The challenge is how do you pronounce the name of this place? While we struggled with this, we had a far easier time selection what we wanted on the menu, and that's not a small task as they feature a great variety of selection. The dining area is well furnished, and fits the atmosphere. Staff were friendly and helpful. Reservation is available online, and you may want to use it during peak hours. Do save some room for desserts, it is well worth the wait. read more

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I'm so glad my friend recommended going here because it's one of those restaurants that pique your interest but you never really know how to navigate-- but lucky me, I had an Albanian friend to show me around. First thing you'll notice upon entry is how absolutely decorated it is. If you're a fan of Witcher, it's like walking into an an old-timey tavern. If you have no idea then-- it's like an old-timey tavern. I wouldn't be surprised of they had bard Fridays and homemade mead. It's also a big space. Reminds me of one of the last remnants of the bygone era that was the Obama-era glow. Like peak millenial where restaurants were starting to get viral but not to the point where they have to hyper compete with a gimmicky dish. The prices are a bit steep and was making me consider dropping my rating down a star but fuggit, I like their food. I played it safe and got the mixed grill meats but that's because I lack reading comprehension and thought the main dish (I don't know what it's called, it's just the 1st entree listed) was a baked meat pie situation, it was more grilled steak on a bed of mash potatoes but these mash potatoes were savory like gravy. I wish I got my friend's dish. The mixed grilled meats were a lot closer to doners or skewer meat. Different cuts but also different flavors. What they had in common was a sort of spice-forward sizzling taste. My friend got two appetizers (which I also don't know the name of) but were definitely the most beautifully presented foods I've had in a long while. They were both creams but one had a pepper in it (not the spicy kind). The pepper one was a light refreshing sourness and the other was a heavier but not heeeeavy savory one. Both great to dip your bread in. I wanted to try the lemon cookie for dessert but my friend got us all Tres Leches by accident. That was great but I would say the most non-novel out of everything we got. Delicious, just not something out of the norm-- which is what I go for when I'm trying a new cuisine like Albanian. I wouldn't say this is normal day-to-day Albanian (I have a few friends), it's more like the Americana equivalent, an upscale where Albanians go out to eat. read more

Food/drinks: Everything we ordered was really delicious! Want to come back to try other items on the menu, this was my first time having Albanian food Thought the bread that came with the dips was just okay cause it was dry but I'm not sure if that is how it's supposed to be Atmosphere: really cute and cozy inside, there is an outdoor back section that is also cute! Service: friendly! Servers explained menu and provided recommendations Price: as expected in NY read more

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I never had Albanian food before but it was delicious. I had a delivery order of Grilled Branzino, Qofte, Veal Meat, Mantia, Fasule, Ajvar, Tarator, Shop Salad, Samuna and Sheqerpare. The stand out dishes were the Branzino, Mantia, Qofte and the Ajvar. The bread is also fantastic! The Sheqerpare dessert, a moist cake soaked in honey, was very tasty. I actually enjoyed everything though the Veal Meat was a little dry. This is an excellent restaurant whose food I thoroughly enjoyed. Packing was excellent. Delivery was quick. Highly recommended. read more

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Had a quick lunch here while visiting in NYC. Personally talking about my experience, I rated this place a three because I thought everything we ate was average and okay. However, we did order basic things because it was a quick lunch and I was having stomach issues at the time and couldn't eat more fatty rich meals. I thought the inside was very nice and felt comforting. The food was good, don't get me wrong...but definitely was not super wowed by anything. My favorite was these "balls" lol...filled with meat or potato? It was so good! However, i'm sure there is A LOT better dishes that we didn't get to try. The service was also okay. We didn't get checked on a lot and the women seemed a bit over it. Regardless, i would want to give this place a second shot! read more

Such a warm and welcoming dining experience! Food and service were both excellent. Came here for lunch on a rainy afternoon and it was so comforting. read more

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Tasty food and decent vegetarian options. The lecenik was really interesting - cornbread in a tangy and aromatic cream sauce. The fasule (white beans in a tomato sauce) was hearty, and came with fluffy flatbread. The two dishes came to a little under $40 after taxes. read more

A warm, inviting, rustic restaurant that will make you challenge everything you thought you knew about mediterranean food! My first foray into Albanian food and was so surprised by how different it was from Greek food. It was amazing, but perhaps not my favorite cuisine though I am eager to come back and try more. The sausage and cheese dip was not the highlight of the show. The cute fat bread was!! So good. Tried Tava Kosi (lamb with mixture of rice, eggs and yogurt) and Grilled Octopus. Both very good and unique, would recommend the Tavi over the octopus. Can't wait to come back and try their dumplings, more Tava, branzino, other grilled meats and their baklava! read more

Çka Ka Qëllue - Sausage Dip - Modern European Near Me - New York, New York

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I had never tasted Albanian food prior to this experience, and I can understand why Dua Lipa's favorite restaurant is this one! The servers were incredible nice and everything we had was very different but delicious. We had ordered a lot but each dish had its own charm. read more

Çka Ka Qëllue - Modern European Near Me - New York, New York

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I had a feeling that @ckakaqellue was gonna be good and it was! The aesthetic/ambience was really nice and it was very rustic/medieval themed. It felt like you were transported to a cabin in the country side of Albania. The food was delicious and really good as well! I got the pepper dip which was phenomenal and the stuffed pepper rice dish. It tasted very authentic and I put the pepper dip onto the stuffed pepper rice dish and the combo was really tasty and flavorful. The food also came out really quickly and the service was fast, the workers were friendly and very accommodating. They constantly refilled our waters and I liked the shirts that the wait staff were wearing. When I went in, it wasn't crowded, but when I left the restaurant it started to get really crowded and lines started to form and there were big groups coming in. The price is moderate/kind of pricey, but it's worth it! Price: $36 Rating: 9/10 read more

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Great and flavorful Albanian food. I loved the sarma (stuffed cabbage) and yogurt of the tava kosi (I was scraping the sauce off the bowl for both of them). The mixed grill platter was a great way to try various meats. It all came with pita, which was also delicious. Relatively easy to snag a reservation for Friday that same week read more

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I was craving for kajmak and found this place on Yelp. This is such a cute place in midtown (a bit distant from touristy area) with authentic decorations and cozy atmosphere. 1. Leçenik (5/5) - this was recommended by our server. It had a very rich favor and went perfectly with red wine. (warning: cottagcheese could be a bit too cheesy to eat alone) 2. Qofte (6/5) - iabsolutely fantastic. Meat, vegetables, and potatoes were paired so well together. White sauce was delicious! 3. Grilled Octopus (4/5) - this was OK. Perhaps octopus was overcooked? grilled vegetables were simple, but yummy and delicious. 4. Kajmak (4/5) - I was expecting its texture to be more firm like greet yogurt, but it was a bit watery. The restaurant is super charming and I will definitely go back to try other main dishes. read more

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First time trying Albanian food and really didn't know what to expect, but wow! This did not disappoint. My group of 4 ordered a few things to share: - Sausage dip - Sesame baked cheese - Fli - Mantia (Tava) - Qofte Shari - Mixed meat combo (excluding the liver and qofte) Everything was absolutely delicious, it's really hard to choose a favorite. The bread was so soft and fluffy, I dipped it in everything that I could. The inside was super cozy, staff was great, will definitely be coming back to try more of the menu! read more

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Everything about this place was great. From the moment I walked in to the serving of the food. The authentic vibe was like I was sitting in their living room. I wasn't familiar with menu but my friend helped me and it was delicious! I would certainly be back to order new choices. I would highly recommend. read more

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This was my first time trying Albanian food. Didn't know what to expect but left pleasantly surprised. Ordered the ajvar dip, the mixed grill platter, the mantia and the skenderbeg. The ajvar pepper dip was phenomenal. It came with warm, light, puffy bread and the dip itself was packed with a pepper flavor. The mixed grill platter (minus liver) was hearty and everyone's favorite. The mantia wasn't a personal favorite as I found it to be very heavy/doughy and the skenderbeg reminded me of an adult corn dog. The service was friendly and great. The dining areas are small and loud. Btw, I don't know what they put in their potatoes but it was hands down one of the best tasting potatoes I've tried. read more

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It was my first time having Albanian food and I liked it quite a bit. Very cute intimate/homey vibe inside and everything we tried was delicious. We enjoyed the pepper dip, mantia, mixed grill platter, and the super fluffy bread. We also tried sheqerpare for dessert, which is a very very soft cookie basically soaked in syrup so it's extremely sweet. I also felt like this menu can be a little tough for dairy free folks as most dishes had some kind of cheese, yogurt, or cream. I would definitely come back to try some different dishes! read more

Çka Ka Qëllue - Modern European Near Me - New York, New York

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My friend visited from out of town and was told that this was a must-go restaurant while in NYC. After dining here, I can see why. The service was incredibly friendly and efficient. The food was out of this world. The bread was fresh out of the oven and went well with the tarator dip. The branzino and grill combo was incredibly well done and filling. We ended up ordering one of each dessert and it was worth it. The Sheqereque was soft and sweet with a nice drizzle of syrup. The restaurant is not located near any tourist attractions, but wherever you are, this is definitely worth the trip. read more

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I've been here a couple times, because I heard it has authentic Albanian cuisine. I especially was interested because of my coming Albania trip. The servers were so friendly and helpful in their recommendations. I also really enjoyed the ambiance/environment here--very cozy and much larger than expected (at least from the outside view). Heads up- there's no pork here and most of the meats are beef/veal. I really enjoyed the grilled meats, with the star of the show being the kofta. We also tried the red pepper dip, which is similar to muhammara. The last dish, I cannot recall the name, hit it is described as cornbread on the menu. It was fantastic. read more

Çka Ka Qëllue - Modern European Near Me - New York, New York

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My first time having Albanian food and I am glad it was at Cka Ka Qellue. Everything was delicious! The restaurant had beautiful brick walls and felt very homely. I had the dips with bread & branzino were so fresh & light. I really enjoyed my meal here. Highly recommend if you're looking for fresh & authentic Albanian cuisine. read more

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A protein-packed foray into Albanian gastronomy! We got the Tarator, Tava Kosi, Cka Ka Qëllu Mixed Meat Combination, and Qofte. The Tarator was a fresh and light yogurt blend that perfectly balanced the grilled meats. The Samuna bread that came with it was truly fantastic, S tier! The Tava Kosi was a great dish with plenty of tender lamb. The Cka Ka Qëllu Mixed Meat Combination was a mixed bag with our meat rankings as follows: Qofte (rich, juicy meat patties), Suxhuk (salty grilled sausages), Lamb (same as that in the Tava Kosi), and lastly, veal-only items (Shish Qebap and Veal; both somewhat tough + flavorless). We were still hungry after that so we got a refill of the Tarator (+ extra Samuna of course!) and Qofte (by itself). Those hit the spot. Worth trying for sure! read more

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Hearty, carb laden, flavorful food. First time trying Albanian cuisine, we ordered the fli, mantia, sausage dip, grilled octopus, mixed grill, fries and a bottle of Albanian cab from Kosovo. For dessert, we had the baklava and tres leche cake. Everything was fresh, flavorful. As this was our first experience with Albanian food, we had no point of reference for comparison. The rear courtyard table was tranquil and transported us to somewhere in the Mediterranean. Our server Lena was great and super informative. Every recommendation was good. Only the octopus was over charred and dry, but everything else was good. The pita was fresh and hot, the fries crispy. Day after dinner and we're all still pretty full. Apparently we should have been a little less enthusiastic about trying too many dishes as they're more calorie concentrated than they look. Skipping breakfast and lunch today, extra 30 minute run for make up. Suggest this as a winter food, or just go lighter. Food was good, just needed to scale back a little. $330 all in, 4 people, with a bottle wine. read more

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Albanian restaurant. Hands down the most beautiful restaurant in the city! Gorgeous interiors representing the Albanian culture & traditions. There are 3 dining rooms, with 2 outside dining areas, 1 in front & 1 in the back. Bathroom is very clean. Epic food! I went there for some me time to try a different cuisine & I was not disappointed. The server was amazing & kind. She helped me with good recommendations as I'm a novice. She made a fantastic Classic martini to go with the meal. I will visit again. And you have to as well! What an experience! read more

Good service and interesting food. Nice atmosphere also. Unfortunately, the meat in both of our does quite fatty and mine also had a lot of gristle in it. Although we did not finish our meals the bread was really good. So much competition in NYC - no reason to go back. read more

Spectacular! The atmosphere, the service, and the food, all superb. I truly felt like I was dining in another country. Such a great meal, I highly recommend it! read more

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came here because dua lipa's favorite restaurant and honestly it was a nice vibe for my first try of albanian food! I especially loved the mantia ($14.65) dumplings and the ajvar ($7.35) roasted peppers dip. the leçenik ($10.30) was interesting but I'm not a huge fan of cottage cheese and it tastes more like a quiche than the cornbread I'm familiar with. the grilled chicken ($28.25) was unfortunately too dry. I was sitting outside and got bitten by many mosquitoes read more

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90% of my decision to come here was because this is Dua Lipa's favorite restaurant in NYC, the other 10% because it's one of the only Albanian restaurants here and Ive never had Albanian food so I was very excited to try. I'm happy to say it was DEEEELISH!!! Starting off with the vibe, very very cozy and rustic. Had such old medieval tavern vibes and was so well decorated and lighted that I forgot I was in a city let alone new york city lol. Workers were dressed in traditional Albanian attire and they had Albanian music playing like it was perfect. Food was great and it was all presented on theme too, I especially loved the rustic silverware. Started off with two dips and one appetizer: First, the sausage dip which was bombasticcccc y'all like a perfect cheesy and meaty dip with veal sausage that was very tender. Flavor was rich but without being too oily. Second, the tarator dip which was this yogurt, garlic, cucumber dip. Super light and refreshing, like a palate cleanser. It contrasted to the sausage dip so well so I'm glad I tried those two together. Also, the bread provided with these two dips was divine. Similar to a pita but much thicker and fluffier! The appetizer was the leçenik which I could NOT get enough of despite how heavy it was. It was a custard-like cornbread that was really dense and had a nice creamy spinach flavor. YUMMMM AFFFFFFFF Got two mains: First was the Tava Kosi: roasted lamb on top of a rice, yogurt, egg mixture. OMFG y'all that rice was FIREEEEE y'all know i love my rices. It was so interesting too bc it was like fluffy eggs but with rice like wow. Lamb was fine they couldve added a bit more tho bc it was like 50% bone and 50% actual lamb. Second dish was the Tradita Mixed Grill Platter which came with various meats such as Quebapa, Qofte, Sausage, Chicken, and Liver plus a few sides. This was a great sample platter to try all their traditional meats. Loved the chicken and the quebapa. Qofte was good, sausage was a bit salty, and liver was not for me lol but my parents loved it bc they grew up with liver. This came with these little potato wedges too that were so freaking good tho. Had to finish off with a dessert while i'm already here: They had an Albanian Trilece which is similar to the Mexican Tres Leches. I died and resurrected three times while consuming this cake y'all it had this wonderful caramel on top, WOW!!! Thank you Dua for recommending this restaurant to me and after eating and LOVING Albanian food I am now ready to have dinner with your family and meet your parents read more

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We found this Albanian restaurant on yelp n got every excited as we've never tried Albanian food n thought we'd be adventurous n try the food. Quaint n rustic restaurant on 31 st between 3 rd ave n Lexington. Though it was small but had seats at the back of restaurant - a lil deceiving . Friendly welcoming staff. Our waitress was of Albanian descent n v helpful. We tried the pepper dip, fli and mantia. The warm house bread - more like pita was so good to dip into the pepper salad. The fli was different n was good. The pepper dip too was good. And the 4 mantia disappeared fast. waz so good. For entrees we had the mixed grilled platter as we wanted to try a bit of each Albanian delicacy . Great choice n each was different but flavorful n good. Had the qofte Shari -flame grilled veal n beef w melted cheese n roasted potato. Very tasty. Also had the branzino w potato n peppers. Moist n v flavorful. The salad that came was like Cole slaw wrapped in cucumber. V refreshing. And we finished our meal w traditional Albanian deserts - shequerepa- was like a cookie but was much softer w syrup n treleqe- similar to tres leche. Hmm they were out of this world. Thank you for a great meal. Will be back soon for sure to try some of the items on menu that we didn't get to taste. read more

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I came out expecting Dua Lipa, but what I got was Dula Peep. Inside is very cozy, dimly lit and surprisingly spacious. Walk past a few mirrors and you're led into a larger dining space in back. The servers were kind and the service was fast, but I didn't think the food was exceptional. I ordered the Tava Kosi and my friend ordered the Fasule which, both came with a wonderful side of fresh bread. Resist the urge to eat it one go because it serves as a necessary vessel for your dish. The Tava Kosi is a yogurt/egg custard sitting below a few pieces of lamb. Its tender and salty, not much to write home about on its own. But the lamb and bread together really elevates it. The problem was, there's two pieces of lamb given, and one of my pieces was just straight up fat and bone. So I could really only enjoy half my dish. My friend enjoyed her Fasule with the bread though, so there's a plus! Overall, I do think I want to çka ka qëllu the benefit of the doubt: maybe it is truly authentic Albanian food and its well worth the visit to expand your culinary horizons. But maybe make sure when you order the Tava Kosi, you get 2 pieces of tender lamb!! read more

Çka Ka Qëllue - Modern European Near Me - New York, New York

Looking to try something different and a liver dish, I found this restaurant online . The restaurant is cozy and has what one might say a Medieval vibe. Great decor! I started with the LEÇENIK which is cornbread made with spinach and 3 cheeses served on a cast iron pan - this was the ultimate sweet and savory combination. Enough for 2 to share. TAVA DHEUT was my choice of dinner , a creamy and flavorful baked dish consisting of liver, peppers, tomatoes , cheese and spice. The meal is slow-cooked and prepared in an earthenware pot. I loved the consistency and yes, it truly was flavorful . The bread that is served sit the meal was incredibly light. Baked toasty, but airy inside. If you would like to try an authentic Albanian meal - this is your place to go. The prices are really decent for a NYC restaurant and the service was on point from start to finish. On the menu a beautiful saying is featured : Our restaurant does not belong to us alone--it belongs to our guests and to God. That is such a magnificent blessing for all that dine here. read more

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My first time trying Albanian food. It was very delicious and wholesome. The restaurant itself feels like you're entering someone's home. It felt very warm and cozy. The dishes tasted home cooked too. The flavors were full without feeling too heavy. The lamb was super tender and not gamey. Service was excellent and our waitress gave great recommendations! Id love to come back to try more of the dishes. read more

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Doesn't get more authentic than Cka Ka Qellue and it's a MUST VISIT every time we're in NYC. We visit Albania every summer and always reminisce about the food when we come back to the states. Everything is delicious on their menu and perfect for meat eaters or vegetarians (me). Highly recommend for a date night or with a group. Gezuar! read more

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Excellent Service! My first Albanian cuisine experience and it was wonderful. The ambience stole the show so one must visit to get it. read more

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I heard and seen a lot of this place, but it fails to live up to its hype. Coming into this experience, I looked for bold/exciting flavors and quality preparation. With that said, it's safe to say I am disappointed across the entire table spread and can only point out several highlights purely out of courtesy. Ordered the Mantia appetizer but only 4 pieces came out, but if you review the other photos on here, you will see it comes out with 5 pieces. Most meat in the Mixed Platter is dry and overcooked. The only notable meat is the pork, which is naturally a fattier meat. The Sesame Baked Cheese has no wow-factor. Cheese usually hits the spot, but I would highly recommend against ordering this unless you appreciate dry food. The appetizer bread is very delicious--cloudy and comforting. Pairs well with the creamy sausage dip as well. I'm glad to check it off my list, but I will not be pondering anymore. read more

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I went to Albania in July and immediately looked for a spot in NYC when I came back! Everything was really good. Our server helped us pick a couple dishes and we loved everything we tried. Mantia appetizer-- not overly spiced, baked cheese very flavorful, Mediterranean salad for the veggies, tava kosi -- my favorite, very good love the egg custard base, sarma -- my close second fave, we love a stuffed cabbage honestly and the rice inside made it even better, and then mixed grilled platter great all around. Sheqerparefor dessert this is the gluttony that was spoken about in the Bible so sweet but so good. Vey fozy vibe inside. Great din !! read more

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I don't quite remember what I ordered, but the dishes were all pretty good and something I've never really tried elsewhere, the bread and dip was my favorite and the bread comes out warm. You could tell they made it there! Will come back to try the other dishes! read more

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Been wanting to try this spot for a while and really enjoyed the experience! Ask your waiter what to order if you don't know anything about Albanian food, they won't steer you wrong! This is definitely a type of place I recommend getting a bunch of different things to share because there's lots of options. Food was delicious obviously and service was excellent. Their outdoor seating was cute and great for a beautiful night. Good for date night or a group dinner - highly recommend! read more

Çka Ka Qëllue - Modern European Near Me - New York, New York

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Came with a friend on a wed night. My friend was late but the wait staff was very kind in checking on me to make sure I was ok. We ordered the roasted pepper dip which was super flavorful and yum. I do wish it was served warm rather than cold but very tasty nonetheless. The mantia were delicious as well with a thin but crispy wrapper and a tasty, juicy meat filling on the inside. The mixed meat platter was also great: a nice variety of different meats, one was on the drier side but the others were all very tender. Finally we loved the fusule which was a white bean tomato stew with sausage. This was my first time trying Albanian food and I loved it! Can't wait to come back! read more

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Food here is exceptional! Loved the ambiance and vibe of the place. True to the cuisine. They also have a tiny backyard. Music/lighting everything is on point. We ordered for the table and shared a few things. Their lamb is the best. Must try! read more

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Ambiance (5/5): Everything about this restaurant transforms you into the dining experiencing!! The restaurant is themed from the exterior outdoor patio to the indoor dining, bar, paintings, clothing hung on the walls, backyard patio, colorful plants, special doors/carpeting, Albanian music, and employee uniforms. The establishment is HUGE with dining tables that felt like could seat 100 guests in several kinds of spaces. Service (5/5): Each employee has an earpiece to communicate with each other so you can tell that something works seamlessly. We were serviced throughout with no problems. Every dish was very unique with robust flavor! The restaurant was deserving for NYT Best Restaurant 2025! In order of favorite to least: Sausage dip (5/5) was my favorite. The cheese was very creamy and the bread was SO SO good!! WOW. The bread was so fluffy, soft, and soaked up the cheese. Mixed Grill (4/5) - Since we didn't know what was best, we ordered the mix. Of the 3 the table liked the qofte the best as it was soft, seasoned, and not very gamey. Next we liked the qebapa (minced meat) which was accompanied well with the sauce. We did not like the suxhuk (sausage) which was dry and tough in texture. Skenderbeg (4/5) - The melted cheese oozes out as you cut through the roll of smoked meat. It's like an elevated corn dog but with cheese. Gulash (4/5) - The beef chunks were plentiful with a very flavorful broth. I wish the chunks were more tender but overall the dish was good! Baklava (5/5): Homemade to perfection! Crispy layers that were sweet, dense, and delicious! read more

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Amazing cuisine, I have tried. Albanian food in the past but this restaurant was much better. The dishes were full of flavor and perfectly seasoned. The service was amazing. Do not skip the dessert and Turkish coffee. 10/10 read more

Çka Ka Qëllue - Baklava and Turkish coffee - Modern European Near Me - New York, New York