered an elegant Greek wine suggested by the sommelier that was super affordable, we shared the velvety buratta and octopus to start, had decadent bite of lobster pasta (I detected uni?) which was perfect to share with 4, and had juicy and crispy chicken and dorade for main. The only thing I did not care was the dorade, a little oceanic for my taste but everyone else seem to not mind. We finished dinner with an apple crostata and boozy baba au rhum. I had initially picked Amali for the location but I was relieved that the food was delicious as well. One had jet lag and one had a power lunch so we didn't order 1 entree per person but the portions were right for us that night. Our table sat right before prime time on Friday so there were few tables open but the bar got packed quick right after and I saw many waiting for tables to open. Amali is casual but proper and mature that it'll be perfect to take my parents when they are in town. read more

Amali - Burrata and octopus - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

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Ámali is absolutely the best Mediterranean food I've ever had. Every single plate we had was fresh, delightful and original. Please try their olive oil cake. Olivia the pastry chef explained to us how she made it. She is so sweet and brilliant. Thank you everyone for such a wonderful experience. read more

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I partnered with Amali to host an event for one of my clients in the upstairs Sofra room. The private event space was beautiful and the perfect size for our intimate gathering and the staff was extremely helpful in every step of the process. We had some very unique requests (sourcing bananas and hazelnuts), which Amali was able to do in a timely manner - and even ran to the next door deli the night of the event when a few of the bananas were too overripe! The events manager Steven helped provide us with a soundsystem, florals, flatware, serving dishes, cutting boards and more, and allowed us to use the beautiful marble (I think?) chef counter at the front the room. In the fireplace room at the entrance, they let our production team arrive early to set up a unique display of our products. The servers the night of were lovely and kept our guests' wine glasses full with a smile on their face. The staff even helped to plate and serve a custom appetizer using my client's product (cheese). It was the perfect venue to create a completely customized brand event. read more

Needed a place to stop in for lunch and Amali fit the bill. First let me say that service here is impeccable. Came in, was seated promptly, and our waiter was attentive but not overbearing (and also made some great suggestions). Food was absolutely delicious; simple, but I could eat it all day long. Our waiter suggested the Octupus a la Plancha appetizer, and at first I was a little unsure. Octopus? But all my qualms were assured once I took that first bite. Oh my goodness it was the best octopus I've ever eaten. For my entree I ordered the Fresh Spaghetti which consists of their homemade fresh pasta and an interesting but still good tomato sauce. It's not a typical tomato sauce, it had a unique taste probably from the cured tomatoes they use, but again still delicious. The fresh pasta definitely makes a difference. My friend ordered the Roasted Tilefish which was also really good (although they had to substitute the Tilefish that day for a different type of fish). It was my first time eating Fregola which are like little pasta beads. Everything was seasoned wonderfully, light but flavorful. Great food, great service. Would definitely come back! read more

My friend raves about this place so was excited to go...not impressed! I had croquettes that were basically dry fried bread balls and the sauce was SO hot that I could not eat it. (And this is from a person who likes wasabi and spicy Indian.) We had a butterflied shrimp appetizer (I believe it was $20something) I swear to you there was like one inch of shrimp in it. The octopus was also difficult to find in the mound of greens. They brought the wrong dish for me and by the time they served it my partner was almost done with his entree. Hey--things happen but maybe say you're sorry with a little wine? Not a chance. Finally we had a dessert and the ice cream must have been scooped with a melon baller. I mean come on---ice cream is not expensive...be a little more generous. The only really good thing of the evening was my friend's chicken entree which was plentiful and cooked moist to perfection. With the prices they charge I expected more. Will not return. read more

I recently enjoyed a lovely evening at Amali. My friend and I sat in their cozy outdoor covered patio & they sat us right next to a heat lamp so we were very comfortable even on a chilly night. The service really stood out to me, we were very well taken care of. and the food was so good, very fresh and authentic tasting meal plus delicious cocktails. The staff provided hand sanitizer & the tables were appropriately spaced out within the patio. Overall we had a fabulous time and I would definitely go back! read more

Amali is really exceptional. Clean, vibe is cool. Amali had just absolutely excellent food. I had Roasted Broccoli and really loved it. I certainly liked the service as well, they are really polite and accommodating. Overall, I really highly recommend Amali. read more

Came for NYE 2021 and received attentive and welcoming service, great food, lovely outdoors set up with balloons and lights and heat lamps, and even a complimentary glass of champagne and party favors for a 9:30pm pre New Year's Eve countdown toast (as restaurants are required to close at 10pm) these days. Would definitely come back again! We shared several appetizers and veggies and also had the scallops which were delicious. The banana pudding was a bit thicker than we expected so wouldn't recommend it. There was also an extra added Covid fee which we probably didn't see at the time on their menu but with everything Amali did to make the night as special as could be given the circumstances, we didn't mind paying it at all. Price was very reasonable overall even with our two bottles of white wine. read more

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Food here is pretty good, but docked a star for the price since I thought it was quite pricey even for NYC standards. Came here in a party for 2 with reservation at 8:30pm on a weeknight and it was packed so I would recommend making a res beforehand. We ordered 2 apps and an entree to share, which I found was the perfect amount of food. We got the octopus, which was very flavorful and tender and the parsley salad the accompanied the dish was good too. Our other appetizer was the chickpea and cauliflower fritters, which were airy and fluffy and went well with the sauce they provided. For the entree, we ordered the bass, which was also cooked perfectly. read more

Amali was our first dinner on our end of the year trip to New York. We planned to try only new restaurants on this trip instead of going to our "usual suspects" and after reading the good reviews on yelp and we bookmarked this spot. The place is cozy and intimate and we were seated promptly for our early reservation. I do remember the cocktails were excellent - but I can't remember exactly which one I had. We started with an order of the eggplant appetizer which was as good as everyone on yelp said. Our main course was the Short Rib entree that is suitable for sharing and we added an order of brussel sprouts which were the highlight of our visit. They were firm and coated with a sweet and tart mustard-syrup glaze and cheese. Everything we ordered was solidly good. I would say the opportunity for Amali in our opinion was with the service. I can't remember her name but she was indifferent and really added nothing positive to the dining experience. There are many, many choices for dining in NY, especially in this area and when traveling here for a limited amount of time you want to choose wisely. I enjoyed Amali and would probably dine here again if other options were limited but wouldn't add it to my "NY Dining Recommendations" list. read more

Amali - Short Ribs sharing portion and amazing Brussel Sprouts - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

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Had a nice dinner here last night with a friend. The herb bread that was put out before the mea was delicious -- crusty and warm and everything bread should be. We shared the burrata for an appetizer, which was accompanied by a delicious strawberry salsa. An overall good choice. For entrees, my friend had a sizable portion of chicken under a brick, and I had halibut. The halibut was perfectly buttery, and I loved the almond on top. For dessert, we shared gelato and sherbert, which tasted fresh and was just what we needed to cap off our meal. Overall worth the cheat night :) Also have to give points for ambiance -- nice and quiet in here. read more

Four of us ate here last night and it was amazing!! From the food to the drinks to the service and ambiance, this place deserves 5 stars. The cocktails were delicious and everything we ate was so good. The outside set up was so pretty and the heaters were going strong. It's partially covered, but it looked like there were only tables for two under the covered area, and as we were a table of four we sat next to it (but under heaters so we were fine). At the end of the meal we were given complimentary shots of a delicious mix of alcohol, something with tequila and sake and some other liquor. It went down easily, and was the perfect top off to an amazing dinner. We will be back! read more

Amali - Frascatelli, Painted Hill Farm Ribeye, Tagliatelle, Cauliflower - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

So slow and overpriced! The menu & decor looked intriguing. I went for lunch when it was practically empty. There was only one other table. Hardly any vegetarian options. I don't know how this restaurant will stay in business. Maybe tourists don't know any better in that neighborhood. read more

10 out of 10 food and service! First off - the sesame bread comes with a feta type dip that is to die for. Super satisfying way to start off a meal. Then we got the stracciatella and the toro appetizer which came with FREE glasses of sake. The cheese was super creamy and the fish fresh. We also got two of the pastas as a main course - the cavatelli and the truffle dish. I would recommend the cavatelli over the truffle personally but both were amazing. Finally, the wait staff here was incredibly kind and attentive and that what was really pushed my rating for this place over the top. I would definitely come here again! read more

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Great date spot. Really warm space heaters too. Marcos was a great server! Lots of fun.

I was really disappointed by this place. We walked in tonight to get wine and dessert. I ordered their almond amoretto cake, which is pricey but the dessert was tiny and tasted like a cheap store bought dessert. So then me and my friend decided to share an entree because we did not finish the cake (it was really bad!). The manager walked up to us and took our order and recommended that we each get pasta to which we said "No thanks we just came here for the dessert and since it was disappointing we decided just to split a pasta" and he said OK. Nothing else. Food is overpriced and not worth it. I won't be back there again :( read more

This place is ok. Drinks are really good . Server are nice . But food is just meh . It's so so.

Super delish! Adorable eatery steps from Bloomies. Lovely lunch choices; nice wine menu as well. The service was wonderful. We had the smoked trout salad and charcuterie plate as well as the broccoli with pine nuts as a side. Great dining experience. (Photo: Skordalia dip: Garlic potatoes, almonds and grilled pita) read more

Amali - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

I don't come to this part of town often, preferring to stay and dine downtown. Really enjoyed my meal here, and additionally got to sample other appetizers that were shared with the table. Appetizers: I have had some really disappointing octopus lately. This was delicious and prepared to perfection. Great texture, ultra fresh and seasoned just right. The beet salad was equally delicious. This salad and the octopus would make for a great meal. Portion sizes are generous. Also sampled the burrata. Creamy and addicting. For my entree I had the Bronzino. They asked if I would like this filet and I gladly accepted. It was not done table side, which is unusual, but I was with a large group of eight. The fish tasted very good, and was a big portion, but was room temperature when it was served so did not show it's full potential. All good. This is a very good restaurant! read more

I went to an amazing wine tasting event at Amali last year, and was blown away. James Mallios, a manager partner at Amali, led the tasting. Our group sat around a beautiful table in the upstairs private room and listened as he dropped knowledge. Luckily for us, Mallios is an oenophile. He is hilarious and knows a TON about wine, so we had an excellent time and were laughing a lot in addition to enjoying many glasses and sampling delightful appetizers and salumi. After the tasting finished, we didn't want the evening to end so we ordered entrees and more small plates. It was delightful and I can't wait to go back. I highly recommend it for dining in general and also for private events as the space, food and drinks are wonderful. A lovely spot on the UES. read more

One of the worst values I've ever seen in 20+ years of dining in Manhattan. $38 for TWO scallops is obnoxious and an insult to the intelligence of their customers. And the place was nearly empty on a gorgeous summer night....I should have known better, but now you do. Staff was fine, blame goes squarely on whomever manages/owns this spot. read more

The food was amazing and definitely worth 5 stars. The only reason I'd subtract one star is because the prices were pretty outrageous, even for NYC standards. I had the chicken under a brick, which was crisp, juicy and flavorful all at the same time, and the ingredients it was served upon were mouth watering. We also got the steak which was similarly delicious. While I understand paying top dollar for steak, I'm not sure the chicken was priced accordingly with its peers. Luckily I had a 15% off discount for showing my ticket stub to the nearby 59E59 theatres, so it made it a bit more reasonable. All in all, I'd definitely recommend checking the place out, especially if you can get the same discount by going to 59E59 for a show. read more

Offers clean and fresh Mediterranean. The care and creativeness of the establishment chef and staff is obvious from their cleverly and well presented food. The taste is refreshing and sophisticated, while not getting ahead of itself. its intention as a simple meal is met well with their menu. We had the burrata, and enjoyed spreading the mozzarella and strawberry radish over the crisp bread. Each bite was delicious. The salads are a perfect lunch meal, while the pasta is both satisfying, yet doesn't feel you heavy. The portions are on the smaller side, but I would say it is a case of quality over quantity. The staff were all incredibly helpful and friendly. An overall fantastic lunch experience. read more