Peri Ela
“The decor is beautiful, the setting intimate, the candlelight romantic, and the atmosphere sublime.”
“My favorite dish of the evening was the chicken adana yogurtlu, which was spicy and creamy and delicious.”
“Since we wanted to try out a few things, but were not totally starving, we went with the "Meze and Wine For Two".”
Peri Ela
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 $31-60
8 reviews
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3.5/5 for food only… some dishes were better than others. I did enjoy their calamari and cacik though. The space is small and cozy, and surprisingly, they were able to accommodate our family of 9!
Walked by this place many times and finally decided to try it out the other night. Could never really tell what was inside as the outside is dark and windows have thick lace curtains on them. Walking inside I was greeted by a wonderful dark wood bistro with candles all around, terrific lighting accents, mid-eighties Euro type painting on the walls, and a warm welcoming little bar. Definitely more of an older adult crowd that gathers here.
Even though we did not have reservations the hostess was very kind and offered us a table by window that seated four. Happy to get it as many people piled in after us and all tables were taken. We were handed the menus and wow what a selection of food. Obviously, very Turkish inspired selections with a touch of Greek/Mediterranean to it. Since we wanted to try out a few things, but were not totally starving, we went with the "Meze and Wine For Two". For $30 you get a bottle of Turkish wine (red or white) and a plate with hummus, smoked eggplant, red beans, ezme (chopped veggies and walnuts), and fried eggplant. It is kind of tapas style so you get a sampling of each. I thought this might not be enough food so we also added the cheese cigar borak ( lightly fried phyllo stuffed with feta cheese) and it was served as four pieces on a plate. A warm basket of warm fluffy bread was also served, along with a small plate of olives in oil.
Wow – was this all more then enough! When we had it all placed on our table we knew we were in for a feast! It did not look like alot but it all more then filled us up. The hummus was smooth and tasty on that warm bread. Each selection on the plate has a distinct flavor all it's own. The fried eggplant and ezme were delish, and the smoked eggplant was a surprise. But the phylllo stuffed with feta was the bomb! It was like eating dessert! Wish I had some honey to drizzle on it! Along with the Turkish red wine, which was a decent dry style, it all made for a terrific little meal. Just perfect for good conversation and light eating.
At this point we had to try the desserts. At $5-$7 each we decided to try two – the baklava and the almond pudding with pistachio topping as our waitress told us these were two of her favorites. The baklava was moist, tasty, and wonderful. It is served three on a plate with pistachio crumbles on them. I can't describe how amazing the almond pudding was. It took us by surprise. The consistancy was a little softer then normal pudding, and it has thin almond slivers throughout and pistachio crumbles on top. We could not stop eating it and if I could I would have pushed my whole face in the glass it was served in to lick out every last drop!
We were pleasantly surprised by Peri Ela. Our waitress was friendly and attentive, and overall service was very good. You never feel rushed here, even when the place is full of diners. The mood exhibits a casual chic vibe, but not too chic, with a dimly lit atmosphere that adds to the character. Euro type music is playing in the backround at a low level. Almost like a quiet speakeasy. The small bar area always had around 4-5 people having cocktails and deep in dicussions. Just a very adult type place to unwind and have a quiet dinner or drinks. We will definitely go back to try out more of the entrees on the menu as some plates we saw others eating looked terrific.
I really enjoyed this place as a nice spot to relax before taking in a talk at the 92nd St. Y.
Very quaint, and cozy spot, with small panes of windows that fill the place, with low lighting and small tables. We found our spot at the cozy little bar, that reminded me of a French Bistro. More than enough seats of 6 or 8, that wrap around the corner of the bar. (cozy spot for looking out)
They have a very nice selection of wines, and we opted only for he hummus platter, that included such nice bread and olive olive oil that it was like a meal in itself. Specialty drinks were about $12. Most glasses of wine were in the 9 to 12 dollar range.
Our server disappeared at the end, slightly delaying our exit, but all in all, I would surely remember and return to this spot.
Solid Turkish with a local crowd, cozy little interior, and sweet staff.
Oh, right: the food. I've never been disappointed. We had the lunch special, at $20/pp, and everything was nicely done. Smooth hummus benefits from a squirt of lemon and is served with a basket of warm, pillowy squares of bread (not pita). The cheese borek are fantastic–the crispy exterior encasing the most savory feta cheese that actually does melt in your mouth.
Adana kepab was flavorful and just this side of charred. The manti (dumplings in yogurt sauce) were a little out of proportion: too much sauce, I thought, but my husband loves them.
Dessert is part of the special: Today it was rice pudding, which was creamy perfection–and I don't even like rice pudding.
Not cheap, but you can tailor the menu to your appetite and budget. I found the lunch special to be a good value. At night, if you want to stop short of a whole meal, try the Meze and Wine for 2 at $30.
The interior is a weird mish-mash that somehow works. Old-fashioned wood panelling is punctuated with oversized paintings of bosomy models. Peri Ela is one of the few sexy local options for a late-night date, but it also works for cultured folk on their way to a lecture or concert at the 92nd Street Y.
Recently came here for a lunch. It was early and pretty empty but I was not happy with the lack of air flow. I was impressed with the lunch prix fixe at only $20. However, that is where the impressiveness ended. The cuisine is turkish but I've eaten at any many turkish restaurants – in the US and in Turkey. This meal was not impressive. I had the chicken shish. It was dry, contained no sauce to moisten the dryness, and lacked any pizzazz. It was delivered with bland and (also dry) potatoes, and a grilled tomato (probably the only authentic thing on the place). My friend disliked her tilapia as well. Sorry; I won't be returning.
I really wanted to like this place: It is utterly charming in appearance on the outside and inside–a little black jewel box on a quiet stretch of Lexington Avenue, which you enter to discover a convivial and relaxed dining area and bar filled with families and couples. We were all set for a lovely meal, but then came the very disappointing, bland food. The eggplant, the taramasalata, and especially the shrimp casserole were all sadly lacking in flavor and topped with ugly decorative garnishes that did nothing but get in the way. Everything was bland. Nothing was memorable. Perhaps the chicken and lamb are better, but for meze and seafood I say look elsewhere.
What a bust this place is. Started off at a bar and ordered a Mojito and they are out of mint. Get to my table and order lamb and they are out of that. Space is small but attractive. Service is really bad. The restaurant is small so it shouldn't be hard to cover a few tables but it is unfortunately. Very slow to take your order and get your food out. I saw people waiting a half hour just to get their order in. Food was good – not great but good. I think overpriced for what you get. Hummus was nice but tiny for $7. I had high hopes for this place – I will not be back again.
I'm sad to give this place 3 stars, I really *want* to give it 4, but I can't justify it.
+really really really good yogurt w/ garlic. truly delicious. I regret not having asked what kind of yogurt they used.
+decent raki
+ good service
+good bread
+delicious yogurt kabob
– hummus was bland. I consider hummus to be the keystone in any establishment that serves it, and when it's not good, that is a major ding. it tasted as if they forgot to add the lemon juice all together
– dolmehs also on the bland side. and sweet. I do not like my dolmeh sweet. dolmeh, like hummus, is a cornerstone of any meditteranean/mid-eastern restaurant.
– bass = bland. it was supposedly char-grilled, but there was no hallmark grill flavor.
– weird turkish techno music.
– weird black and white photos of heroin chic models smoking cigarettes (wtf?).
All in all, not a bad experience – the 2 most classic dishes weren't done right, and for that, I cannot give them 4 stars.. I would give it one more chance, because I want to like it!