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  • Balkanika

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Balkanika
Balkanika

Balkanika Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Dining
  • Website: http://www.balkanikany.com
  • Email: BalkanikaNY@gmail.com
  • Phone: (212) 974-0300
  • Hours of Operation: Lunch: Monday - Sunday: 11:00am - 4:00pm; Dinner: Monday - Sunday: 4:00pm - 12:00pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean, Tapas / Small Plates, Eastern European
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Counter Seating, Delivery, Entertainment, Happy Hour, High Tea, Late Night, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine, Wine Bar
  • Catering: Party Trays: Pickup and Delivery

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Between 47th & 48th St
  • Public Transit: A, C, E to 50th/8th
    N, R to 49th/7th
  • Parking: Street Parking
A word from Balkanika
Specializing in Balkan & Mediterranean Foods, Wines, and Beers, Balkanika offers a little bit of the old and the new:creative tapas spreads and healthy vegetarian & vegan dishes, hearty old-world recipes, bureks & kebabs, home-made yogurt and some unique creations besides. Enjoy a glass of wine by… candlelight, or grab a sandwich and meze spreads to take out. Party Trays are available, as well as Private Parties, International Groceries, Gourmet Coffee Beans, Imported Meats & Cheeses.Continued
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Diner Reviews
  • "Came here in search of some authentic Balkan food and were not disappointed. The food was spot on and very well prepared. We got the burek to start which was very good, but a touch salty in my opinion (worth noting I'm very sensitive to salt). We had the mixed grill with an assortment of sides and all were very good. We had tiramisu for dessert which was good. The wine list was also quite good, and had a few wines from the Balkan area that can otherwise be hard to find (Posip!). The service was a little slow by U.S. standards, but right in line with restaurants in that part of the world. In fact most, if not all, the waiters are expats, which makes the experience all the nicer for someone looking for a little bit of home in NYC. "
    Dined on 12/21/2013
  • "Not the absolute finest in Mediterranean food....but a great place for the price. "
    Dined on 4/16/2014
  • "Great choices; knowledgable servers and very relaxed. Everything tasted fresh made and looked good!"
    Dined on 3/14/2014
  • "Pre-theater bite to eat. Had some starters, zuccini pancakes, and potato pie. Comfort food that was pricey. Feels old, but fine for a happy hour wine (wines from Macedonia, Turkey, Italy, etc.). Fine for quick meal, easy food, change of pace wine."
    Dined on 4/2/2014
  • "Location is Out of my comfort zone. But the food marked it worth it. Fabulous display upon entry Great mezes. Tasting plates give a sampling of the wide variety. Tasty dishes. The lamb skewer was dry and tough. Definitely a keeper."
    Dined on 4/3/2014
  • "Chose Balkanika because it had good reviews and was reasonably priced. It is listed on Open Table as Mediterranean style food. However, it is more as its name suggests, Balkan style food. Actually it was a treat. I have never had Balkan food. Everything was tasty. The service was very good. The ambiance was warm and welcoming. Best part was it was affordable. I would eat at Balkanika again."
    Dined on 3/29/2014
  • "Good food and great service. The prefix lunch menu with wine pairing was a good deal. would recommend this place to my friends."
    Dined on 3/29/2014
  • "Excellent food even for veggies. Friendly staff who could converse in Serbian."
    Dined on 3/29/2014
  • "This is an excellent and reasonably priced restaurant, conveniently located near the Theater District and Times Square. We stared with the selection of assorted Mezzes. This includes about 20 different dips with olives and stuffed grape leaves and they are all delicious, served with warm pita bread. Two people could probably split this as a meal, (maybe with a salad on the side). The portions of the entrees are a very generous size and tasty and well seasoned. We have eaten here several times and it is consistently good food and service."
    Dined on 3/21/2014
  • "I have been here four times with different friends and all have enjoyed the cuisine. Great spot for a quick pre-theatre meal. On my last visit I had a special cocktail and the cevapcici which was delicious. Prices have gone up so not as inexpensive as before."
    Dined on 3/19/2014
  • "Great food. Warm service. They have picked the most representative dishes and prepared them superbly."
    Dined on 3/19/2014
  • "We were on time for our reservation, were seated at our reserved table within 5 minutes. We sat for 10. Then 5 minutes more. I finally asked the host if we could please look at some menus. His reply "oh sorry. We ran out of menu's. It will be a few minutes!" WOW ! i had never heard of a restaurant running out of menus before.. maybe the daily special, but not menu's. The food was average. The dips were not very flavorful, and some of them seemed crusty on the top, like they were sitting out for a while. They were also 'OUT OF" a lot of the menu items. Considering the choice of restaurants in NYC, we certainly did not pick the best one!"
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "Good food, good service and vibrant fun environment. What more could you want?"
    Dined on 2/21/2014
  • "1. The menu is difficult to read. Small type-face with low lighting. 2. The soups and entrees were served at the proper (hot) temperature. 3. The salmon (as well as all items we ordered) was fresh 4. When we made the reservation we noted a Special Occasion: Birthday. The staff did nothing, i.e. Did not recognize it in any way. Obviously, staff did not pay attention to what was noted on the reservation, so why bother asking on reservation form?"
    Dined on 2/21/2014
  • "I stopped here for a quick dinner before a show. I went in by myself, was seated right away. The restaurant was fairly empty but it was early. I ordered different mezze dishes. Some were really good and some flavor profiles were just okay. I wish I had more food to comment on however the service was quick, the wine was good. It is a moderately priced space in the city to have a good meal."
    Dined on 2/20/2014
  • "It's in here. Burek, ajvar, mezze, kebabs, croat beer - all very authentic."
    Dined on 2/18/2014
  • "Three friends and I dined at Balkanika the other night and it will definitely not be the last time. We were amazed at the number of wonderful options for meze, side dishes and meats/cheeses. However, as much as I enjoyed my meal, I do have a couple of complaints. The service is a little disconnected and our waitress disappeared for long stretches of time. It was a relatively busy night, but I'm not so sure that was the root of the problem. Also, I had ordered a plate of six side dishes as my main course and, although I didn't realize it until after I left the restaurant, one item had been omitted. While I didn't leave hungry, it was a sign of carelessness on the part of the kitchen staff and I was charged the price for six sides."
    Dined on 1/18/2014
  • "This was wonderful when it first opened up, now its just OK, service is just OK, they didn't had a lot of the wines on the list, food was just OK, not wonderful just fine."
    Dined on 1/10/2014
  • "Came here for a business meeting with my coworkers and we had a surprisingly great lunch ! Meze Sampler and Mixed grill - Highly recommended ! Will definitely visit again soon !"
    Dined on 12/27/2013
  • "Everything was so tasty that we now want to go to Macedonia just to have more experience with Macedonian food."
    Dined on 12/25/2013
  • "What is Balkans cuisine? A little like Greek or Turkish, but more meat and less fish. Balkainika allows lots of flexibility in what and how much you eat. There are various combinations of small plates, sides, and cheese and meats available, so you can have anything from a full meal to a pre-theater snack here. The mixed grill platter was very good. If you are seated in the back as we were, make sure you have the flashlight app on your phone or you won't be able to read the menu. Generally a good, reasonably priced and different alternative on 9th for pre-theater dining."
    Dined on 12/21/2013
  • "I took my boss to Balanika, because I am a strict vegetarian and he is not. The ambiance was very upbeat, but NOT too noisy!! We were able to have a great conversation. The service was attentive and not overly intrusive. The food was absolutely delicious and the portions very nicely sized. The biggest surprise was the wine - our server recommended a cabernet from Macedonia which was lovely. I will definitely come back - with a group of friends, if possible. Seems like a great place for groups, but also if you like a nice romantic dinner, this place could fit the bill as well."
    Dined on 12/13/2013
  • "This is a great place to eat in or take out. Everything is fresh and delicious!"
    Dined on 12/9/2013
  • "We've gone to Balkanika 4-5 times and always end up with the same impression: the food is only just good (we now get only appetizer/tapas only) but somehow we just like to go there. It's a friendly kind of informal place. The wine and food used to be significantly cheaper but we still end up pleased with the experience."
    Dined on 12/7/2013
  • "We had eaten at Balkanika before and enjoyed it, but this time it was like a different restaurant. The trout was old, dry and smelly, drenched in garlic to cover the fact. The lamb shish kebab was dry and chewy, and served with a pile of plain white rice that tasted as if it had been frozen. It was like really bad diner food. We were shocked and will never go back."
    Dined on 12/5/2013
  • "The $20 Menu had great choices. I was able to choose 3 meses from over 16 different varieties. All were fresh, however, the roasted beets were a standout. The other 2, I choose, humus and fava bean tasted the same. I had Zucchini Pancakes which were extremely delicious. They were grilled and very crispy on the ends with a tangy yogurt sauce. The flavor of fresh dill was perfect without overtaking the pancake. The dessert of Baklava was not the worst I ever had nor the best."
    Dined on 12/4/2013
  • "My husband and I were trying to find something different because going to the same restaurants and same cuisines does not make dinner exciting as before. We decided to try Balkanika after a friend recommended it . It was one of the most amazing experiences we ever had ! We ordered the meze 6 sampler and it was a story of itself; paprika walnut, Ajvar, haydari, ezme, avocado and olives dip . Each one was delicious ! Than we had the chicken shishkebab and pepper dolma. I have to say I could never imagine chicken can taste that good ! So juicy and flavorful and perfectly grilled ! My husband loved his pepper dolma so much that he cleaned his plate with the bread that was left . Service was at its best ! Very attentive and pleasant !"
    Dined on 11/28/2013
  • "Fantastic find for foodies. Great-tasting food with extremely attentive and friendly service. Excellent variety of dishes for both meat eaters and vegetarians alike. The bread is out of this world! Ajvar spread is very tasty on both the pita slices and the bread. Cevapcici was delicious. Also tried spinach burek and pepper dolmas. Great place to go with a group and sample a variety of different dishes. Unfortunately, we had no room for dessert."
    Dined on 11/29/2013
  • "Interesting menu, great food, excellent service, reasonable price. A find in NYC."
    Dined on 11/15/2013
  • "4 women dining each had the same entree but different side dishes which were minuscule. The waitress could not get the orders straight. In fact she seemed annoyed about the whole order. Too bad because I might have considered going back for a second try. Now, no way!"
    Dined on 11/10/2013
  • "My father always says that there are times when we can stretch a first course into a meal, and that is EXACTLY what this place does well! Lots of small dishes of dips, meats, cheeses - with some great fondues and meat filled pastries - it is a great place to come get your nosh on. The Hazelnut Beet, Carrot Tarator, and Paprika Walnut were STAND-OUT - and the pita bread was always hot! But the service was meh. We went on a busy Saturday night, and our waitress, while being sweet, was also stretched to the limit. She was working tables and the bar, and she was difficult to flag down to get refills on our drinks, or orders for other dishes. The food was really good, so we'll be back in the hopes that the service has been ironed out."
    Dined on 11/9/2013
  • "This is a great place for anyone who likes the foods of Turkey, Greece, the countries of the former Yugoslavia. The taste of the meal is genuine with very good ingredients and the wine selection is extensive."
    Dined on 11/5/2013
  • "Surly service, mean portions and completely overpriced to boot. No wonder it was largely empty. Terrible rip off."
    Dined on 10/31/2013
  • "It's about time they created a Balkan fusion restaurant. For those who aren't familiar go try it."
    Dined on 10/30/2013
  • "Our group of five each found several tasty items to share and enjoy, including our vegan and gluten-free eater! The stuffed pepper was so good we ordered a second ...There were some very interesting and diverse items on the menu one does not always find in the usual Greek restaurant ... And while I am not usually a fan of establishments that have a television going while I am eating my dinner, I happened to be facing the screen that scrolling various travel scenes of Mediterranean countries interspersed with cooking lessons for various dishes ... I found it quite mesmerizing. Those in my party who were facing a ballgame, were less pleased. -- The dessert crepes were delicious! -- Our servers were timely and cordial."
    Dined on 10/27/2013
  • "After reading the excellent reviews, we chose Balkanika for a pre-theater dinner. We were unfamiliar with many of the items on the menu and our waitress did her best to explain. We shared the mezes (appetizer spreads). They were just ok. The stuffed eggplant was delicious, but served luke warm instead of hot. The cheese fondue was very good, but the restaurant charges $7 for anything other than bread to dip. We were not offered coffee or dessert after the meal and had to request the dessert menu. The nutella banana cake was wonderful, but very pricey at $10 a slice. Finally, I received only half a cup of coffee. Overall, everything was ok, but I don't think I will return."
    Dined on 10/22/2013
  • "The menu was much more impressive than the food. The appetizer of 4 choices was tiny. Not really able to be shared. The chicken shish kebab was very bland. I wouldn't bother going back."
    Dined on 10/13/2013
  • "Had a great meal for a very reasonable price, wine included. I took 3 friends and they all loved it. We were stuffed. No idea why people would complain about the food. It's a vegetarian's dream but they have meat dishes. We had all of the mezze and a ton of veggie dishes. atmosphere isn't happening, but the staff was great so I'd definitely go back."
    Dined on 9/14/2013
  • "This is a great choice for casual dining before theater. Just blocks from Broadway, there are many tasty plates to share with your group at a reasonable cost (unlike many other restaurants in this area). The $20 sample plate of appetizers was an especially good value."
    Dined on 8/9/2013
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