Village Taverna
“All of their appetizer spreads are outstanding
Never ending pitas with olive oil and olives.”
“Authentic, fresh Greek cuisine at very affordable prices and very friendly staff keep this a hidden gem in the heart of union square.”
“Naturally we ordered that (very delicious) along with a Chicken Souvlaki platter and Grilled Octopus as our respective entrees.”
Village Taverna
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Really surprised to see some of the negative reviews here; Village Taverna is definitely one of my favorite lunch spots in Greenwich Village and in NYC for Greek food.
I recommend coming with a few friends to share dishes family style, because the portions are too big and delicious to eat just by yourself. They always start you off with a plate of grilled pita and olive oil, but don't eat it all just yet! Save some for dipping later. I've had great meals with some of the following:
+ Kolokithokeftedes: yeah not even going to try and pronounce this one. Really delicious zucchini croquettes with a generous scoop of tzatziki and a sweet tomato marmalade.
+ Keftedakia Kokinista: delicious meatballs in tomato sauce.
+ Horyatiki: basic Greek salad with large chopped tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, onions, and feta cheese in a light vinaigrette. I always wish this had more cucumbers and less tomatoes though.
+ Yemista: a tomato and pepper stuffed with this incredibly flavorful mixture of rice and beef; it's delicious and comfort food at its finest.
The menu is a little pricey, but it's always quality and really delicious- and sharing definitely helps keep your bill reasonable too.
Had lunch at Village Taverna yesterday, and overall we were happy with our meal.
Ambiance: Beautiful restaurant in near Union Square. Very clean and casual.
Service: Servers are friendly and food came out in a reasonable time frame.
Food: Nicely presented and flavorful.
— Horitaki salad with shrimp – Shrimp was a bit chewy but overall this was quite tasty.
— Chicken skewers – Husband seemed to like this. I can vouch for his rice which was excellent.
— Lamb burger – Daughter had issues with the spice level (she can be high maintenance sometimes) but I think she liked this burger for the most part. I thought the avocado was a nice touch, next time we'll order a different side as the potato chips weren't too great.
— Complimentary bread and olives were DELICIOUS.
Overall: Great option near Union Square, we will definitely return.
I keep coming back for the Pork Souvlaki. My initial review (good food, meh service) still holds true every time I go, but for a nice setting, decent price, and delicious meal, this is still a great option.
Food is OK. The portion sizes are huge and the prices are great but I think the food could be executed with a bit more finesse. My chicken souvlaki was quite dry (even by souvlaki standards) and hard. The appetizers were hit and miss. We had the saganaki- which was served battered and fried but arrived at our table cold (ew)- the octopus- probably the highlight of the meal- and the soft shell crab- which was deep fried and served with pineapple… didn't exactly scream "greek" to me but it was OK. The service is good. The wait staff were attentive and knowledgeable and actually went out of their way to inform our table that they thought we over ordered which was much appreciated once we saw the entree sizes.
Came to lunch with my brother and cousin. Delish! We shared the hummus, mixed grill and finally the baklava. Everything was wonderful the food and service. This a great place.
Went with my girlfriend after work, we both got salads with blackened salmon on top. I was happy to see that they serve a traditional Greek salad, not its "lettuce with feta and olives" step-cousin. The food was out quickly, and the waiter was very friendly.
The feta was great and the vegetables were fresh. It was also nicely dressed. The salmon was fine, nothing too special there.
Definitely will come back here for a quick meal, we left feeling full (but in a healthy, "I just ate a bunch of vegetables" type of way).
Great food, poor service.
The restaurant is well decorated and laid out, in a cute neighborhood, and with a high quality Greek selection. There are many vegetarian options too.
The problem is the service. The place is run by a group of irritable men with short tempers. The waiter was annoyed with us for wanting to order more then it took 30m to arrive. When we finished all our food it took 15m for them to clear the table.
It's not horrible just not service becoming of a high quality restaurant.
If they hired an entirely new wait staff this would be a 5 star place.
What I've tried: Veggie chips, Horyatiki, Chopped salad, Gyro Platter, Chicken Souvlaki platter, and baklava
Tip: Order some extra pita with your platter to make your meal go long way! They give you 4 triangles, but all the platters come with a ton of meat.
Story: I used to live down the block from this place and I miss it so much! The meal is started with warm pita and olive oil. I like to get the Horatiki when I'm in the mood for something lighter and the gyro platter when I'm really hungry. Even when I am really hungry, the gyro platter can easily make two meals with the addition of some extra pita. Their tzaziki is also really delicious. I am a sweets person and cannot get enough of their baklava. The restaurant feels light and airy and the service has always been good. All the friends I have taken here absolutely love it and I'll definitely be back!