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Dafni Greek Taverna
Category: Restaurants Greek Greek [Edit]
325 W 42nd St(between 8th Ave & 9th Ave)
New York, NY 10036
Neighborhoods: Hell's Kitchen, Midtown West, Theater District
(212) 315-1010
- Nearest Transit:
-
42 St - Port Authority Bus Terminal (A, C, E)
Times Sq - 42 St (7, 7X)
Times Sq - 42 St (1, 2, 3, N, Q, R)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 12 am
Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
240 reviews for Dafni Greek Taverna
Review Highlights
"This an absolute gem within the bustling Times Square."
(in 57 reviews)
"We will definitely go back if we are ever in Port Authority."
(in 33 reviews)
"Don't leave this place without trying their Tzatziki."
(in 39 reviews)
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240 reviews in English
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Review from Esther Y.
Arverne, NY
1/22/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Me and my boyfriend(whose Greek) ate here after a movie. It was a short one block walk from the theater which is even better! The food they served was great, and the waitress was very nice. She asked if everything was okay, and every time I answered yes. They were legitimate Greek as well because they spoke to my boyfriend in Greek.
The decorations were lovely. It was very home-like and very welcoming. The person that welcomes you was very nice as well. As a joke I put my boyfriends last name instead of mine, and since I'm asian, the hostess was very confused, but she was very light about it, and we ended up with a good laugh.
Dafni Greek Taverna was a great restaurant to eat at. I felt very welcomed and I'd go back there in a heartbeat. With a reservation of course, the place was packed! I was lucky I made a reservation! -
Review from freckle b.
Westminster, CO
1/7/2012
Yelp needs a zero stars option.
This place was absolutely terrible - served my husband rancid spinach and rice (which he promptly returned to the kitchen and they did not offer to bring him anything else to eat) and then they had the nerve to leave it on the bill! When I calmly told our server and then the manager that I wanted that meal removed from the bill, I got yelled at and then they threw us out.
Maybe we hit it on an off night, because it has a lot of good reviews (which is why we went), but then again, maybe all these Yelps are from tourists who are used to crappy food and service in Times Square. -
Review from eve a.
12/20/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I'm gonna join the masses and say what everyone had been thinking. Dear owners of Dafni-redecorate the exterior of a restaurant cuz from outside it looks like a lost in the middle of Brooklyn retiree's diner. Its Manhattan-add some chic and glamor, I guess. Or just repaint the door.
Long story short- me and a friend chose this place for dinner before the Broadway show. I arrived about an hour late to my dinner date. Thank God i have very patient friends (well, I had the theater tickets with me so being patient was the only option )
I had 20 minutes to order,eat and pay. Our server- is just an angel, there are no other words to describe him. From prolonged waiting my friend's mood shifted from good to OK -to bad -to "I'm going to kill someone right now" by the time I made it to the restaurant. So he was a bit cranky and made everyone so nervous that me and server with joint efforts managed to spill red wine all over his food and shirt's sleeve.
Our server remained calm and fixed the situation fast. Thumbs up to him. I wont mind if he wants me dead thou.
Food is amazing-I had lamb shank which some places make very greasy by adding extra gravy to already rich meat. But here it was very gently braised in light sauce-just wonderful. Grilled meat that my friend had was also good, soft and flavorful. Appetizer of meatball-very good as well, not to spicy,not to bland. secret is in perfecting the seasoning.
I made it to a show on time and I will definitely be back when I can sit down and enjoy my meal in peace and quiet. -
Review from Alan K.
Manhattan, NY
2/4/2012
Very good food in an informal atmosphere.
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Review from Ting W.
Rockville, MD
2/3/2012 9 photos
Was here with 2 other friends for dinner. Atmosphere and decorations was good. However, I don't know if I can say that about the food or the service. I ordered a wine and Aegean seafood with hilopites. My friends ordered fried calamari, the loukaniko, the lamb shanks, and the baklava. Now I'm not an expert in Greek food so I'm strictly judging all this based on flavor and appearance. Presentation of the food was fine and we started with the fried calamari. The fried calamari was mediocre. My Aegean seafood came with a salad but it was nothing extraordinary. The Aegean seafood itself was on the dull side. I was expecting it to be more rich in flavor but instead, it tasted bland as rice. I should add the waitress forgot about the wine I ordered and I needed to remind her much later in the meal before I got it. She was nice enough to offer to put in extra bit of alcohol but in my opinion, business wasn't even that busy so I was surprised she forgot about it. The loukaniko and lamb shanks seemed like better choices. As for the baklava, I found it to be too sweet.
Not sure if I would return if I was in the area. -
Review from Heather G.
Boston, MA
12/3/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
This place is an absolute gem, hidden treasure amid the grossness and tourism of Midtown. Honestly, when I pulled this up on my Yelp app and saw where it was, I nearly dismissed all the rave reviews just because if its location.
I am happy I didn't, and you shouldn't either!
We stopped in for a long, leisurely lunch one afternoon when we were in the area and craving something we couldn't really get in Boston (at least not done well). The restaurant looks dingy from the outside with its small storefront and run-down awning. However, when you walk in, you enter what seems to be a completely different place. The space is large, dark (but not creepy-dark or musty-basement-dark...more like romance in the middle of the day sort of dark), and decorated in a very minimalist way that indicates that it will still look nice in 5 or 50 years, as it carries no real decorating theme.
There were, surprisingly, very few people in the restaurant - perhaps another table or two - but the place was generally empty. I feared this may be indicative of the food at this restaurant, but luckily that turned out not to be the case.
The one negative of this place is that the servers are REALLY surly. They are slow, rude, inattentive, not friendly in any regard. If the food or prices weren't so good, I'd never come here again. Perhaps this is a family place and these men can never be fired? Regardless, I'd seriously consider the possibility that the service is scaring some customers away. There were 3 servers that day for 3 total tables of diners, yet my glass sat empty for 15-20 minutes while the three servers leaned on the bar and chatted with each other, averting eye contact with any of the diners.
But enough of that. Remember, I do actually love this place. Here's why. They have an appetizer sampler of grilled pita, various spreads (you can choose three from a list of about 10), and Greek olives, all drizzled in delicious olive oil. The portion is large for just over $10, and we needed all the accompanying grilled bread as well as the bread basket (also filled with squishy, delicious, pillowy pita wedges) to sop up the garlicky, creamy, flavorful spreads.
The lunch entrees are well-priced, and my date ordered the most delicious gyro I've ever had (should I take this moment to tell you I'm Greek? Probably doesn't matter. Plus, that's just obnoxious - like because I'm Greek, I should judge gyro contests? Puh-leeze.). But really - great gyro. The pita here is perfectly fresh and squishy, the gyro meat was well-seasoned and moist, the veggies crunchy and fresh, and the tahini was thick (not runny!!) and packed a flavor-punch.
I had an enormous Greek salad, which stayed true to its roots and did not include lettuce. Rather, the large bowl was stuffed to the gills with chunks of cukes, ripe tomatoes, hunks of feta, olives (a plethora of olives, unlike other restaurants that add one or two to save on input costs), and came with an (ordered) side of meat. Because this had no lettuce "filler", this was an incredibly filling and generous portion.
Also true to its roots, the server brings a side of oil, vinegar, salt, and oregano for you to mix and pour your own dressing right onto your salad, and does not have salad dressings on the menu!
I will certainly be back. As often as I can. This place is nice, cheap, delicious, humble, and HIDDEN from the mess of Midtown - truly my oasis in the desert (concrete jungle would perhaps have been a better reference). -
Review from John C.
12/15/2011
Found a hidden gem in Times Square sandwiched in between a Burger King and some other non-eye catching store next door.
Gyro, sauce, Gyro, sauce, the other meats, sauce, Gyro...this is how food should be eaten. The plates were reasonably priced and extremely good. I ordered the mixed plate of meats and couldn't finish my meal. Note: I finish my meal 95% of the time. Oh, and they serve some good warm and small pita bread.
This place is a very elegant, yet casual place to dine. Decor was made of lots of wood, which felt rather comfortable. Low music in the background, no candles (thank goodness), comfortable noise level for a decent conversation, and spacious.
Thanks to my friend M. who orders here from her work at EY. -
Review from David R.
Manhattan, NY
2/3/2012
Fiday night me and my girlfriend went to Dafni to have our dinner but we are so unhappy the waitress with blonde hair was so rude she didnt even know how to welcome us she was so mean and i sugest they put another woman to deal with the people not that mean waitress , the place sucks, we never so any manager or owner walking around or at least asking anyone if everything was fine,i felt it inside me that there has to be something wrong with this place because the prices were so cheap, food was not so good it does not have any taste so u could enjoy , thats why you get bad food because you paying cheap i guess. i do not recomend this place to anyone, we would never be back at dafni
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Review from L E.
Austin, TX
1/23/2012
Made reservations here and glad we did as the restaurant filled up quickly. Wanting to sample as much as possible we ordered too much food. We started with the wonderful Spanakopita, spinach, onion, feta pie. This was in a flaky pastry and could have been a meal in itself. My husband ordered a traditional Greek salad and a maroulosalata salad was served with my meal. Next we were served with Moussaka which was layers of meat, eggplant and potatoes with tasty white sauce, such a rich and hearty dish.
We order gyro which was seasoned so well and was delicious. We were too stuffed to order dessert much to my regret. The service was friendly and attentive even as the restaurant filled and was demanding on the staff. I would highly recommend this spot to anyone visiting the area -
Review from Gul K.
Washington, DC
1/16/2012
WTF! My husband got food poisoning after eating here last night! he just ate a salad and mentioned something tasted off, guess they used spoiled feta or something! Cnt blv we spent so many $$ only to end up with food poisoning! The food was okay at it's best, have had farrr better Greek! Service was okayish nothing great which you'd expect when shelling out so much money for subpar food...overall a pretty bad experience :(
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Review from Brad K.
Brooklyn, NY
1/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Wow, really REALLY good authentic (at least to my taste) and interesting food surprisingly in the middle of the neighborhood known for terrible food designed to please tourists who are looking for pasta alfredo or chicken fingers. The appetizers I had (octopus and a pita plate with a bunch of dips) were really outstanding. Everyone at my table was pleased with their entrees. Nice friendly service to boot. Could not believe I was on 42nd St.
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Review from B P.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/14/2012
We were hungry and I looked up yelp. This restaurant came up as best rated and just 1/2 a block down. We were lucky to get a table and got the food really fast. We were crunched for time b/c we were going to a Broadway show.
We had the Aegean Seafood with Hilopites and Sinagrida. Both were very good. They did forget to bring the Saganaki. The waiter was very apologetic about it. -
Review from Shukra d.
Honolulu, HI
1/12/2012
We discovered Dafni by accident during a recent NYC trip and until now, we're so proud of ourselves for having the good sense to take a chance and eat dinner here before watching Spiderman on Broadway (playing very close by at the Foxwoods Theater). The restaurant was so nice inside, service was wonderful, food (lamb moussaka and Octopus salad) was superb, and we couldn't linger but we will definitely return to Dafni next time we're in NYC! Spontaneity has its rewards!
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Review from Peter M.
Manhattan, NY
1/11/2012
I feel like the Port Authority area is the armpit of America, and Dafni is an amazing haven in the middle of it all. Perfect for any pre-show dinners. The waiters are always accommodating and helpful, and have hosted our large groups on more than one occasion. I have been to Greece before and this place is the closest I have come to a truly Greek meal!!
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Review from Ben R.
New York, NY
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Dinner before the theater was fabulous.
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Review from B M.
West New York, NJ
1/18/2012
Just ate here for the first time. Food was excellent and I was surprised to see how clean the resturant was. The prices are a little high and the wait staff is friendly. I ordered a chicken souvlaki sandwich ($12) with fries (little on the oily side). I would defintely eat here again.
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Review from Abby S.
New York, NY
1/17/2012
As a New Yorker, I really was in the mood for Greek food one night and decided to try this option. Even though the restaurant was in kind of a bizarre location, the food was incredible. I tried the salad with pears and they were so sweet and delicious. Then for an entree I had the vegetarian moussaka and it was amazing. The service was also very attentive and friendly. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.
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Review from Cecilia Z.
New York, NY
9/19/2011
Dafni's food certainly warrants 4 stars, especially in a wasteland that is Times Sq/Port Authority. Unfortunately, my particular dining experience was just less than satisfactory - though I'm sure that alone is not sufficient to judge this restaurant (I will explain later).
The menu consists of everything from cold tapas, hot tapas, and a variety of entrees separated by type of meats. Because I noticed that the entrees on other tables were quite large for my standards, the bf and I opted to just share an entree and an appetizer. So to start, we ordered the Melitzanosalata, a cold spread made with baby eggplant, garlic, lemon and olive oil. The spread was served with hot grilled pita triangles, and was quite delicious. It was perfectly sweet, bitter, and garlicky all at the same time. For our entree, we ordered the grilled pork souvlaki served with a cucumber relish, tzatziki, and roasted potatoes. All the elements on the plate tasted good and provided balance for the nicely seasoned meat. My only complaint would be that the pork itself was slightly burnt on some pieces.
So why was this particular experience less than satisfactory? First off, our waiter assumed that we wanted to completely finish our appetizer before he would place our entree order. So we literally sat there for over 35 minutes wondering when our entree would arrive, while trying frantically to flag down our waiter to finally just ask him. I normally wouldn't have minded lingering over dinner so much, but the bf and I had a movie to catch so it was a little stressful trying to make sure we got out of the restaurant in time. And then as I prepared to pay with plastic, the waiter informed me that their credit card system was down and we actually had to go out and retrieve cash at the ATM... All in all, I guess the mishaps weren't exactly their fault, but I'm not sure if I'd return anytime soon. -
Review from Dimitrios D.
New York, NY
Updated - 9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
The pastitsio that I ate here on my most recent visit was very disappointing. Honestly, it tasted nothing like pastitsio- and I'm not usually one to critique the authenticity of ethnic dishes, but this was just a joke- and it's a shame, because they didn't skimp on ingredients. I don't know what the issue was, to be honest.
The bechamel on top had a strange charcoaled taste to it, for one. No smooth creamy taste- just a salty, charcoaled flavor- very off putting. There was red tomato sauce (that tasted like Italian pasta sauce) on the side of the plate in which the pastitsio kind of rested in. And I tasted no cinnamon or any of the expected flavors that one looks for in a Greek dish such as pastitsio.
Besides the off pastitsio (I'll assume Dafni was not on it's A-game, as I've been here before and have previously loved their pastitsio), the rest of the food was great.
The saganaki was very tasty (though they did not serve it to us flaming- what can I say? I enjoy a show while I eat, sometimes).
And the pre-meal salad (iceberg lettuce, scallions, dill and feta with some olive oil and vinegar) was great.Listed in: The Best Greek Restaurants in…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/30/2010
Awesome Greek food in midtown Manhattan! Right next to the filthy and crowded area of the Port… Read more »
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Review from Amir S.
Manhattan, NY
9/26/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Dafni is probably the best thing in the theatre district.
=========
The Venue
=========
From the outside, particularly from down the street, this place doesn't look like much. It looks like it's going to be another po-dunk greek place with shady gyros and who knows what else.
Walking inside, you're welcomed by beautiful decor, dim-to-bright lighting (which is perfect for dates as far as I'm concerned), and servers that are willing to help right when you walk in the door.
Full of tables, accommodating both smaller and larger groups, this place is just entirely too beautiful to be so close to the gaudiness of Times Square.
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The food
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I've been here on a number of occasions, but the most recent go, I had the calamari, the fried zucchini, and a blend red-wine bottle (I forget which one).
This combination was perfect. The calamari was by far the best part of the evening here. Fried, without too much breading, and marinara that tasted like heaven.
I'm not a big fan of fried zucchini to begin with, so I admit I'm a little biased, but for as much as I'm going to like this dish, I did.
The wine was particularly nice too. Not too pricey ($29) for the quality that we got. With three folks, we each got 2 glasses out of it.
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Overall
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I've been back, and I plan on coming back. Great food, great service, super prices. -
Review from Chantelle R.
Sacramento, CA
9/21/2011
went here with my team for Lunch. They were able to easily accommodate 7 people on very short notice, the food was all delicious and the portions were large and/or filling.
For appetizers we had the Spanakopita (flaky and delicious, not overly oily as I've experienced elsewhere), and a couple of the Greek Salad and I think just a garden salad (both light and fresh).
For lunch, half the group got Moussaka (both meat and vegetarian options were very filling), the other half got Gyros (gigantic portions but I'm told were quite delicious and well made).
All in all, great authentic option amidst the tourist traps of Times Square -
Review from Mike R.
Westminster, CO
7/24/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Tourist trap. They brought us poorly cooked food, made from rotten ingredients. We mentioned that it was sub-par, they picked a fight with me, and then we got kicked out.
I've never been kicked out of a restaurant before, but I consider it an honor to have been kicked out of this terrible place. -
Review from George W.
Philadelphia, PA
1/17/2012
Visited NYC for the weekend to check out a broadway show, had 7pm reservations on a Saturday, no empty tables. Was offered to sit at the bar, which was fine, plenty of room. Starts with pita bread, very tasty and warm, but don't fill up on the bread, the portions are very big here! We ordered the spanakopitas, zucchini fritters, mousakka and gyro, way too much food for just us 2, but everything was great and tasty. We saved room for some bakalava, which was very fresh, overall a great experience and will definitely return. Across from the bus terminal, so not the best area, but hardly unsafe by any means.
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Review from Esther Y.
Brooklyn, NY
8/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good Pita, very soft and warm when they serve. :)
The ambiance is nice and romantic. The food is good too.
Waiters are very attentive, he was hitting on my sister!
But nevertheless, he was a nice guy.
Go for the FOOD and not the waiter, he's not THAT cute. :P -
Review from Leslie D.
Ahhhh I hate reviewing this place. Only because I just don't think the whole world is aware of such a jewel near Time's Square that is NOT overpriced or touristy or downright tacky.... BUT, I made a commitment as a Yelper to spread the word on all restaurants deserving of my praise. So here goes:
I freaking love you Dafni. Does that make me a lesbian? No, not yet, but if I continue eating your delectable Greek fare I think I might have to change teams. In all seriousness though, Dafni has become my favorite Greek restaurant so far in the city. Why, you make ask? Here's why!
#1. They bring you hot and toasty complimentary pita bread triangles to start with accompanied by tasty olive oil and vinegar. Just pace yourself accordingly or you might just eat the entire basket before your meal arrives then you are f*cked (and not in a fun way)!
#2. The Melitzanosalata appetizer is to DIE for. Melitzanosalata is a baby eggplant spread made with garlic and olive oil. It was freakishly delicious, garlicky, full of eggplant and I ate up every last bit of it with all the hot pita bread I could. I had to duke it out with my boyfriend over the last specks on the plate.
#3. Calling all large and yummy entrees! I had the lamb kebab and the boy had the chicken slouvaki. Such huge portions and tasty! Both came with delicious tsziki sauce, zesty cucumber salad and we opted for the rosemary mashed potatoes! So good. And because there was just so much food, I actually saved half for lunch the next day. Yaye for spreading out meals and saving even more money.
#4. Service! Great service as well. The waiters are nice but not too chatty. The restaurant itself is simple- tasteful and casual.
#5. Price! You usually don't see quality and quantity go hand in hand in the vicinity of Time's Square for such a good price! Dafni offers very affordable plates and you get a lot of fare for the money. Always a plus.
So what it comes down to is... Dafni is definitely my new favorite restaurant near Time's Square plus my new favorite Greek restaurant in NYC. Whenever I go to see a movie in TS I check to see about dinner at Dafni afterward. Trust me go after the movie otherwise you might have to bring your leftovers into the theater which we did last time.... people started looking at us funny because we smelled so good. -
Review from Joan R.
7/17/2011
Walk away from the flashy neon signs of the popular chain restaurants aimed at tourists; not all glittery shiny things are necessarily good (e.g. Twilight gits). Dafni offers you great well made Greek food at reasonable prices.
Ambiance: A
Spacious and pleasant. Everything is neat and clean, and the interior is atheistically pleasing.
Service: A
Friendly and polite waitstaff. The service was efficient and quick. They consistently replenished our water.
Food:A
The complimentary pita bread is warm and inviting. I loved dousing the yummy pita with olive oil. I had to restrain myself from devouring the entire pita basket.
Moussaka- (layers of eggplant, potatoes, ground beef and béchamel) was as big as my head and it was very delicious. The eggplant was fresh, potatoes were cooked well, and the beef was seasoned nicely. VERY FILLING.
Spanakopita - (spinach and feta pie) was scrumptious. It was my friend's dish but I wished I'd ordered it. It was HUGE and the nice and flaky. It was soooo delicious and good. I will definitely order this the next time I'm here.
Overall this is a great place to have a satisfying and filling meal. The food is well-executed and consisted of fresh ingredients, the portions are huge, and the price is reasonable. -
Review from David G.
Palo Alto, CA
1/9/2012 2 Check-ins Here
My second visit here in 4 months, the first time I had the lamb shish-kabob and it was delightful, with a glass (or 2) of greek pinot noir. The food was excellent: the rice light & fluffy, the yoghurt with garlic delicious and even the pickled vegetables were perfect with lamb, which was cooked just as I asked (medium, just a hint of pink inside). So this time I wanted to try to Souvlaki, but the waitress couldn't attest to it since she doesn't eat pork -- so I had the lamb again. Great idea! Same wine -- delicious! I passed on the baklava this time since it's almost a meal in itself. But it's good to know you were right the first time. I may be in NY once every month or so from now on, and I will likely make Dafni a mandatory stop. Lovely little place in a somewhat tacky part of 42nd St.; but don't let the neighborhood put you off, it's a hidden gem as many others have attested. Service was perfect, attentive but not intrusive and the staff is friendly -- the maitre d' remembered me from my visit 4 months ago! You don't find places like this very often, best to enjoy it when you do.
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Review from Angela T.
Richmond Hill, NY
9/12/2011
After reading so many reviews on Yelp, I had to try this place. Came here for an early dinner on Friday night, was early but no wait and no reservations. Started with 2 apps- grilled octopus and the piperies- roasted red peppers w/ crumbled feta. The octopus came on a bed of shredded romaine lettuce and carrots, tossed in Italian dressing. The octopus was really tender and had a slight grilled flavor. The piperies was not very flavorful and would've been nice if there was more feta. Not worth the price, even if it is under $10.
For entrees- ordered the lamb chops and the lamb shish kebobs. The shish kebobs were delicious! I would def recommend this one. It was cooked a little more rare than medium but I didn't mind. The lamb was seasoned really well and didn't taste gamey. The cucumber relish didn't look very appealing and tasted a little old.
The lamb chops came with a choice of rice or potatoes and also with a side of green beans. The green beans were cooked in some kind of tomato sauce. Didn't really like the taste of that- I think they used canned beans. The chops were really tender. One of the chops I tasted had a really overpowering gas grill flavor. I was a little turned off about that and I'm not sure if all the pieces were like that.
Overall, I enjoyed this place and would come back to try other dishes, but I wasn't too enthusiastic about their sides. It tasted like they pre-made a huge amount some weeks prior and were serving it until they had to make more. -
Review from Ryan S.
Manhattan, NY
11/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Being a frequent traveler on the shady "Jitney" buses back to NJ, I always peeked inside this Greek restaurant. Only after reading on Yelp that it was a little gem in an otherwise unpleasant area (I'm not a fan of Times Sq crowds, who is?), I decided to give it a go by myself instead of waiting on a 15 minutes line in the cold rain. Well, I was pleasantly surprised...I got the charcoal grilled Gyro plate and a glass of Cab Sauvignon. The service was excellent, the atmosphere very pleasant, and I felt very comfortable dining on my own there. The Gyro was soul nourishing, and so was the hot soft fresh bread that was served with it. The lemon potatoes were scourching hot so I burnt my mouth on those, but I can look past food that's too hot ;) I'll be happy to go back! Best Greek food I've ever had. I'll be back, next time with my lady.
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Review from Ashwin L.
Sharon, MA
12/4/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Best Lamb gyros in the history of lamb for sure. The beef was also very good, and the chicken, despite being a clear 3rd, was also delicious.
Incredible Pita and great tzatziki too. -
Review from Dustyn S.
Boca Raton, FL
11/19/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Been here twice in 3 months... Food was perfect each time. Friendly staff, great location and great selection of food/drinks! Make reservations ahead of time and you'll be sure to enjoy!
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Review from Vanessa P.
Minneapolis, MN
6/27/2011
This is a great spot nestled within the hustle and bustle of Times Square.
We both ordered the Gyro with potatoes, which was delicious! The meat was cooked just right, leaving some pieces of gyro meat slightly crispy and some tender, the perfect combo. The cucumber sauce was delicious and I pretty much dipped everything in it.
Overall I'd say this place is a hidden little gem you should go and enjoy. -
Review from Nat V.
San Mateo, CA
11/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food is nothing to write home about, it was good enough but not memorable to write about. We did however like the bread the bring - it was super good!
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Review from Rashid M.
6/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for lunch once. Nice place to have lunch or dinner, whether you're with friends or co-workers.
I had the gyro which was pretty good. Price was decent. Service was a little slow. Overall, the place was ok. Not sure if I'll go back. -
Review from Elisa S.
Brooklyn, NY
11/7/2011
I am SO glad this place is in such an unlikely location, across from the scenic Port Authority. Otherwise, I might never be able to get a table! Dafni is my go-to for pre-theatre dinner. The food is delicious and authentic, and the service is attentive and warm without being smothering. Their pita and tzatziki are wonderful, and the hortopita (like a spanakopita, but with a mix of greens instead of just spinach) that I had on my last visit was fantastic. I find their pastitsio and moussaka to be a hair on the greasy side, but otherwise everything is spot on. They also have a diverse wine list including lots of Greek options and affordable glasses. Definitely call ahead for a reservation, as they tend to fill up most nights.
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Review from Kate W.
Manhattan, NY
8/29/2011 Seated via OpenTable
My family and I walked by Dafni and just had to step inside. I am not a usual fan of Greek food (besides Baklava) but these dishes were delicious (I had the eggplant mousaka) and I loved how the flavors blended together. The pita they served was warm and doughy and it was difficult to not eat the entire serving of them!
We had the adorable round table by the window and watched people walk by on their way to evening shows. Great time! -
Review from Sera C.
North Hollywood, CA
7/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Really really really noisy. Like, really. Like, it hurt my ears a little.
The waiter was very pushy and rude. My mom and I ordered appetizers and told him we'd like to hold off ordering the rest of our food, take a leisurely dinner. He refused and insisted we order everything right away (despite him giving us literally 45 seconds to peruse the whole menu and decide). When we looked at each other confusedly, he just grabbed our menus and walked away. PRO: he came back with the food quickly. We tried 4 of the appetizers, all of which were delicious, and left in a hurry.
I would only come back if I was in a big group--when noise and bad service don't matter. -
Review from sarah m.
Despite the great little ambiance this unexpected but welcomed eatery offers, ultimately I found myself wishing for a little more.
We got there at ten which meant we had to order quickly as the kitchen was closing in ten minutes. We decided ASAP and put our order in. The wait staff were all attentive and came by frequently to see that our water glasses were always replenished. So far amazing and excellent! Well we got a little pita to dip in oil and vinegar which at ten at nite with an hour to closing I can understand would leave it not do great... But it was tepid and just stale. I don't know if at rush if it is better but I love my pita and wish they could have taken just a minute or two more to warm it up so it could be a little softer and more palatable... Our food came out and while the portions were lovely, the food just wasn't great. I have been spoiled with some fantastic Mediterranean food and ultimately I found my husbands chicken a bit too salty and his rice so-so. My salad wasn't chopped well and the feta was heavy handed while the banana peppers were a bit unappealing. While I appreciated the efforts of this place I found that it really didn't deliver like I had hoped. I'll keep on the hunt for amazing greek in the manhattan area.... -
Review from Sophia d.
Los Angeles, CA
7/18/2011
My girlfriend and I came here while on an NYC birthday vacation in hopes of eating some healthy fare, and may I just say....worst service ever.
Seriously, this restaurant only had one-yes, one- table occupied when we entered, and our server was rude, and acted annoyed when we said we wanted to order.
The food ended up being pretty yummy- fresh and flavorful, especially the warm baked pita bread and dip, and fresh seafood.
However, the service really didn't make it worth the experience. Not only that, but they charged full price on my refill of iced tea. first time that's ever happened to me!
If you manage to get another server besides the older man waiter, I recommend it. Otherwise, do yourself a favor and go to another Greek restaurant. -
Review from David G.
Santa Fe, NM
11/19/2011
Gyros excellent pork average. Beef not warm. Service at first and food was fast but very slow to follow up for drink refill and final check.
