My Albanian wife and I loved our lunch experience here. It was our first time…read more They had a special hummus with ground lamb appetizer. The ground lamb didn't overpower the already expertly executed hummus and added fantastic depth and richness. We also sprung for the grilled calamari tubes and the chef did a great job of not overcooking while achieving an excellent char. We shared the baked cod and the spice was delicate and perfect. Using cured lemon was a very clever idea as the sauce was not too strong but still had depth; the saffron and turmeric were well balanced. The fish itself was NOT overcooked and flaked perfectly. The vegetables were also executed well and cooked so they could be eaten with the same bite. The star of the show was still the cook on the fish with the wonderful sauce. The sever gave us some Moroccan mint tea which was also wonderful. We will be making the drive from the Maine Line to just to dine here again.

An absolutely authentic and excellent restaurant! The octopus is excellent and so is the baba…read moreganoush. Also the gyros and everything else. Great service and overall a first rate experience. One of the best Greek/Turkish menu meals I've had in the US. 5 stars!

It was my first time at Efsane on 5/2/26 and I must say it was such a wonderful experience. The…read morefood was delicious and the service was superb. They recently opened and I highly highly recommend a visit. The restaurant itself was very pretty and a great ambiance.

Have eaten food from Efsane twice--once in restaurant and once via Doordash. We had a delicious…read moremeal sitting at the table. Food was fresh and delicious; attentive and timely service-wise, too. Ordering delivery was a bit of a different story. Ordered two gyros and neither had tzatziki which was very disappointing. Tzatziki is what we live for and the shining star of a gyro--how do you forget that not once but twice?! Then there were the very greasy and droopy fries. Yes, fries are delicate travelers but these were hopeless. And at a $9(!!) price point, they should really find another way of transporting them to customers. Last, the lentil soup was not prepared well. It was bland and overly thick than many others I have eaten before by other chefs. All in all, not terrible but rather a bad lasting impression. Don't think we'll be returning.

Had a great time at Nektar! The food was great and wine was even better! The atmosphere on the…read moreoutside deck on a nice day is unbeatable. Our server was really nice and attentive. The plates are small for the price but the quality makes up for it. We got meatball sliders which I would go back for and the prosciutto flatbread. For desert we got the ice cream sandwich cookies and that was by far the highlight! The wine was incredible too!

We enjoyed our evening at nectar Wine Bar. The outdoor patio is adorable and quaint, perfect for a…read moredate night. The wine list is outstanding. We ordered four different dishes, two of which were excellent and two of which were just OK. I'd highly recommend the Korean chicken wings and the meatball sliders. My husband said the wings were some of the best he's had. However, the scallop dish was pretty good, but nothing I would order again. The Saganaki dish was really just lacking flavor and the bread was incredibly stale.

When my boyfriend and I decided to try out Marmara we weren't expecting anything as great as it…read morewas... It's in a fricking mall! We've been there once every week for the last month...... I've enjoyed the Branzini very much ( fillet it to avoid bones) Their balloon bread is amazing with the Tapenade they serve. We always get their hummus. And their grape leaves. The Shephards salad which Is mostly tomato &cucumbers w a flavorful dressing (we put on side) .. there's just something about using their balloon bread to scoop up your salad and dips... Yep, we always get a second order of the bread... It's very light and thin and doesn't feel as gluttonous. Everybody is very courteous... It's like going to a restaurant in the city... A belly like dancer surprised us on a Friday night which was fun. I don't really wanna recommend this too much because I don't want it to get so busy that I can't get in when I want to lol but seriously it's a really great experience. They do have wine, but we bring our own and they are happy to fill a glass! Enjoy

The food is delicious, 10/10. I've been here about 5 times and have never had a bad meal…read more The service on the other hand is very slow. Consistently. It takes about 30 minutes to get your food and even longer to get a check after the fact. Which is crazy because my table was only one out of 3 other tables in the restaurant. A 20% tip is automatically applied to your bill, and then still asked if you want to tip ON TOP OF THE FACT so pay attention to your bill! Part of me thinks the reason the service isn't as good is because they know they're automatically getting that tip, but another part of me hopes that isn't the case. Ambiance is nice, very beautiful and great place for pictures.

Our meal at Hamilton's Grill Room 20+ years ago had been so memorable, I searched the web to…read morereserve a dinner for our anniversary, when we'd be staying in Stockton. Upset to learn that HGR had closed, I learned that Brian was back....at the aptly named "Brian's at the Grill", at the same great location! I love it when a restauranteur has the confidence to design a dinner service that he knows will serve his diners best. We appreciated the beautiful prix fixe menu, with plenty of diverse choices for appetizer, entree and dessert. I guess we've been married 37 years, since we made the same choices...tuna tartare and grilled Swordfish with a delicate lemon, caper and butter sauce. Everything was perfect...the mashed potatoes and al dente veggies ...amazing. We enjoy bringing our own wines and appreciate when the restaurant focuses solely on cooking and leaves the wine to us. And Lambertville has a wine shop a few blocks away. The restaurant accepts cash, personal checks and Venmo. I actually found that refreshing, since Venmo is so simple and they made us well aware when we made our reservation. Many restaurants are now charging a credit card fee for the convenience of using a card, which they rarely disclose; we found using Venmo a great option. Of course food reigns supreme, but not if the service is spotty or brusque. Patricia is a gem and greeted us so warmly and paced our meal graciously. She asked if we wanted to move on to our entree rather than assuming that the kitchen's timing matched ours. How often do you receive that type of treatment? We were stuffed after two courses and rather than pushing the pot de creme and bananas foster on us, again, she asked whether we'd prefer it in the restaurant or back at the hotel....and when we preferred the latter, she packaged them so we could take a breather! Pretty remarkable. We felt we had a new friend by the end of the meal....she is a real asset and has been with Brian for maybe 14 years(?). Front of house excellence complements kitchen talent at this special, twinkling place. We appreciated that we had the option of dining with them on a Monday night, when businesses may be closed in Lambertville or New Hope. Brian's back and we're so glad we found him and Patricia. Enjoy!

Wow! What a delicious meal I had at Brian's! I chose this as the spot for our anniversary dinner…read moreand so glad I did. Quaint ambiance along the canal makes for a nice evening. The menu is prix fixe at $70pp and includes 3 courses. We were promptly greeted with water, an ice bucket for our wine and warm bread. The starters we chose were tuna tartare and broccolini salad. The tartare: delicate tuna served about room temperature (perfect) with a delightful Asian sesame marinade. My husband said it was the best tartare he's had in a while, possibly ever, and I agree. The broccolini was dressed in a light, balanced vinaigrette with pickled onion and Burrata. A delicious salad that's totally my vibe. The scallops were perfectly seared outside and tender inside. Served with a light sauce, perfectly cooked vegetables and a potato crepe that was unusual and tasty. The red snapper was also perfectly cooked, with crispy skin and tender filet, served with mashed potatoes and veggies. But let's talk about the topping...the snapper was topped with mini crispy croutons in a caramelized brown butter unlike anything I've ever had. It added amazing texture and flavor and was sooo delicious! We finished with bananas foster in a warm caramel sauce over French toast topped with vanilla ice cream, which was spot on and the chocolate pot de crème had the perfect consistency and rich chocolate flavor. The service was fantastic, almost a little too good to the point that I felt rushed and found myself eating fast (hence the 4 stars instead of 5). For 3 courses, we were in and out in 1 hour which is impressive from the perspective that they have their $hit together, but I would have preferred an extra 5 minutes between courses to slow down the pace and savor the experience. That said, I would definitely go back and am looking forward to trying some of the other culinary delights Brian's has to offer!

it was going to rain and I stopped by for some fresh Laughman soup…read more I can't recommend it enough. It's so delicious and hearty and so flavorful. Noodle soup with beef and vegetable vegetables, such a delicious broth and a pinch of dill on top. I'm a big fan!!! Thanks for all the hard-working people who take care of us. The chefs and the servers and everyone in between.!!

My family and I came here with my father-in-law and absolutely loved our meal. My kid found this…read morerestaurant after searching reviews and we wanted to try a new place. Grand Slam Home Run. We found out that most of the people (regulars) who usually come here are on their vacation season so it was not an issue getting a six-top reservation with only a day's notice. The restaurant is huge with at least two mega rooms downstairs and one upstairs. We actually went to the upstairs door to check in only to be told we had to go to the downstairs door and check in there. Once we did, the staff asked if we would be ok with being in the "party" room where there would be a DJ. We were fine with that and the staff was more than happy to accommodate us. Once at our table, the extensive menus made it almost too difficult to decide what we wanted. May want to consider reducing the food options here. My wife and I split a tomahawk steak. Once we ordered it, we were told we should probably move to an eight-top because we would have more space. The place was almost empty at 6:15pm on a Saturday so we got to move and give us some more room. We also had two serving of Plov, a prime NY strip, a roasted beet salad, and a chicken fingers with fries. We added some bread, too, along with some compote. The Plov was some of the best we've ever had with lots of tender meat. Both steaks were cooked to our liking. Fries were killer and the chicken fingers were fine. I did not care for the compote as I'm used to it with fruit still in the drink. At about 7pm, the DJ started but there was no separate party which is what we thought was going to show up. The DJ sang some and played up-tempo dance music but also threw in some known music like Ob-Bla-Dee Ob-Bla-Dah from the Beatles also in the dance music style. So much fun after drinking a lot of our BYOB alcohol. Service was excellent and more than accommodating for us. He even advised when we were getting ready to leave that it was raining hard and we could stay until it died down. The restaurant is colorful with lights and designs on the walls including projector lights and white linen sheets above. The place was clean and also the bathrooms on the lower rear level. $305 not including tip for six adults which included two steaks, two Plov, chicken fingers with fries, three breads, and a compote. I mention a lot with my reviews that I'd come back to a place. I really can't wait to return to Samarkand! It was just a lot of fun with excellent food and service. I hope it's just as good when the place is slammed and full.

Marrakesh is one of my absolute favorite places to eat in Philadelphia!!…read more I wish it existed in more cities. This is a multicourse journey through Marrakesh that cannot be repeated anywhere else except for maybe in the real Marrakesh. From the Bastilla pastry, which is DIVINE, to the salads, the chicken and kebabs... all the way to the baklava and tea.... there is no bad bite at Marrakesh. The owners are welcoming and super amenable and make you feel like you're coming home every single time you visit. It's in a odd location, and you may feel like you are making a questionable life decision as you walk up the alley to the door, but when you arrive, you realize that in fact, it was one of the best decisions you've made in years!! When you enter, it's like you've been transported to a beautiful room in Morocco. The music, the decor, even the authentic seating make for an unforgettable experience. And if you get really lucky, you also get to see the belly dancers who are top notch! There is not a single thing I can think of to say that Marrakesh needs to improve. It is a one of a kind experience that I feel everyone should have at least once in life!

This place was interesting! It had a lot of positive reviews so I was excited to try it for my…read morefriends birthday. And I called in advance to see if they catered for people with dietary restrictions which they mentioned they did. I think it's a fine place to go if you eat meat but I wouldn't go if you don't! The options for vegetarians were a lentil rice dish and a chickpea rice dish so it was very carb heavy with not too much of a focus on protein. I liked the eggplant that had in the beginning but other than the food was meh. The service was nice and the short bellydancing performance was fun but I wasn't the biggest fan of the food. Especially when they give you served us a fruit plate containing unopened apples and oranges and bananas at the end that was kind of strange. Personally wouldn't return but my friends who had the meat seemed to enjoy it!

Had a great experience dining at Zad Albasha last night. The location is right on Main Street. The…read moredecor was great. There were several small plate options perfect for sharing. The prices were also very reasonable. I really enjoyed the coppinata cold eggplant appetizer. It was fresh and flavorful. I loved the fresh herbs on top and the warm pita was delicious. The hummus and lamb was equally delicious. They do only serve one pita at a time but we're happy to provide more. The service was friendly and quick. I would definitely stop by to try some other menu items.

Absolutely the worst Mediterranean food I have ever had and I grew up eating this cuisine, so I…read moreknow what it's supposed to taste like. Within minutes of eating, my husband became sick and started throwing up. That alone should tell you everything you need to know about this place. The hummus was bland, watery, and completely flavorless and the portion was laughably small for $10. The lamb shawarma was so dry it was practically inedible, while the chicken shawarma was aggressively over-salted and loaded with spices in the worst way possible. Even the rice was undercooked, which is basic and hard to mess up. We spent $100 here and it felt like we literally threw our money in the trash. This place is a complete disappointment and honestly concerning from a food safety standpoint. If you value your money -- and your stomach -- stay far away from this restaurant.

I have been twice and both times the food and service has been amazing! They have a lot of…read moreflavorful vegetarian options and I will be back to try more

An upscale chi chi Mediterranean joint…read more The emphasis is on elaborate dishes with the strategy of raising the tab. If you are going to charge me more by being fancy, You had better be fancy and good. Fortunately Aspendo's delivers. * * * I was there on an academic lunch with an exciting scholar. That kind of thing can happen in a restaurant next to the Princeton campus. This is one of the dangers of eating in a college town. So most of my observational powers and intellectual energy were turned towards general issues of demographic processes and global welfare and the way that these could be re-positioned in the social sciences. There was elaborate stuff going into my mouth. I was paying more attention to the elaborate stuff going into my ears. What was going into my mouth seemed overly fussy for what it was. But it was not unpleasant. * * * Had the agenda been a romantic evening, There been a bottle of wine on the table and The goal being to make the dinner last forever, Elaborate interesting dishes could have been welcome. So this place has its uses.

We ate at Erini's tonight and Brielle P. was our server. I asked the hostess for a black napkin…read more(bc I was wearing a black dress and white napkins tend to get white lint on my outfit). I wasn't sure if the hostess was going to bring the black napkin, so I asked Brielle if I could have one and she told me I could not. Then the hostess came over and gave me a black napkin, and Brielle disciplined her in front of us, saying to her, "Just so you know for next time, the black napkins are for the bar only." We found this to be very unprofessional of Brielle, to discipline the hostess in front of the guests. I also did not like that Brielle refused to give me a black napkin. Otherwise, the food was excellent and we had a lovely dinner.

The drinks are consistently on point--not watered down, not rushed--just well-made cocktails and a…read morestrong wine selection. The bartenders know what they're doing, and you can tell they care about the experience. Food-wise, this is where they separate themselves from typical happy hour spots. The appetizers aren't just filler--they're restaurant-quality dishes. The calamari is crisp (not greasy), the flatbreads are loaded but balanced, and everything comes out with attention to detail. The atmosphere is a huge win. It's not loud or chaotic--you can actually have a conversation, network, or just decompress after a long shift. Service is attentive without hovering, and the crowd tends to be a good mix of laid-back professionals and locals who know they found a solid spot. Bottom line: Erini's happy hour feels like a hidden gem--elevated, consistent, and worth making part of your weekly routine.