Happy to have tried something new but wasn't my thing. Expensive and I thought the food was…read moreunderwhelming. Marani sampler - 2/5 - 3 different phkali spreads (spinach, eggplant, and green bean). Bland. I like the spinach one the best. It would be nice if it came with bread or chips, but we got bread on the side and that was $5 extra. Lamb kebab - 2/5 - Tough texture. Expected it to be juicier? Khinkali - 3/5 - Thick shell. I always take note of broth inside of a soup dumpling. Wasn't super flavorful but decent.

I've been going to Marani for years and had a lovely meal there last night. The evening started out…read morea little differently than expected, as our main course arrived before the appetizer, but the way the team handled it made all the difference. They were warm, attentive, and remade the dishes so my husband and I could enjoy everything in the proper order during a rare night out without the kids. I also received a very generous follow-up afterward, which made me feel that my loyalty and experience were genuinely appreciated. The kebabs are delicious, the food feels truly traditional, and the service will absolutely keep me coming back.

Nick's Bistro serves seriously good Greek food, and you can tell the whole team takes pride in what…read morethey do--from the servers to the cooks and manager. I went on a quiet Tuesday and basically had the place to myself. They even showed me around the back, which was pretty cool and made me appreciate the operation even more. I tried the lemon stuffed cabbage because I wanted something besides the usual gyro. Remember to always eat your vegetables! The decor is great for a date, great lighting. I found plenty of street parking. It is a place that clearly cares about what they serve.

Intimate and cozy, this is where the locals of Forest Hills come to enjoy delicious Greek fare. The…read moreservers are all very attentive and helpful with suggestions. Came with some friends for lunch. We all got various combinations of the mixed plate and an order of fried calamari. The calamari was lightly breaded in a flaky batter that brought out the flavors of the squid. Cooked to perfection it was tender, not chewy. As for the mixed platters, we had lamb gyro and the souvlakis as well as the lemon potatoes and fries. The lemon potatoes were perfectly seasoned and had a nice tartness to each bite. The lamb gyro was tender. The chicken souvlaki being moist and flavorful is the barometer for the level of detail that goes into every plate served.

Safir is a small, cozy restaurant that makes for a great, relaxed meal. The service was warm and…read moreattentive, and it ended up being the perfect way to wrap up the weekend. The atmosphere is comfortable without feeling crowded, making it easy to settle in and enjoy the meal. The food was excellent from start to finish. The sigar borek were perfectly crispy, cheesy, and just the right amount of salty. The lamb beyti kebab was packed with flavor, and the accompanying sauces really elevated the dish. We also had the manti, Turkish dumplings that were well-seasoned and incredibly satisfying. Portions were generous across the board, and everything tasted fresh and high quality. It's the kind of place that leaves you looking forward to your next visit.

Located in Hunter's Point, LIC, this spot is a gem. The ambiance is casual and cozy and the staff…read morewas absolutely so friendly and welcoming. As it was my boyfriend and I's first time trying Turkish food, they helped explain some of the dishes to us. We got their appetizer spread, their lamacun, and their manti. Everything was phenomenal, but I highly recommend their appetizer spread and their lamacun. I loved the spread as you got the chance to try multiple different dips and it was a huge portion. Their lamacun was also the first I've ever had and it made me think: "Why haven't I had this before?" It was so good. Will definitely be coming back.

Incredibly delicious. We ordered the lemonade, falafel(with hummus and baba), the lamb and the…read morewalnut baklava,

Everything was genuinely good! My son ordered the Jalab and Lebanese pasta, while I got the passion…read morefruit drink and the El Toum salad. We shared the baba ganoush and the semolina cakes, which were on the house, and everything was delicious. The portions were generous, the flavors were spot on, and it was all very reasonably priced.

The food is good but pricey. I really like the fish,…read moreoctopus and chips. The service is fine. It is a nice restaurant.

This restaurant definitely deserves 5 stars. The staff was so pleasant from entry, to the bar, to…read morethe table. The customer service was amazing from each and every staff member. Our waitress' name was Liz and she was so sweet and helpful. And she gave us great suggestions from the menu. We enjoyed every dish we ordered. The restaurant is so beautiful and clean . It gives the feeling of being in Greece. I loved the decor and the ambiance overall. I will definitely be visiting again.

I came here a bit ago and have been thinking of it ever since as I am not from New York. I was here…read moreon a bachelorette trip and this was the last restaurant we stopped at. I'm so glad we did. It was wonderful. Some of the best greek food i've ever had. The service was lovely. Thank you to Daniel. My friends and I ordered a bunch of stuff on the menu and it was absolutely wonderful. There is also very delicious complementary dessert. It is a small restaurant so it's very tight. Everyone is kind of crushed together. The food is a bit on the expensive side but absolutely worth it. I can't wait to come back one day. Amazing experience with wonderful food and service!

Food 4.0/5.0 Service 3.5/5.0…read moreValue 3.0/5.0 Decor 3.5/5.0 Overall 4.0/5.0 Good taverna, couldn't sit outside given I stopped by on a very hot day but it would certainly be nice in the mid-fall. Food was decent. They are very busy, the servers are worked pretty hard. Some of the servers were very good at handling the mass of activity, noticing issues, and fixing them... and for that they should be appreciated. It's a bit of a trek for me so not sure if I'd come often... but it certainly deserves its reputation as a staple in Astoria.

I had been wanting to try this place and what a better day than a Saturday lunch afternoon on a…read moredouble date hehe. I was also crazing something lighter and Mediterranean so this fit the bill. On to the food, the sole and dips were the only thing we tried that was worth getting frankly. The chicken souvlaki was def the worst thing we ordered. It was too charred and completely dried. Just not an enjoyable entree. The sole was yummy but did not blow my mind. The Bifteki was good but not as good as the sole. It was on the pricier side. 3 entrees, 1 app was over 120$. The interior and staff were great! Unfortunately, I don't think I will return.

Maria's Mediterranean has definitely become one of my favorite spots on Long Island. I've been here…read moremany times, and my usual orders--the Grilled Chicken Breast, Beef Souvlaki, crispy Calamari, or the small meat platter--are consistently fantastic. There is something truly special about their seasoning that makes every single dish amazing. What really sets Maria's apart, besides the incredible food, is the outstanding hospitality. Maria and her staff treat everyone like family from the moment you walk through the door. It's that rare, warm atmosphere combined with consistently delicious food that makes this a place I always look forward to returning to. Food (5/5): Consistent and amazing. The seasoning is excellent, whether you're getting the juicy grilled chicken, perfect souvlaki, or the crispy calamari. Customer Service (5/5): Exceptional. Maria and her team offer the kind of genuine hospitality that makes you feel like part of the family. Decor (4/5): Warm, inviting, and comfortable--the perfect setting for a great neighborhood spot. Price: Around $35.00 per person.

So so so good! My wife and I enjoyed the wonderful people…read morealmost as much as the food, which was absolutely amazing and delicious . Such good flavor and the owner really cares about every detail.

Chef Rafaeli helped me plan a beautiful engagement party he carefully helped me curate a menu that…read morehad so many different options for all dietary accommodations and everything was so fresh delicious and the service from the waiters was top-tier. Not only that, but he was with me every step of the way when planning the party he gave me suggestions and advice for music, decorations, desserts table, and so much more. I would highly recommend doing Events at Rafaelis Palace if you want a smooth process and for all of your guests to enjoy the delicious food.

Yesterday, along with a bunch of others, I braved the smog (blame Canada) to go to this Algerian…read moreseafood place. It was pretty quiet inside, outside of the TV playing somewhat loud highlights from the World Cup on loop (why,) with the servers and staff being helpful and friendly. In comparison to the other pick-your-own seafood spots like AbuQir or Hamido, the spices are a tad lighter here, being almost closer to Astoria Seafood, minus the olive oil. I didn't mind, though, as the fish was all fresh and perfectly prepared. To drink, our table stuck with water, though there are a few mocktails and some sodas, including some Algerian ones. They put down some simple bread with a bit of garlic and herbs, which was refilled. For non-seafood dishes, we had a few. The first was the $8 Hmiss, or Hammis, a dip made with roasted pepper, tomato, and garlic sautéed in olive oil. The warm dish was earthy and garlicky, and went perfectly with the bread, with the flavor reminding me of a warmer version of some Turkish eggplant dips. There was also the Peasant Salad for $12, with cucumber, tomato, red onion, and Kalamata olives topped with feta, oregano, and dill. If you're familiar at all with Horiatiki/Village salad, it's basically the same thing, though with crumbled feta instead of a block, and it was refreshing and tasty. Finally, we eventually got an $8 side order of Basil Garlic Mashed Potatoes, which were decent. The first seafood to arrive at the table was the $16.99 Algerian Sardines, which consisted of sardines from Morocco with a spice mixture. The man in front recommended them fried, and the portion was nice, and the flavor was excellent. The fish was fried perfectly, with the bones fried enough that the entirety of it could be eaten. This was delicious, and one of the highlights of the meal. As we loved these sardines, we eventually got a small order of the other option, the "Marinated Sardines" from Spain. These were a bit more expensive by weight, being $10.56 for 0.48 pounds, but by comparison, these were much flatter and larger. The half pound consisted of three large pieces, which were broken down and divided among the group. While I slightly preferred the spices from the Algerian version, I liked the texture of these more, as they were more meaty. I don't think you can go wrong with either, as both were excellent. There was also one pound of Mussels for $17.99, which was available in one of two cooking preparations, Moules Marinière or a version with tomato sauce, herbs, and feta. I went with the latter, and they were excellent, with all of the mussels being open. The feta added a unique, slightly salty touch, with the broth being delicious. They had brought us out some extra bread, and we made good use of it. If I were here alone, I might have this along with some sardines and leave very happy. We also got two whole fish, which were both ordered grilled and butterflied. First was the Dorado, or Orata, for $29.24 for 1.54 pounds. As is typical for this fish, it was delicate and light, but had plenty of flavor. The other was the American Red Snapper, which was a bit more expensive at $37.90 for 1.58 pounds. By comparison, this fish was a lot thicker and therefore, a bit more flavorful. We enjoyed both, with a slight preference going towards the cheaper fish for most outside of me and one other. Another highlight was the Scallops for $37.23 for 0.98 pounds, which came out to 14 large pieces. As recommended, we got these sautéed, with the scallops coming in a delicious garlicky juice on the bottom with plenty of other herbs. The scallops were tender while staying plump, though I slightly preferred the more caramelized tops at AbuQir, with these having a more uniform texture. The rest of the people liked what I couldn't eat, the $24.99 Octopus for around half a pound. The octopus came out pre-cut, which made splitting it very easy. I can't comment much on the flavor or saltiness as some other reviewers brought up, or else I'd be in the hospital right now post-anaphylaxis, but people liked it a lot. If you don't want to bother with the lines or crowds at the other fish spots, I would highly recommend going here. The fish is fresh, perfectly prepared, and seasoned just enough to highlight the natural flavors. I would go back.

I only took a photo of the Algerian sardines, but I actually liked most of the other items we…read moreordered more! The sardines were fried well, but just not as mind-blowing as I thought they'd be judging from reviews. My fav were the Tiger shrimps (sautéed) and the branzino (grilled). You could really taste the char, and they were cooked perfectly. We also got butter garlic linguine with scallops and clams. My husband loved the linguine (and the free bread) the most. The scallops were nice and plump but could have been seared more. The clams were tiny and I wouldn't get them again. The guy behind the fish counter was great. The server however was pretty slow. We waited 10 mins after choosing our fish for just tap water and eventually I just got up to ask the guy behind the counter for water. I also had to go up to the server myself to ask for to-go boxes and the check. And I got up to give the check to them, because they still hadn't taken it after my trip to the bathroom. Place is spacious enough for a family dinner, feels welcoming enough.