We were so excited when we stumbled upon this charming little Greek place last Sunday! Low-key, fair prices and good food - at least at consumption. Within a few hours, both of us had severe tummy aches. We both had lamb gyros so not sure if the bad reaction was limited to our choice of plate but we were saddened to have to remove if from our Sunday dinner list. read more

Nestled amongst residences & CU buildings, Symposium boasts a cool below-the-street space. Great Symposium Salad, which was plenty of food for $8.50 for lunch; not cheap but certainly nowhere near a bad value. Service did what it needed to, and I was in and out in 7 minutes, tops. read more

Love this place. Ive been pretty lazy the last couple of months and slacking off on cooking. So I have been ordering out multiple times a week. This restaurant is always a sure go to place. Sometimes I eat here 3 times a week because the food is great, affordable and reliable. The staff treats you like their family. I go in and get hugs, great conversation and lastly great food. Def stop by here and tell them Keet sent you!!!! read more

I've been in this restaurant 3 times and I like the vibe. The food is simple but tasty and the the place is very informal. The service can be a little bit slow but the price is really good for nyc's standard. read more

Pita bread - good. Warm and chewy. Plain flavor. Gyro-lamb souvlaki combination platter - excellent. Fresh salad. Average quality of gyro meat. Delicious with tzatzkiki sauce. Juicy, tender and savory lamb kabob. Very well cooked and seasoned potatoes that warm your heart. Saganaki-average. Impressive flame that can be distinguished by fresh lemon juice. Very salty cheese. The Symposium mixed appetizer plate-delicious. Savory tzatzkiki, pink taramosalata, eggplant dip, skordalia. Fresh feta cheese, dolmadakia, tomatoes and cucumbers. Mousaka-good. Baked layers of eggplant, ground beef and potato. Creamy sauce on top. Tender steamed green beans. Dry rice but goes well with tomato soup. read more

I love Symposium. It's a very cosy and quite place, away from the noise of the city. It's in a basement level which gives the visitors a touch of privacy. The old guy who serves the meals is super nice and he's probably Greek as well; always makes jokes and shows personal attention. The place is decorated with wall paintings and a Mediterranean music is playing in the background, creating a "Greek" atmosphere. Haven't tried most of their menu items, but the gyros are really good and not expensive at all. read more

I had an excellent dinner here. Upon the owner's recommendation, I got the vegetable moussaka, and it was wonderful! Great service and nice decor. I'll definitely be back! read more

this place was a classic old-fashioned institution. we met with our friends and had to wait for about 15 min for our two friends on saturday afternoon but nobody minded. the place was pretty crowded at that time and they did not have air conditioning (i was so hot) but i was still excited because the place looked really authentic. once our friends arrived we ordered the food (their cheese in flames is a quite a spectacle!) we enjoyed everything. our waiter was pretty old-school and entertaining. he accommodated us with a request for a better table with no complains. we stayed there just talking for a while after the lunch and nobody made us feel uncomfortable (the place was half-empty at that time) which we appreciated. please note that the restaurant is below street level and i did not have any cell service there. read more

It has a lovely, Mediterranean atmosphere. They serve the food and the coffee very quick. My dish was quite ok, especially chicken with cheese melt on was delicious. The greek coffee felt like a bit watery to me; or maybe it is this what makes it not a turkish coffee. read more

Really authentic Greek food. Great sangria! Not crazy about the Baklava, seemed too soggy, maybe it was flaky yesterday. Good service. Leave a LOT of time to read the menu -- its done cartoon style and possibly the worst menu design I have ever seen. read more

An interesting place visually. I had hoped I would get a great Greek meal. The lemon egg soup was very good, but my food arrived at the table when I was only half way through it. The waiter dropped off the food and NEVER came back to the table until he brought the check. I was the only person who was eating; there were 2 other tables but they were finished. The pasticcio was not good; the bottom was hard, (almost like it was cooked to the bottom of the pan), the top half was dry and flavorless. The potatoes and veggies (soggy beans and peas mix) were flavorless also. I sat for about 5 minutes before the busboy came and took my plates. I asked for a refill and received it (was charged $2.25/12 oz glass, is this a NY thing?), and was ignored for another 10 minutes until the waiter arrived back with the check. $22+ for this???!!?? I rarely am so disappointed in both food and service that I don't want to even leave a tip (maybe twice in my life). I had to force myself to leave a tip here. The two stars are for the soup. Everything else earned 0 stars. read more

Symposium - Where the wait staff sat the entire time. - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

Well I know we walked in on off hours 4pm, but really the waiter is sleeping in one of the booths. I have traveled many times to Greece but this food is as far from Greek cuisine as New York City is from Athens. I had the lamb souvlaki which was awful. Came with some mystery sauce. The tsaziki was ok. It's a shame because the place is really cozy. read more

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

See all

This place is a local favorite, tucked away on a quieter street in the busy morningside heights area. The chicken gyro platter is always my favorite (~$12), and it comes on their soft pita bread, grilled chicken slices (note that I say slices instead of just grilled chicken), salad, tzatziki, and salad. It is always so filling, and I cannot get over how I want to eat more of this dish even though I am stuffed. The chicken slices are such an interesting texture and flavor. Think smooth, tender, and just yummy. It may not be for everyone, but my friend and I always get this dish whenever we come (which is not infrequently). Some say the decor is "outdated", but I honestly find it quirky and endearing. For lunch, you get a free pita bread appetizer! What really gets me is that the staff are so incredibly kind. They really want to make you feel like you're at home, and they treat you like family! The owner especially makes you feel welcomed because he stops by and makes sure that you are enjoying the meal and experience. read more

Dare I not love this place. Yes, the waiter service was great, the decor was awesome, BUT the food left a little something to be desired. Now some people may love the following fact, but when I go out to eat I want the food to look like it came from a restaurant, not like a grandmother made it. There was a lot of food, it was a good price, but it just didn't taste right and It would've been something that my friend's Greek granny would've served me. I say this because I imagine this detail would be of great importance to a lot of people, just not me. read more

I find that my Greek food experience has been rather limited due to my inability to read long, complicated Greek words. The menu really didn't help with this predicament...completely illegible and I'm pretty sure I missed half of the stuff on the menu because of sheer confusion. I ordered a chicken gyro and my friend ordered some other dish with chicken and lemon. The gyro was okay. Very bland, and I'm not even sure if it was worth the $9 that i dished out for it. The service was pretty slow considering how many other tables were in the restaurant..but they were friendly and the ambiance is very cutesy and underground. A very refreshing environment compared to piss loud restaurants on B'way. read more

the appetizer platter , had olives and some yogurt. but the babagounous was very bland not enough smoked flavor chicken gyro is dry and came really odd slices and was cold, not warm or juicy/fresh. The mash potato very mushy. the vegetables look frozen and not fresh, they are discolored and mushy. The shrimp dish was much better, rice and broccoli. husband and I ,wind up sharing the same meal, since my chicken gyro was not worth eating. read more

Eh, after re-visiting this place, I'm sad to report that I'm no longer satisfied by the food here. The ambiance leaves much to be desired, and while reasonable, there's now an upper west alternative that is much nicer and more convenient, with better food (Kefi in the west 80's). I don't think I'll be returning... read more

my favorite tsatsiki ever with delicious warm pita. big fan of the chicken a la greco and the gyros as well. The flaming cheese is a popular one - always brought into the room with a big "oppa!" (the splendor is well justified once you bite into that delicious gooey cheese). The owner is incredibly warm and friendly - setting the tone for a great family establishment that keeps you coming back for more! read more

PROS: Great set-up for this place. Underground, totally crazy and almost illegible hand-drawn menu (see photo), humming with activity, and a hospitable wait staff. CONS: The food. Nothing outstanding. Go for a good social place with a neat sense of character, but don't expect to be floored by the food. read more

This is a 3.5 star judging by my experience, but since my friends who went in with me did not like the food they ordered, I'll just give a 3-star. I ordered the lamb Giouvetsi dish, which is a stewed lamb shank dish with tons of starch (choice of orzo or spaghetti). I chose orzo, and it tasted delicious. So did the lamb shank. It was slightly overcooked, but within my range of tolerance nevertheless. The portion was very, very large. I had to pack half of it home, but I didn't mind because I'm sure the leftover would taste good :) My friends got the calamari and a meatball-dish; they didn't like it. read more

Whatever else you do, try the saganaki! I love the ceremony of having the flaming cheese come out, and then dousing the flame with lemon juice. We came on an off night but the older man who seated us was charming. The menu and the walls look like they were drawn by the same person who is just bursting with a creativity they want to share. Had the kebab, which was awesome, although the accompaniments were standard fare. Would recommend to others and will be back again to try more on the menu! read more

Restaurant located in college town Columbia university. Place is small but decorated oddly and comforting. Now the food. Ordered a gyro. Waited 10 minutes. Gyro was fresh and delicious. But small sandwich. Kinda stingy with da gyro symposium. Will visit again and eat at a table. read more

Oh! The waiters are super warm! Food is also perfect! Lots of choices, the dipped salad is my favorite.

A really great authentic Greek restaurant. My mother in law is from Greece and an excellent cook and this is the first restaurant I have been to that compares. I noticed that many people have gotten the gyros, but if you are interested in real Greek homestyle cooking check out the dandelions, taramosalata (fish roe salad), moussaka... they have an EXCELLENT vegetarian version of this dish and a few others. I found that the owner and his son who waits tables there to be really friendly and surely they will help you with the menu if you don't know Greek. The place itself is sort of divey but charming and clean. read more

definitely had better greek in this city. things started off promising - giant basket of warm pita, which we all started pounding like there was no tomorrow. we started with their yogurty-cucumber something or other dip, which was decent and the the popular salad (i'm so lukewarm about this place that i can't even be bothered to pull up their menu and reference the exact item), which was anticlimatic. the service though was pretty impressive, i must say, even if we were 1 of 2 tables being served at 9:30 at night... the waitstaff actually brought one of my girlfriends (the bombshell by far - coincidence? i think not) a sampler of all their dips, and then when she later just MENTIONED that she enjoyed the eggplant one, they brought us a whole plate on the house! so it was in good spirits that we sailed into entrees, which unfortunately disappointed. the chicken kebabs were dry, and the vegetable moussaka (sp?) seemed like someone stopped trying halfway through making it. i'd prefer not to go again, but if i did i'd probably stick to the appetizers. read more

Totally solid. Symposium is a place to a get a reliably good Greek meal. I've only sampled the gyro and the flaming cheese, and each was very good. For a lunch, the gyro was very substantial following a rich tradition. It's a great space and like the vibe of the place. The menu is kind of crazy though and intimidating, but I suppose that's part or most of the charm and the pita is outstanding. While I get the feeling that Symposium is an informal place for students to take parents when they are in town, I'll definitely return for the periodic lunch visit when it's not crowded. read more

The food's not special, but the experience is good. Friendly, relaxed. Get a beer, order lots of little things and enjoy the people you're with. The roast chicken was tasty, and... don't miss the flaming cheese. read more

The food is not stupendous, but the sampler salad with a glass of wine is pretty tasty! Nice atmosphere, too. Ducking in here on a rainy night and relaxing with some good food is a nice way to spend the night. Not a fan of the entrees I've tried, I stick with the salads and appetizers. read more

It was a little more expensive than we'd expected, but the food was good and our server was very attentive. We got the tzatziki (small plate of it for 6.95) and grape leaves (4 or 6 for 6.95) as apps, and honestly with the bread basket I could have made that a meal all on its own! Carafe of wine for $24. Also got the chicken pita platter, which came with a side salad, rice, more tzatziki, and strips of chicken on a pita (9.95 or 10.95 I think?) and my boyfriend got the moussa...laka? (sort of like lasagna. Also 9.95) I didn't love the chicken meat, but all other aspects of the meal were good. read more

This little gem is literally tucked in a street between Broadway and Amsterdam ave and has been one of my favorite restaurants in the vicinity when I was a student at Columbia University (2010-12). The service is extraordinary and the host goes out of his way to make everyone feel welcome. Everyone, i kid you not. I got the chicken gyro and grape leaves on most lunch dates with my BFF. In a larger gathering though, we tried their sample symposium starter platter which was another favorite. Their sangria's delcious as are is the mousaka. But the one thing that makes me dream of Symposium now that I have moved to the other coast is their PITA BREAD. Oh. My. God. The softest, warmest, freshest, best pita bread I have ever tasted in my life, that too, complimentary! It hits the right spot every single time. read more

If you are super hungry, order the chicken, If you're medium hungry, order the lamb or fish. If you're not hungry at all, DONT COME TO THIS PLACE. I'm not denying its environment or its menu, 'cause its very unique and delicate. However the food is really nothing special that worths your time. The entrees aren't that Greek, while the salad, with unfresh cheese and lettuce, isn't desirable at all... read more

I've never met a Tzatziki sauce that I didn't like, but Symposium is right on the money. I ordered their chicken gyro and ate every last bite. The elderly man who works there (the owner?) came by and asked if I wanted more Tsatziki as I was almost licking every bit left on my plate. Service was solid in this quaint, cozy, authentic haven and the food was delicious. The reason I marked the rating down a bit was because the salad with the gyro platter was a pretty small and the lettuce lacked crunch and texture. I'll be sure to try the lamb gyro next time I order a gyro platter. Every plate the came out of the kitchen looked delicious. I will be back! read more

Hey food is good geek food but the service is not the greatest since there is one waiter and then he gave us our menus and then went to the back and never came out again until we went and asked him to come out. read more

I wish I had better experiences at Symposium - it's a staple around Columbia, the location is gorgeous and cozy, and I've had several great meetings there over drinks. However, every time I make an attempt to try it again, I'm always disappointed. The food itself is ok, but the deadly combination of small portions and high prices is too much to bear. The service is also rather spotty as well. The owner is always polite though, and seems to be interested in giving his customers a good experience. However, there's just no real draw to the restaurant. read more

Ordered a Greek Salad with grilled chicken, cost me $17! It was very average, def won't be coming back. The owner was very nice however.

My shrimp santorini was 1-star but my wife's moussaka was 3 stars, plus the pita and appetizer plate were 5-star and the space and service were old-school and fun, so... Somewhere between 2 and 3 stars. The sides for both of us were embarrassing canned peas and green beans, overlooked, plus white rice and a boiled potato. Really? That's the best you could do? But there is a vintage charm about the place. read more

I love this place. Authentic Greek cuisine at a decent price. Chefs prepare all dishes just like they do in Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini. Mythos, Greek beer, complements all the entrees. Good for groups. Crazy to read menu. Tasso was such a great waiter - very welcoming. He's such a nice guy and will make anyone feel right at home with his conversation. Go here and Go Greek! read more

Came here about five months ago. I went with a couple Columbia students who tell me this is one of the places to go, and I could see that the food was pretty authentic. But either I'm not a fan of authentic Greek food, or everything was just pretty bland. I had the sampler dish, which was an assortment of perhaps four (or more) dishes, so I think I got a pretty good sense of the food here. By the end of the meal, I don't know if I was getting full or just bored. The servers were friendly and the interior was interesting, to say the least, but the food simply lacked any sort of excitement. Highly unlikely I will return, unless if in good company. read more

Oh I love this place... a Symposium Greek Salad with warm pita bread is one of my favorite NYC comfort foods.

Homey place, drawings on the ceiling, greeted by the owner(?). All good when I sat down. Ordered souvlaki for $20 instead of the less expensive kabobs at the waiter's suggestion. Asked for no rice, got extra veggys. When it came, there were four small pieces of meat (_small_) and a huge helping of what looked like canned peas and stringbeans. What there was of the meat tasted good. Even for canned veggys these were overcooked, I could not eat them. Ordered a peasant salad to fill in. Ice cold unripe tomatoes. Pretty sad showing. As I paid my $35 bill, the owner(?) asked how my meal was. I said I prefered not to get canned veggys. He said they weren't. I said in that case they were way, way overcooked. He agreed! He knew he was serving junk! Oy. Oh, also the menu is cute but very hard to decypher. Not going back. What's with all the good reviews? read more