Village Taverna

5 star food /​–4 star staff = 1 star review.
I think the food is great. Lamb gyros are very good and they’re hummus is the closest thing to my girlfriends homemade hummus that I’ve had. I ordered my first meal here a few weeks ago and my girlfriend and I have needed it 1 – 2 times a week since.
Having said that — we usually order delivery to my girlfriends apartment which is slightly closer to Village Taverna than my apartment is. Tonight I tried ordering delivery to my apartment for the first time and the hostess said that my apartment is outside they’re delivery radius. That is understandable because I know that most places have delivery radius’. She mentioned their cutoff is 24^th street. I told her that my girlfriend lives very close to 24^th St and they have delivered to her apartment every time we have ordered in, so I suggested that my girlfriend and I can just go to her place and have them deliver there — per usual.
The hostess reinforced that their cutoff is 24^th St and I all I did was mention that we have ordered in multiple times and this is the first time I’m hearing it will be an issue to deliver to my girlfriends apartment. At which point she decided she should get her manager.
Initially, I thought the manager would get on the phone and do his best to smooth things over considering the order history we have in recent weeks; however, what took place was far from that. The manager got on the phone and said their delivery radius is 22^nd St (not 24^th) and rambled on about why they have a radius (delivery men ride bikes, if we served every neighborhood in the city it would take at least 45 min for transportation alone to some places, yada yada) and as his tone started to harden I felt I should jump in. I said «sir, I understand you have a delivery radius, I’m with you on that. All I’m saying is you have delivered to my girlfriends place before and she lives at [xxx address]. I’m willing to…» He cut me off, raised his voice and said «we do not deliver past 22^nd St, come pick it up or order somewhere else» as he hung up the phone on me.
I have never been spoken to on the phone by a business like that in my life. Needless to say, I will never order from Village Taverna ever again. For a few weeks I spoke very highly about the quality of food but I will strongly advise everyone I had spoken to about it to look elsewhere. It is not the only place you can get a solid gyro and hummus from in mid/​lower east side Manhattan.

My cousins and I stumbled jon this gem while looking for brunch. I think Greek Comfort Food best describes it. It is lovely and delicious! The steak and eggs were to die for.

Very nice place, very clean, very nicely arranged and decorated restaurant.
The food was very fresh, I loved their pita bread.
Everything is imported from Greece.
They even have the best water from Greece imported in glass bottles. I walked by the kitchen, everything so immaculately clean and well organized there too. That’s so important!
Also conveniently located from Union square, NYC.
The staff if very accommodating and pays attention to you from the minute you walk in yet they don’t hover over you but if you need anything they are there.
The owner will answer all your questions and makes you feel extremely welcome.
I highly recommend this place to anyone, you will not be disappointed.

Great food, poor service.
The restaurant is well decorated and laid out, in a cute neighborhood, and with a high quality Greek selection. There are many vegetarian options too.
The problem is the service. The place is run by a group of irritable men with short tempers. The waiter was annoyed with us for wanting to order more then it took 30m to arrive. When we finished all our food it took 15m for them to clear the table.
It’s not horrible just not service becoming of a high quality restaurant.
If they hired an entirely new wait staff this would be a 5 star place.

Food: Excellent.
Service: Needs work.
Came here last night with some girlfriends and had a great meal. I ordered the sea bass and had it deboned for me, with potatoes. The sea bass was nice, moist, and fresh, but it was a bit lighter on flavor than I was expecting. The potatoes were amazing.
I also tried my friend’s pork souvlaki, which made me wish I had ordered that (and for half the price) because it was so amazingly flavorful and juicy. Plus with all the sides together it makes for a great meal. Also tried my friend’s cheese from the greek salad and that was divine. Pita bread, olive oil, and olives on the table were also awesome.
Now the service was ok, but I felt like Miguel, our waiter, was rushing us the whole evening. He kept trying to take plates when they weren’t fully finished, kept asking if we wanted to order/​get the check/​generally trying to move the night along too quickly. Also, the times I was walking through the restaurant, which is tight, all of the servers and busboys (really, at least 4 of them did this) took the right of way, which is a bit rude in my opinion. I’d have liked if they allowed me to pass first, and not charged ahead of me, just out of courtesy of me being a guest in their restaurant.
However, the service issues were not enough to deter from the lovely vibe and delicious food. I would absolutely be back and will surely order a meat option next time.

Great gyros and atmosphere! Friendly waiters in a nice, open space.

So disappointed with this place. I came here once before and thought the food was alright, though extremely overpriced. The only thing that stood out for me was that they had my favorite dish, vegetarian moussaka, which can be somewhat hard to find in most Greek restaurants.
My boyfriend and I decided to stop by on a Tuesday night for dinner. It was far from crowded and no one was waiting for a table. When we asked for a table for 2, however, we were turned away because it was «too busy.» Just flat out told «no”– he didn’t even offer to take our name for a waiting list or seat us at the bar… nothing.
Maybe it’s too much to expect good food AND customer service, but if that’s what you’re looking for, steer clear. There are much better Greek restaurants that will happily feed you… without the attitude.

Truly fantastic! Love their pita, tzaziki and chicken souvlaki. Great ambiance, too! Large portions. Would prefer a more traditional Greek salad of onions, tomatoes, cucumber.

What I’ve tried: Veggie chips, Horyatiki, Chopped salad, Gyro Platter, Chicken Souvlaki platter, and baklava
Tip: Order some extra pita with your platter to make your meal go long way! They give you 4 triangles, but all the platters come with a ton of meat.
Story: I used to live down the block from this place and I miss it so much! The meal is started with warm pita and olive oil. I like to get the Horatiki when I’m in the mood for something lighter and the gyro platter when I’m really hungry. Even when I am really hungry, the gyro platter can easily make two meals with the addition of some extra pita. Their tzaziki is also really delicious. I am a sweets person and cannot get enough of their baklava. The restaurant feels light and airy and the service has always been good. All the friends I have taken here absolutely love it and I’ll definitely be back!

Really surprised to see some of the negative reviews here; Village Taverna is definitely one of my favorite lunch spots in Greenwich Village and in NYC for Greek food.
I recommend coming with a few friends to share dishes family style, because the portions are too big and delicious to eat just by yourself. They always start you off with a plate of grilled pita and olive oil, but don’t eat it all just yet! Save some for dipping later. I’ve had great meals with some of the following:
+ Kolokithokeftedes: yeah not even going to try and pronounce this one. Really delicious zucchini croquettes with a generous scoop of tzatziki and a sweet tomato marmalade.
+ Keftedakia Kokinista: delicious meatballs in tomato sauce.
+ Horyatiki: basic Greek salad with large chopped tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, onions, and feta cheese in a light vinaigrette. I always wish this had more cucumbers and less tomatoes though.
+ Yemista: a tomato and pepper stuffed with this incredibly flavorful mixture of rice and beef; it’s delicious and comfort food at its finest.
The menu is a little pricey, but it’s always quality and really delicious– and sharing definitely helps keep your bill reasonable too.

Great atmosphere. Explicitly Excellent. Food was truly divine.
This place is great. Not too small. Not too big. Just right. The food was so delicious.

Came to lunch with my brother and cousin. Delish! We shared the hummus, mixed grill and finally the baklava. Everything was wonderful the food and service. This a great place.

Seafood dishes are all frozen and you can taste it. They charge $ 2.50 for a side of feta (which is placed in the tiny silver dishes you normally put ketchup in), which was a ripoff. The waitress was very nice but not the smartest one because if she didn’t charge us that, her tip could of been 25% instead of 20% (I work in hospitality and would never tip less than 20%).
They were blasting the AC, which i get it is 70 degrees outside but the restaurant was literally 45 degrees. Asked the waitress if they could raise the temperature and she said she will ask. Heard about 3 other tables ask the same thing and nothing changed.
As for the hostess, we waited 5 minutes to be seated in an empty restaurant (5 tables max on a Friday night) all due to her either talking or flirting with a guy at the bar. Upon leaving, she was talking/​flirting with a DIFFERENT individual and couldn’t even acknowledge us or thank us for dining at the establishment. Working in hospitality this place should get a negative star

These folks have certainly gotten too big for their britches.
Hoping to give them another chance, I called to place a takeout order for a salad but asked if I could please sub out the cheese that came with it with feta and even offered up front to pay the difference. Guess what? They said no. Want to know why? «Because we want you to experience the salad the way it’s supposed to taste». Huh? Are you kidding me?! I experience the salad however I want because I’m paying for it.
I asked the guy if he was serious and he stated that that was the way they operated. I ended up ordering from the Hummus & Pita Co… the same business that put Mama Gyro out of business and the same business that I think is taking a nice chunk of business out of these folks’ pockets.
I like my food how I like it not how someone else feels I should. I won’t be back.

Went with my girlfriend after work, we both got salads with blackened salmon on top. I was happy to see that they serve a traditional Greek salad, not its «lettuce with feta and olives» step-​cousin. The food was out quickly, and the waiter was very friendly.
The feta was great and the vegetables were fresh. It was also nicely dressed. The salmon was fine, nothing too special there.
Definitely will come back here for a quick meal, we left feeling full (but in a healthy, «I just ate a bunch of vegetables» type of way).

Had lunch at Village Taverna yesterday, and overall we were happy with our meal.
Ambiance: Beautiful restaurant in near Union Square. Very clean and casual.
Service: Servers are friendly and food came out in a reasonable time frame.
Food: Nicely presented and flavorful.
– Horitaki salad with shrimp — Shrimp was a bit chewy but overall this was quite tasty.
– Chicken skewers — Husband seemed to like this. I can vouch for his rice which was excellent.
– Lamb burger — Daughter had issues with the spice level (she can be high maintenance sometimes) but I think she liked this burger for the most part. I thought the avocado was a nice touch, next time we’ll order a different side as the potato chips weren’t too great.
– Complimentary bread and olives were DELICIOUS.
Overall: Great option near Union Square, we will definitely return.

I came here last Saturday night with a good friend. The food is great! I got the sea bass with lemon potatoes. I pretty much licked the plate clean.
The reason for the 3/3.5 stars is the service. When we got there, the restaurant was ¾ full, so it was easy to get a table. Granted, it was pretty loud in the restaurant, but it was almost as if it was opposite day with our waiter. When we ordered, he pretty much bullied my friend out of her original choice to get something else (which she liked, so it was fine). We ordered wine, and after 15 minutes, we were wondering where it was. I asked the waiter, who apologized and asked how many glasses. We told him two, and he brought one to the table. It was fixed easily.
Later, I was taking a break from eating, as I am apt to do, and the waiter asks if I am done with my lemon potatoes. I say no, and shake my head, and he reaches down to take my lemon potatoes away! I actually had to do a little bit of tug of war with him to keep my potatoes, which in hindsight is kind of hilarious, but not so much at the time.
Finally, my friend didn’t finish her meal, but couldn’t get it boxed up, since it was fish, and she wasn’t going home for hours (saturday night). Our waiter wouldn’t take no for an answer, even though she told him she couldn’t get to a fridge for a while, but he gave her a box anyway. He was just a very pushy waiter.
Bottom line, good food, but hopefully you’ll have better service.

Success has gone to their heads. We have been loyal customers since the opening. In spite of indifferent waiters, or the noise level, we urged frineds to go.
While all the bars up and down University Pl. were overserving the Cinco de Mayo revelers, we opted for Taverna. We never got in. The manager/​owner/​head waiter, whateverer, had great seats for the 2 lovely european blondes he was flirting with, and none for us 2.
He said no seats for 2. In spite of my pointing out several open tables for 4, he refused to seat us. Then I pointed to the table for 4 with 2 people about to leave. He said «They were here from earlier.»
I was not sure what that meant, so Ok I play along and ask how long a wait for a table for 2. He pointed to the bar and said we could eat there… then he walked away.
New York has thousands of restaurants, and I can’t wait to try a different greek one.

When I was 9, I tried octopus for the first time. It was certainly not love at first sight (think Ursula from the Little Mermaid), but it was indeed love at first bite. Come to think of it, that should be the name of a restaurant. Anyway, it was at a tiny Greek restaurant in South Philly, and since then I’ve always had positive associations with Greek food.
Enter Village Taverna. I came here at 6:45 on a Tuesday night with a friend who used to work in Union Square, and she spoke very highly of this place. Most of my friends aren’t too keen on Greek/​Mediterranean food, so I jumped at the opportunity. As soon as we walked in here, it was clear we would be taken care of. The entire staff here goes above and beyond to provide excellent customer service. So in that regard…
Service: A++++. First off, my water glass was never empty. I drink water like I’ve been living in the Sahara for weeks, so that’s impressive. Our food and wine came quickly, even when the place picked up about an hour after we arrived. Our waiter was personable and knowledgable, which is all you can ask.
The food was delightful! My friend recommended the spreads, so we got what was probably the most esoteric one on the menu. It’s called «Taramosalata», which is Greek style caviar spread made with red caviar, freshly squeezed lemon juice, shallots and extra virigin olive oil. I took a picture because it’s PINK! But definitely not strawberry cream cheese, folks. You receive a sizeable serving of pita with olives in a bath of olive oil upon sitting down, so we had all that we needed to enjoy the spread. It was unlike anything I’ve ever had before, but absolutely worth a try, especially if you’ve had your fair share of tzatziki and hummus and are looking for something new.
One of the specials this night was their traditional Greek salad, which is the Horyatiki but with the addition of pita chips and chickpeas, and chopped. And here comes the best part — the option of adding octopus! Um, yes. Usually I have no problem finishing a salad, but this one was just packed with ingredients and general tasty goodness, so I took the rest home. Hooray leftovers!

Really exceptional Greek artisanal type restaurant.
They keep some common favorites on the menu for the traditional taverna experience, but then add a bunch of regional dishes like fish, pastries, and local cheeses that you won’t find outside of Greece.
I was in Naxos, Santorini (of course), and Athens this past summer and the culinary experience of Naxos was a high point. With its local dairy farms, produce, and livestock, Naxian restaurants are absolutely killing the game in regional Greek islands cuisine.
While not 100% of what I experienced in Naxos, The Village Taverna was 98% there. The wait staff was exceptional as well. We got a table right by the window for people watching, but our eyes rarely left the table the food was so remarkable.
I got a fried cheese with honey (graviera kasteliani) and standard Greek salad, they call it Horyatiki salad, both perfect.
Then mains I wanted to try a little of everything. Got the mixed grill, it was a meat pyramid, not just volume of food, but really excellent meats also. The sausage, gyro meat, and chicken gyro meat was my favorite.
One last note… You can tell a lot about a Greek place from their tsatziki, I have been to Greece four times, so I’m qualified. This tsatziki is the best I have had in the US. Thick creamy Greek yogurt, not at all runny. Great consistency. I’ll definitely come back.