Çka Ka Qëllu has been on my radar for a while now. I first heard about it several years ago when…read morethey first opened in the Arthur Ave neighborhood - standing out as a traditional Albanian restaurant amongst the sea of Italian eateries. Fast forward to the present day, and they have gained considerable attention. The restaurant has made the NYT's Top 100 Restaurants in NYC list for the past 4 years, they have expanded to two (soon three) other locations, and is a favorite among the social media and celeb crowd (this is allegedly one of Dua Lipa's favorite restaurants in the city). That being said, we thought it would be a great spot to celebrate a family member's birthday - so I booked a table and off we went. Çka Ka Qëllu is located on Hughes adjacent to the back entrance of the Arthur Ave Retail Market. The restaurant is gorgeous - it's pretty spacious with three main dining rooms. The decor is a showstopper in itself - the exposed stone walls coupled with the abundance of artwork and old world accents placed throughout the dining area make this seem more like a museum than a restaurant. The ethnic music that is piped throughout the restaurant completes the feel. I honestly couldn't stop looking around. There menu is pretty expansive - most of the items I had not heard of before, but it's also approachable as they spell it out for you in the description what each dish is. We were a party of seven, so to make things easy we aligned to share everything. My brother and I decided to take lead and order items from each section. We decided to start with the ajvar, sausage dip, and tarator. These were all delicious; essentially dips, they all had great flavor and were paired with hot crusty bread mmmm. We then got a bunch of other dishes: leçenik, burek, fili, fasule with smoked meat, mantia, mazë e zier, and a shop salad. As with the dips, everything here was delicious. It's hard to pick the standouts because everything was so good - honest food, full of flavor and depth. Okay you twisted my arm - if I had to choose, my favorites were the burek and the mazë e zier. I love a good burek, and this one was top drawer. The pull on the mazë e zier was out of this world, yet it was easy to maneuver with great flavor. We ended the meal with one of their grilled dishes - namely the mixed meat combo. We chose five meats and they paired them with some vegetables and potato. At risk of sounding like a broken record - this was delicious as well. Service was awesome - everyone was welcoming and the food came out at a good pace. Overall, Çka Ka Qëllu is an absolute yes - the food, the decor, and the service were all aces. The hype is real and they deserve all the accolades they have received. Goes without saying, but I would definitely return for another meal - take me back now!

we liked the leçenik. the menu called it cornbread but it's different from american cornbread, w…read moreless corn flavor & an eggier texture. it reminded me of greek batsaria bc of the spinach & feta. the menu also said it came w a pepper sauce - it was like a cream sauce that had the 'green' flavor of green peppers, no spice. there was also a red olive garnish, which had a milder fruitier taste than green olives fresh complimentary bread came out w the entree, hot from the oven. they had a nice crust on the bottom & were rly soft on top. i tried them w the olive oil that was at the table, you could rly taste the olives our group got a mixed meat combo for the table. my fav was the suxhuk / sausage, it was flavorful w spices. we also liked the roasted potatoes, which tasted like they were seasoned w mustard(?), as well as the bit of cabbage slaw. i will say tho that this plate was a bit too salty for my taste the ambience is nice & rustic, w brick walls, traditional music, & even leather-bound menus. however they were understaffed so service was slow

It's mostly become old news at this point that the Bronx's Little Italy is gradually transforming…read moreinto Little Albania. In addition to the famous Cka ka Qellu for a sit-down meal, there are a number of cafés and casual purveyors of börek. Dea falls in the latter category, and serves both slices of börek pies as well as tubular böreks that in Türkiye are known as kol böreği. We opted for a slice of the spinach pie, which tasted a bit more like spring onion. The dough itself is beautifully layered, but the filling was quite bland, and ostensibly undersalted. Service is mind-numbingly slow, so prepare yourself for a wait.

Im a long time customer. Always fresh , consistent Delisous food. I have tried many bureks. The…read moremeat, pumpkin, veggie, and cheese to name a few. The yogurt is devine. Nice juxtaposition with the stuffed burek. Great customer service . Donna and Helena are so nice and hard working. Cute cafe vibes. The best cappuccino in the Bronx. Affordable too.

Cute spot for Albanian eats off of Arthur ave in the Bronx. Meals are reasonably priced. Staff is…read moresuper sweet and speedy. Albanian music bumping. My only problem with the place is they don't take card. Only cash or Zelle.

The food is amazing, and the new location is fantastic! The service is excellent, and the owner is…read moretruly incredible. The ambiance is wonderful, making this place a must-visit. You won't be disappointed!

The staff and owner are so friendly and courteous and welcoming…read more The establishment is clean with limited seating. They establishment is a store and freshly made Balkan food. Balkan ethnic food served, burek, qevape, fli,... always freshly made food. Absolutely recommend when in the are.

Great Albanian food. I love it so much I can't live without it. Thank god we have good Albanian…read morefood in Westchester now.

Terrible service...we've been here an hour and seen no food. Terrible experience! Can't tell you…read morehow the food tastes because we are being held hostage with no food after over an hour. Now that the food finally came everything was delicious. And they also made up for the long wait with extra drinks and a fabulous desert. Not sure what took so long but can recommend highly for the food.

An amazing brunch experience especially on holidays. This place goes above and beyond in terms of…read moredecor, service, and ambiance. The cocktails are amazing and very clever, you will take alot of pictures for Instagram. The food is just above average, but you really are there for the decor and drinks! We went during Halloween 2025 and had an amazing time. Special thanks to the staff who served us at the bar while waiting for our table. Ambiance: 5/5. Although a little small, it's more cozy than crowded. There are decorations wall to wall (and ceilings) during the holidays. The bar is not really meant for kids but they will enjoy the spectacle as much as adults. Drinks: 5/5. Each drink is creative, well mixed, and STRONG. Worth the higher price tag for the artistry. Food: 4/5. Good but not amazing. Solid brunch options and portion sizes, and solid for the price. Service: 4.5/5. Attentive, polite and efficient despite the large crowds coming into this place.

The challenge is how do you pronounce the name of this place? While we struggled with this, we had…read morea far easier time selection what we wanted on the menu, and that's not a small task as they feature a great variety of selection. The dining area is well furnished, and fits the atmosphere. Staff were friendly and helpful. Reservation is available online, and you may want to use it during peak hours. Do save some room for desserts, it is well worth the wait.

I'm so glad my friend recommended going here because it's one of those restaurants that pique your…read moreinterest but you never really know how to navigate-- but lucky me, I had an Albanian friend to show me around. First thing you'll notice upon entry is how absolutely decorated it is. If you're a fan of Witcher, it's like walking into an an old-timey tavern. If you have no idea then-- it's like an old-timey tavern. I wouldn't be surprised of they had bard Fridays and homemade mead. It's also a big space. Reminds me of one of the last remnants of the bygone era that was the Obama-era glow. Like peak millenial where restaurants were starting to get viral but not to the point where they have to hyper compete with a gimmicky dish. The prices are a bit steep and was making me consider dropping my rating down a star but fuggit, I like their food. I played it safe and got the mixed grill meats but that's because I lack reading comprehension and thought the main dish (I don't know what it's called, it's just the 1st entree listed) was a baked meat pie situation, it was more grilled steak on a bed of mash potatoes but these mash potatoes were savory like gravy. I wish I got my friend's dish. The mixed grilled meats were a lot closer to doners or skewer meat. Different cuts but also different flavors. What they had in common was a sort of spice-forward sizzling taste. My friend got two appetizers (which I also don't know the name of) but were definitely the most beautifully presented foods I've had in a long while. They were both creams but one had a pepper in it (not the spicy kind). The pepper one was a light refreshing sourness and the other was a heavier but not heeeeavy savory one. Both great to dip your bread in. I wanted to try the lemon cookie for dessert but my friend got us all Tres Leches by accident. That was great but I would say the most non-novel out of everything we got. Delicious, just not something out of the norm-- which is what I go for when I'm trying a new cuisine like Albanian. I wouldn't say this is normal day-to-day Albanian (I have a few friends), it's more like the Americana equivalent, an upscale where Albanians go out to eat.

We came here for a last minute dinner on a Friday evening - no reservations needed. They have a…read moregreat happy hour day from 5-7pm discounts on alcohol and food. Everything was delicious. I highly recommend the cevapi and roasted peppers. The staff was great and food came quickly. Will be back!!

Delicious food and great ambience. Jelena was very kind and friendly as always. Would recommend…read moreMimoza to anyone that loves good food!!

Cheese burek: 4/5…read more Meat burek: 3/5 Not much meat inside Spinach burek: 4/5 Cevapi (5-piece): 2/5 Pretty bland-tasting compared to good cevapi. It had a spongy/rubbery texture after it cooled a little. Traditional Yogurt Drink: 5/5 It had that delicious tang of an authentic balkan yogurt drink. Tres Leches: 5/5 One of the best I've had. Tumble: others said it was good I can't judge this one because I'm not a fan of these in general. For those of you who are unfamiliar, imagine a sugar-syrup-coated mini churro. They sometimes run out of spinach burek so make sure to go early if that's what you're looking for. Service was slow but it was lunch on a Saturday so it's understandable.

Took the train from Manhattan to try this place for the first time with my sis as I haven't had…read moregood pita in forever. not the pita bread btw, but a traditional Balkan dish of filling-wrapped phyllo spirals, sometimes squares. both women at the counter were super friendly and I love the atmosphere with the traditional decor! Felt like being back in a Bosnian cafe. Ordered: *2 cheese slices of pita (sirnica) *1 spinach slice (zeljanica) All 3 were barely warm which I feel like is a bare minimum for something so easily heated up, and the dough didn't taste traditional -- almost tasted like whole wheat. Filling was sparse and not well incorporated/made. Also ordered 2 cupavice, kinda like pound cake rolled in chocolate and coconut flakes. those were KILLLLER and brought me back to my neighbor making them when I was younger. Their meat dishes may be a safer bet but "burek is in the name" so I'd expect the pita to be way better

It was all perfect. Very cute inside, fantastic service, fantastic food. Will definitely be going…read moreback!!

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.

Oscar's place is one of the old English dinners in west village location. Cosy inside and…read moreattractive to neighbors/tourists. Laid back energy and always. This place is good for casuals to any occasions! Attached pictures !!

Often passing Oscar's and seldom have the chance to either snag a seat/table -- so on a gorgeous…read moreafternoon at 3:30 when the place is empty from brunch, I came for a late lunch. Having read previous reviews of their amazing fish and chips, I had to try it out. There was outdoor seating but with intermittent showers and the wind I went inside. Though it was small and a bit hot it's still cozy. I ordered a Leffe and my meal and the host asked if I wanted bread (of course I did). The beer came nicely chilled. The fish and chips came later perfectly deep fried in a lite batter. There was one long and one shorter fillet (probably haddock) with lots of fries. For $25 in the west village with a cold beer, what more can one ask for. This will be my go to spot for no frills good food. Beer is lost is expansive and the real problem is getting a seat when it's during the rush. What a terrific find in a sea of expensive and upscale eating. And service was terrific as well!