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Home > Restaurants > Kafana

Kafana

116 Ave. C, New York, NY 10009
nr. 8th St.
212-353-8000 Send to Phone

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  • Reader Rating:

    9.0 out of 10

      |  

    2 Reviews | Write a Review

  • Cuisine: Eastern European
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Photo by Zach Desart

Official Website

kafananyc.com

Hours

Mon-Thu, 5pm-11pm; Fri-Sat, 5pm-midnight; Sun, 3pm-11pm

Nearby Subway Stops

L at First Ave.

Prices

$11-$16

Payment Methods

Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Special Features

  • Lunch
  • Take-Out

Alcohol

  • Beer and Wine Only

Reservations

Accepted/Not Necessary

Profile

According to owner Vladimir Ocokoljic, Kafana is New York’s first Serbian restaurant. But MetroCard-carrying gourmands will recognize a few familiar dishes from the Bosnian joints scattered around town. The big difference, according to Ocokoljic: “We use pork.” Do they ever. Kafana’s menu is immersed in the stuff, from the rinds that garnish a mixed-meat meze platter to the bacon that wraps walnut-stuffed prunes. And then, of course, there’s cevapi (pictured), the region’s signature beef-pork-and-lamb sausages; a slew of vegetable salads; and variously stuffed pies, akin to layered bureks but, to Ocokoljic’s mind, better. Like any self-respecting kafana—a term meaning neighborhood restaurant—his serves food, coffee, and beer and wine. — Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite

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9.0 "Highly Recommended"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10		 Write Your Own Review
100% Would you go back?
100% Would you take a date?
100% Would you take kids?
50% Would you go on business?
100% Would you go on a special occasion?
Food: 9.0
Service: 8.5
Décor: 9.0
Value: 9.5

Great meal and lots of fun!

Howard_From_Naples from 34108 | Posted on 6/10/09

Overall Rating: 10 (Highly Recommended)
Food: 9
Service: 10
Décor: 10
Value: 9

We had a great meal and great experience. For fans of Serbian cuisine, they will truly appreciate a great offering in NY! For those not familiar, it is a great introduction with top quality food in an informal, but intimate atmosphere. Thanks to Ana, our hostess, for walking us through the menu and the whole evening! Look forward to our next visit and sending friends.

Authentic, but not tacky

MosTango from 10021 | Posted on 10/16/08

Overall Rating: 8 (Recommended)
Food: 9
Service: 7
Décor: 8
Value: 10

Kafana strives for a taste of Serbian food adjusted to New York grease-intolerant palate. Food is well-made and, contrary to the NYMag one-liner, does not revolve around pork. We enjoyed fried "girice" ($7.95), a hefty appetizer of tiny fish that go nicely with beer. The red snapper ($20.95) was expertly grilled, and filleted on request. Traditional pleskavica ($12.95) was delicious, not fatty, but the star of our evening was chicken liver and walnut-stuffed prunes wrapped in bacon, served with a crisp celery salad ($12.95). Our waitress earned honesty points in admitting that she does not like the liver, but we found the dish very agreeable, and surprisingly delicious. "Zito", a dessert of sweet, coriander-laced ground bulgur wheat ($5.95), could have been ground twice for smoother texture, but is nevertheless more than a decent finish.

Read All 2 Reviews >>

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