I had the lemon chicken soup. Don't ask me to spell it but it was amazing. My main entree was the salmon and let me tell you it was cooked to perfection a little char but still delicate and delicious. Great spot. read more

Had a delicious brunch deal here and my friend and I got tipsy with unlimited bellinis, risotto bowl and my lamb sandwich. Delicious food and surprising brunch spot! I would definitely come again. The food is really flavorful and cooked well - I will emphasize that. read more

Yefsi Estiatorio - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

Some of the best/most authentic greek food on the UES! They have a nice, safe outdoor table set up. Last night for dinner, my friend & I shared the Greek Salad, Yefsi Chips (a MUST!), and the Shrimp Santorini, which was perfectly sautéed and served with orzo over a light tomato sauce with melted feta. Everything was so delicious and the service was great! read more

Simply outstanding. From the service, the dim lighting, the candle lit table and wonderful backroom garden to our incredibly delicious and loved filled crafted dishes. Yefsi easily topped my list for one of the best Greek/Mediterranean Restaurants in NYC. Their menu, simple yet sophisticated catered to all as did our server Vangel. Vangel really drove Yefsi home and could not make us feel more comfortable and relaxed as he was reading the menu and making recommendations of good combinations. Thank you for your excellent service! Will be back and highly recommend for any occasion! read more

Pretty effing great, pardon my Greek. Yefsi? More like, yes please. But seriously, surpassed my and my family's expectations. And they're a tough critic when it comes to Cypriot, Greek, Mediterranean food. It is pricey, upwards of $20 on some mezedes. But the portions are actually fairly sizable, minus the octopus. That always helps. We had a bottle of the Assyrtiko from Santorini that was delicious. The octopus was solid, but a very small serving. I really enjoyed the red peppers, capers, and red wine vinaigrette. The calamari was a hefty portion, not over-fried, and served with a refreshing yogurt sauce. Saganaki: fried cheese, can't go wrong. The Horiatiki salad was fresh. The Kolokithokeftedes (aka fried zucchini) was pretty disappointing, though. Step up your game, zucchini. The kebab wasn't too good. Spicy, sort of in a good way. But it tasted more like a koftedes than anything. Then again, I don't know why we got kebab at a fish restaurant. My family never listens to me. But the fish were great! The Lavraki was juicy. And the Arni Youvetsi (lamb shank), not a fish obviously, was flavorful and tender. Great tomato sauce. Great establishment over on York! read more

Great takeout from this authentic Greek restaurant on the UES. They include the bread basket and garlic butter with your order. The hortiaki and lima bean dish were standouts. They currently have bottles of Greek wine on sale - they gave me a Syrah instead of Pinot Noir that I ordered but it was still good. read more

Well deserved high 5. Heard only great feedback from our neighbors. Plates look well, good service. read more

Fairly good Greek spot. Only tried the lamb sandwich at brunch which was ok, the meat was a bit dry. Enjoyed the ample yogurt and pita though. read more

Yefsi Estiatorio - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

Really solid Greek establishment in the UES. Traditional dishes with a slew towards a focus on fish. Our waitress recommended a few fish dishes but as it was a cold night we went for some heartier meat options. However the octopus app was top notch, and I would highly recommend the moussaka. The braised lamb dish looked great as well however I didn't try my friend's entree. Will definitely be back! read more

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One of my favorite places in the neighbor. Their grill squid and the Aria beer are the best! read more

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My boyfriend and I wanted to try a neighborhood restaurant and we love Greek. I read reviews about this place and suggest we give it a try. I am glad we did because we will never return again. While the restaurant was spacious and pretty, I wish the food and the service matched up. Like they don't even give you pita bread - what kind of Greek restaurant is that? For our starters, we had the Fried Calamari, which was good but I definitely had better. For the mains, my boyfriend ordered the Shrimp Santorini and was not happy with the way the shrimp was cooked. It was chopped and drowning in tomato sauce (yuck). I ordered a basic Chicken Kebob and it was very basic. A couple next to my table ordered that as well and their chicken was undercooked so I am glad I did not have that issue. However, it was bland, barely had any peppers/onions, and loaded with rice. So the food definitely had its issues but what really got to me was the service. I appreciate when a waiter checks in from time to time and that was not the case here. Also, we went without water throughout because of this. When my boyfriend wanted to return his dish, another waiter came to the table instead. Then they cleared our mains and it took about 20 minutes for our original waiter to come over to ask us for desserts (not that we wanted any). I expressed to the waiter my disappointment in the experience, especially with him. In return, all I got was excuses and no apologies. I guess that will explain his tip. I love Greek and if you love it too, stay away from this place. read more

There is a lot of Greek food in NYC but few places that make you feel that you actually IN Greece. Yefsi is one of those rare places. Great quality ingredients, a master chef with a versatile menu, a strong wine list and terrific service. You can't ask for more than that in a place. I've been several times and the food is always spot on. Getting a seat at the bar is getting tougher but I'm sharing the love nonetheless. Congrats Chef Christos and continued success! read more

Yefsi Estiatorio - Spetsofai at Yefsi. Greeks can throw down sausage, peppers and onions too! - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

Most amazing (Cypriot- though it certainly stands above every other kind of ) Greek restaurant I've ever been. The menu contains an array of well-made standards alongside uniquely-designed dishes. I particularly enjoy the spectrum of fish. The staff is exceptional and makes for a wonderful evening, guaranteed. read more

Good food. Horrendous service. Prob a good spot to order from but yikes...1 hour for hummus?

This is a great neighborhood spot. Everyone that works here is incredibly nice and helpful. Our favorite dish was the grilled octopus. GET THIS! There are multiple octopus dishes on the menu but this one was extraordinary and I've had many octopus dishes throughout NYC restaurants. Also the greek salad is great as well and a nice compliment to your meal. They have nice outdoor seating on York ave as well as a nice closed in garden in the back that is cute. read more

Yefsi Estiatorio - Back covered garden. Very quaint - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

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One of my favorite spots on the UES. Ordered takeout during this Covid shutdown and it was just as good as it is when dining in. The Garides Saganaki is one of my favorite dishes in the city. Support this place during the pandemic! The food is top notch and the quality was just as good when we ordered takeout read more

My husband and I had our date night dinner here on a Saturday. We showed up with our dogs to eat outside. Unfortunately, the host and manager both came out and told us we could not eat with our dogs outside. Another table kept questioning the host and manager until they finally said that their insurance no longer allowed them to have dogs dine outside with the patrons (NOTE - we have walked by since to see dogs outside eating with their owners. Hey, what happened to that insurance bs?). So my husband walked our dogs home, while I sat outside awaiting his return. We shared the octopus (average) and I got the chicken kabobs (two minuscule green pepper slices and two tiny onion pieces with a handful of dry chicken breast) and him the baby lamb chops with three boiled potatoes (he was still hungry. The only nice thing about this restaurant was the tasteful interior decor and the eagerness of our waiter, who constantly asked us how the food was and kept refilling our drinks. I will say that table next to us drank bottle after bottle and the manager personally delivered their food. Way to make us feel unwelcome! Anyway, the food was average if not below average. Will not return. Would much rather make the trek downtown to Pylos or Taverna Kyclades - now that's good Greek food! read more

As usual, the food was good but as we were handed our menus, the server told us that because they are very busy, the owner said we only have an hour and half at the table. First of all, how about saying it nicely or even better, ask if that's ok OR stating that when you make the reservation. If you are limiting times at tables, then it's 'seatings' not reservations. I will never step foot in there again. Plenty of restaurants on the UES where they don't time you and you ca relax and enjoy. read more

Pretty decent diner-ish place with your choice of different sides when you choose certain entrees. We were craving seafood so perused Yelp for a place to go. The seafood was fresh, but the accompaniments tasted more like canned foods., i.e., the side of green beans. If you are not in the mood to be daring and just want to enjoy some hearty Greek food, than this place is just right. I wouldn't suggest coming here if you are looking for a quiet, romantic date as tables are pretty close and you can clearly hear your neighbors' conversations. Oh, and be ready to pick your sides! read more

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The people here are so nice and the food is the best!! Great wine and apps .. try the warm pita and 4 dips, and the Yefsi chips are amazing!! Calamari and spanakopita, too!! Yum! read more

Just ate here for a Pulsd voucher boozy brunch. It was our first boozy brunch on a Pulsd voucher and we were worried we would be ignored. It was just the opposite. Our waitress, Eirini, kept us at a very happy, comfortable pace and the food was delicious. The bread and garlic spread were to die for (wish we were offered a second basket...it was so good, but we wouldn't have had room). We had the crab cake burger and lamb sandwich. Both were delicious and the fries were a perfect addition to the meal. We will come here again without a voucher based on the service and the cuisine. It is worth a bus or train ride for a great brunch! read more

We came here with friends on a Saturday evening and it was packed. This is a great Greek restaurant. We ordered 5 appetizers to share and each got an entree. So much food! Having been to Greece, I can say that the menu and preparation are very authentic. It was all yummy. You must try the classics and definitely get the fish. read more

I'm glad I finally got to try this place. Everything was delicious. I highly recommend the yefsi chips, octopus and traditional greek salad. read more

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Im sorry to say the food was awful! Based on good reviews and high prices, I was hopeful for delicious authentic Greek food. The marouli salad with grilled chicken ($25!) was barely good enough to be served in a mediocre coffee shop, The salad was not fresh and crisp and the chicken was so overcooked that it was dry as cardboard! The spanikopita ($17!) was at best, average and not at all crisp and flaky, The grilled feta ($18) was akin to oiling up your rubber sole and putting it on the grill. Finally, the bread. We were expecting pita, but instead got generic diner bread that was fresh - yesterday. This place is a big miss on food quality, preparation and prices. It's not hard to find better Greek food. read more

We arrived here 45 minutes late for our Friday evening reservation, the restaurant was packed, and they were still able to seat us! We ordered a bunch of things to share and ended up liking the appetizers better than the mains. The octopus was one of the best (if not the best) I have ever had! It was perfectly cooked and cut up with red wine vinegar, onions, tomato, and hummus. I would go back for just that. The halloumi was also very light (not greasy like it can sometimes be) and the soup was delicious. The spreads/pita were all good. The greek salad was standard (hard to go wrong with this). We also ordered the meatballs which were nothing special. The appetizers are definitely the stars here...if you come here don't skip the octopus!! read more

My boyfriend and I bought a Pulsd deal for brunch because we live around the block. This has definitely become one of our go-to spots. The $39 for 2 entrees and bottomless mimosas is an amazing deal. The food here is delicious! Highly recommend the octopus appetizer and lamb chop entree. The service here is really on point, although we did feel a bit neglected when the restaurant started to fill up. The brunch menu has a lot of options. I can't wait to go back and try something new. read more

What a gem on the Upper East Side. We ordered lots of appetizers. All were delicious. The wait staff was very attentive even though the place was filled. The owner came around to each table to say hello. I want to go back again for main dishes, more appetizers and brunch. I'm a fan. read more

Amazing experience from food to service. If you like great Greek food as much as my wife and I, this is your place! They also did a fantastoc job of setting up their outdoor dining, which makes you feel like you are at a special event. Will be back soon! read more

I wouldn't even give this one star but there's no zero star option. I always liked this restaurant. Pricier than some neighborhood restaurants but always consistently good. Granted, I haven't been there since the pandemic began. So, I ordered moussaka for delivery, which I never had tried at Yefsi. It was awful. But, I could have managed with the moussaka, except that the menu neglects to mention that it comes with a hefty portion of green beans. Unfortunately, the green beans are from a can and have been cooked into mush in a tomato sauce. Totally inedible. I ordered late so the restaurant was closed by the time my order arrived. I will be calling tomorrow to complain, which I NEVER do. A $26 dish that ended up being $37 with their delivery fees and tax (tip, too, but delivery people have no control over food quality so I don't fault them). read more

Truly one of the best restaurants in the Upper East Side. The ambience is welcoming, the service is spontaneous, courteous and warm. The food is authentic and you easily teleport to the Mediterranean coast with their seafood selections. The meat and poultry dishes are delicious. It's a neighborhood secret, an upper east side gem and it just never disappoints. read more

My boyfriend and I came here for brunch. Had a voucher for bottomless brunch and brunch entree for two. Not a pleasant time at all to say the least. Bussers were our waiter... they brought drinks to people who arrived after us. Provided us with voucher menu only ( we wanted to get other things and had to ask for regular menu) and honestly the food was just OK. No Thankyou. read more

We went on a Tuesday night with my wife to Yefsi because we know the food there is one of the best in the upper east side. The atmosphere was warm and service was great. The reason that I put one star is because we had a group on ticket and when the time came to pay we were having issue to log in to the app. So we called the manager over to let him know what was happing. That's when he started being rude and disrespectful and stared rushing us, while my wife was standing up close to the door to get better reception the manager and one of the hostes start making fun of her and laughing at her. This is so unacceptable that such a great restaurant has a unprofessional and disrespectful manager. This place needs new management. We won't be returning until they change the manager. read more

I am taking the time to write my first review because this place was so terrible. It is so disappointing to leave a restaurant feeling completely unsatisfied and wishing you hadn't wasted a night out consuming calories that you did not enjoy. It is priced similar to high-end restaurants like Avra and Nerai, but fails to meet those standards. This has nothing to do with the service, this review is solely based on the food. The mezzes were ordinary in flavor and the Greek salad was small and just felt like I could whip it up in 1 minute. There was no love or specialty put into the food. The Greek herb chicken tasted like rotisserie chicken from fairway. The Greek fries were old and soggy. The Greek fish (Lavraki) was tasteless. It had to be heavily salted and drenched in lemon and olive oil after it was brought out. I did not feel the need to order dessert after all that but I am sure it would have been sub-par just like everything else. I feel embarrassed to ever say anything negative about food being served to me in front of the waiter so when they ask me how everything is, out of politeness I always say, "Good, thank you!" However, I hope this review helps others who are truly looking for good Greek food to look away. There are many other better ones in the city. read more

Such a waste of time and money. My fiancée and I came to Yefsi a couple of months ago per the recommendation of The Infatuation. They said it was one of the best restaurants on York and one step below Milos. Give me a break. We arrived for our reservation and were told it would be a few minutes. There were many other parties there waiting as well. Time ticked by and we kept waiting. We stood by the door with the other parties for 45 minutes before being seated. What kind of place overbooks that poorly? It's clear to me that this restaurant is poorly managed. The food was fine, our waiter had difficulty answering questions clearly, and we needed our wobbly table stabilized and my utensils replaced since they were dirty. I would rate the food a 3.5, the service a 1 and price a 3. Our meal came our to about $120. We were disappointed and felt like we wasted money and an evening. We won't be dining here again. read more

Food is great could be better but the outdoor sitting is pretty cool. Drinks are great and is fast service

We sat in a cute little courtyard in the back, still air conditioned which was nice for this 85 degree day. Highlights were the Marouli salad and Plaki. Quick and prompt service. Great local find. read more

The food was a complete letdown and the service horrendous. The interior is actually pretty decent, but it doesn't matter if your food and service are crappy. I personally would love good Greek nearby so hoping they fix things, may give them another try way down the road. read more

Good service. I suggest making a reservation in advance. Small restaurant. We had the grilled octopus (comes already sliced, cooked to perfection) the crab cake (my favorite part of the meal** comes with beans which were amazing) and finally - the lamb chops which were pretty great, but not as amazing as the appetizers. next time will I stick with seafood the whole way through. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Yefsi Estiatorio - Greek Near Me - New York, New York

A word of warning: I did not actually eat at Yefsi Estiatorio. This is a review of their customer service and seating policies. My husband and I were really looking forward to dining at Yefsi, as his family is Greek and we're always on the hunt for good Greek food in our neighborhood! We went to Yefsi yesterday around 5:45 and overheard the hostess telling the woman in front of us that they could only seat walk-ins for an hour, so we pulled up OpenTable and noticed that the restaurant had EVERY time available for the next few hours. We approached the hostess and she told us the same thing she had just told the other patron -- "we'll need the table back in an hour." Note that this place is the same size as about every other restaurant in Manhattan, seats about 20-30 people inside. We said, "if we made a reservation on OpenTable (which again, was completely open), we wouldn't be walk-ins, so why is there a time limit?" and the hostess said that even those with reservations needed to give the table back in an hour. Obviously, this is ridiculous, as we shouldn't be rushed through our dinner if the restaurant has plenty of tables available and is giving them away on OpenTable. I've never been to such an unwelcoming restaurant, and with all the restaurant competition in the area, no one needs to deal with that. read more

I visited for the first time with a Groupon. The owner sat us and no waiter appeared for 20 minutes. Then I got up and told the owner and he summoned a waiter. We told the waiter about the Groupon and he said, did you tell the owner when you checked in. I said no. He then went and got the owner. The owner said we only take a few Groupons a night.....so I said are you kicking us out? He said let me see, what I can do. Anyway, I did not appreciate any of this. We liked the appetizers of Greek Beans and Grilled Octopus. My entree,salmon, came out somewhere between warm and cold. I was disgusted by it, and I was fed up with this place and did not complain about it. This owner should not use Groupon, if he feels it is not a way to introduce locals to their business. We could have become good customers, if we had a good experience. Unfortunately, we did not. read more