The sweets here are amazing and unique. They are some of the better middle eastern sweets that I…read morehave tried over the years. I highly recommend giving this place a try. They have so many different kinds of pastries, and it's best to try one of each if you're new. Most options are definitely on the very sweet side of sweets though, which is normal for these kind of traditional pastries. Although, one of my relatives, who is more familiar with middle eastern sweets, has said their is much better kunafa at other stores. For me personally, the kunafa is always very good, especially the kunafa with cheese! However, the quality is not always consistent with some of their pastries. For example, some of the pastries that you expect to have some crunch sometimes turn out a bit soft.

TL; DR: Go to their original Paterson location for kunafa/knafeh. Rest of the pastries are good…read more As someone who both loves kunafa/kunefe/knafeh/insert other spellings here, I love the original location of this Palestinian bakery, but certainly not this one. If you go to the location in Paterson, NJ, the kunafa is freshly made and warm, with everything having the correct texture, whether it is the crunchy shredded filo or the fine semolina. The main thing for a fresh version of this wonderful Arabic dessert is that the cheese pulls, and the cheese, mixed with the topping and syrup, makes it a wonderful dessert. However, all that is only for their other location. I am 90% sure that they are importing the kunafa from the other spot, as it looks similar, but the texture is awful. I am pretty positive that most of this was since they nuked it in the microwave, which resulted in gummy cheese, and depending on the variant, either slightly hard filo dough or clumped semolina. It might be cheaper than kunafa in other spots around here, but I wouldn't recommend it at all. If you are going to go here, order their other pastries. The basbousa is good as well as everything else.

Flstikli Sobiyet. (Say THAT three times fast!) OMG -- this may be my new favorite dessert, the…read moremost delicious variation of baklava with phyllo, butter, pistachios, milk-semolina cream and sugar syrup. Safir is a Turkish bakery & cafe located on Avenue U. In addition to fabulous looking pastries, one can order omelets, sandwiches, soup, salads and pasta. We popped in for coffee and dessert. The coffee, by the way, is terrific -- nice and strong. Prepare it as you like it, at the station against the wall. Alas -- another fattening stop for me when I'm in the area!

I was in the Kings Highway neighborhood at 8am because I had to wait 4 hours for my daughter to…read moretake a high school entry exam. I started to scope the area to figure out how to spend my time when I came across this gem. As soon as I walked in, the staff was welcoming and asked me if I wanted to sit down for breakfast or order pastries. Since I had some time to kill, I sat down and ordered a small Turkish coffee, which came along with a glass of water and a baklava. The water was necessary since the Turkish coffee was super strong. The problem was that it wasn't big enough. It eas served in a teacup that looked like it came straight out from Alice in Wonderland. It definitely was adorable but now I know to order a large if I want a normal sized coffee. While I was drinking my coffee, I noticed that the other table had ordered this appeasing dish in a skillet. I asked the waitress about it and she told me that it's a Turkish dish of tomatoes mixed with eggs, onions and peppers called Menemen. I asked for it and it was what I needed on a cold day. The combination was like an explosion of flavor that I needed to wake me up. It was also a lot for just $13.37. I ended up paying for everything with just a $20 bill including for a large cup of Turkish tea. I liked the food here so much that I plan on coming again another weekend for breakfast even if it is not close to my home but the long trip is worth it.

So very welcoming!!…read more Wonderful, ambience, hospitality, and care. Fabled service. The best baklava ever. Made from the heart. I also bought Manouche, delicious zataar bread made fresh. I am so grateful to all the hardworking folks that care for us all.

I'm never really in Bay Ridge but when I am, Brooklyn Baklava is a must stop. Not only are their…read moredesserts top-tier, but their food is also fantastic. Even if the food is simple (I got lamb in a thin flatbread for a lack of better terms), it is absolutely delicious & always fresh. I forgot the name of the desserts that I purchased but they were delicious albeit slightly too sweet for my liking (which is surprising because I love sweets haha). On top of that, whoever was working there was a complete sweetheart which, let's be frank, always helps.

Wow!! When googling what to see and do in Brighton Beach this little bakery was mentioned so we…read moredecided to check it out. Amazing selection... Everything was fresh and delicious that we sampled. I highly recommend trying the poppyseed rolls - Mak - Would be the name on the box. Ours was so good we didn't even get a picture of it lol. It's all self-serve some items are priced by the peace sign by the pound. If you are in the area definitely check it out

The freshest place on the Avenue! Good prices and always a…read morelarge selection of freshly baked sweets

A friend recommended this place, and it did not disappoint! Probably the best shawarma I've had…read moresince coming to America. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and delicious. Highly recommend!

The shawarma is delectable and plentiful. The desserts were lackluster despite the marketing by the…read morecashier; she tried her best to convince us which items to get and even gave us a fork in case we wanted to dig into it while we wait 20 minutes for the kebab. On that note, I wish they had given us a warning that it'll be at least 15-20 minutes for the kebab. Had we known that, we would have ordered another shawarma and left. The kebab was cooked through and spices were all there, can't complain on that front Space is bright and clean. It was not crowded when we stepped in but it definitely picked up quickly soon after. It can get rowdy depending on the time of day. One issue to bring up is they DO NOT give any coin change back. If your total comes out to $17.50 and you hand over a $20 bill, the register will only give you $2 as the change. Not sure if this is the same policy at their other location but that is plain weird. No sign up regarding that either. That doesn't stop us from throwing a few bucks into the tip jar though.

I could make this restaurant a weekly habit. The employees provide excellent customer attention…read more The small footprint of Bayridge Turkish Cafe doesn't compromise cleanliness or comfort. Our minimal menu exploration was adequately rewarding. This restaurant delivers well.

Have you ever seen the misadventures of Nedim Sahin, the guy who went viral with videos at his…read moreBaruthane Pilavcisi restaurants? He claimed to taste the first spoonful of each new batch of food to ensure that it meets his mom's standards. There is a well-known Turkish proverb he quotes from - "pilavdan dönenin kaşığı kırılsın". In literal translation it's "break the cooking spoon of the pilaf maker who falters in its task". It's understood as either "see it though come hell or high water" or "bring your A-game or don't bother showing up". Eh, I wonder if the guy who served me this kofte platter at BayRidge Turkish cafe has ever heard the quote? When it came to Turkish food, certain items are universally loved, like çorba (soup) and kofte (meatballs). Çorba has such an elevated status that a commander of the Ottoman elite military corps (Janassary) is known as a çorbaci (soup man). Even today, the term is used in modern Turkish slang as "boss". There's an old saying in Turkish that the best kofte is made by your mom, but the best çorba is from the local kebab joint. What makes for good Turkish kofte? It's supposed to be fluffy juicy pillows of meat the size of say, a mini Snickers bar, made with ground beef and sometimes lamb, with some diced lamb tail fat whipped into the mixture, seasoned with sweet and savory spices like cumin, mint, coriander, mace and such, then grilled over coals. In Turkey the usual service is with a bowl of buttery Turkish lentil soup (often accompanied by their bread), ice cold Ayran, piyaz (navy bean salad), then kofte fresh off the grill, and maybe some rice pilaf (buttery rice with bits of toasted orzo within) on the side. Who does a good version in Brooklyn? Kofte Piyaz in Sunset Park - it ain't cheap, though. So what is up with this 15 dollar kofte platter I got at Bayridge cafe? Well, the size of the kofte is odd, like breakfast sausages (my wife is much less charitable on the comparison and said it looked like something from a kitty litter box). It tasted dry and shriveled up, with no flavor at all, like it was air fried once too many. The iceberg lettuce and tomato salad that came on the side just bleeds off the mediocrity. The rice is just white rice and not pilaf. The inexplicable part is when they serve up lentil soup and gave us slices of American white bread. Not toasted, not buttered, and certainly not Turkish bread. Me and my wife bursted out laughing. The soup is...serviceable, but it certainly won't make any Ottoman Sultan dance for joy or fuel warriors into battle - it tasted flat (the version that I make has tomato and pepper paste, onions, garlic and dried mint...which this didn't have) and we didn't see the usual shaker of aleppo (pul) peppers for sprinkling onto the soup to give it a kick. The bean stew that we ordered (Kuru Fasulye) was watery and without much distinctive flavors. So, eh, is this place bad per-se? Not really. Despite the disappointing kofte, it comes with a small bit of eggplant salad that was honestly not too bad. The Turkish tea was on-point (well, they used Caykur Tomurcuk, which is a Turkish Earl Grey grade) and they used a double boiler to do the tea, which means that it's legitly brewed in the Turkish fashion with the right flavors. The Tulumba wasn't nearly as good as, say...Safa in Istanbul, but it isn't a disappointingly soggy mess like the ones at Djerdan Borek or coyingly sweet with salad oil stench like the ones at Artion bakery in Astoria. It was like how you imagine a good churro would be - warm, not too oily, sweet but not too much so. Crisp exterior, honeyed interior, goes well with a cup of hot tonic Turkish tea, served strong and fragrant. So yeah, it's not hopeless. But geez, guys, save your wonderbread for the American sandwiches and toss pitas or Turkish bread with your Turkish fares, and talk to your mom about serving up proper kofte. I can excuse the soup but that kofte is a travesty. Köftedan dönenin isgaralar kırılsın - either make something worthwhile or don't bother at all.

SOOOOO GOOD!!!! Fresh homemade ice cream made with REAL…read moreFRUIT!!! The dragon fruit, coconut, mango, and lime are FAVES!!!! The strawberry is so good too ~ They have so many diff flavors!! Must try if you haven't already!!!

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way. Oh what fun…read moreit is to buy one unopened paleta from Sley, HEY! What to get: A Paleta of your choice, duhhhh. What else: My bum is on the Swedish. Sley Ice Cream might be the best paleta maker in the world. More than that, possibly even in Brooklyn. They make an enormous selection of Mexican paletas (ice lollies, popsicles if you're American), and they sell them all over NYC and beyond. However this little cute store with lovely service is the home of their Paletas, so stop by and try one when you're around! One word of warning: they make really weird paletas too, like Chili flavoured and such! If you're feeling imaginative, go for one of those. If not, just stick to a Passion Fruit or Coconut or some other wonderful concoction. They are absolutely, unimaginably delicious, and a very easy, obvious 5 star rating from me. And remember, don't hate the Sleyer... hate the Game. And don't tell them we're dating, please. Sley don't know about us. Sley've never heard of love. But they have heard of paletas. In fact they wrote the book on them. Come and find out for yourself.

I came here to meet up with a good friend that lives close by to this place. I have never had…read moreyemeni breakfast items before so I was excited to try this place. I got the foul (bean) bkfast that comes w/ super soft pita bread + their homemade adeni chai tea. WOW! The bean bkfast item + adeni chai tea were amazing! It looks simple but when you eat it, it is packed w/ so much flavors. The beans were well seasoned w/ some spice + tasted great w/ the super soft pita bread. That adeni chai tea was the best I ever drank. I am glad the super nice person told me to get it. Excellent food + service. Also there are tons of seating indoors + it is spacious!

Lovely cafe with great coffee, cold brew, iced teas, and desserts like s'mores & melted chocolate…read morechip cookie croissants. The vibe inside is quiet and calm. Good place to read a book, write, or do quiet work on your laptop. I wouldnt say its good for loud conversations with big groups - and I like that about this place. If you just want good coffee, friendly service, ample space and a quiet background for work or leisure - this is your spot!