Village Taverna

Great place! We were just walking around in Union Square and found this gem by accident! Very friendly staffs! Great price (especially considering the location! lol) We loved the pita and olive served before the meal was really good. (Not familiar with Mediterranean Food but I beleive it is Pita, but was more chewy and oily, texture than what we usually ate but GOOOD) The portion was huge, half of them we take back home. We had PSITA, MIXED GRILL PLATTER. Ordered 1 but as you can see in the picture, it' more than enough for 2. SPANAKI ME SKORDO (sautéed spinach with garlic) was also great! Sparkling water was excellent! We looked over next table, the octopus looked AMAZING as well! 😆 Definately coming back for fish! Overall, for us- it was a little bit Salty but maybe that's because we thrive for low sodium diet. Overall, highly recommend!

Great spot for very good greek food. The location is great if you like to sit outside. The staff is well trained and friendly. We had a wonderful evening on our last night in NYC.

Came here in 2021 and was hoping that it would live up to my memories and it absolutely did! Great to order a bunch of dishes and share with the table. Loved the feta phyllo and both dips we got were amazing, especially the tzatziki. Would always come back!

We want to this restaurant for my birthday and it was so good ! The food is great ! (Real Greek food!!) and so tasty for the price ! Great place to share appetizers with a group ! Also the people who work there are so nice! Great service. I will come back for sure to try other dishes !!

Love this place! Owners and staff are always friendly and welcoming. Food is authentic, fresh, delicious, and the portions are generous. Had the Patzaria for the first time tonight and it was out of this world.

The food we got was really bad! Serving cold cold octopus 👎 Service did not even care to ask if there was a reason why we stopped at appetizers

The mezzes were especially good. Favourite was the garlic spread. Not a whole lot of vegetarian or vegan options. The eggplant moussaka was just ok wasn't super flavorful. The lemon potatoes on the entrees were very well done. Service was great and super attentive to dietary restriction so greatly appreciated that.

Highly recommended to visit! True greek atmosphere with delicious food and pleasant greek music 👌🏻 Feels like you are indeed in Greece ☺️

Great place! We were just walking around in Union Square and found this gem by accident! Very friendly staffs! Great price (especially considering the location! lol) We loved the pita and olive served before the meal was really good. (Not familiar with Mediterranean Food but I beleive it is Pita, but was more chewy and oily, texture than what we usually ate but GOOOD) The portion was huge, half of them we take back home. We had PSITA, MIXED GRILL PLATTER. Ordered 1 but as you can see in the picture, it' more than enough for 2. SPANAKI ME SKORDO (sautéed spinach with garlic) was also great! Sparkling water was excellent! We looked over next table, the octopus looked AMAZING as well! 😆 Definately coming back for fish! Overall, for us- it was a little bit Salty but maybe that's because we thrive for low sodium diet. Overall, highly recommend!

Great spot for very good greek food. The location is great if you like to sit outside. The staff is well trained and friendly. We had a wonderful evening on our last night in NYC.

Came here in 2021 and was hoping that it would live up to my memories and it absolutely did! Great to order a bunch of dishes and share with the table. Loved the feta phyllo and both dips we got were amazing, especially the tzatziki. Would always come back!

We want to this restaurant for my birthday and it was so good ! The food is great ! (Real Greek food!!) and so tasty for the price ! Great place to share appetizers with a group ! Also the people who work there are so nice! Great service. I will come back for sure to try other dishes !!

Love this place! Owners and staff are always friendly and welcoming. Food is authentic, fresh, delicious, and the portions are generous. Had the Patzaria for the first time tonight and it was out of this world.

The food we got was really bad! Serving cold cold octopus 👎 Service did not even care to ask if there was a reason why we stopped at appetizers

The mezzes were especially good. Favourite was the garlic spread. Not a whole lot of vegetarian or vegan options. The eggplant moussaka was just ok wasn't super flavorful. The lemon potatoes on the entrees were very well done. Service was great and super attentive to dietary restriction so greatly appreciated that.

Highly recommended to visit! True greek atmosphere with delicious food and pleasant greek music 👌🏻 Feels like you are indeed in Greece ☺️

Literally one of the best Greek salads in NYC...if not the best. Great neighborhood mainstay.

The best Mediterranean place in the city! Great vibes, portions and price! Great for takeout as well.

Personal favorite for Greek food. Service is quick and food is absolutely delicious. Their veggie and seafood dishes always hit the spot and I'm personally a huge fan of their moussaka and white fishes. Great experience every time! Also, the vibes on the weekend are absolutely great.

Very good food at affordable prices. Entrees are very good portions! Love the seafood and veggie chips as well meatballs, lamb. Reserve a table for indoors on Saturday: service wonderful too. Would return !

Such a cute and cozy spot with nice decor to make the Greek family fun restaurant experience authentic. We had a nice bottle of red with our meal and started with delicious appetizers. The halloumi cheese, veggie chips, octopus, and pita bread with olive oil were all so tasty and decadent. We also shared a village salad with shrimp, which was fresh and delicious.

The perfect post-workout meal given the generous amount of protein served The small size salads are big, so I can only imagine the larger ones. I tried the Dakos to get out of my comfort zone but I would suggest the village salad or other chopped ones on the menu. Price range is favorable in comparison to other mediterranean restaurants in the city, the staff is friendly and owner was present, and twas a clean environment and bathroom. I've been meaning to try Village Taverna out for a while and am glad I waited to dine in rather than having my first experience be with a takeaway order. Worth a visit if you're by Union Square!

This was me stepping out of my comfort zone, I've never tried Mediterranean food. I won't say that it was nasty, I will just say the flavors were new to me. I order a steak skewer with rice and salad. My friends enjoyed their meals (they've had Mediterranean before. I wouldn't personally try this spot again, but it was very well put together. The decor and seating was perfect. Very nice place. Can be a bit pricey, so have a wallet handy lol. The staff was friendly. We say outside and it was such a nice lunch vibe. Try them out!

We came here for brunch during the holidays before checking out the Union square holiday markets. Our pup was able to dine with us in one of the covered outdoor cabins which was heated and a little snug for a party of 4. We ordered a few appetizers and entrees for the table to share. The portions were large and perfect for all of us to share! The service a bit slow, and it was probably because we were the only table dining outside! Overall would recommend Village Taverna to try some Greek food in the Union Square area!

Had lunch here while in NYC. Great experience! Decor is lovely- decorated for the holidays which made it even nicer. The server was friendly and gave us great recommendations. The food was great and the portions are large! Definitely will go again.

First of all I came here because my mom was craving Greek food. The ambience is cute but the service was terrible I think because we were hispanic. The waitress was giving me odd looks like not welcoming, I brushed it off and moved on then she sent another waitress to take our order. We ordered the Mixed Grill and a hummus and an eggplant spread and two glasses of Chardonnay one Californian and one Greek . When the wine arrived it was not cold at all more like room temperature. And my mom didn't really like her wine but nobody ever came back to check if we were happy with our beverages I think that's the standard. Then our food arrived and they literally crowded the table of food and the table was tiny, instead of adding another table because not even our plates fit but whatever. We ate and we poured our own sparkling water because nobody ever came back we never got serviced. My mom wanted a salad and we couldn't order it because nobody came back. There was a male server with salt and pepper hair he sat on top the table across our table with his arms folded staring straight at us was very uncomfortable for us. He never asked us if we needed anything. When the waitress came back after we finished our meal and we did not enjoyed it ask us if we needed another glass of wine I asked for the check and I complained to her that we never got serviced and we were ignored she said sorry but never brought the manager over. The other tables were getting good service because they were not hispanic. The male service when we left gave us dirty looks. This was a terrible service and experience do not recommended it at all.

This amazing restaurant is located in union square and has both indoor and outdoor seating. My sister called 20 minutes before we went and they reserved us a table outside. The outside area is beautiful and the heater kept us warm on a cold night. Thinking about this dinner, makes my mouth water. The service was impeccable from the matre D to our waiter and the bus boy. I was really impressed. So attentive, constantly filling our water. Made sure there was no sesame in anything he brought out due to my recent allergy. He even kept checking on us to make sure we were warm enough. Now for the dinner. My sister and I shared the PSITO MANOURI which was manouri cheese with honey on top. It was so delicious. The waiter also brought us pita to accompany it. My sister recommended the best salad. It was a Greek chopped salad. The waiter was really amazing with modifying the salad. I just removed the red onions and my sister removed the green peppers. We both got gyro on top. Honestly, one of the best salads I have ever had. I can't wait to come back.

This is NOT authentic Greek food. First, they serve about 10 triangles of pita as bread - why? Because their food is not good, so might as well fill up in the pita. The traditional Greek salad is wilted and maybe served with Kraft dressing. The fresh fish, ie branzino is bland. Waste of money. Also only only wine and beer bar. There are better options.

Really lovely and well priced spot in a convenient location. The restaurant itself is beautiful and the staff are friendly and extremely attentive. The food itself was pretty good. The portions were large and it was good quality, but taste-wise not anything to crave. The best part of the meal was the pita appretizer. Definitely recommend this spot if you're looking for a sound, healthy and affordable meal.

My friend and I came here for dinner. The interior-exterior decor was beautiful. They placed fresh fish by the entrance without any fish smell. Good! Miguel, the waiter, was good at taking our orders and questions. The table pita was average, like most the other Greek places. We shared Octapodi (Octopus salad) to start. This appetizer was to die for, but I live to eat it! I would have ordered two just for my dinner. Then I ordered the organic chicken, and my friend had the gyro platter. My dish was fabulous! The chicken was cooked perfectly and came out juicy and tasty. My friend's dish was pretty dry. I didn't care for the Gyro much. I thought the taste was just average. The Octopodi was the best part. I recommend this and the organic chicken for your dinner date.

We had a lovely dinner here -- sitting outside under their outdoor street structure. It was a warm day and the server was quite responsive -- We ended up ordering the special branzino (fish) with a base of squash puree and vegetables as well as lamb kebab with lemon potatoes and roasted vegetables. To start we had the special appetizer -- an arugula salad with a watermelon, feta cheese, and poached pear inclusion. All were fabulous -- even though the day was muggy -- so the sparkling water really helped. Oh and I almost forgot, they also brought us olives and pita. There were many gluten-free options to choose from -- though it was nice that the olives were separate from the bread.

I cannot say enough great things about this amazing Greek restaurant! The host was extremely friendly. He fit us in, without reservations, on a very busy Father's Day evening. We ordered the veggie chips, which were outstanding. They were light and crispy, flavorful and delicate. The saganaki was not traditional flaming cheese. Instead, it came stacked with seasonal fruit (watermelon) and drizzled with honey that was scrumptious. We ordered the dolmas, which were good, but not as great as the other two apps. All of our dinners were delicious too, but we were so full from the other great food, we needed to take a lot home. We ordered grilled salmon, filet mignon and chicken and it was all so good and fresh. Our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable about wine selections. What a gem of a find!

Came here for lunch on Friday after we walked by and saw the cute outdoor decorations. So many flowers and made you feel transported to another country! I asked the waiter for his favorite salad and he said it was todays special, which was the watermelon salad with feta, heirloom tomatoes, and mint. It was really refreshing and yummy and the dressing was super flavorful. Only miss is that it was $23, which seemed a bit steep even for NY prices. We got fresh pita served at the table which was SUCH a highlight. The pita was perfectly crispy and had a herby flavorful, and the olive oil had a really unique olive taste. My friend got the chicken souvlaki and said it was amazing. The rice was also really flavorful (which I tried). Overall a great place, but taking down a star for the seemingly steep price of the salad (the souvlaki was $19) and we ended up having to wait 25 minutes for the check after asking for it. Would definitely stop by again!

I give it a solid three. You are provided with complimentary pita and olive oil. We had the organic chicken and also the shrimp platter and the social filo feta deep fried with prosciutto and fig jam on top. The full feta was good I think it was well balanced with the figs my friend felt it was too sweet. The pits was warm and tasty. Now my friend hyped up this organic chicken. It was good but not "life changing" as he claimed. It was moist and nicely flavored came with green liked asparagus and fingerling potatoes in a lemon hunter sauce. My friend said her shrimp dish was great and the rice pilaf she had with it was delish. It is a pricy spot so dint think your getting out without spending at least 30-40 per person.

If you like Tzatziki (a salted yogurt and cucumber dip that's made of strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and herbs), I highly recommend ordering it at the Village Taverna Greek Grill. Lunched there yesterday August 05, 2023) and in my opinion, their Tzatziki is quite simply the best I have had in a very long time. The Keftedes (Greek meatballs) were equally delicious and my luncheon companions were thrilled with their chicken souvlaki. But the cherry on the top was the Galaktoboureko desert (a traditional Greek dessert made with layers of golden brown crispy phyllo, sprinkled with melted butter, and filled with creamy custard). The service was prompt but unhurried, allowing diners to relax, communicate, and enjoy their meal. And the overall ambiance of the establishment was light and airy - exactly what one needed on a hot summer's afternoon in New York City. Highly recommended.

We had an impromptu visit to this restaurant after watching a short film nearby. Although we didn't have reservations the host seated us outside at a table with a heater and a fabulous view The food was fresh and delicious! The servers were amiable personable and always smiling They were very attentive and courteous The appetizers were plentiful and presented beautifully The octopus was tender and juicy The chopped salad was fresh and flavorful The chicken was marinated perfectly and the lemon potatoes were divine If your in the area ... stop by for some wine and fresh pita bread and olive oil It Will be worth it Thank you for a great dinner

Food was 10/10! We all devoured our plates. Very fresh and flavorful! Specials were so good like the baked half chicken. Interior vibes were also great! Only serves some beer on tap and variety of different wines. No cocktails.

Loved the souvlaki, pita, tzatziki, and vegetable chips at this place. Always on the hunt for a good Greek restaurant and this place met expectations. Our only minor issue was that the chicken was a bit tough to get off the stick for the souvlaki but everything was well seasoned and delicious and felt like authentic Greek food.

Had the Dover sole (catch of the day) as well as the special salad and Horta. Great service and great ambiance. Food was delicious but overpriced.

*SERVED ME RAW CHICKEN* I ordered the chicken skewers and I will say the portions were great and the first 2-3 skewers were fine until I looked down and there was RAW chicken. I got my waiter and he sighed and shrugged and said "Well, you ate the rest of the skewers." I let the waiter know that I never noticed anything wrong with the other skewers but it didn't matter as this is raw chicken. He kept trying to argue with me of why I ate the other skewers (again, I hadn't notice anything wrong - and those others may have been fine). The waiter told me nothing could be done as no manager was on duty. He brought me another plate of the same dish and I said I didn't want it. I explained I am now sick to my stomach and could get sick. He kept arguing with me. He did take my plate off the bill but still argued with me even as we were paying. Horrible service and gaslighted me while they served me raw chicken. Also, I find it funny that there was "no manager on duty" for my issue, yet the same waiter spilt a glass of wine on someone and compt their meal and gave them a free bottle of wine. I did not want anything free - I just wanted to let a manager know what happened. Cute restaurant though.

Excellent food and service. Everything was very fresh and delicious. A great sidewalk cafe part in addition to air conditioned dining room.

Pretty Greek spot in East Village featuring a large selection of greek wines, many of which I had never heard of, and a delicious assortment of appetizers and entrees. A friend and I shared the meat platter while another friend ordered the gyro plate. We also ordered two appetizers - kolokithokeftedes and dolmades. We enjoyed the appetizers but could barely make a dent in the entrees since we were already full from the appetizers. Portions were much larger than expected and I think the meat platter could be shared with 4 people (see picture).

Quiet quaint location with excellent food. Quick service and relaxing atmosphere. Worth a visit and can't wait to go back.

A hidden gem .... Amazing food, great ambiance and was a surprise delight as I was just walking by! Highly recommend

Dips were not good and became nauseous. Two i wouldn't touch after first bite. Wine was good. Staff was friendly.

Based on some recent reviews I had read I wasn't sure if I should have too high of expectations for this place. It turned out to be an excellent lunch. The moussaka was a hearty delicious serving of my go-to Greek meal. The chicken souvlaki platter was also very good and perfect for my little ones to share. Perfectly grilled chicken skewers, good fries, pita, and a generous salad with tzatziki. My wife had the mussels appetizer special as her main and they were fresh and plentiful. The broth was great for dipping pita in. Service was excellent and there is ample seating not only inside but outside on the sidewalk as well. If you're in the mood for Greek this place is definitely a solid option.

Big disappointment. The dips, Taramasalata, Tzatziki, were excellent. The main dish that I had was poor. I had Chicken with lemon potatoes. The chicken was very "chewy" and the lemon potatoes consisted of a few thin slivers and tasteless. This restaurant was great some years ago.

Delicious, aesthetic Greek restaurant! The ambiance for a Sunday dinner was relaxed and peaceful, a perfect mood for the day. I sat inside at the corner table, mesmerized by the fresh fish at the front. Service was quick and friendly. I loved the complimentary pita, oil, and olives to start. They were hot and tasty. We started with the hummus, which came with the same pita bread. The hummus was decadent and whipped up nicely with a great taste. With the entree menu so large, it was hard to decide but I got the chopped salad--a Greek twist on the favorite. It was incredibly refreshing with cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, capers, olives, green peppers and more (I added an avocado which was a great choice). Even without the feta, the salad was still super flavorful and I had leftovers. Prices are a little high but common in Union Square. Overall great spot, would return!

Came here on a Friday night with a friend with no reservations. We were seated at the bar which was fine - it wasn't too crowded or noisy. We each had a glass of wine and I ordered the gyro platter. Lamb was delicious though the fries were a little soggy. Quick and easy Greek dinner.

The mousaka was very good and the pastichio was good too. Service for our very large party was spotty though. There were too few servers and a number of misses as a result. The outdoor eating set up looked looked inviting.

The food was delicious and reasonably priced with generous portions, and the ambience was really nice. The service was friendly and attentive. It was a very enjoyable place to grab lunch with a friend.

Nice but not original. This is what my Arabic friend saying about the food. I like saganaki kinda like a dessert and gyro, the roatate meat

Lovely food and service! Everything was wonderful and the best Greek food in the city that I've had! Ambiance is quiet which is lovely and much missed considering the current trend is loud music in restaurants.

I got this on UberEats and the food was good, as were the portions. Nothing crazy but overall a reasonable price given the quantity and quality of the food.

We came here for the ambiance rather than the food... and the fact that they had seating available on Valentine's Day without reservations. Great outdoor seating setup with kind service--super cute transparent sheds lined with fake vines and dim lighting from hanging heat lamps. Food wise, a no go. All the meat in the mixed platter was extremely dry and lacking flavor. It had "some" flavor, but the meat was just soooo dry and underseasoned. Our jaws hurt from chewing. We had to stop eating the meat about halfway through the meal. Salad was basic. The olive oil tasted a bit too flat, metallic, and grassy for my liking... in my opinion, the quality of the EVOO can make or break greek cuisine.

I first noticed the place when I was walking by and they were setting up their outdoor seating (it's very beautiful and really inviting). I popped in for a bite to eat on my way home from a late night at work. The staff were friendly, and were patient when I asked them many questions about the menu. The food was tasteful and filling (I got two servings of the gyro plate). Having such a good first experience, I came back a second time months later with my family. We had more the same experience as I did the first time, and everyone enjoyed their food, especially the lemon potatoes!

Had dinner with a friend here on a recent Saturday night. The main issue was that the staff were not all that friendly (a somewhat brusque greeting when we arrived, the waiter told us we couldn't put in our appetizers first and had to order everything all together and he was a bit impatient with the check, flustering my friend). I had liked their menu and the emphasis on fish. While we waited for our salad, we had the warm, grilled flatbread, which was delicious! The Village Salad was also great (loved the cheese that was in it). My friend ordered the grilled octopus. It was a massive amount of red onions and not a lot of octopus. She was disappointed with the dish. I had the salmon with lemon potatoes, which was well made and a pretty generous portion. I'd go back but hope the staff are a little more gracious.

I have been to Village Taverna several times and is always a go to whenever I'm craving Greek food. The interior is beautiful and spacious and the service is always welcoming. A favorite dish of mine is the Lamb Shank Yiouvetsi: the lamb is fall off the bone tender and the tomato sauce is yummy. Plus their free pita bread is one of the best I've had and they're generous with the serving. Def recommend!

This Greek restaurant is on a corner and feels very spacious in comparison to most NYC restaurants. I liked the dark wood decor and cute flower arches in the outdoor seating area. We came in as they were shifting from lunch to dinner, so it was not very busy. After listening to the specials, I decided to go with the organic half chicken since our server raved about how delicious it was. My friend ordered the lamb kebab. I was starving and ate all of the complimentary pita, which was nice and warm. The chicken came with some fingerling potatoes and asparagus. The chicken had some delicious crispy skin and cooked in a light buttery sauce. You could taste all of the flavors, but nothing was overwhelming. The ingredients all complimented each other. I tried my friend's lamb, but it was too dry for my liking. This place is expensive as the bill came out to around $70 each, and we only ordered 2 glasses of wine and 2 entrees.

I am a loyal customer and had a problem the other day and the manager Peter called me directly and fixed it and explained it. he is terrific. the food here is always fresh and right! Peter is great also! highly recommend

This is an old favorite. Hadn't been for 3-4 years. Always get the same thing: horitaki salad with gyro. This is a bunch of tomato, onion, black olives, huge hunk of feta and gyro meat on top. A real meal. Daughter had mussels. Service was incredibly friendly and funny. It's the kind of place where people who live, work or go to school in the Village go. Anytime I'm in the neighborhood in the future I will stop by.

The decor is really nice and the food was fresh and tasty. Our waiter was pleasant and engaging. Everyone seemed to know each other. And even one of the older patrons stated "she never saw us there before and then told me I look like Diana Ross" super cute huh.. I would definitely revisit

The Octopus salad is excellent! Perfectly cooked octopus! Loved the atmosphere! Outdoor seating is the best in the city! My son loved his chicken gyro platter!

It was the best brief experience that left a taste for more. We came here after dinner and we were sad that we didn't have dinner here. We came without reservations so we sat at the bar. The host was welcoming, at the best Greek tradition. Rafael at the bar was professional, pleasant and attentive and so nice! We had drinks and we were treated like queens! We had a plate of amazing Greek bread with oregano, olive oils and few olives to "munch on", on the house. It was delicious. , even though we were clear we are here for drinks only. Looking at the plates that were going out of the kitchen just made us feel even more sorry we didn't have e dinner here. The smells that followed these dishes were also mouthwatering. The wine list is amazing and of worldly variety! So as I said, we came for drinks after dinner. We will be back for dinner! Hopefully soon!

So good !! Arrived around 9 pm not too crowded and quick service. We ordered fried calamari as an appetizer which was very good and gyro platter with fries for an entree. More food than we expected so we didn't finish but still tasty. Nice ambiance and kind servers too