TURKISH / MISCELLANEOUS EUROPE
Pasha: Turkish. 70 W 71st @ Columbus-CPW; 22/19/$41; 579-8751; Exotic décor and cuisine; Less expensive than Istanbul; Colorful, relaxing setting; Good date spot; Neighborhood favorite; Authentic Turkish cuisine. One of the few solid Turkish options on the west side. Great effort made by caring staff.
Hanci Turkish Cuisine: Turkish. 854 10th Av @ 56-57th; 22/14/$35; 707-8144; Family owned, authentic, and reasonably priced; Must try the Lamb Shank and Baklava for dessert; Large portions, ideal for sharing; Friendly, helpful service; Mixed Grill outstanding; Hummus and Falafel stand out as the best appetizers; Grilled Calamari available.
Djerdan Burek: Serbian. 221 W 38th @ 8th Ave; 20/14/$35; 921-1183; Known for incredible burkes – giant slabs of flaky phyllo pie stuffed with various ingredients like spinach & cheese or beef; Kebabs; Goulash; Eastern European delights. Try the Bosnian special or Musaka; Beef Goulash excellent. Website has pics of all the food; Certainly not fancy and best for lunch.
Wallse: Austrian. 344 W 11th St@ Washington; 26/22/$69; 352-2300; Kurt Gutenbrunner owned free trip to Vienna (plus restaurant tab); Intensely authentic; Charming, semi-formal setting. One of the city’s best wine lists; Artful décor.
Blaue Gans: Austrian. 139 Duane @ Church-W. BWay; 21/18/$47; 571-8880; Another Kurt Gutenbrunner owned Austrian restaurant; Cheaper than Wallse; The Schnitzel stands out. Sausage city; Berlin bistro setting; Great beer selection- 1 liter drafts available; Brunch and lunch available; Unique experience with so few German/Austrian restaurants in the city.
Pravda: Russian. 281 Lafayette @ Prince; 22/23/$48; 226-4944; Keith McNally managed; Incredible caviar list as well as a giant list of Vodkas- infused and straight; Great Martinis; Expert Russian, French influenced cuisine; Great for parties. This is a fun, happy hour bar/ restaurant; Vodka drinkers delight; Champagne and Caviar. Order a sampler platter and experience Russia.
Café Katja: Austrian. 79 Orchard @ Broome-Grand; 24/18/$34; 219-9545; Known for nearly perfect sausages & fine wine and beer; Cozy setting, this authentic, friendly and affordable Viennese spot is a star. Wildly popular and strongly reviewed on Yelp; Get a .5Liter stein of Hofbrau; Thing to get here- pretzel and sausage; Ideal for a mid-afternoon weekend drink/ light meal; Super friendly staff;
Mari Vanna: Russian. 41 E 20th @ BWay-Park; 20/24/$65; 777-1955; Try not to have too many flavor infused vodkas before you eat so you can enjoy the authentic Russian food here; Chicken Kiev or Beef Stroganoff; Gorgeous elegant dining room – extremely fancy looking; For $75/ person you can get 4 cold appetizers, 2 hot, 1 soup and 2 entrees and 2 desserts; Order a la carte as well. Lunch available.
Turkish Kitchen: Turkish. 386 3rd Av @ 27-28th; 23/17/$40; 679-6633; So good; Under radar; Known for Sunday Brunch buffet; Succulent kebabs; Funky red-everywhere décor; Unique martinis.
Sahara’s Turkish Cuisine: Turkish. 513 2nd Av @ 28th-29th; 23/16/$35; 532-7589; Huge portions of authentic Turkish food; Friendly, helpful service; All at a great price with left overs for sure; Local neighborhood favorite; The Mixed Grill Kebab platter is yummy; Even have 5 fish entrees including Branzini and Tilapia; Perfect for lunch as well.
Breslin Bar: British. Ace Hotel; 16 W 29th @ 5th Av; 22/21/$53; 679-1939; Michelin 1-star rated from the owners of Spotted Pig; Meat-centric menu; Dark hunting lodge setting; No Rez policy; Excellent people watching- advantage of being in a hotel; Overall – more of a gastro pub than anything else; Limited dinner menu but note lunch, breakfast and brunch available.
Ali Baba: Turkish; 212 E 34th @ 2-3rd; 23/14/$31; 683-9206; Neighborhood favorite; Large portions; Dirt cheap, even for genre. Small place but gracious hosts. Garden in the summer. Always popular and crowded as it is an authentic bargain. Kebabs to die for. Multiple lamb selections on menu – can’t go wrong. Hummus also stands out.
Pera: Turkish/ Mediterranean. 303 Madison @ 41st-42nd; 878-6301; Authentic food, fun atmosphere; Happening bar scene; They offer Brunch as well – features a “Boundless BBQ” (family style) – meat lovers dream; Tons of small plates and Mezes for appetizers; Seafood entrees like Mackeral, Cod, Salmon and Branzino on menu besides a huge assortment of meats; Prix Fixe available. Moussaka; Baklava;
Akdeniz: Turkish. 19 W 46th @ 5-6th; 21/13/$29; 575-2307; Turkish; Dirt cheap, bargain prices for excellent meze, breads, spreads, amazing grilled fish. Good service; Small spot. $23.95 dinner price fixe. So, while décor isn’t anything special- the food can be. Huge menu with Greek/ Mediterranean influences. They put in a strong effort to please.
Sip Sak: Turkish. 928 2nd Av @ 49-50th; 20/13/$32; 583-1900; Hole in the wall setting but truly tasty delights; Tons of specials & genius appetizers; Lamb, salmon; Festive local atmosphere; Very inexpensive.
Beyoglu: Turkish. 1431 3rd Av @ 81st; 22/17/$35; 650-0850; Outdoors seating; Meze’s- appetizers/ small dishes. Hummus, Kebabs amazing; Crazier downstairs; Fun time and unique food. Always packed and ultra popular – one of the best Turkish places in Manhattan; Hummus is a must; Even vegetarian platter good. No website.
