Snack Taverna
“We shared a leisurely dinner starting with the spinach triangles and the special casserole appetizer.”
“They have a great breakfast & brunch (my favorites are the scrambled egg dishes, chicken sandwich and the lamb boureki (sp?).”
“Sampled was The Lamb Stifado, tenderly braised with pearl onions and a yogurt tomato sauce, which was beautiful.”
Snack Taverna
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I came here with my husband on a Friday night around 7pm, and it wasn't very full. We got a nice corner seat, which was a great way to take in the romantic ambiance.
They have a swanky cocktail menu, and they were also able to recommend a great dry white wine from Santorini. I'd definitely come back for a drink.
In terms of food, some dishes were great while others were a little heavy or not as impressive for the price. The lamb triangles were definitely our favorite. The meatballs were too heavy in oil/spice and too pricey for the size ($13). The zucchini fritters were also teeny ($9). For dessert, we got the baklava, which was was spot on, but their espresso was way too bitter for us.
The staff seemed a little standoffish, and I am not quite sure why. They were attentive but never seemed happy to be there.
Smallest bathroom I've seen in NYC. Seriously.
Loved the cappuccino oatmeal!
Was like a breakfast I used to have as a child – nostalgic, tasty and filling…
Service was friendly, funny and good.
I'll use the recently found 'update review' button when I hear back to snack taverna for lunch or dinner.
Just swung by for lunch after walking by it everyday. I had the lamb burger which was disappointing. I asked for medium and got well done. I also knew it didn't come with tzatziki but it could of seriously used some on it to make it less dry. It came with a teaspoon of what was called greek cole slaw but it was really sweet and was basically a carrot salad. The greek salad was okay but why serve it with olives with the seed in it? I don't think it improves the flavor, it just makes you have to spit out seeds while you are eating!
We knew this night was going to be full of wonderful surprises from the very beginning.
We walked into this beautiful little restaurant at primetime (8:15/8:30) on a Friday night without a reservation. This is something I virtually never do. Between wanting to up my OpenTable game and secure seats wherever/whenever possible, going to restaurants without reservations seems foolish to me. Luckily for us, we were seated immediately. The host was incredibly welcoming and accommodating so he deserves ample praise for helping to make our night so special. Not only did we luck out in terms of wait time (or lack thereof), but we also ended up with the best table in the house. Large, circular corner booth table with a view of the whole restaurant.
More about that view.
The ambiance at Snack Taverna is absolutely lovely. More than anything, I'd classify it as a date spot. Low lighting, intimate vibe, wine flowing (we didn't opt for wine but we should have), dishes perfect for sharing. There were definitely groups of friends (think small groups of girlfriends) there but this place is cozy/romantic above all else. Perhaps my view is skewed because of our particular real estate, but my experience is the only experience I can honestly share, so there ya go.
Remember the pleasant surprises I mentioned? Here's the next one. Not long after we sat down, the boyfriend's eyes locked on something across the room and his face lit up. He's in film and I immediately knew that he saw an actor. I'm keeping his identity anonymous but to whoever is reading this, you know who he is. He is a very famous person. Celebrities: they're just like us! In any case, the guy was thankfully not being bothered by anyone and looked to be having a very pleasant evening himself. You go Glen Coco (it wasn't Glen Coco).
Anyway, back to *my* experience. Drink-wise, I'd suggest wine. The wine list here is quite impressive for such a small space and we should have taken advantage of it considering how well wine goes with Greek food. I've also yet to find a Mediterranean eatery that serves legitimately good cocktails, and I should have gone with my gut. Each of us ordered a cocktail, each pretty disappointing. I got whatever their twist on a whiskey sour was. I mean, the cherries were good at least? Considering that these drinks cost more than some of the apps, you're better off forgoing them completely and ordering more food. Because the food is sublime.
The food menu here–as if it was made for me–is composed of mostly small, easily shareable plates. The mains look tasty too, but why get fewer plates when you can try more for the same price? The menu is divided into cold meze (your typical spreads), shared plates (basic apps), hot meze (veggies) and mains. One huge pro of Snack Taverna is the bang for your buck factor. The food here is seriously tasty and unlike most good NYC restaurants, it doesn't cost you an arm and a leg to get a decent amount. Our final bill was about $82 and that was only because we ordered a bottle of water (seven bucks, ugh) because the pace of water refills here was unfortunately subpar. So our meal was basically $75, for reference. The damage, below:
Sampler of tzatziki, taramosalata (caviar spread) and melitzanosalata (eggplant spread): A+
A spread sampler is always a fantastic idea. It's so much plentiful goodness. First things first: the PITA. This pita comes out warm and boy, does it taste good. The best pita I've had in quite some time. Anyone can make pita, but I made sure to tell the host that this pita was "memorable". We also both gushed over the taramosalata, which tends to be out-of-this-world mouthwatering when done well. And in this case, it most certainly was. Creamy and dreamy. The eggplant spread–though it indeed contained eggplant–was not baba ganoush. Think chunkier/more veggie-packed. Good but not as good as the taramosalata. Though one could call the tzatziki the most "boring" of the three, I loved it. They make it with some goodies mixed in there so it's not your everyday tzatziki. This is plate is an absolute must.
Shrimp "santorini" w/ouzo scented tomatoes, horta, barrel aged feta: A-
Tasty and healthy! It was my least favorite dish of the night, but not because it was bad. The others were just far better. The horta and feta actually really made this dish for me–nice light accompaniments. My one complaint here was that they should have given us more baguette for broth-soaking purposes. Pita, as wonderful as it is, unfortunately doesn't work as a broth vessel.
Lamb Stifado (braised lamb, pearl onions and citrus yogurt): A
I rarely eat lamb. But this dish had me questioning why that's the case. The preparation, though simple, is unbelievably flavorful. The lamb was cooked to perfection and the citrus yogurt made for a beautiful compliment. Even the onions were tasty! Put some tzatziki from the sampler plate you obviously ordered on it for some next level s***.
Ordered delivery from here one night. I rarely eat Greek food, so it was a special treat.
The Spinach Triangles were pretty good, but had gotten a bit soggy by the time they were delivered. They had been put on a bed of mixed greens and salad dressing. The dressing was nice and tangy and contrasted well with the triangles.
I also got the Butter Beans with Feta and Tomato. It was okay. The butter beans themselves didn't have a lot of flavor, but the feta was good and salty and helped with that.
The only thing that really impressed me was the Baklava. The cinnamon in it dominated the flavor, and it wasn't outrageously sweet. I might just come back for the baklava.
was exactly the scene i was hoping for while grabbing dinner with an old friend on saturday night. less rowdy than most places in the vicinity, a tad quieter, and really good eats. we both had the keo beers (light, refreshing) and shared the special kale salad and veggie moussaka. really yummy and filling eats. next time will try the small plates, spanikopita and zucchini fritters.
I really have nothing bad to say about this cute spot, except maybe that the bathroom is teeny tiny! Snack Taverna is located on one of the prettiest streets in the West Village. My boyfriend and I walked in on a weekend night without a reservation, but we were seated very quickly and even had our choice of two tables. We chose a corner table and had a really lovely romantic and intimate dinner. We each had a glass of wine, and I got the rosemary chicken while he had the lamb. We also got the Greek salad to start, which was so delicious! All of the ingredients were super fresh and there was just the right amount of dressing. It was a generous portion. I'm not a fan of lamb, so I can't speak to that dish, but my chicken hit the spot. It came with chickpeas, raisins, and olives. This was also a generous portion and the chicken was perfectly seasoned and super juicy. It was probably the juiciest chicken I've ever had in a restaurant!
The service was great as well. The wine and all of the food came out quickly, and we were checked on at the right times. I also liked that the restaurant isn't trying to be too hip or too "Greek" with its decor. It had some black and white photos of the wall of who I'm assuming are Greek men, and big glass bottles and cans of olives (I think) on one wall. There were also mirrors all around, and almost every wall, if not every wall, was exposed brick. This really made the restaurant feel cozy and like a quaint, but classy, neighborhood spot. Totally unpretentious feel. It also wasn't too loud and we were able to have a conversation and not shout to each other.
We stopped in for an earlyish dinner, so I would maybe recommend making a reservation before going!
Forgot to take pictures 🙁 but here we go….
Service: amazing, friendly, I think it might be family run.
Ambience: cozy, warm, inviting
Food:
Sampler of dips: the Tzatziki was REALLY good, not the best I've had but really really good. The eggplant dip was probably the best I've ever had, and I usually dislike eggplant dip. The caviar one was WAAAAAYYYY salty but I get it, it's caviar. Squirt the lemon on this one for balance.
Greek salad: yuuuuuuuummmmm!!!! They don't serve it with stuffed grape leaves but the dips came with some and they were pretty good, again not the best but still good. The Greek salad had hug chunks of cucumber and tomato, and just enough red onion for flavor, and I think a bit of watercress, with a huge block of feta cheese. Everything tastes fresh but I do wish there was a bit more of the watercress or some other greens.
We ordered the roasted chicken but got so full from the dip and salad that we had the chicken wrapped up to go so when I ate it… It wasn't fresh out the kitchen but….still yummy! Chicken was seasoned perfectly, not too salty. Def want to go back and try other dishes!