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A La Turka
Category: Restaurants Turkish Turkish [Edit]
1417 2nd Ave(between 73rd St & 74th St)
New York, NY 10021
Neighborhoods: Yorkville, Upper East Side
(212) 744-2424
- Nearest Transit:
-
77 St (4, 6, 6X)
68 St - Hunter College (4, 6, 6X)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11:30 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
75 reviews for A La Turka
Review Highlights
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"Rice pudding the best I've ever had." In 4 reviews -
"...entrees, we had the chicken shish kebab and adanad kebab." In 3 reviews -
"We had lamb and eggplant puree and it was great." In 3 reviews
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75 reviews in English
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Review from Pinky And The B.
Manhattan, NY
5/23/2012 13 photos
The majority of the bad reviews here are fake. This is 4 and a half stars easy!
Most of the regular New York Yelpers know me they might not like me for telling the truth about their little warped fantasies about areas like Red Hook and "Gowanus" laugh laugh but they know who I am and are familiar with my reviews and I know some of my haters secretly follow my reviews.
The few real reviews here that are low had a very different experience than me.
First of all I was referred here by employees at the HSS who frequent this restaurant. I told the staff when I arrived at the restaurant I had just had surgery and instead of getting caught up in peak hours of traffic we decided to unwind at this restaurant before going home.
I was groggy from sedatives and the server offered to walk me to the bathroom which was really nice. My husband walked me instead but you can't get better service than that and she cut my fish for me because I was so groggy I might have cut myself which was a high possibility. I was pretty out of it and hungry from not having had anything to eat all day and since the night before. But be assured my husband thought the restaurant was excellent as well so don't worry that I was groggy and might have not been my usual high maintenance picky self.
This cuisine is a good alliterative to Greek (which I love) but this was better or a good alternative even from Mediterranean.
Many Greek restaurants I have been to are heavy on the meat and if you order a fish or meat entree that is all you get except maybe rice.
Here at A La Turka there are so many alternatives for vegetarians and Pescatarians.
I uploaded the pictures but uploaded the fish first and I should have uploaded the Turkish Pizza first. It was a stand out and quite unique and tasty and the pictures of it my hubby took are great!
All of the food was top notch and fresh! Even the free bread was hot and delicious!
The fish was some of the best I have had in the city. (I have been to most of the top sea food restaurants in Manhattan though I haven't reviewed them all)
Everything was super tasty and delicious! Everything! In addition the service was really good, the decor and ambiance are elegant. It is candle lit and has an outdoor patio.
We will be going back for sure and now that you see my review you can ignore the bad reviews! I will update when we go back.This is 4 and a half stars quite easily! I haven't been to all of the Turkish restaurants in NYC yet which is the only reason I don't give it 5 stars though I have been to more than I have reviewed and this was the best one yet.
One of the reasons for that is the variety on the menu. But also the service decor and ambiance. It was near perfect!Listed in: All The Critics Love you in…
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Review from Alice K.
Queens, NY
5/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
I had the worst restaurant experience of my life with the staff at A La Turka. You couldn't pay me enough money to go back here. My friend and I ordered two glasses of wine. We wanted to split a beef kebab. We asked the waiter if we can get beef kebab cooked two different ways. My friend wanted well done and I wanted medium. Since he said we can't order two different ways to cook one dish, we ordered a beef kebab medium well. When the waiter brought out the beef kebab he brought two plates. I asked oh did they split the dish in the kitchen? The waiter didn't say anything. The portions seemed like one plate split in two. The grilled vegetables were good. Beef Kebob was medium well which wasn't exactly the way my friend or I would have ordered it if we were each getting our own dish. The bill came. Two malbec and two beef kebab. I didn't dispute the bill on the spot, which I regret. I wasn't sure if we were unclear when we ordered.
About half hour later, I called the restaurant to dispute the charge because suddenly I remembered that the waiter said we couldn't order one order of beef kebab two different ways to be cooked. That's why we ordered one beef kebab medium well! When I called back manager said, you ate two dishes, so you pay for two dishes. I told him it was a mistake we got two orders because we ordered one. Is this how they like to treat their customers, I asked. He then went back to waiter and put him on the phone. I couldn't understand everything he was saying because he had an accent. He said over and over you ate do you pay, what do you expect... worst part of this entire experience was that the waiter started to talk over me not giving me chance to talk and started raising his voice and yelling at me. He wouldn't stop yelling and I attempted to settle the dispute with the merchant so I hung up on the man on the phone who was yelling at me.
No one in my life talks to me that way. It was infuriating to have a stranger yell at me. So I'm taking the dispute to my credit company. Like I said, bad, worst restaurant experience of my life which ruined a perfectly beautiful evening. There you have it. -
Review from Ankan J.
Manhattan, NY
4/17/2012
This is a great pick for ethnic dining in upper east side neighborhood. After reading tons of reviews, I was a little skeptical about the service but didn't run into any issues there off.
For vegetarians, this place caters plenty of options to pick for. If you are like me and indecisive when it comes to food or just a food, get the mixed appetizer sampler which is good to share with. It comes with their authentic bread which was warm and delicious. For the main course, Falafel, eggplant of okra dishes seem to be the favorite. Since I had a big enough appetizer course, I just did okra with rice and bread. Desert which is always a big thing for me is a must here - I tried baklava which lived up to its hype. For food and service, I would really recommend the place.
The wine at this place was absolutely horrible. I am not sure if it was because it had been open for a while -- but both the wines we got (by the glass) tasted bad. Another negative of the place was the crowd and the ambiance - the place was filled with mostly elderly people on Sunday night which could be great if you are with your family. Not sure if it was because it is Sunday so will have to go there another night to complete my assessment. -
Review from Sara A.
New York, NY
4/4/2012
Meh I've tasted better. Not gonna lie the chicken Adana was top notch even better than uskudars next door but everything else was just average.
Their yogurt is NOT that great and their trout is a little below average -
Review from Megan C.
Manhattan, NY
3/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
This was such an amazing find. Wondering the streets with two friends, we came upon this place when no one could agree on what to eat. Okay, Turkish it is!
The food was outstanding. The wine list extensive. And drinks were great.
Hummus was some of the best I've had. The lamb was the best I've had in the city. And the atmosphere of the place is great. I can't wait to go back in the summer with the windows open and enjoy the patio. So, yes... I'll be back. -
Review from Nick S.
New York, NY
2/10/2012
Out of all Mediterranean/Turkish places on UES this one is probably the best I have tried so far. Great menu , with enough kebabs, fish and house specials to satisfy any taste. Solid appetizers and desserts, but I would be careful with specials, they tend to be meh. Very nice wine selection, but it wouldn't hurt to add some draft beer, as of now they only serve bottled.
Overall a great place for a dinner, whether by yourself or with a group, and for a group I would suggest a reservation. -
Review from Gabriel H.
Manhattan, NY
1/3/2012
OK, so I will VERY rarely, give a place with good food a bad review. I like good Mediterranean food and am happy to go plop down and eat my way through a good bowl of hummus and lamb kebab (both which are quite good at A La Turka). The service, however, is TERRIBLE. Having been there 4+ times, and had consistently TERRIBLE/RUDE/CARELESS service I will be hesitant to go back.
Most recently, I was there on Sunday night with the GF and a few friends. We were worn out from NYE and in no position to order booze, so we didn't. As soon as the waitress heard, "no drinks", she completely lost interest in us all together. The meal was poorly timed and every time we ask for something she rolled here eyes.
Short version - crap service, very overpriced but alluring food.. you decide. -
Review from Hubert H.
Cambridge, MA
12/6/2011
Pretty decent Turkish restaurant on the UES.
I had a tomato chicken yogurt dish served on a hot platter. I would have liked a little more tang on the yogurt sauce, but nonetheless it was a nice tasty dish. The tomato flavor and the chicken flavor blended well.
The service was strong and it was nice to be able to get a large table for a larger group of 10 or so. The atmosphere convivial, boisterous.
The restaurant is one of the few eateries open late on this block of the UES. -
Review from Roger D.
Manhattan, NY
3/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Kudos to the chicken in yougurt and I especially enjoyed the octopus special. The wine list is poor and the wines are not stored properly as our reds were warm out of the bottle. Service was adequate from a smiling and sweet waitress who could not recommend any of the fishes they were serving because she didn't eat fish. OK so ask another server about it before your shift starts so you can recommend things to your customers.
This is a good neighborhood joint for those who don't want to, or can't, venture too far away. All in all a little pricey for what you get with hit or miss flavors.
Verdict: Tried it once, and I'm movng on. -
Review from Evangelia K.
New York, NY
11/9/2011
Meh.
Overpriced for the quality of food. A tiny portion of string beans that tasted canned for $9? I think not. Also, everything we ordered was so salty that after a few bites, even your eyes felt swollen.
Really nice service though. -
Review from Ben C.
New York, NY
11/9/2011
This is the best turkish reastaurant around!
Chicken shish kebab... a staple. And delicious. I took my folks there for lunch and they all RAVED about it.
Chicken yogurt kebab... my personal favorite. I cant even describe it... but just try it.
Lunch specials are where it's at... 10-11 dollar entrees with a salad, rice and bread. Considering their dinner entrees are 16-18 for the same food (and portions?), you really can't go wrong.
I ordered an amazing bloody mary there during brunch once.. the owner (well, it appeared to be the owner) took real pride in making it. He described how this isn't a place where they hire people who "take a 2 week bartending course"... and it showed. Definitely awesome and definitely one of my staples in the UES -
Review from Amy W.
Manhattan, NY
2/4/2012
The rice pudding is the best dessert I have ever had! Would like to come back for more!!
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Review from Lily T.
7/30/2011 2 Check-ins Here
came here for a Livingsocial deal of 3 course entrees and a bottle of wine. The bread they give you is absolutely delicious.
We had the Shepherd salad and the falafel. Shepherd salad was just ok...a mixed of cucumbers, onions and tomatoes in a vinaigrette sauce
falafel was good but not great
For entrees, we had the chicken shish kebab and adanad kebab.
both were just ok...the portions were huge
The dessert was good but overly sweet for me
service was good and the place had a cute ambiance
overall, an ok experience. don't think I will return again unless they have another deal -
Review from Kanita H.
Manhattan, NY
12/25/2011
We went there for a xmas eve dinner (mid-evening). The food was OK but the service was really poor. The staff was seriously annoyed that we came in and seemed to do everything they could to get us out ASAP (read: we were repeatedly asked whether we are done with our food even though we were in mid-chew and the plates were half full!). Sour faces and pressure to get out ASAP (even though there were several other tables still eating around) made it for a very uncomfortable experience.
Such a shame that service is so bad as this place used to be our staple in UES. I believe we just had our last meal there... -
Review from Stephanie K.
Bay Area
6/11/2011
My husband and I came here for lunch, and there happened to be a large group taking over about half of the restaurant (and all of the staff). Our server came to the table, and was barely paying attention to what we were ordering since she was in the middle of delivering food for the other party.
We walked out after the server interrupted me mid sentence during my order - she had to go serve someone else in the large party. When we told her we were going to leave, she complained that she had already put in the order for our appetizers... she didn't even give an apology for the poor service.
Won't be going back here. -
Review from Bratty K.
New York, NY
Updated - 12/17/2011
Went back for dinne the other night. Had the chicken shish kabob and grilled trout. Both pretty good but on the salty side. The trout came with unappetizing looking salad, the chicken came with about 2 tablespoonfulls of rice and greek salad. The bread they give you is different from the flatbread they gave out a while back, had the consistency of a roll combined with bagel. Hot and crusty.
I just wish they would stop pushing bottled water on every guest as son as they sit down.
I highly recommend their milk pie for dessert. Custardy, creamy, caramel topped and delish.
I'll be back .. in few months. While the meal was good, the service and portions left me feeling less than thrilled.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/29/2009
The only thing I loved her is the fluffy flat bread they give you when you order.
We were served by a… Read more »
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Review from LISA N.
12/27/2010
A La Turka is a lovely place with friendly staff, clean bathrooms and a full bar.
My waitress was super nice, and she recommended the sangria which was very good.
I had one of the specials stuffed eggplant with lamb, which really tasted like eggplant parm mixed with lamb bolognese. My boyfriend had some chicken and cream dish which was delicious. But he ordered the turkish pizza for us which was to die for! There are some things I crave constantly and this was definitely one of them!
The negative part was my dish, considered a special, came out totally cold. I wouldn't get the mashed potatoes at this place either, it was like mixed with corn starch or something bc it was a huge gelatin.
The baklava was amazing, sweet and a perfect portion since it's hard to eat so much of it. I also had a delicious hazelnut cake which I have to give 4 stars for that.
Appetizer: 12938731287 stars
Main Course: 2 stars. I really didn't eat it, I brought it home and it was barely touched.
Dessert: 4 stars. -
Review from Bradford O.
Manhattan, NY
11/5/2011
Probably closer to a 2.5 star rating but I decided to be nice and round up. The food at A La Turka is decent, but not nearly as good as Beyoglu around the corner. Delivery is just awful - it takes forever and the food arrives cold. The service at the restaurant is OK but not outstanding; on the whole the wait staff seems unmotivated and somewhat disgruntled.
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Review from Lindsay H.
New York, NY
1/9/2011
I love this place. My parents and I went here the very first weekend I moved to NYC. We were exhausted, hot, and cranky after a long day of moving into my 4th-floor walk-up, and this place just hit the spot.
First, the food is absolutely amazing. My favorite dish is the hunkar begendi (cubed lamb on eggplant puree). The lamb honestly melts in my mouth, and the eggplant puree is to die for. The kebabs are also really good (especially the swordfish...I have dreams about it!). The appetizers are all very good (sucker for the hummus), and the rice pudding for dessert is the best I've ever had.
My favorite part about this place, though, is that they make it special. Every time I've gone there, they have treated my table with something, whether it was fresh fruit or tea after our meal. The waiters are also so attentive and friendly, and they remember me even though I don't go too often since it's a little on the expensive side.
My parents insist on coming here every time they come to visit me, and I don't mind. I love it! -
Review from Rima C.
Manhattan, NY
8/1/2011
I cannot speak highly enough of this place - my ultimate, go-to Turkish restaurant (and I've tried many!). The lahmacun (lamb pizza) and sigara boregi (cheese in phyllo shell) is delicious to start with, and must be followed by the mixed grill so you get a taste for everything. Large portion sizes, beware! For a really authentic experience, ask for Ouzo to sip.
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Review from Sarah H.
Upper East Side, Manhattan, NY
1/13/2011
Food was excellent. Service was quick. Waiters always checking on you and clearing the table.
Very romantic setting but very small space and gets very crowded very quickly.
Food was extremely fresh. Ex: the calamari was al dente (cooked correctly)
Space here is really the only issue. Make a reservation w specific seat location... -
Review from Eva G.
5/4/2009
I only came here a couple months ago because of a http://Restaurant.com coupon I had, and I was craving kebabs and hummus. The food was alright, maybe on the dry side. Good hummus and spicy cigar. There aren't many Turkish places around, so it's a fair menu.
BUT, the service was, wait was there any service?
It was lunch hour, and there were only 2 tables filled in the restaurant (including mine)...
Yet it takes forever to flag down a waiter because they're all hiding in the back. In fact, to ask for the dessert menu, I was waving my arms to blind eyes, and had to walk up to and nearly touch the waiter's face to get his attention. When I wanted the check, Mickey Mouse had gone back into his hole, and I had to talk to a cleaning boy to get me the bill. -
Review from Franco C.
12/18/2008
Mediterranean
Great food- decent Turkish beer- what more could you ask for? The appetizer sampler was very good- I could have just had that and a beer and called it a night.
The main items were just as good and made me eat more than I wanted - so all in all very good.
There was some guy banging away on a guitar of sorts- no idea what you would call that thing.
Bathrooms were clean - only the mens room was barely functional as one of my buddies pointed out when he saw the one and only crapper out of commission...
Service was a bit pokey but not bad overall - definitely would go back. -
Review from Juliet S.
9/11/2008
I LOVE THIS PLACE.
I used to live in Turkey, so when I moved to NYC and found A La Turka a block from my new home, I was in heaven.
If you truly enjoy authentic Turkish food, come here. The fresh, hot ekmek (bread) they serve with the meals is alone to die for. I always order the a la turka salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, beyaz peynir/white cheese, walnuts, balsamic vinegar) and adore the lentil soup (mercimek). The dinners are generous in portion, in true Turkish fashion. You can easily split a kabob dish with another person. My favorite is the village kabob. If you're not a fan of lamb, there's always chicken choices.
End your dinner with a cup of traditional cay (black tea). It's totally overpriced ($3 when I used to pay less than 50 cents for it in my town in Turkey, sigh) but still a great way to end the meal. The baklava is great, but if you're feeling adventurous, try the kunife - its a hot cheese dessert with shredded wheat on top...and lots of syrup/honey and pistachios. Maybe doesn't sound so appealing but it is sinfully delicious.
The service is not New York paced, that's for sure, so if you come make sure you settle in for a long, but worthwhile dining experience! -
Review from Ciesse Q.
Manhattan, NY
10/21/2008
I've never had an underwhelming meal here. All the lamb options are especially tasty -- whether the smoky kebabs (I recommend the tangy Yogurt Kebab) or the shank (which melts like butter in your mouth). And do not miss the creamy, slippery Turkish Flan for dessert, made without egg-yolks yet perfectly rich. Service is generally friendly if occasionally uneven. While the place is usually well-populated, you'll always land a table amid the ample seating.
There is a critical mass of solid Turkish restaurants on the UES to choose from -- Uskudar is a personal fave -- but A La Turka's reliably warming fare stands up well to the competition. -
Review from T D.
New York, NY
10/24/2011
We've been here a few times over the years, and while the food is always very good, there always seem to be weird issues with the service; either waiting forever to have our order taken, or for the food, etc. This last time we went we waited upwards of half an hour for our appetizer, which when it came out was not at all what we had ordered, so we sent it back with the food runner. The waiter then brought it back to our table and argued with us that we had ordered it (no, actually: we had ordered the zucchini pancakes and what he was trying to push on us was some kind of lamb pizza. Quite different. I had even pointed to it on the menu). At this point we didn't want to wait another half hour for the right one when we still had entrees coming, so we said forget the zucchini pancakes, and he insisted that we "just keep" the pizza, and said that he wouldn't charge us for it. Guess what showed up on the bill.
So to sum up, very good food; aggressive, poor service; tacky, outdated decor. -
Review from Dan C.
New York, NY
1/28/2011
I brought my lady friend here on a Tuesday night, expecting a slow night. Meaning, not many other people out on the town, so we'd get A+ service. Naaat!
The host was texting while he brought us to our table, the 5 or 6 waiters/bussers seemed like they were playing rock paper scissors to see who would have to fill our water glasses or take our order, and they had all 6 couples sandwiched into one small corner while the rest of the place was empty except for the occasional lounging staff member. We finally were able to order a bunch of appetizers to share instead of entree's, this seemed to annoy the staff.
The app's were however, delicious, more for an individual person rather than sharing though. At one point, I was finishing some Tahini dip, and the busser started to take away the (delicious) bread, so I said "No no it's ok, we're still working on that" so then he tried to take the dip "You can leave that too, thanks". This went on for the rest of our dinner, and he snapped at me when I asked politely for more water "I AM GETTING IT".
I'm hoping that we got the B squad, and that their Friday night crew is more on top of their game. I will go back, 1 because of the food, 2 because It's a stones throw away and 3 because it looks like other people seem to like this place. Maybe they had an off night.
For now, two stars. Meh -
Review from Cindy C.
New York, NY
10/5/2009
Dear Waitress,
Kindly do not chew gum while youre on your shift. It's disturbing when I can see the wad of gum rolling around in your mouth while you take our orders and simaltaneously roll your eyes. Don't sigh when two girls opt to share an appetizer and an entree. During our meal, you were pretty much nowhere in sight. Water was not refilled, dishes were not explained as they were put down. The only time you cruised by was when we wanted the check, and you didn't even politely ask if we wanted dessert.
Sincerely,
Happy with food, hated the service. -
Review from Judith G.
11/20/2008
Ok, I have been wanting to go here for a long time, but I never somehow get around to it (its only a block from where I live) so I take it for granted.
Finally, it was so bitter cold one night, I did not want to venture far and so A La Turka we went.
I wasn't very hungry to begin with but the smells and atmosphere were enticing and I am always up for something exotic.
They did have a great selection of appetizers, and then some not so interesting sounding mains. I stuck to an appetizer and my partner ordered a main.
They also have a decent Shiraz from Australia, which was just the thing I needed to wash down my hummus.
I usually eat falafel, but I wanted to try something I normally do not eat, so humus was it.
It was very tasty, and although the humus was not a huge plate, it was more than enough for me. Especially because it was served with the crunchiest, toasted pita triangles and two sauces - one red and hot, the other white and cool, something made with buttermilk, perhaps, Not sure.
The main dish was with lamb and it was prepared like a stew (not at all how it was described) and it had green peppers and other veggies in a tomato sauce. There was nothing wrong with it, per se, but it was just not
special and had no kick or exotic flavors. I could not even taste the lamb - and I like the fainly gamey taste of lamb when done right. This was 'eh.'
I would never order it, again.
What the place had going for it is the proximity to home, a good selection of appetizers and salads and decent wines for seven dolar a glass. On the UES, that is pretty reasonable. Most of their appetizers and salads were also in the 7 dollar range. I would stick to a grazing menu and share with others.
I can't say anything about the other main dishes because I am not familiar with them. But, I'd need someone to convince me to try one, if I even came back.
The service was nice and the wait-staff friendly. A plus.
The place is good for a quick appetizer and a glass of wine or two, when you don't know what to eat. But, there are a lot of other options, even here, on the UES, -
Review from Glenn C.
Fair Lawn, NJ
10/25/2010
Service was ok, iskender kebab was more like an italian dish, wasn't nearly spicy enough.
Desserts are overrated and most of them were sold out. -
Review from Eric C.
Baltimore, MD
12/17/2011
Avoid!!! After enduring an over-priced mediocre meal, my girlfriend and I paid the check and set to leave with our partially finished bottle of wine (as allowed by new york cap-and-carry laws) when we were accosted by the manager, who promptly dumped our ~3/4 bottle of wine on the floor!!! We were so enraged by this bully we actually called the police (a first for us), and while we waited we were treated to the buffoon's threats of violence ("leave in 5 minutes if you want to live!" Really?). We finally had the last laugh as the cops made him give us a new bottle of wine to make up for it, but it goes without saying we won't be returning. What a circus! The waitstaff were all apologizing for their manager, so it looks like it wasn't the first time - I'd go elsewhere for dinner, but maybe come here for an after-dinner show!
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Review from Jennifer C.
New York, NY
10/6/2011
This place was just a la OK...I wish it was better. Good was overall pretty bland, and there are other places I would probably choose for turkish food on the upper east. No one at our table really liked their dishes, which is unusual for our group of eaters...large party in the middle of the room may have hampered our enjoyment of this place.
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Review from Calvin Y.
10/12/2008
the skinny: the food here is delicious, nice atmopshere with indoor/outdoor seating, located in upper east side, prices are a bit high with entrees averaging about $16 a dish and appetizers as simple as hummus at $7.
S and I came here using a $25 http://restaurant.com gift certificate (buy one when they have the 70% of 60% discount sales which happens quite often = $25 gift certificate is only $3 or $4), hungry and waiting for the restaurant to open at noon. We ordered the hummus and spicy cigars (seasoned meat in phylo) for appetizers, sauteed lamb (comes out on sizzling cast iron plate with onions and bellpeppers) and lamb/eggplant milky puree (chunks of lamb over this milky risotto like cream. Goes well with the complimentary bread.
Also, if you are into strong coffee...try the Turkish coffee, its like an Italian espresso shot. -
Review from NY food junkie S.
Brooklyn, NY
10/5/2011
i am really a fan of this place!!!!the breads they served and the red sauce in a bottle served on each table were delicious!!!!
service, ambience, hospitality were outstanding!!!!
and the live music is so soothing!!!perfect restaurant for a first date!!!!
i definitely would visit this place again!!!!and recommend to everyone who reads this review!!! -
Review from Elena F.
Manhattan, NY
12/17/2011
Dreadful experience! I bought Living social deal $100 for $50. You'd think: "nice deal".
Nowhere in description it says limitations apply.
When came to A La Turka to redeem LivingSocial deal we were handed a "special" menu which had a very limited low priced items selection from a regular menu. My deal included two appetizers, two entrees, one bottle of wine and 2 deserts.
I ate at this place many times before and do know the size of their portion and let me tell you - Living Social deal portions were half the size.
We were rushed to eat our dinner and because of that didn't have enough time to finish our wine. Wine glasses were cleaned of the table and I wanted to take my wine (paid for by me!) home and was told in a very rudely fashion;"no". It got into a very unpleasant argument with the manager when he took half bottle of wine I paid for and walk away saying to me:"Never come back!"
Basically, steeling my wine! I could see them disagreeing on caring wine away but at least they could poor wine in glasses, letting us finish it. I was very disappointed and as I was handing to them my credit card to pay taxes on my total, expressed desire not to pay gratuity as I find the service terrible and... . I was charged 18% gratuity on a very poor service against my will. It is an abuse!
From Marriam -Webster dictionary
Definition of GRATUITY
: something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service; especially : tip
There are so many nice restaurants in this area who treat you right, feed you well and appreciate you business!
When eating out, we spend a lot, are respectful to our waiters and tip well! I am very sorry for buying this deal from Living Social. -
Review from Justin R.
New York, NY
12/16/2007
I happened to be walking by here, and noticed that the Hunan Balcony had finally closed down ('bout time), and that this restaurant had just opened up. So, we decided to give it a try, and wow!
Decor is a bit odd in the restaurant, but overall the atmosphere is nice. We were given homemade bread which was just fantastic, along with the sampler appetizer which included some of the best hummus and yoghourt I've ever had. Then for the main course I got the ground lamb, which came with pita, rice, salad, and carrots which was also sublime. Portions were a bit TOO big, as it was annoying leaving such good food behind because I was so full.
Wait staff was curt, but worked as proper waiters should. Prices were more than reasonable. -
Review from adam c.
New York, NY
9/10/2011
DISCRIMINATES AGAINST CHILDREN. Went there to have Turkish food and sit outside. When we got there, there were 6 open tables outside. We asked for four, two adults, two highchairs.
The hostess went to ask what appeared to be the head host, who immediately said 'NO'. He then proceeded to tell us, 'we don't put babies in the front.'
Please DO NOT PATRONIZE this restaurant that DISCRIMINATES AGAINST BABIES.
We used to eat there frequently, but we WILL NEVER EAT THERE AGAIN. -
Review from Ames F.
New York, NY
7/28/2010
I'd never have thought I'd start a review this way, but... BEST rice pudding I've EVER had! Seriously, I'm not in the habit of hunting out the best rice pudding ever. This one just basically jumped onto my plate and said hello, love me. To call this rice pudding almost does it an injustice. It's more like dulce de leche with rice. Though I'm a fan of your standard rice pudding with plump, juicy raisins, this is totally different. More like it's classy uptown cousin -- no raisins, just creamy heaven with a dulce de leche effect on the top.
Reason #2 for loving A La Turka: The beef kebab. I'm one of those NYers who is constantly craving steak but can never afford NY steak prices anymore. This is the best value in fillet mignon I've found. Big, juicy, medium rare chunks cooked as kebabs retain their fillet mignon-ness without devolving into meat cinders. Ever.
Also dig the spinach tarator dip with the homemade bread. A Turkish appetizer that will please those who like its Greek cousin, tzatziki. However this is thicker and with spinach instead of cucumbers. Garlicky goodness. -
Review from Laura H.
Manhattan, NY
8/11/2011
Don't ever go here with a Groupon Now, because 1) The people working here don't seem to understand how Groupon works and 2) They will treat you like you are nothing.
I bought a Groupon Now promising $5 for $10 worth of food at A La Turka. I went to the restaurant, ordered an appetizer and showed them my Groupon before they put my order into the system. I also made it pretty clear that I was not ordering anything else besides that appetizer (which came to $8.95 before tax.)
I ate my food, which was fine but not great, and as I was finishing it up, my waiter came over and informed me that I was supposed to have ordered an entree as a part of the Groupon because otherwise I "wasn't worth his time." I checked the fine print on the Groupon, and it said nothing about that, which I pointed out to him. Another employee (manager? It wasn't clear) came over and told me that they generally only do Groupons with special menus or on orders over $50. Then he charged me $5, saying that I had purchased a $5 "gift card," and wouldn't change my charge even when I explained that I had already paid via Groupon. He also just treated me like I was the one who had made a huge, stupid mistake.
So basically I ended up paying $10 for an unremarkable appetizer with a menu price of $8.95 and that was only supposed to cost me $5. And I was made to feel bad about myself.
Oh, and I've never ever been inspired to write a Yelp review before this. -
Review from Nikki J.
Manhattan, NY
11/15/2011
I'm giving A La Turka two stars because the food was pretty tasty (warranted more like four stars out of five) but the shockingly bad service caused the overall score to plummet. Our waitress, Ksenia, treated us like garbage. I assume the reason for this poor treatment was the fact that we were dining with a Living Social voucher. Heaven forbid! I'd purchased this voucher without knowing that A La Turka would create a separate "Living Social" menu that was extremely pared down and only a skeleton of the regular menu. I've since spoken to Living Social who was not aware of this separate menu. They informed me that if they had been aware of its existence, they would have disclosed that in their deal description and on the face of the voucher.
Anyway, onto the meal. The Living Social menu was pretty boring. ( I'd bought the voucher thinking that I had free reign to the whole menu but was instead confined to only a few choices.) But we tried to make do. We ordered shepherd's salad and hummus as appetizers. Both were pretty tasty, as was the bread that accompanied the hummus. I ordered grilled trout and my fiance ordered chicken shish kebab for our main dishes. Slightly humdrum options but they tasted good. When it came time for dessert the Living Social menu offered two options - baklava and some other dessert. They informed us that they were out of the second option, so we would both have to have the baklava. I asked f I could order a substitute dessert from the regular menu and was essentially told that I was out of luck. Until I asked to speak to the manager, at which point we finally were able to order a different dessert. Annoyed that she had been overruled, Ksenia essentially threw my chocolate cake at me.
It was at this point when we realized that Ksenia must have an automatic gratuity built into the bill. Nothing else could explain the awful treatment. As an aside, we always tip 20% or more at restaurants, but we were not planning to be that generous this time. It was my only way to express my disappointment/exact my revenge on Ksenia. However, even that joy was taken away from me. When we received the bill there was a random seeming total of $102 (we didn't know how much the items we ordered had cost because the Living Social menu did not list any prices). The restaurant added a tip of 18% to that amount, or $18 and change.
I generally tend to think that food is much more important than service, but it is amazing how much poor service can dampen an experience. Thanks Ksenia.
So please - be very wary of purchasing any vouchers/coupons/discounts to this establishment...you may leave feeling unworthy (and the smell will stay on your hair and clothes)!
