Farah Anatolia - New York

From the outside, this restaurant is underwhelming: A small storefront on First Ave so small and typical that it hardly stands out. But, both in hunger and on a leap of faith, my friend and I gave this place a chance, and we are glad we did. Inside, the restaurant is surprisingly tastefully decorated and has more seating than I would expect for such a small storefront. We were seated on the upper level by the small bar on a quiet weeknight and were immediately served, given that there wasn 't much of a crowd in the middle of the week. Though the prix fixe menu was tempting $28 for an appetizer, entree and dessert), both my friend and I opted to split the small appetizer plate and each get a small plate of our own. For her, that small plate was a lentil soup; for me, the octopus salad with feta $3). Everything that came out was delightful and great for sharing minus the soup). The small appetizer place came with 5 cold appetizers of our choosing and delicious warm bread to smear it all on. My friend is gluten free, so they even brought her a plate of crudités for no extra charge. The octopus salad was well dressed in olive oil and the octopus to salad ratio was perfect! Though I was full from the appetizer plate, the salad made a great lunch the next day. The only reason I won 't give this restaurant 5 stars is the prices for what you get, I did feel this was a bit pricey, but I don 't think this will stop me from coming back!

I stopped by because I wanted to try their Prix Fixe menu, and I'm glad I did! This is a small restaurant on 62nd Street between 1st Ave and York, so kind of hidden. There is a seating area in the front and semi-elevated area in the back. The décor is nice in the front, while the back had semi-strange lighting. Service was quite good. The Prixe fix menu gives you a choice of one appetizer (hot or cold), main course, and dessert for $25. It's $29 including a glass of wine, which is a pretty good deal. 1. Wines: They have a pretty nice wine list, with average $10 a glass. 2. Bread: Amazingly baked. So delicious. The olive oil it comes with is on the lighter side. I prefer a heavier olive taste, but it works. You get 3 olives in the oil plate. 3. Grilled calamari: Good portions, and comes with a creamier dipping sauce. I liked this, but didn't love it...maybe a little too fishy for me. 4. Zucchini pancakes: Awesome. Crispy and substantive. 2 patties with a nice fresh yogurty dipping sauce. 5. Lamb sautee: I loved this dish! It has the perfect sauce for the rice. Very flavorful. 6. Chicken Adana: Quite good as well and comes with a side salad and scoop of rice. I liked the lamb better, but this is also a good option, apparently less dry than the shish kebab. 7. Rice pudding: I really liked this! It's pretty sweet with a little cinnamon on top. Comes in a cute bowl. 8. Baklava: Amazing! It's small, but definitely in the top 10% of baklava I've had.

Absolutely incredible service. We needed a table for 7 people at a moment's notice, and not only were we accommodated but the team went above and beyond to take care of us. It was our aunt's birthday, and Tarek the owner was kind enough to offer to serve a cake we had brought. As we were fasting, they were quick to serve appetizers and they certainly didn't disappoint! We ordered the mixed cold mezze, cigara borek, and Adana kebabs for the table. Everything was delicious and nicely presented. Would highly recommend!

My wife and I went with a groupon and it was really a good deal: 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 2 deserts and 2 drinks for less than $50. The food is really good. We got the smoked eggplants and the vegetable rolls for appetizers, then the vegetarian plater and the lamb kebab for entrees, and finally the baklavas for deserts. Portions were of good size, and the service was fast too. Definitely recommended.

Great atmosphere!!! FIVE star don't let Yelp fool you!!! Food is to die for good! You will want to come more than once for all the good food in the menu! Pls look for CURRENT reviews and enjoy this treasure of a restaurant! I recommend the shrimp kebab, salad and Rice Pudding a must! ENJOY!!