Kefi
“Sheep's milk dumplings with tomato, pine nuts, and spicy lamb sausage: A. This dish is heavenly.”
“We finally went with the spreads appetizer which came with soft triangular pita bread and four different kinds of spreads.”
“Celebrity chef Michael Psilakis and restauranteur Donatella Arpaia co-own this upscale Greek restaurant on the UWS.”
Kefi
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Great Greek! Came with a small group and ordered a bunch of great dishes. This was the real deal. I loved the assorted dips they provide the table with the mezze app. Pita of course was delicious. I ordered the roasted lemon chicken and it was fantastic.
Great service and cute decor too!
Kind of cramped upstairs and on certain days they will only seat you at certain tables which seems weird, or it might have just been the day I was there. The Tzatziki was very fresh tasting and the pita was delicious. Prices are reasonable and there are lots of delicious authentic Greek options to choose from.
I love this place! If you're looking for authentic Greek food, go here! I've been for both dinner and brunch and both were excellent.
For lunch/dinner I would recommend the hummus sampler app; 4 different homemade hummus dishes with warm pita! So delicious! I felt the beef souvlaki was better than the chicken, but both portions are huge! For brunch I went with a couple of friends since we found a Groupon; $59 got us two brunch entrees, a dessert and bottomless mimosas which was a great deal. Brunch was sooo much food however they were very nice about letting us sit and chat.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is simple but can get loud at times if the entire restaurant is filled. I didn't realize until I ventured to the bathroom that there's an entire downstairs; so tons of seating which probably comes in handy on the weekends.
The service was great both times we went. I had no trouble making a reservation and was immediately helped when I walked through the door. The first time our waiter made a great recommendation for a bottle of wine since we were unfamiliar with Greek wine. The second time the waiter was great about refilling our bottomless mimosas! Overall great experience both times! Highly recommended!
Great Greek Goodness! I just came back from Greece last week and I am already missing the food. Kefi is a trendy bar and greek taverna rolled up into one. Happy Hour runs from 5-7pm, but let me talk about the food. Started with the Grilled Octopus with chickpea salad. It was tasty and the chickpea salad help balance out the saltiness of the octopus. For entrees, we got the Lamb Shank with orzo with a side of Broccoli Rabe and the Sheep's Dumplings. Both dishes were expertly prepared with fresh ingredients and with the taste very similar to those I experienced in Greece. For dessert, we had the obvious choice…baklava…which is good and definitely portioned for 2 people. Expect dinner to cost about $80 for 2 people. I don't recommend the prix fixe because the menu selection is extremely limited and you would be missing out on the best dishes this restaurant has to offer.
When I first moved to NYC, I went to restaurants with the mentality of ordering the fattiest thing on the menu – fries instead of salad, nachos all the time, bacon cheeseburgers, burritos with extra guac. Unfortunately, combining that with a desk job and an unavoidable aversion to the gym left me feeling like I needed a wheelbarrow and a manservant to get around.
Which brings me to kale salads. Kefi's in particular. I used to be the world's biggest kale hater, even going so far as to fish out the bits of kale with a spoon whenever someone offered me a kale-fruit smoothie (which I've come around to), but I couldn't deny that eating a kale salad makes me more functional than chowing down on a burrito the size of a small baby. I think this is what adulthood (or becoming vastly more boring) means. But Kefi's kale salad is a glorious pile of greens, topped with small chunks of feta, watermelon (!), and walnuts. Not exactly super filling but that's what the small bin of complimentary bread …
And baklava are for. It's $9.75 so not exactly cheap but you do get a hefty triangle of multiple phyllo layers soaked in honey and studded with nuts. I thought it was a bit too syrupy-sweet but my cousin loved it.
I also tried a little bit of the sheep's milk dumplings, and understood the hype as soon as I took my first bite – fluffy and warm and pairs perfectly with the slightly spicy sausage. The pasta portions are a little small, which is why they recommend adding a side. Broccoli rabe was just okay.
When we asked if he could take our photo, the waiter kindly took several (and they all turned out not awkward at all).
NEXT TIME: shrimp orzo, bronzino, Kefi salad
3.5 but I'll round up this time. We went on a weekday for lunch and it was nearly empty. The food definitely has that homemade quality to it. The portions are large and the price is quite reasonable.
The dishes are standard greek cuisine so if you enjoy this type of food you won't be disappointed. I ordered a lamb shank and it was falling off the bone. Good stuff!
We had an AWESOME brunch at Kefi. First off they have a deal – $65 for 2 entrees dessert and unlimited drinks for 2. A little higher than some other deals but the food is so good and plentiful it's worth it. Also, they are hand making each mimosa and bloody mary so it is quality.
The man got the steak & eggs and I got the cast iron skillet.
Steak and eggs said it came with 2 eggs but they gave him 3. Steak was cooked to order and juicy! Hash was super tasty and the crusty toasted bread was a perfect compliment.
The cast iron comes with 3 eggs, potato hash, bacon and sausage. Again, so much food! Well seasoned and delicious. Couldn't finish it. Waiter was nice and let us switch from bloody Mary's to mimosas but seemed to imply that might not always be allowed.
We had a great time, never felt rushed and left full and tipsy. Definitely will recommend.
Stopped here for an early dinner – Jay the bartender made a great recommendation of the four Greek dip sampler — they were all tasty and served with warm pita for dipping. I chose the lamb burger for my entree and it was delightful! I wasn't a tremendous fan of the sides – the portion of homemade chips was huge and decent but not 'great' – I would have preferred a little more of the Greek salad instead, which was good but a bit skimpy. I had zero room for desert. I watched as the staff provided excellent service to every customer – Jay recommended a beer for a gentleman next to me that he liked — a woman at the bar was unsatisfied with a soup she had ordered – the staff found her something that she enjoyed without hesitation or complaint. As far as I can tell this place has a fantastic kitchen and an attentive, helpful staff serving great food. I hope I can make it back there sometime as I am not in NYC often.