Went there only for Turkish tea and dessert (baklava). Looks like a great place. Will be back for dinner some day. read more

Leyla - Baklava & Turkish tea - Turkish Near Me - New York, New York

It's pretty new restaurant, they just opened but they are really doing great job there! We got as a starter muhammara, hummus and shepherd salad, they all were really good but my fav was muhammara after that my fiancé got their chicken dish and I had lamb shank, also after dinner we had ice cream, baked rice pudding and they gave us as a complimentary Turkish tea It was really good experience! Exceptional service, terrific food! I will definitely come back read more

See all

This is our FAVORITE restaurant in the neighborhood. We moved to the area a few months ago and happened to grab a menu. We were so happy to get to go back for the Valentine's pre fixe menu this weekend. Everything was beyond delicious and the service was wonderful. They're doing a great job keeping tables spaced apart so everyone could feel safe and comfortable now that indoor dinging is back. The menu is great for take out/delivery too! read more

See all

Very tasty food, highly recommend. Also, the restaurant is doing a great job keeping clean and social distancing.

Good food and ambiance. Drinks are good too. We sat outside which was nice, and they also have heaters. read more

Terrible experience. Was seated in the sidewalk cafe. Had a rat that caused us extreme emotional distress. Asked for discount and owner told us "this is New York." Added 20% gratuity to our bill even though we were a party of six. Absolutely abominable read more

Came here with great excitement based on the reviews. The restaurant was mostly empty. When we asked for a table, the mc said he could only seat us if we have him our phone number and that he adds us to some sort of list. This is the first time I heard of such an invasion of privacy, and I have been living in UWS for years. He further started mansplaining the rule, as if it was the most natural rule, in a grilling way. We wanted a weekend brunch, not anxiety Central, so we left. If I wanted to be grilled by arrogant men, I would have not left the country and lived in Turkey, no thank you. We went across the street to an Israeli place and had a delicious relaxing brunch. read more

The food was absolutely superb and the drinks were just as good. The freshness of it all and the great service will definitely have me and my partner coming back soon. read more

Leyla - Turkish Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Very good food, nice atmosphere & friendly staff. Really enjoyed our dinner. Would have liked a bigger wine selection.

One of my new favorite spots on the UWS. Cozy, intimate, and chill vibes. Great service, delicious cocktails, and the food hits the spot every time! If you looking for suggestions, the octopus and lamb shank are out of this world! It's hard not to get them every time I go, but also good is the lebne and the fritters for appetizers. Honestly, you can't go wrong. read more

First time here and they have a back garden, you wouldn't have expected! It was so cute, the drinks were great but my friends and I didn't have any food, next time! The staff were friendly as well, fitting us in during the busy hours. read more

Had an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING time with my family here for our Fourth of July dinner. The menu offered many delicious items, each very different from the next, and all very, very appetizing. There were 5 people total in my party, so we were able to order and try almost everything on the menu. Our server TJ made our experience even better! She was very accommodating and welcoming, and gave us some wonderful recommendations from the menu. Overall, a wonderful experience, and will definitely will be coming back whenever I'm in NYC again. read more

See all

Ruth was our server and was extremely patient as my companion and I asked many questions about the food. She was very knowledgeable about items on the menu and made great suggestions for potential substitutions. The atmosphere was lovely. We ate outside where dogs are able to join the party, and one of the other servers was kind enough to offer the dog dine water. I recommend the short rib flat bread and beet salad. Great selection of wines. I'm glad we found Leyla. read more

Leyla - Dog-Friendly Dining - Turkish Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Nothing to write home about, but def Yelp about ;) I do want to give 5 stars to the busser person he did a great awesome job, I think he was French African...I am always ready to speak French cause I don't want to lose it!! Anyway, sadly our server was just blah...not even an intro of good evening I'm...etc. He was devoid of any welcoming charm. He took our order and no interaction with him until we had to ask another server we needed the check. I was once a server in a much larger and busier restaurant and I made it a point to interact with each guest after they received their drinks and then their food!!! The food was just okay. The pide was tasty, but the size of it was a joke...the price point doesn't match the quality of the food. Won't be going back. read more

Horrible service and rude people. They have a bad menu too. The guy at the bar is rude and offensive for no reason, please address his attitude. I don't recommend anyone coming here. read more

This place is excellent! I loved the zucchini fritters (including the minty yogurt it came with), creamy puréed Fava bean bruschetta, and perfectly crispy and light fries that came with the delicious lamb burger entree. Great staff as well. Shout out to Kaan who was the excellent, chill, sociable bartender who served us during our visit. I'd go back. I especially recommend happy hour if you're on a budget. read more

I haven't submitted a review in a long time, but my experiences with service on multiple visits compel me to write. The manager or owner, as others have commented, is rude and unfriendly. It appears he makes assumptions about guests based on their age/race/ethnicity, and acts according to those assumptions. Do not be surprised if you are rudely treated by this man. If you eat at the bar, expect to be ignored while the bartender watches himself in the mirror. At a table, long stretches will elapse with no attention. Meanwhile, expect to hear shattering plates and observe general inchoate bustle. The food is merely adequate. The atmosphere, while novel and a level of darkness that is a nice adddition to the neighborhood, doesn't make up for the terrible service. Neither does the food. I am so disappointed. I live nearby and would love to have made this a regular stop for dinner, but it's hard to imagine going back. As in most toxic environments, the attitude adjustment has to begin with management/ownership, and that seems unlikely. I imagine it's a nightmare to work at Leyla. read more

We pulled ourselves out of our usual EV/LES routine of restaurants to the UWS at the request of a good friend and wow what a surprise. Leyla knocked it out of the park for us. Authentically Turkish and Middle Eastern, our group of 4 all shared a table of vegetarian and pescatarian dishes that were just perfectly delicious and varied in flavor from one to the next (Branzino gets top marks as well as the Veg Pide). It's not always easy to find good options that are vegetarian friendly. As expected from other reviews, the service was attentive, on time and smooth in its process. A manager, or maybe an owner, even stopped by the table to ensure that we were doing well. We will be back. read more

Leyla - Pide - Turkish Near Me - New York, New York

The best Turkish food in town! Lamb shank is perfect and mud heaven desert is to die for.

We swung by on our night walk and were struck by how cute the outside was - they clearly put some thought and effort into the decor. The woman running the front was gracious and helpful and friendly and we ended up putting in an order and I'm glad we did. The kids got chicken sandwiches (sauce and pickles on the side, which made them a little bland - but fully dressed they were very good). My wife and I got the grilled salmon and chicken tarator and both were well cooked and tasty. We all shared the hummus and fava bean bruschetta which were *delicious*. They also added some baklava which was very tasty. Overall, highly recommended. We'll be back! read more

Leyla - Turkish Near Me - New York, New York

My first visit to Leyla was a lovely surprise. The restaurant's interior is warm and welcoming, with an authentic Mediterranean vibe. The atmosphere of the outside dining area is equally charming, especially the magic garden in the back . The selection of appetizers ranges from stone oven baked flatbreads with cheese or meat to super delicious shrimp casserole, salads and various spreads. We tried a few of them and I absolutely loved the three cheese pide and the quinoa hummus! The muhammara too, is to die for! It was hard to choose. For a main course I had the manti which I love. That's Turkish dumpling, generally prepared with meat but here, they used eggplant purée instead. It was so so good. We really had an amazing dinner, not to mention the delicious Turkish wine, desserts, ice cream and coffee. From beginning to end, the staff was flawless and made us feel special the entire evening. We had a wonderful time and will definitely be back. read more

This isn't my first five star review for Leyla and it won't be my last. I hadn't been in about 6 months (after going A LOT last spring). Had my birthday dinner here Friday night. I always get the muhammara because it's the best of the best of the best. The olive oil and red peppers they use to make it... idk how they do it... it tastes like good quality olive oil. I could eat this by the spoonful. Really appreciate the generous serving size!! Got the hummus as well. Very good hummus! I got the shaved zucchini salad for the first time. The tahini balsamic dressing is delicious. I wasn't sure if I'd like the zucchini (I always get their other salads). If you're on the fence like I was, GET THE SHAVED ZUCCHINI. Honestly didn't feel like zucchini at all. It was shaved super thin and delicious with everything else in the salad. Can't go wrong with their Tommy Margarita either. Smooth, refreshing and light. read more

Leyla - Shaved zucchini & asparagus Salad - Turkish Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Wow! I am shocked by how high the reviews are given my experience was decent food matched with horrible service! I have a friend visiting from across the country so I was really looking forward to bringing her here only to spend the entire evening laughing with her about how terrible the experience was. We arrived at 7:32p and stood at the hostess table while she was on the phone, at no point did she acknowledge or indicate that she had seen us - no worries, you're on the phone and we are early for the reservation anyways. At 7:35, a man (who I assume is the manager) comes to the hostess table to greet us. I let him know that we have a reservation for 4 at 7:45 but, unfortunately, one person is sick and another is running a little late so we are happy to squeeze at a smaller table if they need to accommodate (they do not, I checked their availability a few hours prior and they still have tables available). He rudely asks us if we think we should even expect the individual running late at dinner at all - yes? Otherwise, why wouldn't I just say we have two people who can't make it? - and then states that they will be doing us a favor and waiving the cancelation fee of one person - great, we appreciate it. Our table isn't quite ready so we can take a seat at the bar while we wait. The bartender asks us what kind of water we'd like to start with and then doesn't bother to come back to ask for drinks. 7:56 the hostess beckons us to follow her to the table, walks us to the table, and points it to us - maybe she's mute? 8:07 someone checks on us for the first time and we let our server know we are ready to order, we place all of our drinks and food orders at once. 8:13 our first two appetizers arrive - what amazing timing, our dinner seems to be going up now! 8:21 our drinks arrive and the manager (possibly sensing that we are not impressed given, I made a comment prior to the server checking on us, that we'd been inside for 40min with one check in) comes by our table to let us know that the drinks we have chosen are beautiful - this seems odd? 8:40 another two share plates arrive 9:00 our last share plate arrived 9:02 main entree is served 9:45 the check is set at our table, plates were not cleared as we finished them, no one else bothered to check in on us since the drinks Obviously, I have messaged my neighborhood friends that this is not the restaurant for us. Bummer. read more

This was probably one of the best meals I've ever had. To be fair I was craving Mediterranean and this hit the spot right on target. I had the herbed tomato salad that had cucumbers and olives in it and it was fresh, crisp, and divine. We ordered the falafel and it came with maybe 10 small falafel balls and tahini. The falafel was crisp on the outside and super moist on the inside. The tahini was lemony and flavorful. My sister ordered the cheesy grits type dish, I am forgetting what it was called, but it was insanely delicious. Cant wait to come here again next time I am in manhattan. Restaurant is a bit small and cramped like all manhattan restaurants. Atmosphere is lovely. read more

Need to fix their attitude Asap.... Change your manager or whoever. Never coming back.

This place is amazing all around! Came here for brunch on a weekend, it is super small inside and outside so make a reservation beforehand. We sat inside but felt like we had the whole place to ourselves, and staff was soo accommodating. The brunch food was so unique and delicious, you must start with a Pide because that is what they are known for. Come here if your looking to switch up the usual brunch in NYC !! Cocktails are also great here! read more

Leyla - Croque Hanim - Turkish Near Me - New York, New York

Really good but tiny portions for the prices. Came for the short rib pide and ended up getting a second item off the menu that was also tasty but they were both the size of appetizers read more

Leyla - Short rib pide - Turkish Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Very disappointing experience - made a reservation and table wasn't ready for a good 10-15 minutes. More importantly, one member of my party has a food allergy and his dish had to be returned to the kitchen and remade even though he clearly communicated the allergy in the beginning and in a note in the reservation. Servers appeared rushed. Prices and food are decent but staff needs better training. These hiccups ruined the group's dining experience. read more

Great food. A bit of a wait for Saturday brunch if you don't have reservations, but it was worth it. Cute decor inside and food is solid. One person in our party had a lamb burger and said it was excellent. The fries that came with it were very good. Shakshuka was good as was the greek salad. We also tried the hummus and the spinach yarma both of which were good. Would definitely recommend if you are in the area! read more

Terrible experience here. They forgot our appetizer and when we told the hostess (because the waitress never came to check on us) that our entrees already came out and we want to cancel the appetizer because they forgot, she said "ok that's fine". It wasn't fine. I ordered the vegetarian entree, manti, and it was flavorless. My husband's lamb burger was over cooked when he asked for medium. Not a place we'll be returning to. Also, FYI the outdoor heaters are a joke so if you're getting a table outside you'll likely be chilly. read more

Not remotely authentic. Every dish that cLked for pita/lavash or even a cracker- cane with toasted white bread straight of a midwestern supermarket. The olives were pitted and procured in the same place as above. Maybe when I was there they were particularly hit by the supply chain issues? But at pita is still sold in stores, though. I question the 5 star reviews/reviewers. Yelp is becoming unusable. read more

I'm very confused with the glowing reviews and suspicious of where they come from since my hummus, falafel and pita (which actually was store brought bread cut into slices, nothing like the Mediterranean pita bread) were way below average. And these are just basics of any Mediterranean place. Hummus tasted like it came from a jar, prolly store brought with the bread with little to no tahini and hence quite grainy with just beets added on top. My friend's veggie risotto was under seasoned and not very tasty either. Drinks were okay and service was good which was literally the only saving grace of our night here. For authentic Mediterranean food without subdued flavours and store brought stuff, try hummus place in the neighborhood. You will not be disappointed! read more

Service, food, and drinks are on point. I recommend their spinach yarma and Lahmacun. The Raki infused Branzino is delightful. Their bread is fresh and tasty. It's a cozy atmosphere with thoughtful staff. read more

I came here with a friend and we both loved it. This will definitely be a date spot. We decided to order tapa style which is preferred for us. Almost everything was so good. I didn't love the fava bean bruschetta though. It is a smaller joint, so I would recommend a reservation here. read more

Pick of 3 Turkish restaurants on the uws for a family birthday. Though the portions are smaller than I envisioned the quality was awesome. Greek salad, 3 cheese pide , lamb pide, fava bean flatbread, branzino appetizer, branzino entrees and the lamb shank. Great mint yogurt sauce too. Birthday dessert was a pistachio baklava topped with Turkish vanilla ice cream and a fabulous chocolate fudge nut selection with salted caramel.. desserts come with Turkish tea. Claire, our server and the other staff were very attentive. Lovely, special and intimate! read more

Absolutely loved it. Friendly staff and excellent drinks. Food was fresh, well balanced, and slightly different than other Turkish places in the city. Not a huge fan of the dessert but will be back for everything else! read more

Ordered for take-out. The meze platter didn't have any sourdough AND naan as it stated on the dish. The Greek salad had ZERO dressing. I had dinner here once and was not impressed by the food. I found it pretentious and with less taste than the usual Turkish-Mediterranean restaurants. Revisited dishes a lot (which do not need revision). This take-out order just did confirm what my impression was. Will not come back read more

This restaurant is outstanding. The owner came to our table to check on our and the service was incredible. We had a delicious yet affordable bottle of Greek wine and the lamb shank is to die for, it literally melts off of the bone. The interior design is eye-candy and we will definitely be back! read more

The food was amazing and the service was so friendly. We sat outside underneath a shed-like structure that definitely kept the wind out and was super cute. We started off with the eggplant caviar, trio mezze, and zucchini fritters. All really good but the eggplant caviar was PHENOMENAL!! When they opened the cap to the jar that it came in, smoke came out -- I'm not sure how they did this but it tasted so smoky and had so many complex flavors. This is coming from someone who normally hates eggplant too!!! A must have After that we had the lamb sausage pide and slow cooked short rib pide. Both super delicious and hot. Overall highly recommend, a true hidden gem!! read more

Leyla - Eggpland Caviar, Mezze Trio, zucchini fritters - Turkish Near Me - New York, New York

See all

This restaurant is just amazing and by far my favorite restaurant in the neighborhood. My wife and I went there for a date night and we started with the lahmacun and cheese pide - wow, both of them were outstandingly good. We continued with the Raki Infused Branzino. The fish was just perfect. On top of that we got the Muhammara - also super delicious. We finished our dinner with Turkish rice pudding. It was amazing. Not too sweet and pretty light. The ambient and atmosphere in the restaurant is very nice, it's cozy and it's perfect for a date night. read more

See all