Amazing experience at Koliba! The food was outstanding; I've eaten Czech food many times but never…read moreat a restaurant - and it was delicious. Our server was very nice and helpful. The restaurant was clean; and my food was fantastic. Huge portion - the beef goulash was perfection!

I went to this restaurant with a group a good while back, as can be seen from Andie's old review…read more This is one of two Czech restaurants in the city, along with Bohemian Spirit, located in the Bohemian National Hall, and the food here reminded me much more closely of what I had in the Czech Republic, or rather, now, Czechia. The inside looks and feels like a tavern, and there was the typical no-nonsense staff you find in Central and Southern European restaurants. They have a very reasonably priced beer menu, especially on tap, and I got a BrouCzech Dark for $7 for half a liter, with a 1/3 liter option for $5, with the other tap options being the pilsners Czechvar and the more standard Urquel. They gave us some free bread to start, before our very heavy shared meal. The first thing to arrive was the Boiled Perogies, consisting of 12 pieces for $25, topped with bacon and sour cream. I usually slightly prefer the fried version, but these were very tasty. It wasn't super doughy compared to most spots, and it had a nice filling. As per usual, the dumplings, which were a bit rich, were balanced by the sour cream. In short, I preferred these over the boiled pierogi from Karczma, among other spots. While we were eating, another smaller plate arrived, the Broiled Klobasa for $13, served with horseradish sauce. I am very particular about sausage quality, as my old hometown has a butcher shop that makes 25/30 homemade products, including many sausages, and this was very tasty. The klobasa had a good smoky flavor and had a good snap. The horseradish, mustard, and pickles on the side helped with the richness. I would recommend this also. For most people, their favorite dish of the evening was the Halusky for $27, or potatoes spaetzle with sheep cheese, topped with bacon. As per the other dishes, the portion size was very generous. The spaetzle had a good texture, and the dish was quite rich, creamy, and salty from the cheese and bacon. This version was comparable, if not better than, the excellent versions at the various Eastern European spots in Manhattan, and I would recommend this as well. Our least favorite dish by a lot was the Pork Schnitzel for $28, made with a potato pancake batter and topped with cheese. This came with a salad and a side item of our choice. The salad was very plain but fresh, with some potatoes and pickled vegetables on the side. The schnitzel lacked a bit of flavor and salt compared to the other dishes. This was the only miss of the evening, but it was still decent as the chicken had a nice breading. Next time, I would probably try their Svíčková, or in other words, beef and cream sauce, to compare it to Spirit and other dishes, such as the roast duck, if it's hopefully available as one of the specials. This was an above-average spot serving a less common cuisine, and I would recommend it.

I lived in Sweden for five years when deciding to grab a cup of coffee I couldn't resist a place…read morecalled a Scandinavian house it was fika time. I was treated to wonderful customer service and a multi course meal really good food with an amazing presentation. I never had monkfish before it was pretty good. This place is Lagom. I was tempted to practice my Swedish on someone however I was way too nervous to even say hello. Maybe I'll muster the courage to try it before I go back to Los Angeles.

Adequate, if not a little more, average take on the Scandinavian classics, this is a good place to…read morestart, especially for those who have not tried this cuisine before. This restaurant (rather, cafe) is a nice way to get in a few dress rehearsals before going out for the real thing. As I am about to embark on a Scandinavian adventure, I had to try the Swedish Meatballs first. They are a great way to start off if you do not know where to begin with this cuisine. The meatballs are delicate, but tasty. The gravy carries a little bit of heat and acid, but it is balanced out by the sweetness of the lingonberry jam, which is balanced out by the pickles. My only fault is of the mashed potatoes, which they cater here to American tastes by dolling it up when it does not need to be. Basic principles, keep it as simple as it is and let the meatballs be the star. That is why it is Swedish Meatballs and not Swedish Mashed Potatoes. Seven to an order is perfectly acceptable. I then had to dive into some dessert. The cinnamon bun is good but not great here. Warm it up and it is fabulous. Served chilled and it feels like something you just got on the back end of an SAS flight. I will note to have these warmed up for future reference. While it is not on the menu, the Princess Cake is an indulgence everyone should try at least once. The distant cousin to the Black Forest Cake in Germany, this feels almost like a caked up version of a Linzer tart. I enjoyed it, albeit it is very rich. Take your time eating it or you will spend your time afterwards regretting your life choices. Respect the cake and take your time eating it. I am happy I got the chance to eat here and gave this little cafe (which is a short walk from Grand Central) a try. Reward yourself and get some Swedish candy afterward. Tak.

Maybe I'm biased because I'm Romanian, but the food at Romanian Garden has been pretty solid for…read moresome time now. Had dinner here recently with a friend (who was trying Romanian food for the first time!). She loved it. I had the stuffed cabbage; she had the stuffed peppers (2 HUGE peppers). We also shared a cold appetizer platter (think SPREADS: grilled eggplant spread, vegetable spread, bean spread....you get it). It all gets eaten with bread and that's the problem - same as I have at Italian or Mediterranean places - by the time the main dish comes out, I am almost stuffed! Since the weather has been super dope, we were able to sit outside which is always a nice treat. Our waitress was sweet, attentive and patient with us, she let us enjoy ourselves well past the meal. The only few things I'll comment on are: there were only 3 stuffed cabbage pieces vs what I truly thought were 4. I had only 2 at the restaurant and took the other 2 for leftovers the following day. When I went to have them, I realized the "4th one" was actually just cabbage with no meat, and it had been made to look like it was another piece (!!) on purpose or not, I don't know but that kind of possible "false advertisement" made me a little disappointed. You can clearly see what I mean from the photo, IMO. The bread also could have been a bit better, but IDK, maybe I'm a bread snob nowadays and since I have it rarely, I want to thoroughly enjoy it. They also add the tip automatically on your bill, while listing the breakdown of % tip for ease / convenience at the bottom for you (again - !!!) so while the tip was deserved and I ALWAYS do so, the automatic add-on still just grids my gears. STILL LOVE YOU, ROMANIAN GARDEN. Just give me my 4 stuffed cabbage pieces next time, darn it!

Came here with a friend to try a new restaurant for Sunnyside Restaurant Week…read more It was empty though early for dinner since we arrived at 6PM on a Thursday. We received the menu from a woman (who was handling everything in the dining room). For 3 courses for $35 (though it was 4 courses here), it's a good deal. The menu said that all entrees include a side though we were advised that was wrong and the dessert was crepe with jam or nutella (we weren't given an option). We ordered: Appetizer: Eggplant Spread and Meatballs - go with the eggplant spread ('m normally don't eat eggplant and it was delicious). We both ordered the chicken soup. It had carrots and chicken. Entree: Stuffed Pepper and Pork Stew. The stuffed pepper was great. I engender the pork stew had more flavor when I ate it in Romanian (you decide). Dessert: it was crepe with jam. If you get a curve, go try it.

This pizza place is conveniently near the subway station on Roosevelt Island. My friend and I went…read morefor lunch. A glass of red wine and a sangria, both very good, started the meal. We decided to share the Chicken Parmegian meal. The dish was not a large portion, but it was adequate for a lunch. It had good taste and presentation. Then we shared a canoli for dessert. Service was prompt and friendly. Later in the day, I returned for a frozen lemonade and Lemon Italian Ice on a very hot day. The place has constant in/ out customers.

The pizza wasn't a standard New York flop. It was quite crispy. But we were still pleased with…read morethe finished product. The margarita pizza was the star here, with robust tomato sauce to compliment the flavor. The pepperoni pizza seemed liked they skimped a little on the toppings. While it wasn't my favorite pepperoni, the overall experience was a good one. Definitely a decent option on Roosevelt island, if you want a bite between bridge tram rides.

This was my first time trying actual Romanian food, as most restaurants I have been are marketed as…read more"eastern European" with the cabbage rolls, pierogi, etc. Thus, it is hard to give an accurate star rating since I don't really have an adequate baseline of what Romanian food should be, but combining the food and the excellent service, this place deserves a 5 stars. We were a party of 7 and we walked in on a Sunday dinner, and there was no wait. There was a wedding nearby in the restaurant, so it was a bit loud, but it was a good vibe. We ordered a bunch of dishes, such as the Platou Taranesc, Salata Bouef, Pomana Porcului, Pastrama, Mititei, Sarmale, Papanasi, and Coltunasi Platou Taranesc - country plate, basically bread and cold cut, Romanian style. It was a good experience but something I would normally not go out of my way for, since I don't like cold cut. But it is worth trying since Romanian food has a lot of cured meats and such, so the variety here is apparent Salata Bouef - bouef salad. Not beef salad. It is like a potato salad with chicken and veggies. Fairly hearty despite looking like small portions Pomana Porcului - traditional style pork fried meat - does not look fried, but it is a bit cured. A bit tough, maybe that's how they prepare it, but nonetheless flavorful. Pastrama - lamb pastrami - also a bit tough but cured. I liked the flavors but definitely need to eat it like a fork and knife style, not one bite Mititei - Romanian skinless sausages - kind of like a kofta (ground beef) and I loved this meat dish the most Sarmale - stuffed cabbage roll - one of the best cabbage rolls I have tried. Manageable size for each roll, and the cabbage has just the right amount of softness and the filling is super flavorful. Would recommend this 100% Papanasi - Romanian donuts - they say 2 pieces but the pieces are huge and sweet and hearty. A great way to conclude the meal, and enough to feed 4+ people after a nice meal Coltunasi - dumplings - we got beef. These are good but did not stand out. A nice starter Service was amazing and deserving of the auto 20% gratuity. The only miss is the water refills are not as frequent but the server gave us some sides on the house and gave us amazing recommendations of what to try for food for the first time and brought out everything we needed to enjoy the meal.

Food tastes good, but it is not like special in any way. Grilled meat is tender. The tripe soup is…read morepretty interesting because it is a little bit sour from the sour cream I think. It is also very cheap for such a decent size portion. Grilled cheese is like cheese stick. It was a very heavy lunch that kept me full for the rest of the day.

We were in Chelsea market looking for an afternoon snack and came across the happy hour menu here…read more For $6 a beer and $5 a pretzel with condiments, we got the perfectly portioned, refreshing, and filling snack. I would definitely come back to try their other menu items!

I came to Berlin Currywurst to try their German sausages. Coming on a Saturday, Chelsea market was…read moredefinitely busy and but they do have bar seating. I had their Kase currywurst. Kase is a pork and cheddar sausage and currywurst is chopped up sausage in a tomato/mayo/curry sauce. I also had their chicken sausage in a bun

The Lobby Cafe is similar to the other Coffee Shops and Cafés on the United Nations campus, and is…read morelocated in the Lobby of the Secretariat building, just by the escalators, behind the banks of elevators. Its location makes it especially convenient for those entering the 42nd street staff entrance, or if you're a VIP dropped off in front of the Secretariat building. But if that's you, you're likely not standing in line for your coffee, and you may not even be reading Yelp reviews. The Lobby Café serves food as well as coffee, but the options are somewhat limited. It's more of a grab-and-go kind of place. A better selection of pastries can be found down in the Vienna Café. Like any of the UN cafés, this place can get swamped during heavy traffic times, especially if events are taking place.

Note: Personally, I think the menu should have more descriptions, as I'm not sure how many other…read morepeople will be familiar with ajvar (red pepper spread) or kaymak (milk cream). Also, I think said ajvar/kaymak should be put in ramekins or some other container on the side, so people can add more or less to their "burgers" rather than the tiny amount added to sandwiches I had passed by the storefront a while ago, before they were open, with their somewhat off-putting AI imagery, with interest, as they are only one of a few Balkan options in the city. The others are much fancier, being the sit-down Albanian place Çka Ka Qëllue, somewhat nearby on 31st off of Lex, and the Serbian spot Kafana, which is much further away in Alphabet City, with the only other casual spot, Balkan StrEAT, in the Village having unfortunately closed. The majority of other Balkan places are either in Astoria or Belmont/Pelham Parkway in the Bronx near Arthur Avenue/the Bronx Zoo. The spot has a small menu of various grilled meats (Qebapa/Suxhuk) served inside pita, as well as combos that include drinks and fries, which make up for the fact that their drinks are pretty ridiculously expensive outside of the combo. The most egregious one is $5 for a can of soda, but $7 for ayran also stings. Outside of the meat, the vegetarian options are sides and include either a cucumber salad, roasted peppers, or a house salad, with the only current dessert being baklava. I ordered from the friendly Spanish guy working there, with presumably the owner coming in later. This was the Balkan Burger, consisting of a seasoned beef patty called pleskavica, served in a pita with onions, ajvar, and kaymak. It was $24 for the combo or $20 for the burger alone, outside of tax, of course. I have had pleskavica, or pljeskavica, from a handful of places before, with the type of meat changing depending on which country it is from. The meat was pretty tender, but not as flavorful or as tender as at some other places. I liked the amount of raw onion, but I wish there was more ajvar and kaymak, as the meat alone could do only so much. The pita was slightly toasted and nice, which I appreciated. The fries were pretty generously portioned, with some a bit soft and others nice and crispy, and I wish I had some more ajvar to dip them in instead of ketchup. Overall, it was a decent meal. It's nice to have this as a new option, and I wouldn't mind trying their qebapa or suxhuk. It's a tad pricey for the quality, but I hope they do well.