Very nice ambiance, sparkling silver and glass with a strikingly elegant bar in front, perfect for waiting out for friends or a table. Once seated, the setting is just perfect in every respect---lighting, noise level and decor all just right. Service was efficient, attentive and polite. Made you feel special. The Mediterranean / Greek food was excellent with many appealing appetizers. I especially enjoyed the classic Greek salad my only negative was the price. A couple of entrees were over $70! The least expensive was $29. So, we each stayed with an appetiser and a salad which was far more than enough, as portions are quite large. read more

Good midtown location, relatively easy to park if you come early. Service is very good, workers are pretty good at getting you seated quickly and your food ordered and brought pretty quickly. The food overall very spot on with good presentation. Good dinner date place read more

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Had a wonderful time celebrating my dad's birthday here. Chris was super attentive and provided excellent service. The food and drinks are all so yummy. Will definitely recommend others to visit! read more

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Excellent dining experience! Lunch was delicious! We dined outside on a nice afternoon. Everything we tried was a winner! Great service! I would love to come back for dinner. read more

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A great dinner spot for seafood/greek inspo! I seriously enjoyed my meal so much and want to come back especially for the lobster pasta. I started with the salmon crudo which was so refreshing and zesty! The quality of seafood is especially good here!!! The star of the show is truly the lobster pasta. This dish is something I can't stop thinking about it. It was so filling so the price is very justified. The lobster was so buttery and juicy and the pasta melted in my mouth. Probably the best squid ink lobster ive ever had. overall i had a great experience with the food and service as i was served quick. i will recommend this to everyone i know and definitely be returning read more

Nerai - Salmon Crudo - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

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Had made reservations for a friends birthday for 8 pm on a Thursday evening, and we managed to get reservations 3 days before our preferred date. Reservation process was fairly straightforward for a group of 4 and a 2 year old. They had this amazing outdoor seating what they refer as Outdoor Courtyard... they were these 3, well lit beautiful booths, where we really wanted to seat, but weren't given those. From the time we entered to the time we left, 2 of them were unoccupied. Don't understand the rationale behind that especially when we were celebrating something special! Anyway, that however, isn't indicative of their excellent, and friendly staff that made us feel very welcome and were very attentive throughout our dinner course here. We ordered a few delicious cocktails, which average at about $18 each. Cocktails were great. We started off with Traditional Trio Spreads ($23) and Spinach Pies ($18) to share. Our server was kind enough to include an extra pie because it was the 4 of us. This plate typically comes with 3 pies. 1 star just for this kind gesture! Appetizers were good and quite tasty. Sadly those were the best dishes we had. We had ordered Pasta for dinner which included Seafood Orzotto ($36), Lobster Pasta ($46), and a Summer Risotto ($29). My risotto was really bland and did not nerai any standout flavor. All I could taste was cheese and I was hoping the snap peas and trumpet mushrooms along with mint would have added some refreshing taste... but no. It was just bland and no spice whatsoever! Service overall was excellent and their garden seating was very comfortable including a very fancy high chair for our little one! We had a decent experience. read more

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We went here a couple weeks ago on a visit to New York. It's a narrow spot and a little hard to find, but once you're inside, it's very intimate and cozy. It's not that big inside, and the acoustics are also good, so you can actually hear yourself talk. I had a duck breast with moussaka withduck confit and duck breasts with fig jus and black lentils, which was excellent. We also had delicious zucchini chips with tzatziki sauce and honey shrimp in katafi. Desserts were also wonderful, including a tahini, parfait with pistachio ice cream and pistachio walnut baklava. Service was excellent, never overbearing, never rushing us, but someone always available when needed. Definitely a go to for Greek in New York City. read more

Everything was very delicious here. Hands down the best Greek food I've ever had. The lobster pasta was very good... My complaint was the lobster was obviously not fresh. It was on the mushy side and tasted like it was previously frozen. The meatballs were also very good. I love the sauce. I did not like the bread it came with... It was very burnt and I had to have it remade. The burnt parts smelled awful. The feta cheese was delicious on the Greek salad. I don't like olives, but my husband gobbled it up. The risotto was perfect! I love the mushrooms... And I love the bite the risotto had. Price was on the higher side. The service was great. I think lots of people come here for business meetings. Everyone around us was in blue suits lol read more

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I went here for an early date dinner and food and service exceeded my expectations. This place specializes in Greek food with a heavier emphasis on seafood, and reservations are highly recommended although there is an above average amount of seating for a typical NYC restaurant. The ambience here is so aesthetic, and you can't go wrong with either indoor or outdoor seating, though we opted for indoor when we arrived. We shared a grilled octopus and lobster pasta. Grilled octopus is very chewy and fresh, with sweet fava contrasting the tangier onions and red peppers. It's hard to find places like this that can cook the octopus like this as most I have tried are usually overcooked. Lobster pasta was quite interesting. You get huge chunks of fresh lobster tossed in a bed of squid ink linguini, and the sauce is quite sweet and creamy to match the sweetness of the lobster. She likes sweet food so this was the perfect dish to conclude the meal. I personally enjoyed it, noting that the portions are way more than enough for 1, especially as this dish is a bit one dimensional in flavor - mostly just sweet. Service is great: they pushed the tables out for us to get seated and refilled our waters very frequently. Although we took our time eating and conversing, we were in and out in an hour just because they're so efficient in serving. read more

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Amazing service and great food! Solid wine recommendations. The management was very attentive too :)

If I could rate this a 4.5 stars I would. It's not quite 5 as I wasn't extremely impressed with the food. Unfortunately had to ask for salt for the Greek salad bc it was pretty bland. The lemon gnocchi was fine - nothing earth shattering. Really enjoyed the zucchini. The staff, however, were amazing!! Very attentive & polite. The decor and ambiance of the establishment was fun and unique. read more

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Excellent Greek dining, especially for a business or friendly lunch. The Dover sole was outstanding; enough for two if you order some appetizers and/or the Greek salad - yum! Upscale and cozy, we sat at the bar to eat lunch and it was the perfect location. Highly recommended! read more

Overall I had a good experience and would rate them 4 stars. I made a reservation for Easter Sunday which did require a credit card to hold the reservation. The cancellation fee is $25 per person if you cancel in under 24 hours. The only disconnect I had here was a little on the table service and a few things that turns me off. First off I addressed the issue with the phone system, when you call they state to call beck after 4 pm although after 4 pm you could not get through. I addressed this and hope it will be resolved soon. The second thing was that they allowed customers in the enclosed courtyard with a dog? This May technically be outside and for all intensive purposes is really an inside space. The waiters were polite and did their job well overall. My issue was they could have come over to ask how everything was. I am being a little critical although I am comparing this restaurant to other high end restaurants that are in this neighborhood. This was probably influenced by a table of four people who were overly loud to the point it was interrupting the other tables from hearing each other. They broke out in laughter several times and after two of these outbursts I think a manager should have come over and addressed this which never happened. If this was a bar, neighborhood diner, pizzeria, etc. I could have been understanding. This was Easter Sunday when families get together and people should show consideration for others. The hostess and manager were friendly and accommodating. I made the reservation for the courtyard outside which has is enclosed, has heaters above each table, and the outside was decorated with flowered. I was given an option to sit inside which was beautiful. The restaurant was clean, distanced for COVID, everyone was wearing masks, although maybe I missed it although did not see hand sanitizer. The food was excellent and presented well with great flavor. Portions are adequate, not large by any means. We were a party of three and had the grilled octopus and special salad. For the main course had the spring risotto with snap peas, king trumpet mushrooms, mint, and kefalograviera. The 8oz filet mignon served with feta mashed potatoes, mushroom, and mavrodaphne jus. Also the baby lamb chops served over melitzanosalata with marinated eggplant, samos currants, pine. nuts and lamb jus For desert tried the Sokolatina which is milk chocolate mousse | flourless chocolate cake | raspberries | vanilla gelato. I would recommend them and will probably come back and dine inside. read more

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surprisingly good restaurant! One of limitation of our group this time was one of my friend is vegetarain so restaurant we go has to have vegetarian option and Nerai has it. I have tried all food, vegie and regular and they were great! quality and service was professional and wonderful. We had salad, drinks, pasta, duck, coffee and dessert. There were a construction and smell near by so they moved us to sit in different table to avoid the unpresented smell. The vibe is good. I have a mix feeling between tourist spot and local spot because this place is in a tourist area but for me as a resident I still go because I was shopping in the area and just want to find some nice place to eat. read more

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3.5* I had high hopes for this place. I wouldn't say I'm straight up disappointed but it didn't meet my expectations. Complimentary "bread" came with a dip of olive oil and yogurt. I like the caramelization of the bread which reminds me a bit of spring roll wrappers. Didn't like the dip as much. Food was mostly not exciting. Ordered: fried zucchini chips, spinach pies, squid ink pasta, and the baklava dessert. The fried zucchini chips were popular as practically every other table ordered it. I think there should be two sizes for this because it was a bit too much for the two of us to share. It came out hot but the batter still had moisture and a ton of oil. Perhaps it can be drained longer, fried at a higher temp, or add wax paper to absorb excess oil. Tastewise, the chips relied on the batter's seasoning and yogurt dip for flavor. The yogurt would overpower the chips but at the same time I need the yogurt for freshness to cut through the oil. Spinach pies were basic, flavorful but not memorable. I like the yogurt here. There's only three small pieces so it didn't feel worth. Squid ink linguine with lobster and lobster bisque. My friend said the pasta didn't have enough squid ink flavor. I personally am not familiar with squid ink to comment. I like the texture of the linguine being very smooth and chewy. They gave a big lobster tail sliced up for ease of consumption. There were tiny diced up lobster throughout as well. Texture was on point. The lobster bisque was exciting on the first few bites but afterwards felt monotonous. Maybe add teeny tiny rings of chive?? It was sweeter than I'd expect, reminds me of Chinese rose wine (it's for marinades not drinking). The consistency and quantity of bisque was just about right for the rest of the dish. This was the highlight of the night. Dessert, Saragli had baklava, pistachio gelato and walnut pudding(?) This wasn't bad but not outstanding. The baklava was too sweet and mushy for my friend. I think it was alright except not flaky enough. The pistachio gelato isn't the Italian type but is more muted. The pudding, my friend insisted it was walnut but I swear I tasted hints of chickpea/hummus in it. Food and ambiance wise, it was a comfortable dinner. I like the booth seating and blue glass cups. Lighting and volume was good enough for me. I don't like how our server wasn't attentive enough. Not sure what's the culture in this place but we were unsure about asking other servers but even when we tried, they seemed to ignore us. Also don't like how they only have one gender-neutral bathroom in the whole restaurant. The place isn't big but I think it'd be more practical to make it into 2-3 smaller stalls. Toilet paper was soft at least. Decided to round up to 4* because I'm open to giving this another chance and trying other main dishes. read more

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I won't lie, the food here is very good--I enjoyed everything we ate. Having gone to to Greece for two weeks in July, I was looking for something to remind me of the amazing food I had there, and the food hit the spot. The prices, however, did not. Now I came in kinda knowing that, but that didn't take any sting out of the final bill. A Greek dinner wouldn't be complete without a nice glass (or bottle) of crisp Greek white wine, and this dinner was no different. Our bottle clocked in at $80, more than I had been hoping (again, compared to my time there where a bottle could be as little as €15) but it was still very good. There were far more non-Greek options on the menu than I would have anticipated, but I suppose that's to cater to folks that just don't know how good Greek wine is. The somm (yes, they had one) did provide this great recommendation, but only after trying to upsell us (as expected) to something in the triple digits. For starters, we got the zucchini chips with tzatziki, the three spreads, and the greek salad. Zucchini chips were on point, and the tzatziki was pretty good. A little cucumber heavy, but the yogurt was done well. The salad was very good, nice and vinegar forward like I like, but the three spreads...unfortunately, I was hoping for more based on the amount of pita they gave us. Tasty yes, but I literally wanted more. What a weirdly small portion size. Generous pita, though. For dinner I totally zoned in to the whole fish, and I thought it was extremely tasty. It came pretty much deboned, and the lemon-based sauce was excellent. I won't harp too much on it, but we did have to embark on several scavenger hunts to find our waitstaff and once or twice almost got up to pour our own wine (which was chilling just out of reach). Meh. It's easy to rack up a bill here, and given the location on 54th street, I am not surprised. Clearly there are pros and cons, but if you want to go ham on some upscale Greek food, come on in. read more

Amazing food! We had duck moussaka and duck breast with fig jus. Also braised short ribs with paccheri. On the side was creamy rice with spinach and tomato. All were excellent. Especially great was the braised short ribs paccheri. The braised short ribs were so tender and flavorful. Paccheri was cooked just right. This could have been the best meat dish I've ever had in my life. Waiting staff were all friendly. It was Thursday night and place was completely packed. All seats at the bar were taken and there were people still waiting at the entrance. Don't forget to make a reservation. read more

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All their food is definitely worth the price. Their food is always fresh and hot. Their ingredients have very high quality. Their staff is clearly well-trained. The energy matches with the interior of the place and it's just amazing. This place is very worthy of 5 stars. Highly recommended. I love it here and I will recommend it to my other friends too. I will definitely find time to come back here some time. read more

A close friend designated me to chose a restaurant for her birthday dinner. I knew Nerai was it! I'd been wanting to dine here since the summer with their beautiful outdoor setup. I'd been in contact with Joy (event planner) being that we would be a large party who was extremely helpful and a pleasure to work with. Upon arrival our temperatures were taken then we were seated there after. Indoors gives a beautiful garden vibe with greenery and subtle pops of color & great air circulation. For my meal I went with the Lavraki which came with a delicious garlic spinach. The fish was filleted & cooked perfectly. Our waiter continuously checked in with us, also answering all questions and giving great entree suggestions. Nerai is stunning inside and outdoors, I look forward to my next visit! read more

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I was there on a Sunday evening. It was my second time and the experience and food were as good as the first time. The restaurant was busy but you could still get a table during the peak hours on Sunday evening. This time we ordered pita and hummus, spinach pies, coconut shrimp for appetizers, and halibut for the main course. I highly recommend their pita and hummus, and coconut shrimp. If you are not a dill lover, I'd avoid the spinach pies and halibut as the dill flavour was strong. They were really good though! We also ordered the baklava and the pistachio ice cream was perfect! Also I wanted to add that I had their signature lobster black ink linguine last time and it was delicious! Hands down the best lobster linguine in midtown nyc. read more

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Absolutely loved this place for a business meeting I had! Service was impeccable!!!! Food was outstanding! I'm in awe. Appreciated the sommelier as well! Winter cocktails were amazing!!! read more

Nerai - Hot rum cocktail - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

Really cute place! The inside is really nice. They have outdoor dining also in a coveted environment but with all the construction outside, didn't seem like a good option (it was both loud and smelly). As for the the food, we loved the trio dip but mostly just the spicy tzatziki sauce. The pita bread it came with was delicious. Also really enjoyed the lamb entree and scallops. Great wine list - I really enjoyed the assyrtiko. They had a sign for some Sunday special - discounted prefix menu or something - will have to come back and check it out! read more

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Classy and delicious. Love the cozy lighting and atmosphere. Great and attentive staff. It was a nice experience for a special occasion, upscale spin on Greek food. Lobster ink pasta was very delicious - sweeter than expected and a little more decadent. Octopus was great but only as a starter. Cheese dish was delicious and gooey, also a little decadent. I also had the Brussel sprouts, delicious but a little heavy and saucy. read more

Nerai - Pecan Infused Old Fashioned - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

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Pricey but worth it for a special occasion. We went for my birthday last year and really liked the saganaki cheese appetizer and the lobster squid ink linguine bisque. Good service and ambience too. read more

Had an early lunch/dinner with my best friend and the food was outstanding. The service and the ambience. The whole menu is made to perfection order a little of everything! read more

I had a business dinner here with colleagues and was not disappointed! Firstly , the vibe is cool with a nice bar area yet we dined upstairs which was a bit more intimate ( the lighting is quite subtle and sheik with great decor). Service was phenomenal sets the benchmark for NY dining in my mind. We order a lot of food : tuna tare tare, spinach turnovers for reference and a Caesar . As far as mains , it was basically all fish with Salmon and Halibut . All were exceptional with everyone very happy and impressed . A top notch venue and lives up to the ratings!! read more

Nerai - Salmon - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

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Wow We are amazed by how good Nerai is! Food: we had grilled octopus, grilled fish n lobster pasta. N their free bread along with its yogurt. Just amazing. We have had a surprising dinner for a while. Grilled octopus is so tender n it's purée is also amazing. Grilled fish also a must where I would recommend to eat it before lobster pasta so that you can taste the freshness of the fish, the unique smell of its grilling style n the lightly burned but still delicious fish skin. Lobster pasta is da Ace u need to order. I will not describe as you should really order it n understood why I said so. Overall, amazing. Would be great if you reserved first. Their bar looks amazing too (ps) read more

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Wow, this meal was extraordinary. I wanted to take my wife here on a date. It was a beautiful Friday afternoon, but then rain and storm came out of nowhere. The manager at this restaurant called me to cancel the reservation, saying that the rain would ruin the experience for dining outside. He mentioned that if I came in to pick up food instead, we would get 15% off. I would have come without the discount! We ordered the lobster pasta, deboned fish, the dip platter, and the baklava. Achilles, the gentleman who was manning the store, was friendly and told us stories about Greece, where he is from. Talk about authenticity! He also showed us the outdoor dining area, which was beautiful. There were trees, and what looked like Christmas lights. It's too bad the evening rained out. So we got takeout. The lobster dish was rich and delicious. They were generous with the lobster meat, and the squid ink noodles really hit the spot. The fish was tasty and juicy, and that is surprising because often these dishes come out pretty dry. It is served with capers and olive oil if you're into that. The pita bread with the various dips tasted more like Indian roti compared to pita we had in Greece. I'm not saying it's better or worse, but it was different. Finally, the baklava brought us back to our trip to Greece last year. We cannot wait to come back and try the other dishes, and we will pick a day where the storm stays away. read more

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Food - the seafood was excellent! Scallops and octopus were both cooked perfectly. Definitely get the dessert platter if you're coming with a large group as well. Dinks - had a lot of variety and were great fun. The smoked banana was tropical without being overly sweet. Service - is great. Our host was friendly, knew the menu well, and made it a lovely time. Ambiance - I'd say the main dining room was a little dark, but didn't detract from the overall experience. read more

This restaurant is top notch. Everything was excellent - food, service, and ambiance. The menu allows for a healthier dinner that makes you feel good and tastes exceptional. We would recommend everything that we ordered. This was the best dinner we have had this year. The best: -Greek salad was exceptionally well done. The fried capers were a nice and unique touch. -Lavraki (Mediterranean sea bass aka branzino) was exceptional both in quality and preparation. -Baklava dessert with pistachio ice cream. The sides we had of mushrooms with zaatar and spinach risotto were also fantastic. read more

Haven't been to Nerai for a long time, glad to be back for a friend's bday dinner. Lovely outdoor seating and great ambiance. We ordered the Santorini Sunday dinner set, love the grape arugula salad with goat cheese and the Shrimp Santorini Spaghettoni, from presentation, portion, the combination of ingredients and the taste, very well prepared. The service was attentive and the waiters were very friendly. The price was reasonable. Will definitely come back again. read more

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I feel completely welcomed and relaxed from the moment I enter Nerai. Paired with the friendly hostesses, the ambience (lighting and music) is just right. The seats are so comfortable. Sherpi, the wine expert, adds to the experience with his friendliness and is always a great listener for any questions. Did i mention the food? Perfectly cooked and seasoned, and I can't wait to try more dishes soon. Thank-you and happy holidays. N. read more

I found myself at Nerai the other night for an educational dinner. I always like to attend these because not only do I learn something but more times than not I get to try a new restaurant. The pics and reviews for Nerai looked great, so I was really looking forward to trying out their fare. Nerai is an upscale Greek restaurant. Walking in, it looks like a typical Manhattan restaurant - narrow and crowded with a sizable bar towards the front. The decor is clean - mostly a light color scheme with touches of contemporary design; it gives off that upscale feel which is very inviting. We were seated in a private room downstairs and even though we were in the basement the color scheme made it feel open and welcome. Because it was an educational dinner, we were only able to choose our entree - but we really got a wide variety of food. We started with pita and three dips - tzatziki, hummus, and spicy feta. The dips were quite tasty - my favorite was the spicy feta since it was the most unique, the other two were good but on par with other Greek places I've been to. They were really generous with the warm pita which was much appreciated. We then moved onto the Greek salad which didn't contain lettuce but rather lots of chunky tomato, cucumber, and onion. It was seasoned well and topped with a huge piece of feta mmmmm. For the main I chose the salmon which sat on top of spinach orzo. The salmon was cooked perfectly - it had just the right amount of crisp on the exterior and cooked medium and tender on the inside. The spinach orzo was a great complement - it was creamy without being too rich or overpowering the fish. For dessert we had chocolate cake which was actually more of a mousse since it didn't contain sponge. It was nothing amazing but a nice finisher to the meal - plus, it came with a small scoop of ice cream which acted as a palate cleanser. Service was good, everyone was friendly and food was served at an appropriate pace. Overall, I was impressed with Nerai - which is rare for me to say because I normally don't get the best of what a restaurant offers when I go to educational dinners. While this isn't the cheapest place, I would definitely be open to coming back for a special occasion - or another educational dinner ;-) read more

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One of my favorite spots in midtown. Love the atmosphere inside, outside and upstairs. Three different vibes whether you are corporate, having date night or with the family. The spreads and nice and the zucchini chips are crispy and delicious. I love the fish selections especially the lavraki. Service is attentive and great Greek wines to select from. A+ experience! read more

We had a really nice work dinner. We sat outside in their 'garden patio'. Our server was really good at making recommendations and checking in on us. We also never felt rushed, which is different from most places nowadays. We order some of the starts and entrees. I had the halibut and it was perfectly and beautifully prepared. We had the spanakopita, zucchini chips, warm cheese starter and fried shrimp. All was quite good. They kept the drinks flowing and the dishes were just the right amount. Highly recommend it! read more

Nerai - Lavraki - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

Ambiance is impeccable as is the waiting staff. Walking into a restaurant should very welcoming and accommodating and It was. But the Food was the best. One of my favorites. Congratulations read more

Nerai - Salmon - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

Nerai is gorgeous. From the moment you enter the doors, you're greeted with warmth and kindness. I dined with my family including my elderly mother, and the service was so helpful and accommodating while not being stifling. We ate inside, but the outside seating looks magical, definitely would have opted for an outdoor table if I was with friends. The food was incredible. This might have been one of the best lamb chops I've had in NYC. The whole roasted fish was fresh and cooked perfectly, I could eat it for every meal. Thank you Nerai, we will be back! read more

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A small but comfortable ambience with excellent spreads and an absolutely fresh and perfectly proportionate tomato salad. The lamb was superb and cooked just as requested. The food was only surpassed by the service as it was friendly, helpful and professional. We had included our 19 month old grand daughter and they could not do enough to help with her. This is a real find. Thanks for a job well done. Jim and Kathy orourke read more

We wanted to go to Monkey Bar to eat, unfortunately we didn't get a table and Nerai is right in front of Monkey Bar, it was a pleasant surprise because the place is very nice and cozy, the food was spectacular and the service was incredible, I definitely recommend it. read more

Wow. The food was excellent. It's pricey, but the portions are large enough that you don't leave hungry. The Greek salad was amazing, I've never had fried capers before! The mezze were also delicious, especially the cheese (can't remember the name). The octopus was so well cooked, it almost melts in your mouth, and the striped bass was perfect. My grandma has the mixed seafood pasta dish, and everyone agreed it was the best dish of the night! Service was fast and friendly, and, when the server heard we were celebrating our anniversary, he showed up with a complementary dessert. Speaking of dessert, the pistachio mousse was a huge, huge hit. The restaurant was quiet and beautifully decorated. I would absolutely go again. read more

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