Pera Mediterranean Brasserie
“My go-to menu item was the chicken brochette, which is flavorful and a good-size meal if you're hungry for lunch.”
“Do be sure to try the hummus, chicken adana roll, meatball sliders, and soujouk lollipops.”
“great restaurant and bar scene really close to grand central, an otherwise difficult area for reasonably priced food.”
Pera Mediterranean Brasserie
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Update 6/28/16:
Downgrading to 3.5/4 stars due to the inconsistency in quality. I had this place a few more times after my initial review and the quality has really gone down a notch. The house bread (pita sticks) used to be my favorite thing but that's has came stale a few times. The grilled octopus has also faltered on taste. For the amount that I'm paying, really expecting more from the restaurant.
Original:
The food here is AMAZING. This is not a place you go by yourself. Or go very often. It's expensive and I often debate whether it's really worth my money. But every time, I cave in for the Warm Hummus with Pastrma. It's just so delicious and creamy. The thin layer of oil and pastrma add to the texture of the hummus but wait, there is more. The platter comes with pita bread sticks and chips. The pita bread sticks are the best I've ever had. The are garlicky, finger licking goodness! Dip this into the hummus/pastrma and you have heaven. Enough said. I order this every single time. (I did have one disappointment a few fridays ago when the pita bread sticks came out a little stale. ugh, I forgive you Pera. Even the beautiful moon has craters.)
Aside from the hummus (which is probably the best thing they have), their grilled octopus (4/5) and branzino (4/5) are also good. I especially like the salad that comes with the branzino. I dont like lamb, but my friend gets the lamb burger every time.
Small group dinner which grew a little larger than planned. They were not phased and accommodated us well. The salads and other appetizers were fresh and the hummus and dips.
The tablet of meats was fantastic and had a lot of variety. The kebab was lamb and I enjoyed it very much. The spices were just right and not overpowering.
Will be back.
We went for our wedding anniversary dinner this past saturday night and had a great experience. I loved the food so much that i can say this is by far the best mediterranenan food i ever had in nyc. The lamb adanna was outstanding, bursting with flavors. Chicken shashlik was tender, well seasoned and grilled to perfection. I relished the bulgar pilaf that cane with it. The only dish I didn't enjoy as much was the catch of the day as I could get past the idea of shrimp cooked in tomato soup/broth. Overall, great for romantic dinner with you loved one
I have come here on 2 occasions both times for lunch with colleagues. The bill can get pretty steep when you add some wine, which is ridiculously over priced. For what I paid for the lunch size wine, I could have spent on a whole bottle of white wine at the liquor store. The first time I was here, I had hummus and pita as an appetizer and the salmon for lunch. Both were very delicious no complaints. The 2nd time I came I had the Pera style tomato and onion salad. So fresh but not very filling as it's only tomatoes and onions, no lettuce or protein. Was definitely more of an appetizer than a meal.
Great lunch here today. The dips and pita were great. I had a side salad and Lamburger and it was delicious!! This resto is very pretty and busy. I will definitely return again.
My friend booked this for her birthday brunch, which was a blast, but tainted from the ridiculously slow service and sub par food. The waitress was rather rude, too. The only reason I didn't give it one star was one of the co-waiters was the nicest, most caring man who actually cared about our experience.
I had a business lunch last week at Pera while in NYC. They are very busy and I should have made reservations. They accommodated us and we sat at the high tables near the entrance. We ordered the hummus trio, lobster pasta, and various salads. I had the pasta and the presentation was great. The flavor was nice but I was disappointed that I nearly had to leave all the lobster as they had cooked it on the shell and it was next to impossible to get it out without making a mess in front of your companions. Everyone else liked their food but no one was gushing about the flavor. It is pricey so prepare to spend about $40-$50 per person for lunch.
Nice restaurant around Grand Central Station. Interior has an elegant and warm atmosphere. Service is impeccable and attentive. Pera is one of those restaurants where you feel that the host and waiter care about your entire dining experience. I highly recommend the Chef's Meze Sampler, which has 9 samples of hummus, baba ganoush, brussel sprouts, stuffed grape leaves, olives, sardines etc. We stayed for almost 3 hours and they didn't rush us one bit.