Yelp totally captured my sentiments on this with, "meh." I've been twice, and each time I've left wishing I'd gone somewhere else. In the restaurant's defense, my friends seem to love it, but I'm just not feeling it. There's a freshness that draws me to Greek food that's lacking here, in the mousaka in particular, which was just kind of mushy and bland. Very monochrome. Although, from reading other reviews, it seems like the salads are the way to go, and I still want to see this garden. Maybe next time. read more

I liked the flaming cheese appetizer. My chicken a la Greco was decent, though a little dry. I couldn't figure out what was exactly "Greco" about it, but what do I know? Actually, Greek food is huge where I'm from (Toronto), so I guess I've had my fair share of it growing up--so maybe I was a little disappointed about my choice of rather-dry chicken. I thought the restaurant had a nice vibe going on though: a quaint little place hidden among a row of apartment buildings; a unique menu, even for an already non-mainstream cuisine. By that, I mean it wasn't your standard souvlaki/gyros/Greek salad joint; they had meat pies, eggplant dips, lots of lamb dishes, and other less common items. Props for that. In the end, Symposium is a decent place I would probably go back to once in a while. read more

Let's get the positives out of the way first: the service was quite friendly and efficient, the pita bread was good, and we didn't get sick from our meal. Unfortunately, everything else was disappointing. The food was such a let down- vegetarian moussaka was reheated (and overcooked), with the vegetables lacking flavor and the sauce under seasoned. Lamb souvlaki was quite salty and chewy, without any of the juiciness nicely cooked lamb should have straight off the grill. Both dishes came with sides, which included reheated rice, boiled potato, and canned beans in a watery tomato sauce. Basically the antithesis of Greek cooking- no fresh, bold flavours, no garlic, and no olive oil! While the waiter was friendly, this alone won't get us back to Symposium. read more

First off, I must confess that I am not Greek and did not grow up eating Greek food, but have eaten at quite a few Greek restaurants. Symposium seems like one of the more authentic places I've been here in the city. The location is literally underground (the basement of a brownstone), making the restaurant's atmosphere especially homey. And the people there are always kind and incredibly generous with the pita. Now for the food. The pita here is TO DIE FOR. I have never had softer pita that rips apart so easily and is still toasted. In terms of the actual menu, the number of options is quite overwhelming, especially if it's your first time looking through all the Greek-esque drawings on their menu that come with these options. If you are looking to try a little bit of everything, the potpourri of Greek food is a great thing to start with. In most cases, you can split it between 2 people and still have some to spare. For lamb lovers, the souvlaki is pretty solid ---plenty for one person and very hearty and tender pieces of lamb. The mousakka, however, is my personal favorite. The bottom is nice and toasted while the top and center remain nice and soft. Definitely worth the money. read more

Really laid back environment. So laid back that you might happily fall asleep in your booth - like the old lady across from us. The service is super friendly and seems to know everyone in the neighborhood. Had the Symposium Salad & "Initiation to Greek Cuisine" which was more than enough for 2 and beyond delicious. read more

Symposium - Symposium Salad - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

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One of my favorite Greek restaurants! The staff are so friendly and eager to please every customer. I can't wait to go back!

One of my absolute favorite restaurants in the city. The food is solidly great--I always get the Greek salad to start which I highly recommend. The sangria is also top notch. The ambiance is cozy and unchanged by the passing of time--it really is the perfect old family-style Greek restaurant! read more

Symposium - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

Great Greek food with great staff and good prices...loved the platter and the deserts!! Must visit if you are in the area... read more

Symposium - Some art work from the inside of the restaurant... - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

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The mixed appetizer platter is absolutely delicious!! Love this place and will be coming back!!

Went to symposium with my boyfriend, our old friend and my bf's sister - our first time 'hangin out' so to speak. The Saganaki was pretty amazing, and the souvlaki looked great. I ordered a grilled chicken - was it lemon chicken? that had no lemony flavour. Now I have to caveat this with an "I eat lemons as a side dish", so when I want lemon chicken, I want YUMMY sour flavour. The Sangria was watered down and had limited flavour, but that's ok since I'd been on cold meds for the 2 weeks prior. The babaganoush (sp) was ok, nothing splendind, but the atmosphere made up for it all... The menu LOOKED cool, but did not help my foggy head when trying to read. The cartoony/newsprint was just painful! All in all, I'd go again...but with the wealth of choices in NYC, not sure it would be soon! read more

Don't need to come here. Mediocre food in a dingy, subterranean setting. This place probably had appeal about 40 years Ago. Maybe... it's really a glorified diner serving what used to be unfamiliar Greek dishes. These are the things you wouldn't order now bc they are boring. There is so much better Greek (or any Mediterranean) food in nyc. No reason to waste a meal here. At least had good company. read more

It always really surprises me that Symposium doesn't get better reviews. Sure, the design on the menu is busy but anyone who "can't read it" probably just can't read. Maybe you've had better spanakopita, but their dish is still very good, and generous... The food itself is great, but it's standard Greek food, with no frills or flourishes. If you're a vegetarian, like me, you have a range of options, from massive salads to heavy baked dishes (spanakopita, moussaka). Tucked away in a basement on an otherwise entirely residential block in an out-of-the-way neighborhood, it's obviously not trying to be "downtown" trendy; instead, the vibe is warm, genuine, homey -- to the furthest extent imaginable, in fact: my waiter (the owner?) put his hand on my back and brushed my shoulders no fewer than five times during the course of my meal.* Ordinarily, that probably would have made me uncomfortable, but this is a place where, as a rule, the service is beyond friendly: it's intimate. On at least one particular occasion when I was there the staff seemed to know every customer on a first-name basis. A number of them were even invited to step into the kitchen (not sure why, but again, it's a very friendly place). You get the sense that the owners really want you to enjoy your food and the whole experience. I, for one, appreciate that. *I know what you're thinking. No, there was no quid-pro-quo here. I genuinely like this place, regardless of any backrubs that I may have received with my meal. read more

I'm not the sort of person who delights in giving bad reviews: Say something nice or nothing at all, and all that. But Symposium merits some special, and choice, commentary. For both my partner and myself, this was the single worst meal we've had in a restaurant in a decade. We were reminded of how food in this country used to be before the foodie revolution. How food was in the UK before their foodie revolution. Greasy, stale, etc. If the vegetables, the peas especially, came from anywhere other than a can, I'd be astonished. They had that leached, institutional-food taste. While the portions were large, what use is that if you don't want to eat 'em? There's a nice, low-key vibe to the place and the wait staff seemed nice. These are pluses. Also: we didn't get food poisoning. read more

Dreadful food. Lamb was over cooked beyond recognition, then covered with a tasteless gravy. Accompanied by minute rice, canned peas and a poor potato boiled to death. Salad was okay although the tomatoes were a few weeks short of ripening. The wait staff was attentive and the lack of booming background noise (music) welcome. read more

The yelpers who gave this place less than 4 stars either do not know what Greek food is, act like they know what Greek food is, or do not know how to eat. Stop eating "organic", yuppie, and mock meats and you will see what REAL FOOD IS. The dishes at this place are not only authentic but they taste amazing! Here is my experience at this place from the moment I walked in to the moment I walked out. Once I entered the restaurant, my eyes lit up. The decor was amazing, the patrons seemed to be having a good time, and it was slightly packed. I was greeted by a waiter that was in his old age but had the wit, sass, and humor of a man in his 30s. He was very pleasant and I was happy to have him as the waiter. He seated us, made us laugh, and he gave us our menus. The menu was cute and simple. Nothing overwhelming and it screamed "GREEK FOOD". My friends and I started out with appetizers. We had the spread/dip plate which came with four or five dips. The pita bread was nice and warm, perfect for the dips! We also had the saganaki and the calamari. Who ever said the calamari is rubbery... you are WRONG. The calamari was perfectly cooked and the marinara dip was bursting with flavor. My group devoured the calamari while I was working on the dip. The saganaki was salty but that is the norm... seriously, which Greek cheese isn't salty? Haha! If you are going to get appetizers, the dips are a MUST!!! If you are going to get drinks, a must have/get is the beer Mythos and the Sangria. The Sangria is light and sweet and it tastes sooooooooooooooooooooooo gooooooooooooooood! We went through pitchers! For entree I had the Exohiko which is baked chunks of tender lamb stuffed into phyllo dough. Inside with the lamb, there is a sauce and something else and each bite gave my taste buds and orgasm. As a matter of fact, I am craving it now. The rice and the vegetable sides that came with it were good as well but I didn't feast on that as much since I was devouring my plate in a slow pace and stealing shrimp from a friends plate. Exohiko was so good, I wanted more! The manager on site was friendly and he was on top of his game. The staff seems to be close and working together as opposed to being all over the place. Being that the place isn't gigantic and at a comfortable size, the atmosphere is pleasant and appetizing. The decor on the wall is very nice but what amazed me even more was the ceiling. It put me in a pleasant thought while I was chewing on my food. Dessert time! I am not a huge fan of Greek sweets aside from Rice Pudding but even that I don't think is Greek but regardless I caved in and has the Baklava. The Baklava was NOT dry or too sweet. It was surprisingly moist and perfect to taste. So from the moment I walked in to the moment I walked out, the experience was not only Epic but the food satisfied my taste buds. Service was amazing and the staff is friendly. You kind of feel like home. You ask a question and you do not get a rude response... instead you get an honest answer with a side of humor, which in my book is absolutely perfect for a dining experience in the city. read more

My friend's had their rehearsal dinner here this past weekend (in the back room) and I can not say enough good things about this place. The food is amazing - from the pita to the Mousaka to the lamb kabobs - amazing! The best was the saganaki - never had it before and was blogwn away! But the best part was the staff - the owner was one of our waiters for the night and he made you feel like you were at his home in Greece. I wanted to take him home with me! Absolutely loved everything about this place! read more

Weird paintings (perfect), decent food, interesting Greek iced coffee, adorable man (greeter? Server? Owner?) who calls me beautiful and replies so sweetly to a nauseating couple who want to sit next to each other at two tables instead of across from each other at one table, "how can I say no?" ----- I'll be back. read more

I absolutely love this place. As a grad student and commuter I LOVED coming here during my time at Columbia! I regularly trek to Symposium for Chicken Saganaki. My ONE qualm is that they don't have straight up grilled octopus (warm). Regardless, Symposium's chicken saganaki is one of my all time favorite comfort foods. read more

Symposium has a comfortable, neighborhood-y feel and the food is delicious. Highly recommended! I love the crazy menu!

I have been meaning to try this restaurant since I first passed by it on the street months ago. I'm so glad I did! My usual rating of a restaurant has four criteria: quantity, quality, atmosphere, and the price you pay for all of that. Quantity: The quantity of food served here is good. I was a bit worried when our $13 appetizer came out; it was only the size of a small plate. But it turned out to be so rich that my boyfriend and I together could not finish it if we were going to have any room for the entrees. We left a bit of dip, some cucumbers and tomatoes. We didn't finish the entrees either, I've got some mousaka in my fridge for tomorrow. Quality: Honestly, I felt the appetizer was more exotic and flavorful than the entree. But maybe that's just because I love garlic and the appetizer sampler included an extremely garlicky dip. Either way, everything we had was delicious and fun to eat. Everything was very authentic, which counts for a lot of points in my book. Where else are you going to get real Greek food in Morningside Heights? Also, they had vegetarian versions of a lot of Greek classics, which was exciting for me because as a vegetarian, I usually have to pass up many Greek specialties. Also, I was impressed that they had a specialty Greek wine called Retsina. This wine sits in pine barrels instead of oak barrels, giving it a distinctive taste; retsina is traditional in Greece and unique to the country. I tried it for the first time, just the house wine here in a carafe, and it was great. Atmosphere: Great art, very friendly service. Not too crowded. Essentially, the atmosphere added to the value of the meal rather than detracted from it. Price: Fair. read more

I went to Symposium fairly often when I lived in the area back in the mid 1980s. Went back recently just to see if it still exists. It does and its as steady as ever. The taramasolata, baba, hummus all rock. The entrees are large and authentic. read more

Nice tucked-away establishment with very friendly staff! Pita bread is delicious

My girl Stacy showed me this place and it's got Greek down better than Zorba. Fo realz. The lamb kebob is fantastic and deyz even got a cheese they set on fire! The pita is warm and tasty and you can't beat their mediterranes apps like the hummous, babs ganoush and the like. Tuesday nights you get a discount if y'all rolling with the elite of Columbia. Otherwise, yo ass pays full price. Either way, it's worth it. Oppa! read more

6/5 for the service. There was one main waiter/greeter/owner(?) who was very attentive to everyone in the restaurant, joked around, gave us compliments, recommended dishes. He greeted the regulars and the party got started. 5/5 for the ambiance. Half diner, half art show. 4/5 for the food and prices. Not mind-blowing food, but still really tasty. Everywhere else around campus that has better food has terrible service, so I will absolutely be coming back here. I left way happier than when I came in. read more

Once or twice a month my friends and I go to one of our favorite places in the city: Symposium on 113th. Every time we go we are glad to be met by the most incredible staff who welcome us in. We enthusiastically sit down at one of the booths and take in the warm and homey atmosphere. As we get settled we appreciate the beautiful artwork on the walls. First we like to order Greek coffees, a personal favorite of mine. Then we'll usually order the saganaki cheese, which, aside from being delicious, has an awesome presentation (if you've not had it before I will not ruin this surprise, but I strongly encourage you to order it). The symposium sampler is another favorite of ours, a generous offering of tasty dips, grape leaves, and cheese, served with warm pita (The pita is fantastic by the way). Other favorites include the spanakotiropita, the spanakorizo and the mousaka, but you cannot go wrong with this menu. Being a student at the university it is a delight to have such an incredible restaurant just around the corner that doesn't break the budget. From the delicious food to the inviting atmosphere, I cannot recommend this place enough. Excited to inevitably return to this cherished restaurant with my cherished friends. read more

My favorite delivery place! I've never actually been to this restaurant but I have ordered delivery many times. I LOVE the chicken souvlaki platter. The potatoes are delicious. Consistent and fast. Highly recommend. read more

Nice cozy place. The waiter was very kind and helpful. The food was great, definitely get the Saganaki cheese - fantastic. The prices were also reasonable and we got a 10% discount for paying cash instead of by card. Definitely a pleasant place to go for lunch or dinner. read more

We've been meaning to eat here for the past year and finally made it in a few weeks ago for an excellent meal. At first, the prices on the menu seemed a tad higher than we were expecting but when the food came, we realized it was because the portions are HUGE. My companions and I ordered: Grilled Octopus -- I ate it as my entree and it was plenty of food. Not the best octopus I've ever had, but quite good. Chicken Ala Greco -- half a large chicken, reportedly tasty A combination plate of dips/appetizer salads -- sufficient for an entree Combination Plate of Greek Foods including moussaka, spanikopita, roast lamb, kefte meatballs, and a baked pasta and meat dish. Everything was delicious but this plate is very large. Overall, a very satisfying meal. I recommend sharing entrees unless you are a really big eater. read more

It was mediocre. The decor is really nice. I found the menu very hard to read in the way it was designed. We were seated near a large group we kept shouting all nght. Other diners were so upset they left. Food was mediocre. I got double charged for an entree, make sure you check your bill. Will not be coming back. Perhaps you will have better luck. read more

I came here once on a weekday night. The place was not very crowded, but I've seen it pretty full a couple of other times I passed by it. I had the gyro platter with chicken, which was pretty good. I really like that the dish was decently priced ($11-ish) and had a sizable portion. Although the service was kind of spotty and the staff were not very responsive, I overall appreciate the quality of the food here, especially considering the price level. read more

I actually found this place using that handy urbanspoon iphone application (yes, i also have the yelp app, but come on, if you can't decide where to eat, IT DECIDES IT FOR YOU!). I would have never found this place otherwise, and it looks really cute, got food to go, and I have to say I was disappointed. Compared to previous greek food I've had, this was super heavy, ate the same old, but Symposium's food sat in my stomach like a lead weight. I'm definitely willing to go back, perhaps eat inside the cute restaurant, to give it another try, but i'm a little wary. Had the moussaka, maybe that was a bad choice, will try something lighter next. read more

This hole in the wall Greek restaurant is the real deal. Family owned in the Columbia neighborhood, everything here is sublime. Don't expect anything fancy, it's paper napkins and laminated menus, but the food is to die for. The saganaki is delicious, although granted is difficult to go wrong with flaming cheese. Souvlaki is their specialty, although the pastitsio is my favorite. Also worth getting is the Greek sangria. I've still yet to figure out what makes it Greek, but it's delicious and strong. Also the Symposium Salad which has been mentioned is quite good. As already discussed, it is an array of Greek spreads served with pita, and is very tasty. The owner may flirt with you if you're a woman under the age of 40, but it's all in good fun, and he and everyone that work there are the nicest people. They are very accomodating to groups and any special needs and requests you may have! read more

This place is hidden between Columbia housing for frats and dorms, but it does not take away from its family atmosphere. I think the owner is very nice, and it is a beautiful spot. A little bit too pricey for me, especially as a college student, i wish they had some student specials, but I guess they have enough business from adults and families. Food is good, except for the price, even though it is similar price to those greek restaurants in Queens, except those are better. They've sat alrge parties before. I do not want to hate on the place, because I do appreciate it. Pitcher of sangria is worth it. read more

Come for the eclectic ancient-Greece-esque interior design and stay for the tzatziki sauce , babaganoush, grape leaves, and pita. I literally just come here for appetizers whenever I have a Greek craving because personally i find the mains pretty rough around the edges (think overly dry meats and overly mushy vegetables) despite the two dollar sign prices. I will definitely vouch for their apps and side dishes though, and honestly if you get enough of them you've got a decent meal. It's a nice place to go with groups especially because of the old school ambiance, and their pitchers of shareable Greek sangria seem to be a hit. read more

Service here is great, but the food is so-so. I love the flaming cheese (who doesn't), but I definitely wouldn't consider it the best Greek food I've had. It's good for groups - they also have a big back room that can seat parties. Food is around $10/person. Not really a place I would return to unless a friend wanted to go. read more

The ambiance in this restaurant is distinct: a lot of older locals who seem to have been patronizing this restaurant for years, mixed with Columbia students. A nice vibe, which is complemented by the trippy, doodling-filled menu. The Symposium salad (a mix of different Greek appetizers) was wonderful, but stop there. I didn't (I should have listened to the other reviewers). The entrees will disappoint, though a glass of ouzo will make you feel better. read more

Awful, awful, awful, Over cooked everything from the lamb to the salmon special to the canned vegatables. It had been years since I had been to a Greek restaurant. This place gives Greek food a bad name. If you like this place, you'll love almost any restaurant in the city! read more

A visit to Symposium is a bit like going to visit family, warm and welcoming. We have been frequenting this spot for years,so this is long overdue. Truly old style comfort food, you feel like it"s "Sunday dinner" each and every visit. Great simple food,warm service,and just a lovely experience. So glad to have this as a regular neighborhood spot! read more

Great place- authentic Greek food in a warm/artsy environment Lovely waiters read more

In a neighborhood of bland, boring restaurants, Symposium is a breath of fresh air. Okay, the food isn't spectacular, and it looks very home style (which I find charming, anyway), but it is certainly tasty enough. The service is SPECTACULAR, it's great for groups and the decor (and menu layout) is very 70s and hilarious to me. I especially enjoyed the baklava which was the perfect texture and soaked in lots of yummy honey. read more