Network Cafe

It’s funny I am in Forrest Hills often enough that you would think I would have have come across this place? I guess I just never noticed.
The place is not bad very big dimly lit, quite it is my understanding that they have a lounge area in the lower level? I did not get to see this since I was here during the week but now that I know there’s always next time.
My company & I were seated right away once seated we ordered some drinks, we stuck with some Stella beer for the night, can’t go wrong with a Stella it was good nice & cold.
After a few I certainly needed a bite to eat, I tried the Pita & Hummus not bad good Hummus the added avocado was a nice touch.
I had a nice time, good service decent prices now that I know this place is here chances are I’ll try to stop by.

The second star is for the outdoor seating, which not many places in Forest Hills seem to have.
The fact is, the food is poor, the place is disgusting and the bathrooms — well, did you ever see Trainspotting? If you’re sitting outside having a drink, Network is fine. For anything else, it isn’t.

My friend and I were looking for a place to have dinner after the movies so we went in to ask what time they close. Instead of answering us, the waitress asked us what time the movie ends. ok awkward.why couldn’t she just tell us? Anyway we told her an estimate time and her response was «uh, yeah we still might be open, not sure.»…lol WHAT?!
We came here anyways despite the strange response and it was opened. The food took really long and it was mediocre at best. I’m giving them two stars instead of one because they do make a mean cocktail.
The name of the place can be very confusing to people that never been here before. Initially, I thought it was an Internet café. It’s actually a restaurant/​bar! Who would’ve thought? Also they attempt to have this lounge vibe going, it’s not working.
Network Café is obviously having an identity crisis.

This place is weird.
I kind of like it though. It was pretty empty on a Friday night, maybe 12 people including staff. Its really dark and loung-​y. There are tables for dining and a Mediterranean/​random menu. I’m not too sure why people dont come here… I need to investigate further perhaps. Its near all the other bars that get packed to capacity (hence why we came here)
The drinks are strong kinda pricey but 2 or 3 will make you feel nice.
Id come here again.
The name is dumb.

So yes, Network Café is having a bit of an identity crisis. Perhaps it’s even having a dissociative episode, what with the little pieces from varying design themes. HOWEVER, whenever I bring a guest here (I live in the neighborhood), they’re always quite charmed by it! It really is very inviting when the windows are open. Couches beckon passerbys… The dim lighting sets an intimate mood…
SO I always end up going back. The service is very nice. And usually, there’s not many people here, so you get their full attention. The food is good, too. (I happen to think their burger is the best in the area.) Despite not having the best drinks, their bar area has a cute little set up. Bring a date after dinner if you’re not ready to buy in for the full meal!

This place i def wouldn’t recommend to no one. The ambiance is really dark and deemed. But the couches were stained with spilled liquor on it. The service was good. But the martini’s sucked, the waitress kept diluting the liquor with the water from the ice cubes, i had to always tell her to add more liquor. To me they taste like fruit punch with a lil zang to it. Than on top of that, she has my friend the check with out saying, than as we had escorted the waitress and her little white crew came and question us about a tip, There should be no reason why you have to obligate a customer to tip, if it is not included. Never again

Went here for a couple of brews with my uncle. Owner is a very nice gentlemen. The beers are nicely priced. Sat outdoors. Over all I must say I definitely will return.

Interesting… Nothing special, but different. The couches and the open French doors are what drew us in (we have passed it once a week for over a year and never tried it). We got very comfy on the couch and had drinks, which were a bit pricey. We weren’t planning on eating, but we looked at the menu, it was limited, but ok. The ambiance was nice upstairs (kind of reminded me of Central Perk from Friends!). There is only one tv (not what you’d call a ‘sports bar’). The ambiance downstairs is… Well… Weird.

This place continues to be one of my favorite spots in Fohi!
The food is fantastic. Fresh, and full of flavor, you can tell they put a lot of attention to detail into their dishes. The blackened chicken salad is consistently moist and well balanced. I suggest the Eggs Benedict or steak and eggs for brunch.
It certainly has its own unique personality. sometimes the cook will improvise on the dishes, swapping out some ingredients with others. but personally i think it keeps things interesting for the committed customers! At times service can be slow which can be a downer. but the food always comes through.
The lounge on the lower level could probably use a renovation, and if they set that place up with some free wifi, it would probably be the perfect café to hang in all day long!
I’d highly recommend the Network Café

We have gone here a few times alone (two of us) and it is great. I always get the Salmon, which is great and my man will get the Chicken Kabob, which he really enjoys. But it wasn’t until we brought friends who have been living in Manhattan did we realize it was a little odd.
I think others mentioned the creep level of the basement. It honestly reminds me of a scene from the beginning of a law in order episode… or the Accused with Jodie Foster. If you’re going for a casual dinner — control your bladder and skip the basement bathroom if you can.
I would recommend this place most for brunch on a nice day. The huge front windows let the light in and make it really comfortable and cute — just remember to skip the second mimosa so you don’t have to pee!

Network programming, network television, the human network…
and now Network Café, a restaurant/​bar and soon to be renovated downstairs lounge in Forest Hills.
I usually don’t like to start with criticism in my reviews, seeking a fair and balanced perspective off the bat.
But the name, Network Café, seems a misguided choice for a place and space that’s more about relaxation, having drinks with friends and letting the evening ease by. The décor is quasi-​French, bohemian with lots of tables for two and a few sofas to lounge on. By the standards of Forest Hills, this is a downright cool spot. (Cool spots in Forest Hills may often refer to the temperature at the morgue, given the demographics of the ‘hood…but I digress).
But don’t let my rant on the name mislead you– this place is worth visiting.
Now for a place with the described ambiance, I’d expect a menu that isn’t laminated but that is what I was handed. Spruce up the menu’s appearance to better adhere to the atmosphere is my final piece of advice.
Other than that, I enjoyed every sip of my vodka collins martini, every bite of the homemade hummus and longed for more of my zucchini stuffed with ground beef, spices and yogurt.
Mixed drinks are $ 10 and they were filled to the rim and tending towards the strong side of the spectrum. We were also given complimentary chips and salsa to start out which was a pleasant surprise.
An even more pleasant surprise was complimentary dessert, too. A slice of cheesecake, at that.
The menu’s Mediterranean in scope with a few outliers of pasta dishes and steak. My wife’s skirt steak came with green sauce, the kind we relish in Latin American restaurants. For only $ 19, the quality of the cut of meat was top notch too, with the annoying stringiness of some skirts missing.
Our waitress was friendly and explained how the downstairs area is being renovated. It was a lounge and my reconnaissance revealed plush seats but a general atmosphere of disarray one associates with renovations. I will definitely visit once that area opens up again.
Network Café – an unusual name for a spot worth checking out in Forest Hills.

I really like this place, but it is a little weird. The upstairs has this romantic, ambient lighting in greens and reds, with colorful glass lanterns, bright paint, exposed brick, nick knacks, and a spiral staircase leading downstairs. I love an interesting atmosphere to look at while I drink and this place has it. There’s a bar with a flat screen, some tables and some really comfortable red leather couches. Spanish music was playing at a polite volume in the background.
My friends described the downstairs as «creepy», I thought it was more depressing than anything else, but that’s part of its charm. I lot of old velvet pieces are crowded around each other, a deserted bar sits at one end, lots of nooks and crannies downstairs.
The super sized bathroom is right out of a dive bar but with quaint little details (but if I’m using a divey bathroom I’d prefer to pay dive prices).
Even the waitress and some of the patrons were a little odd, but friendly. Couples will make out, people may storm in and out, but nothing wild. They do seem to have a shortage of glasses.
The food is *very* over-​priced, but I loved their hummus served with pita bread (its like $ 7 and change). This was my first experience with hummus though, so I can’t compare it. Its got a lasting garlic flavor that goes really well with the alcohol.
I don’t do mixed drinks/​martinis, so I order a glass of something straight. I get a *very* full glass for $ 8.
Its endearing in its weirdness. I’ll be coming back here.

I love this place, I used to go all the time, not really sure why I haven’t gone in a while but this reminds me to make a mental note (self: go back to Networks soon. really soon). I came her with the bf (now the hub), we would split the Mediterranean salad and an entrée, get one drink each and we’d have ourselves a nice quiet romantic time, we got full but not overly full, for this we’d spend about $ 40. It’s dark and romantic inside, when it’s nice out, they have a few tables outside. We also tried the brunch which is $ 13 and runs until 3:30 on Saturday and Sunday, for this price, you get a salad, an entrée (they have breakfast dishes, as well as more lunch dishes like pasta and steak-​recommend the steak it was tasty and huge), a dessert and a drink (mimosas, wine, champagne, beer). It was a great deal… mental note: come back for brunch soon.

Even the people that write a good review, start it off by saying «believe it or not», which lends one to believe that they shouldn’t believe it … this place is disgusting … dirty, filthy … like one of the other reviewers on here, I spent my time having lunch (on a Sunday at 2PM) watching this slutty girl moan and groan while she made out with her boyfriend … when I finally complained, the sole waitress «explained» that people make out late at night … when I advised her it was the middle of the day on a Sunday and not 2 am, she seemed confused.
Again, dirty and terrible service by a challenged staff person … AWFUL!!!

Love this place :-). It’s me and my sisters late night hangout. The food is ok and by the food I mean some of the pasta dishes and sandwichs. However the drinks I love. I love there coco cosmo :-) It’s a great place for some lone time with your hunny. Or like me just to have some chat time with sis. The appearence is very earthy, there is dried Euculyptus all around the café and thats what it smells like. I love the smell. Like the music too they play everything like Indie rock, pop rock and some r&b. The only thing I don’t like is heading to the bathroom because its downstairs and just very far and creepy :-(

Believe it or not, this random café is one of my favorite places to get a burger.
Network Café is a great place to have some intimate drinks with someone. The bar has been pretty quiet every time I’ve walked in which is quite conducive for conversation. While there is an actual bar at the Network Café, I prefer to sit at the cozy tables for two.
The Network Café also has a nice basement area with some plush couches and other ammenities.
If you’re looking for a bar to meet people, this probably isn’t the place. However, if you want to go for drinks with a date, then visit the Network Café!

Do go for the drinks
Don’t go for the food.
The menu isn’t very thrilling– unimaginative pastas and sandwiches for the most part. Additionally, the pastas aren’t seasoned well… kinda bland
Downstairs has a huge space and has couches, stools and easy lounge chairs and invite you to bring your honey, sit down real close and share a drink or five
Downstairs on the weekdays is pretty… much… empty. Bartenders and waitstaff totally dont care if you and your honey escort your drinks to the downstairs area for a little private space.
The bathrooms are located in the downstairs and aren’t very clean. However, the bathrooms are quite large– yes, large enough for a lot booty shake’in and a lot of booty action

Now known as the Network Café, in case you are searching by that name. Unilocal should really fix that, wonder if there’s a button for that…
Anyway, onto the review.
Food is surprisingly good. We went here after walking down Austin looking for a good cheap dinner on a saturday night, and not having much luck (All the usual spots were jam-​packed with not our type of crowd (Really, do we need people with obvious Long Island accents and spiky hair yelling at some random group of people from Jersey about being fake? I’m from Queens and you don’t hear me telling you all to shut the hell up)).
The atmosphere here is really cool. Great music was playing, a very young and cool crowd. Waitress was very nice. The art on the walls was cool. It was the sort of place you could totally see in a hipster part of brooklyn. But luckily, it’s smack dab in Forest Hills, who knew? It’s hard to find, so for ease, just find it across the street from the Irish Cottage. We had overheard two separate instances of people meeting each other here and saying how they passed right by the place before finally finding it.
I apologize mid-​review, I am finding this a bit rambly.
Anyway, yeah, cool space. Cool music. She had wine, which she declared as being very very good. The list simply lists the type of wine (ala pinot grigio, chardonnay, etc.) which usually means box-​o-​wine in the back. We didn’t ask for the maker, but the girlfriend swears its too good to be the box. I had a beer, as I was feeling unadventurous. The cocktail list seemed like it could be good, and I’m sure they’ll make whatever. I want to come by here again and try a few drinks at the bar.
The apparently have a lounge downstairs which we didn’t make it to. At first we thought the kitchen was down there (I believe it is as well, actually), but decided it had to be more when we figured out the place didn’t have that many well dressed chefs.
Not a stuffy, place, cool and casual. Just a really good time.
Oh, the food. Yeah. Great stuff. We both had pasta. She had rigatoni a la vodka, and I had something else (I forget), but we both declared we were surprised at how good it was. Portions are decent, not humongous (It is not the type of place that where you order pasta you have no hopes of finishing your plate), and we both left with empty dishes and smiling faces.

Network Café is a very chill, relaxed bar/​restaurant with a café vibe. The menu is varied, but with an emphasis on Mediterranean food. The baba ganoush is great! Friendly waitstaff, reasonably priced tasty food and drinks. The downstairs area is more of a lounge with a separate bar and comfortable couches and chairs to relax on. It never gets super crowded, which is nice.
⁰⁸⁄₂₀₀₉:
I need to add something to my original review, which was written just over 4 months ago… I went here for brunch on Sunday and I have to say, I won’t be doing that again. First of all, the food took forever to come. (How long does it take to make eggs??) When the food finally came my boyfriend’s eggs were not they way he ordered them and the steak that came with the steak and eggs was mostly fat. Also, my boyfriend ordered a bloody mary, which is one of the drinks that is included in the brunch price, and was told, no, they were out of tomato juice. (He almost offered to go buy some!) I had poached eggs and while they weren’t the best I have ever had, they were alright. However, the brunch menu said that all meals come with salad/​bread/​cake du jour and we did not receive any bread or cake. We did get salad, which I thought was a little odd to eat before eating eggs.
So, drinks — yes, dinner — yes, brunch — no.

I believe that a few years ago they started to call this place, NETWORK CAFE, but I am old enough to remember it being Status Quo. My first time here was in ’99 or so — and I continue to come for random drinks and definitely dinner.
Such an inviting place — across the street from the more rowdy Irish Cottage and around the corner from the always-​fun Five Burros — this spot has a nice little bar, a cozy dining area and a downstairs lounge. The dining area is tastefully low-​lit and the ceilings are decorated with vines. Very enveloping. Climb down the spiral staircase to the lounge (and bathrooms and kitchen, btw) and find a fully stocked bar and vintage furniture to sit on.
Earlier in the night, I like to have a glass of wine or a mixed drink at the bar. They have beer, but no taps and the bottled brew is pretty standard. The bartenders and wait staff are usually of the beautiful Eastern European variety and always incredibly welcoming. Stay for dinner or come later and have drinks downstairs. Definitely a good place to have a date or small group discussion.
The music is pretty eclectic. I overheard that they play satellite radio and it seems like the bartender/​wait staff get to choose. Usually Motown and r&b earlier in the night and it gets more club/​rock later on.
The owner is so kind and very generous. He owns the type of place that could (and should) draw crowds of skinny, young things, but he doesn’t seek it. He wants «good people» there. I’m never exactly sure what he means, but he will engage you in some intellectual conversation over a glass or two (or three) of red wine at the bar — and then you might know.
But don’t be fooled — this place draws an attractive and young crowd at night. And no matter who you are, or what you look like, the owner and the staff treat you like old friends.
The menu is Albanian, Italian and sandwich-​type fare. The appetizers range from the standard bar fare to Mediterranean dishes like hummus and baba ghanoush.
My favorites are the «national dish,» a spiced, pulsed white bean dish and a very dolma-​like Cungi Te Mushta. That dish is hollowed zucchini filled with seasoned meat and rice with dollops of cream sauce. YUM! It was Armenian-​approved on two occasions.
If you find yourself in Forest Hills, definitely give it a try. Say hi to Manny for me.