Angela L.

We were excited to try this new restaurant. I don't usually like Turkish food so I was a little worried but everything we ordered was good. They did a good job redecorating the space. It is a nice layout and very spacious. The staff were very attentive and responsive. I ordered the beef shish kebab and my husband ordered the mix grill. The plates came with a salad, rice, and a tortilla. It was a decent amount of food. The meats were grilled well with smoky Mediterranean flavor. The cuts of the meat were fair. The free bread that came out before the food was impressive. It was big and hot. The bread came with olive oil for dipping. They also had an interesting dessert menu that we need to come back to try especially the chocolate souffle.

Samantha J.

Surprise trip to Forest Hills led to a good surprise. Decor was opulent. Staff was friendly. Food was absolutely delish and cooked perfectly. Complementary fly bread with olive oil and olives. Had the grilled octopus, Zara mixed grill and a dirty martini. Will be back.

Jocelin M.

I finally had a chance to check out Zara in Forest Hills. My companion and I shared the mixed appetizer (yum) and the shepherd's salad with shredded feta (extra charge). A Shepard's salad should include feta, BTW (take note, Zara)! We also added the falafel appetizer to our order. The falafels were crispy and flavorful. For cocktails, my friend ordered the espresso martini, and I went with the pomegranate. Everything was delicious and our server, Carolina, was wonderful, too. We didn't have any space for dessert, but I plan on changing that with my next visit.

Gatangalie S.

Had a delicious Turkish dinner at Zara Austin restaurant in Forest hills with a group of friends. I actually arrived early at the restaurant and decided to have a lychee martini and I was able to take my drink with me to the table when the rest of the group arrived. They brought out this huge fresh bread from the oven with olives. And we ordered calamari for appetizer; which was totally delicious. For entree, I had the chicken shish kabab that was the most delicious. It was served with tasty grilled cube chicken that was flavorful, fresh salad, a small hot green pepper, red pepper, and yummy delicious basmati rice. For dessert we had Turkish coffee that was served with a piece of chocolate. Our waiter was from Istanbul and he was amazing. Lovely place to dine! Would definitely go again.

Sandy L.

So this new Turkish place opened up in my hood and every time I walk by there's tons of folks eating so once it was my college friends meetup decided to try this place and everyone was willing to try. We loved the ambiance. Huge beautiful space and the women's bathroom was so pretty. A few ladies were taking selfies since mural was beautiful. The food was good and plentiful! We had 5 of us and the waiter recommended the platter for 4 and we still couldn't finish. Three of us brought leftovers home. We also ordered the babaganoush and falafel appetizer. We got their 1st complimentary balloon bread as well as pita bread to eat with the babaganoush. The balloon bread came with olives and olive oil. It was definitely a popular birthday spot. There were quite a few folks celebrating their birthdays so no joke they kept singing happy birthday pretty much the whole time we were there. Definitely a lively spot and good for groups. We all enjoyed so maybe heading back.

Santia G.

Came for a Friday dinner with girlfriends. Located in the heart of Forest Hills/Austin Street next to the Target. Made reservations and were immediately seated. The interior is beautiful, large open space and different types of tables and seating. We were put in the middle of the restaurant. There is a large bar seating area, they have a wood burning oven where they make their breads and food fresh. Also a salad prep area next to the oven. Right when you walk in, there is a large fridge displaying all the meats they offer. We were brought their popular bread to share with oil/olive to dip. We decided to go with plates to share, we ordered the platter of mixed meats which came with a small salad and rice on the plate and the shrimp skewer meal which came with 2 skewers of grilled shrimp with onions/peppers, arugula salad and rice on the plate as well. The food was outstanding, flavors on point, meat and fish cooked perfectly, and more than enough to share and have for take home too. They give sturdy take home containers and bags. We tried their drinks too. The Verde drink is a slam dunk, I would have never imagined matcha to pair well with liquor but I saw the light at Zara! It had a lychee flavor that made the drink even better. The lychee martini was as expected. The pomegranate drink was not great. Bill included tip and came to just under $170 for three people, full meals, and 3 drinks. I would suffer through the traffic and headache of parking to visit again!

Essie L.

Beautifully renovated space, and good service. The menu options are good, and we were all happy with the overall experience. The lamb shish could have been more tender (it was quite tough and a little overcooked), but other than that everything else was fine. The food quality is average, I'd say, but the decor makes up for it, and it's a good addition to this neighborhood.

Ellen C.

New addition to the neighborhood and came here twice in one week. The interior blew me away compared to the old TGIF. They knocked down the walls and everything is so gorgeous and grand. Love how they bring out a ginormous freshly baked pita to the table at the beginning of the meal. It was sooooo good. Pro tip, if you're ordering any dips, ask the staff to wait for the dips to come out and to bring out the warm pita at the same time. Our first mistake after working out was to eat it right away. The first pita is complimentary but the second one is an additional charge. That's not really the issue but we were pretty full after chomping on the first one and then ordering a second one to use for the dips. We ordered an assortment of items to share. If it's your first time I would highly recommend the mixed meat platter to share. Everyone loved the shrimp casserole. The Turkish dumplings are fun to try. Cocktails are yummy here. Second time we also tried the branzino. Can't go wrong with branzino at a Mediterranean restaurant. Service was a little slow at lunch. Service at dinner was pretty attentive. Only issue was that they do this really loud presenting when any parties order the huge meat tray to share. At first we thought it was for a birthday but then realized that it was for delivering the tray. After the 5th time, it does get a little disruptive and annoying. We didn't order any dessert. Walked by and it didn't look too appealing or fresh. Great new addition to FH. Will definitely come back.

Indiasky B.

Wow what an awesome experience! The ambiance is warm inviting and modern! Service was top notch! Handsome waiters! We ordered chicken Adana kebab, mixed appetizer, chicken shush kebab. The Adana was very flavorful. The pilaf rice was fluffy and tasted so well with the tabbouleh salad. The chicken shush kebab was so tender and juicey. The fresh bread they bring is a warm cloud of perfection that compliments the mixed appetizer. It has hummus, garlic yogurt, eggplant salad, tabbouleh and a spicey chickpea salad. I walked here but there doesn't seem to be available park lot. Lucky if you get on the street parking. Gorgeous restrooms!

Nelson E.

Visited Zara Austin on Saturday night after they had just opened Wednesday in the old TGI Fridays space, and honestly this was one of the better accidental finds I've had in Forest Hills in a while. The space has been completely transformed. Warm lighting, upscale without feeling pretentious, and the open dining room gives it a much more polished feel than the old chain restaurant setup ever had. You could definitely tell they were still in grand opening mode because the staff was everywhere in the best possible way. Plates cleared immediately, drinks constantly refilled, everyone attentive and eager to make a good impression. We started with the babaganoush and falafel. Both were excellent, but the fresh bread might have been the standout of the meal. Warm, fluffy, and clearly made to be part of the experience rather than an afterthought. For mains we had the beef and chicken kababs. Both were cooked very well, flavorful, tender, and properly charred without being dry. Rice and salad were fresh and balanced the meal nicely. Finished with baklava, which was rich without being overly sweet. For a restaurant only a few days into opening, they looked surprisingly polished operationally. Service was sharper than places that have been open for years.

Jenny J.

Food was really great . Got the golden family platter for 9 ppl [including 2 kids] and it was more than enough. It came with rice and salad. When you order the golden it comes with loud music and a whole show of ppl clapping so if don't like attention I would ask to skip it lol. They have kids chicken and fries and apple juice boxes if needed. Fries are amazing. Octopus was also delicious. The service was ok the waiter definitely seemed overwhelmed but always helpful and kind. I think they need to hire more waiters. They also put on music for birthdays. The place is beautiful!

Edna L.

This is a late review- I went on the 2nd day they opened. It was a very quiet opening, no announcements or anything. We figured the food would speak for itself! We came for a late lunch, were seated promptly as they weren't very busy yet. Had the complimentary baloon bread, and ordered fried calamari, the Zara family plate for four people, and the chocolate soufflé for dessert. The fried calamari, although evident of good quality squid, was different. It wasn't as fried, the batter quickly falls away from the squid, wasn't crispy, and overall very flavorful but a little bland even with the squeeze of the fresh lemon wedge. This one was a little disappointing. The Zara family plate had a beautiful presentation, with its meat platter or lamb, chicken, and beef. They explained there's also supposed to be falafels but as it was their second day of the restaurant opening, they didn't have it yet. There were two kinds of lamb, two kinds of chicken, and 1 kind of beef. The lamb was cooked nicely, and one of them had a minor kick to it. The chicken skewers were nice and flavorful, but the chicken bites were overly dry. The round beef patty was nice and wish we actually had more of that. In addition, the family plate came with 4 portions of sweet rice and salads. Overall a good dish to order if you're looking to try a variety of things. The chocolate soufflé was nice and full of chocolate lava from the center and paired nicely with the vanilla ice cream. Very heavy on the chocolate flavor so that was great! For the 2nd opening day, I'd say not bad but they still need to get things together in terms of how they cook the food. I probably won't come back for a while until they are able to cook the meat properly so it isn't as dry. There was a portion of the meat platter we just couldn't eat because it was dry and hard, particularly the overcooked chicken. However, presentation was on point and the open flame added that wow factor. Not to mention, the renovation of the restaurant was spectacular and has a more upscale feeling to it. The staff were nice and checked in once in a while as you're eating to make sure all is okay. But if you're waiting for them to come to you because you need something, it does take a while. They have different wait staff standing around. There's two who stand by the wall and they are mostly in charge of cleaning up. The waiters themselves who take your order, or answer questions regarding the food or gives the check, wear the same color clothes as the clean up crew and are running around quite a bit so it did take a while(over 5 minutes) if you need something. It was a little confusing at first why the clean up crew looked directly at us, watching us raise our hands, did nothing, and then watch us eventually put them down and sit there for a long long time unassisted. That was a little frustrating as we knew there were only the handful of window tables filled in the restaurant. But then again, for the 2nd day of the restaurant being open, it is understandable that they were still trying to figure things out and hopefully will be able to find their groove on operations and dry chicken.

Judy Y.

My husband and I were passing by and saw people having a good time with delicious food by the window, specifically a large meat platter on fire for a what seemed to be a birthday. We decided to go inside and try it ourselves and we were pleasantly surprised by how great the food and service were! The decor was very pleasing for the eyes as well. I would definitely go back for more.