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Balkanika
Categories: Restaurants Mediterranean Nightlife Bars Wine Bars Mediterranean, Wine Bars [Edit]
691 9th Ave(between 47th St & 48th St)
New York, NY 10036
Neighborhoods: Hell's Kitchen, Midtown West, Theater District
(212) 974-0300
Announcement
Lunch Special: 2 Courses and a Free Wine or Beverage, $12! 11-4pm
- Nearest Transit:
-
50 St (A, C, E)
42 St - Port Authority Bus Terminal (A, C, E)
50 St (1, 2)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Tue, Fri, Sat
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
88 reviews for Balkanika
Review Highlights
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"Mezes are a sure bet though, and they're great." In 14 reviews -
"Something for everyone including vegetarians." In 2 reviews -
"hummus, artichoke, tabouleh and the paprika walnut." In 3 reviews
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88 reviews in English
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Review from Chad S.
3/10/2012
Mystery can be perplexing unless on rare occasion it matches the complexity of the situation. I've always wanted to walk into this most peculiar 9th avenue storefront market place. I wondered why this gourmet market stayed open late on weekends and why I could hear music coming from the back.
I later learned that this happened to be a wine bar and mediterranean restaurant that only looked like a cheese shop from the window.
The fun loving, very friendly, extravagantly, and eccentric owner took us from front to back or should I say through a teleportation device and into the Balkans. Legitimately we no longer felt we were in NY but rather a lively underground establishment somewhere between Istanbul and Athens.
All Mediterranean influence aside, there was a phenomenal jazz trio performing, as they do every Tuesday and Friday. A wonderful jazz bass guitarist, a fantastic woman as the lead vocalist, and as they claimed, a guy who performed with Frank Sinatra for five years.
Nice list of wines and after dinner drinks. Food menu looks good too. Delicious Baklava. -
Review from Jeremy G.
Manhattan, NY
5/6/2012
I'll prefix this review by noting it's for their delivery service rather than the sit down restaurant.
I was informed that they had no chicken left so a bunch of things on the menu were not available. No chicken left? We're in the middle of New York! I appreciate this might be an authentic Balkan eatery but I didn't figure on authentic cold war food shortages either! For a restaurant to run out of the most popular food group in the world is simply shocking. I'm not sure if they are aware but there is a Food Emporium a few blocks away, they can even use my loyalty card too.
So we ordered the Skopska salad which was very good, a nice combination of well dressed greens and feta cheese. I'd have that again in a heart beat. The other two dishes we ordered were the turkey meatballs and the ground beef kebab. The beef kebab was much better than the turkey meatballs. The latter was supposed to be spiced with cumin but I didn't detect even a hint of it. It was also supposed to arrive with yogurt but I guess they had a shortage of that too as it was missing. The beef kebab would have been a lot better if it arrived with the pita bread it's supposed to be served with. Again, it was missing - along with the rice we also ordered. Once the food was laid out on the table and we realised that we were looking at what amounted to be $40 of food I think we both thought it wasn't good value for money.
There are a bunch of things I'd like to try on the menu but their delivery service is plain sloppy in addition to being late. Perhaps an in person visit is in order on the next occasion. -
Review from Alexandra P.
Manhattan, NY
Updated - 3/12/2012
Go to Kashkaval up the street! Food is not-bad here, but it's definitely not as good as their sister restaurant on 55th and 9th. Service is pretty spacy usually, have had many items ordered forgotten about. They are very nice at least..
Would recommend stopping in for a glass of wine, however1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/14/2011
almost as good as their sister restaurant kashkaval up the street. very reasonable priced, lots of… Read more »
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Review from Robert M.
ASTORIA, NY
5/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is close to my office and I was looking forward to some autherntic balksn fare and maybe to practice my conversational Serbo-Croatian. Turns out they had a nicely priced lunch special, decent Burek (although my sever pleasantly brought me the wrong variety), pleasant sides, and a great sour cherry drink. However, not the balkan experience I had in mind. I'll try the evening hours sometime and see if it's livelier.
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Review from Madhav B.
Manhattan, NY
4/15/2012
Great authentic Greek food. The cucumber yogurt (tarator) is to die for. The curry balls are a great vegetarian option. Good wines and desserts too.
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Review from Anne Etoile Q.
Manhattan, NY
4/28/2012
Good wines, decent food.
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Review from Sandra S.
Brooklyn, NY
2/29/2012
Went there last weekend with a date and sadly it was just ok.
The service was good, the waitress was great and friendly, but the food was just ok..i have definetly had better, and being that im Serbian and we ordered traditional Serbian dishes i was a little dissapointed that they werent great!!
The atmospere was great, place was busy, lots of wine selection, it just fell short a lil bit for me in the taste department. -
Review from Phil L.
4/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here on St. Patricks day after spending the entire day walking around the city, drinking, and eating. Came here to have drinks before the half marathon so I skipped out. Our group ordered some sort of desert wine from Maldova which was amazing. I opted for a Turkish coffee which served up the necessary caffeine for me to stay awake. Service was awkward however but I'm not sure if that was because we were seated in the deli area or the waitress knew we were going to be ordering their food.......I will go back here again some time for a burek.
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Review from Shweta S.
New York, NY
12/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you're considering visiting this restaurant, please take a moment to first read about the experience I had here.
I went here with 5 friends. We waited an extra half hour to get a table because they were too polite to ask a party who had already paid, and were hanging on and chatting, to vacate the table so they could seat new guests.
Once we are finally seated, we order the mezze platter for the table. It comes with 4 small pitas sliced up. Can you guess how quickly those disappeared when split among 6 people? We had to wait for a waitress (one was never easily at hand) and order pita refills, twice, which took ages to arrive. How long does it take to slice up premade pita and put it in a platter?
Finally, and this is the worst folks. We place our entree orders. One of my friends and I both order the chicken kebabs. When the food finally arrives (which it did in spurts of 1-2 dishes, not all together) there is only one plate of chicken kebabs. I pass it over to my friend and we wait for my dish to arrive. Our waitress is either busy or is studiously avoiding our table. Ten minutes later we flag down another waitress to ask after my food. She disappears, and reappears to tell me "Sorry we are out of the chicken kebab"
WHAT?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
The waitress apologizes and offers to get me anything off the menu. Considering that it is almost 11, they've taken over 30 minutes to bring out my friends entrees and my friends have already waited long enough to eat, I decline and ask my friends to carry on with their already cooling dinners. The manager does not stop by with an apology. Our waitress, who originally took the orders does not stop by with an apology.
I don't understand how this restaurant is still in business. I will never go back again. -
Review from Monica R.
Manhattan, NY
4/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
A bit disappointed! I had read some OK reviews about this place, and the wine and beer menus looked good.
Went there on a Friday. My date was waiting at the bar when I got there, it was a tiny bar, he did like the beer he had though. I had a Croatian white wine and it was just fine.
We didn't come here for the food, but ended up sitting on a table and ordering some Mezes and kebabs. Having just come back from Turkey where I had some great food, the mezes were quite disappointing, mostly tasted too strong and spicy, and the kebabs were bland, a bit dry.
The service was a-ok.. the place was really busy when we left around 9pm.. probably wont be back here.. -
Review from Angel K.
New York, NY
4/2/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I really enjoyed my time here. The place looks and feels so family. Did the 4 selection meze dip: leek meze, spicy hummus, cucumber yogurt, and my least favorite fava (too hard). The mini bureks are very dooable (if you do a tapas styled dinner). I definitely recommend getting the house recommended cheese and meat platter (note: it comes with some olives so dont worry about ordering the olive dish). The service is spacy but always always super friendly.
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Review from L D.
New York, NY
2/22/2012
I was yelping to find a wine and tapas bar that was located straight between my girlfriend and I on the west side when I stumbled upon Balkanika. We checked out the menu online and thought we'd give it a shot.
At first glance through the window, the restaurant can be deceiving. You are immediately greeted by buckets filled with colorful fillings of what appear to be ice cream much like you'd see in a Ben and Jerry's. When we walked through the hallway, we soon found a candlelit dining room set so comfortably. We dined on a Wednesday night so the crowd was light enough for us to enjoy conversation.
I noticed the bar was quite large and was also inviting, but we chose to sit at a table. The menu is quite extensive. In fact, we were a little overwhelmed at the selection. The prices were reasonable so we decided to try a little bit of everything from spreads to cheese to olives. They offer the choice of 4 spreads for just $10 and you are also served a frailly large basket of pita bread. We tried a variety of flavors like roasted eggplant and almond olive. They were all so tasty and distinct in taste!
The wine selection is also extensive. Also reasonably priced with generous pours!
As we were leaving the restaurant back through the hallway to the front door, we notice the buckets again and learn that they are filled with their exquisite spreads and available for purchase per pound! I left with a pound of paprika walnut spread for only $8!
Overall, great food and ambiance. I do want to remind you that I went on a Wednesday night so there was not a wait to get a table but I have a feeling it's small size could fill rather quickly on a weekend. -
Review from Tyler M.
ASTORIA, NY
4/19/2012
I just had a horrible experience here. I went on my lunch break from work and saw the $9 lunch special. I went inside and I asked for the lunch special menu from the man behind the deli counter. He took my order and asked if I was eating inside. I said no, that I would take it to go. He then made my food, bagged it, handed it to me and then rang me up for $16 saying that the lunch special only applied to eating inside. WHAT?!!!!! He took the bag back from me and I seethed as I just had wasted 20 minutes of my lunch for nothing. Never. Again.
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Review from Bruce C.
Fort Lee, NJ
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Review from Doc H.
San Francisco, CA
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
3.75*
I can't begin to review the food here because I didn't try anything other than the olive and cheese appetizers, which were... well appetizers.
This review is for the ambiance, I think I went on a Thursday maybe 8pm. There is a very small bar with a few friendly girls opening beers and serving wine. There was a live violinist which was kind of a surprise but set a great ambiance. From the front window it kind of looks like a deli, but fear-not the mini bar and the restaurant sit casually in the back.
There are a few beers fairly priced and appears to be a good place to grab a pre or post dinner drink. It may be a good place to grab dinner too, but I'll report more fairly after I try it. -
Review from Tony F.
Brooklyn, NY
Updated - 11/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Second time! Nice change to the usual same old cuisines! Emphasis on meats accompanied by assorted root veggies! And they push their wines!
Nice and reasonable Balkan fare. Something for everyone including vegetarians. Nice wine and craft beer selection! Will come back!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/8/2010
Nice and reasonable Balkan fare. Something for everyone including vegetarians. Nice wine and craft… Read more »
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Review from Paolo M.
9/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is alluring, and has silently beckoned as I've passed by the abundance of exotic places to eat on 9th ave. Balkanika feels warm and inviting inside - like a country store set into the City. Yet, the bar and eating area behind the store front provides a good, intimate space to plop oneself down to work (done this once here), or to converse with a long-lost friend. The staff behind the counter were nice and hospitable.
Here's the big fat ol' BUT. Both times I've been here, sampling different items from the deli - cranberry and pumpkin muffins, beets, burek, falafel burger in a wrap, lemonade, baklava - the majority of their items were bland, soggy when it should have been crispy (e.g., falafel), dry when it should have been moist (e.g., muffins), or weirdly off-tasting (beets). Even the lemonade was foul - bland, like the table water you get with a sliver of lemon thrown in. How do you mess up lemonade?
With all to choose from in Hell's Kitchen, this place is worth plopping my head in, saying hi to the people, but quickly move on to a better, cheaper eatery. -
Review from Mido D.
Manhattan, NY
3/15/2012
If you are from the ex-YU area or are used to having their culinary specialties, this is not the place for you. The menu promises a lot but is very short on delivery. It doesnt taste or look like anything from the Balkans? Hint to the owner: go visit these countries, or at least wonder off to one of many restaurants in the region serving authentic food from this part of the world. Cevapcici are beyond disappointing. I mean, they are large lumps of raw minced meat seasoned with plenty of mediterranean herbs and then oven baked!? If anything at all, you should call them meatballs. I was ready to settle for less beacause it wasnt far from my home, but this has been the biggest culinary disappoinment in NYC so far.
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Review from Miriam O.
ASTORIA, NY
7/18/2011
This restaurant is just okay. The service, food and venue were satisfactory. The servers were a bit clueless and awkward but that was okay because they were still very nice.
I wasn't a big fan of the mezes. I usually enjoy mezes or hummus spread...but the ones here were a bit bland even though there was a wide selection of them.
I ordered the chicken kabob with the potatoes and it was good, not spectacular.
Also, please note that this restaurant is not a Greek restaurant but rather Balkan (covering many countries in the Balkan region- Greece, Turkey, Romania, Albania, Croatia etc.)... -
Review from Lily P.
Very cute place with TONS and TONS of wine. The interior was very nice!!! Deli in the front with all the desserts and then in the back tons of tables and stools by the bar.
For the most part I liked this placed a lot more then other places on 9th ave with the deli/bar duo due to the decorations.
The pasteries are also good!! They have a sample for $10 of 4 items otherwise you can get the $15 17 items. :)
They had this thing called sexy balls which i totally thought was a joke but then i took a picture of it and it was also on the menu and you could read about how it was a combo of herbs or etc that was suppose to make you healthy...meh. -
Review from Dimitrios D.
New York, NY
8/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
The owner is Turkish yet the menu supposedly reflects the Balkans in general. The name of the place is alluring, as is the menu idea- unfortunately though, the consistency of the dishes is scatterbrained.
To begin, the place is strangely decorated. It's dark and woody and vaguely feels like a German biergarten or something, with random Balkan quilts and Turkish pots thrown in the mix, along with some random trinkets that look like they were purchased from a TJ Maxx.
My loukanika (Greek pork sausage) with peppers, onions and orange peels with Turkish bread was actually pretty good. The citrusy-sweet taste of the orange peels was unique with the sausage. I'll admit I did bite into one hard piece of something in my sausage, which kind of disturbed me- otherwise it was fine though.
The leek burek was pretty bad. It was mainly phyllo without anything inside. And to make matters worse there was no feta inside the leek burek, despite the menu stating that the leek burek has feta and leeks inside. So the waiter was kind enough to add feta on the side of the plate. Still... you want feta inside the burek if that's what the menu says, not on the side. Either way, a bland item.
Overall, a forgettable place. -
Review from Andrea Z.
Middle Village, NY
5/19/2011
Do people really enjoy paying three times the price to have their canned food heated for them?
My boyfriend and I are Bulgarians, and we know what this food should taste like. Not only that, but we also know what it's canned version tastes like. I can guarantee to you that the roasted red peppers and the stuffed grape leaves were canned - not homemade. This prices them at around $2.50 for a dozen stuffed grape leaves. Just keep that in mind as you make your orders ;)
The salad was inauthentic, tasteless, and actually contained the wrong ingredients!
We did not try any of the meat there, but we're really disappointed in the quality. -
Review from Andie H.
Manhattan, NY
10/25/2011
I've been here several times as it's right around the corner from my apt. What drew me in was the really interesting selection of wines from all over the Middle East and Mediterranean. For a glass or bottle of wine I would highly recommend it. They have live music sometimes and it's usually really pleasant. Bartenders are friendly and consistent and the atmosphere is great.
I've been for food once and had a salad. The salad was not so great, it was doused with way to much salad dressing. That being said, this may have been the style of it and I just didn't read the description well enough.
Would definitely recommend to a friend though! -
Review from Marnie B.
New York, NY
6/18/2011
This appears to be a sister restaurant to Kashkaval, which is less than ten blocks to the north on 9th ave. It is not quite as good, but still solid. The meze selections are terrific, and the four meze plate plus maybe a three cheese/meat selection will more than fill up two people, in my experience. The wine selection is also consistent and reliable, and the bottles are quite affordable for the quality (though not surprising--you can't charge more than $30 for wines from Albania and Bulgaria, after all).
My only complaint is service. They are perfectly nice, but it's not the kind of place you can pop in an out of in an hour. Expect to sit there for 20 minutes before they take your order, and then another 20-30 minutes to get your check. -
Review from Sayaka N.
New York, NY
6/23/2011
Wasn't crazy about the food here. We ordered two hummus for the table, and for a place that specializes in spreads, they were not good at all; very tasteless and had a wierd texture. The pita that came with it was flimsy and tasteless as well.
I liked you could mix and match their various vegetable sides to make an entree. I ordered eggplant, mushrooms, peppers (they ewre all cooked or marinated in some way) and some tabbouleh as well. The vegetables were all good, but the tabbouleh was atrocious. It had no flavor at all and it seemed very old somehow. -
Review from Taylor M.
New York, NY
5/26/2011
The food here is decent, but the whole experience is hindered by the truly terrible and clueless service. Three friends and I tried this place for dinner last night, and our evening proceeded as follows:
- We were sat at a table in the back by a waitress, then ignored for the next 30 minutes. A busboy came over to fill our waters and asked if we'd ordered yet, and we said no, and could he flag down our waitress. He never did. After another 5 minutes, we had to get a waiter's attention by waving.
- We ordered. Our waiter walked away and came back four times -- first to say an entree wasn't available; second to ask if my friend wanted fries or rice as a side (shouldn't he have asked that when he took the order?); third to tell me the wine I wanted wasn't available; fourth to tell me the second wine I wanted wasn't available. This whole process probably tacked on another 5-10 minutes.
- When we tried to order dessert, we ran into the same problem. The waiter took our order, walked away, and came back saying what we wanted wasn't available.
- It took us another 15 minutes to even find the waiter to get our check, then more time to get him to come back and break a $20 bill.
What should have been a nice, hour-long dinner stretched into two frustrating hours of trying to squeeze some semblance of service out of this place. As I said before, the food was OK, but I would never return because of the service. -
Review from Lauren H.
4/22/2011
I remember when this place first opened. I thought - "Oh, fun! A Balkan place in Hells' Kitchen." Then the paper came off the windows and it was more like - "Oh, another bodega in Hell's Kitchen." Turns out we were both right! (I'm a Gemini) There's a restaurant behind that storefront with the deli counter and stuffed German Shepard. Who knew?
The restaurant can get loud and crowded with lots of local Eastern European ex-pats, so I suppose that vouches for the authenticity of the menu. The owner, Pando, is very popular. If you get the chance, say hello and you'll find out why. He's really a hoot.
The food is alright - so much has been said about the 17 meze sampler plate. But think about it - really - how many kinds of pureed food do you, as an adult, need to eat? It's a question only you can answer; but for myself, I wouldn't order 17 kinds again. Even the servers don't know which is which.
It's kind of a catch-up-with-an-old-friend-so-you're-not-trying-t oo-hard-to-impress-anyone-or-spend-too-much-money- or-have-to-wear-heels-but-you-should-wear-somethin g-clean-and-comb-your-hair-but-not-bust-out-the-fl atiron-just-go-with-a-ponytail-and-put-on-some-lip gloss-but-not-necessarily-the-whole-face sort of joint. I'll be back. -
Review from Geo N.
Silver Spring, MD
7/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
This not much from the street place has decent wines, amazing gazpacho, and tasty meze aka tapas!
And you MUST try the sexy balls!!! Too tasty and good for you!
Yummy balls! -
Review from Jenn F.
Morganville, NJ
You've got to be kidding me.
I can't believe I used up a Friday night's meal for the shoddy food I had here. You know that 17 meze special? I tried all 17- 12 of which were forgettable, 2 that left an undesirable taste in my mouth, and if you can do math, far too few were acceptable. It's pure marketing bullshit with the whole 17 dips for $12. They're dips, and bad ones at that, so have the parade elsewhere. Even the pitas were over-browned.
Dear person who made our food(no, I can't use the C-word because you are unworthy),
Once again, a recommendation falls short of acceptable. I ordered the ricotta and feta cheese burek- served as a crisp, tasteless pastry with less than 50% cheese inside. Get the fuck out of here. I didn't order this so I could eat a whole dough boy and his mother. Charging $2 for the yogurt is just insult on top of injury. The yogurt was watery- so now you expect me to drown my dough boy and his mum in murky waters. I may be a killer, but I've still got a heart.
You burned my potatoes. Rapper's delight: "I PUT IT IN MY MOUTH AND THEN I SPIT IT OUT." I think you chipped my dental filling for which you will be receiving a bill. You can't even make something as simple as potatoes?? What are you even good for? Oh, I know- scooping 17 dips onto a dish.
Sure, this place would be a perfect setting for a date if the food wasn't so abysmal. If you bring a foodie here on a first date, don't expect a 2nd unless you're the funniest son of a b*tch on this planet. Upon leaving, I was ready to go ape$hit on the front shelves. Think Zoolander computer scene.
Still angry that I paid $6 for tip/tax/shared appetizer,
Suck my Dip. -
Review from Jess L.
2/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here for dinner before a show. Service was quick and pretty straight forward.
My two friends and I shared the 17 mezze sampler, four vegetables, and a lamb sausage. The mezze sampler was perfect to share, but I wish we had been told what everything was, since it wasn't obvious at all. (Everything has a similar texture!) Nonetheless, most of the mezze were very tasty. I would say the table's favorites were: Paprika Walnut with red pepper, walnut, tomato, red onion; Russian Eggplant with tomato sauce, onion, herbs & spices; Melitzánosalata (Roast Eggplant) onion, garlic, vinegar; and Almond Olive with vinegar, lemon juice.
Our veggies were a little underwhelming. Their "giant beans" were NOT giant beans, which was a big let down. The tumeric cauliflower could have been more seasoned, in my opinion.
I know a lot of people compare Balkanika to Kashkaval, and I have to go with Kashkaval. I think it has a more intimate ambiance and, overall, better food. There is a ton more seating here, though. -
Review from Nora S.
Sunnyside, NY
6/29/2011
Friend and I walked in around 6PM ready to eat and drink. The bottle of white wine we were served was warm. We told the waitress, who brought the owner over so we could tell him. Embarassing.
The mezes were good. The burek was cold and dry. The service was awful. We had to flag a server down to get more wine, more beer (the Croatian beer was awesome by the way), desserts and our check.
Kashkaval is far, far superior. -
Review from Rajmonda L.
Bronx, NY
12/30/2011
My husband and I took three of our friends for dinner at Balkanika tonight! It was an overall great experience! We come from Albania and I have to say the cusine is very authentic! We had been there other times before but just to get a burek to go! We had a selection of meat, cheese and mixed olives a meze and some Albanian wine! The cheese and the dried beef was delicious and so was the wine!!
Lovely atmosphere, authentic Balkan traditional music, friendly staff!! We felt right at home! We will deffinitely come back!!! -
Review from Mike G.
Troy, NY
2/24/2011
A great place to enjoy a relaxing meal. We stopped in yesterday afternoon, famished after a couple of long walks and a day at MOMA and stayed for appetizers, lunch, and dessert. A nice variety of wines and good coffee, too. Wait staff was helpful and courteous, and not at all intrusive. Why not experiment when selecting mezes...there are17 varieties available.
With a few more dessert choices it would have rated 5 stars. -
Review from J M.
Brooklyn, NY
3/11/2012
I love this place! Stumbled in randomly on a Saturday night and they were willing to accommodate our group of nine with only a short wait. The food was delicious--including a lot of great vegetarian options (I especially loved the cheese burek), the waitstaff were very friendly and helpful, and the ambience was charming. We ended up staying for over three hours, drinking wine, catching up with old friends, and reveling in the atmosphere--which my Montenegran friend kept telling us was just like home. I will definitely be going back and bringing friends.
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Review from jenna c.
11/27/2010 2 Check-ins Here
You don't even realize that there is a whole back restaurant area to this place and a cozy wine bar...
Lots of fun vegetarian options AND a ton of interesting wine selections... the staff is approachable and friendly... our girl gave us tastes of the wines that intrigued us... and then generous pours of the one's we chose! YES PLEASE! The wine selection is diverse... some of the areas they came from i didn't even know produced wine!!!! very cool....
we will definitely be back. what a great addition to the neighborhood. YAY! -
Review from Maria L.
Boston, MA
9/25/2011
We decided to try the lunch special deal for $12 you get an app/soup, meal, beverage. It was too good a deal to be true, sadly. I ordered the salmon on greens. The greens were average but when I got to the fish it was actually frozen. My fork and knife wouldn't cut through the frozen slab with the seasonings stuck on. I was pretty grossed out and disappointed. Did they recycle someone's leftovers from the night before and forget to reheat it? The bathroom closest to the back wall has no curtains so if you don't want to put on a show for the building across the way, use the other one.
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Review from Vanessa V.
Portsmouth, NH
1/30/2011 1 photo
Been walking by for the last few months and finally decided to try Balkanika last night. As you walk in and toward the back, peek in at the glass cases and see what you want for dinner-- very convenient. Hubby and I split a house salad, four dips with pita (green hummus, red pepper hummus, yogurt cucumber, and artichoke), and four veggies (gigantes, green peas, red potatoes, and cauliflower).
They were really busy when we walked in, Saturday night around 6:30. We ended up getting seats at the bar which was nice because we got a behind the scenes look, but we didn't have a dedicated waitress. Kind of weird. But they were busy, so I think the waitress for the rest of the dining area was just kind of swamped.
The food was all good. The house salad was under-seasoned but fresh, the dips were good (the green hummus and artichoke dip by far the best), the veggies were clearly microwaved which took away from some of the pleasure of eating them (they were cold in the middle) but other than that, inexpensive and decent quality.
One of the busboys gladly brought us extra pita and was always there to refill water and clear dishes. Overall, we will definitely be back, perhaps for take-out or on a less busy night. -
Review from Joe P.
East Elmhurst, NY
12/10/2011
Superb Mediterranean cuisine. Very reasonably priced. Probably better for lunch than dinner though.
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Review from Pat P.
1/5/2011
I took my girlfriend here on a date and it was a pretty great experience. The wine selection is very impressive and the food is actually quite wonderful. You've got to try the different types of hummus. And you've got to try the roast duck; it falls right off the bone!
This place has an amazing midtown vibe that will remind you of why you're in love with New York City in the first place.
Even with the inherent grading curve along this stretch of 9th Avenue, I've got to give it five stars. To be a competitive restaurant in this area, you've got to have a lot of game. This is a solid place even in this neighborhood, and I'd definitely dine here multiple times. -
Review from Demitasse E.
Manhattan, NY
10/17/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Sigh, I used to live an enviable two blocks away from Balkanika. Loved it since it opened last May, cried when I moved away.
The menu changes, so I don't want to hype up anything that might not be there. Mezes are a sure bet though, and they're great. Come for lunch or dinner (they serve wine now), and order anything.
Miss you, promise I'll visit!
