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All Reader Reviews of...

Peri Ela

1361 Lexington Ave., New York, NY, 10128
nr. 90th St.
212-410-4300

Avg. Rating

8
Food: 8
Service: 7
Décor: 9
"Recommended"

Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10.

71% would go back.

 Write your own review

Eh...

By BBfood on 2/21/2012

  • Overall Rating: 7
  • Food: 6
  • Service: 7
  • Décor: 9
  • No, I would not go back!

Not sure why it's a critics pick. I'd say it's very good if each entree were $10 cheaper. The food is very expensive and I'm not too sure why. I ordered the chicken with yogurt sauce, and there was so much bread under the chicken that it should have been considered a bread dish and not a chicken one. It was sort of an optical illusion...

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15 out of 27 people found this review helpful.

Expensive, sub-par food and service

By xemper on 11/4/2011

  • Overall Rating: 4
  • Food: 5
  • Service: 1
  • Décor: 8
  • No, I would not go back!

The place is cute, and cozy. Some of the food we ate was good (chicken and lamb chops), but some was bad, especially kofte (Turkish meatballs). It was extremely salty and hard. Pricing was on the high side which doesn't justify the food and service we got. Food and price was tolerable, but the service was not. Our waitress didn't even smile a single time all evening, and gave us a big attitude when she thought we didn't tip her and didn't sign the CC receipt. It was a honest mistake that we didn't sign one of the receipts, and the tip was actually on that one and not the other. That was very rude the way she told us about the tip although we tipped her very generously according to NY standards. After that episode, we should have taken away our tip, but we didn't. However, we will not recommend this restaurant to our neighborhood friends. If I were the owner of this restaurant, I would really pay attention to my staff, and coach them on their customer service skills. At the end, your restaurant is as good as your staff is because they represent your restaurant and reputation.

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10 out of 25 people found this review helpful.

Delicious Turkish Cuisine

By moregoodfood on 5/16/2011

  • Overall Rating: 9
  • Food: 9
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 9
  • Yes, I would go back!

In today's fast paced world, it seems that most people, restaurants, stores, etc have lowered their standards. In response, the consumer has also lowered their standards, simply because there aren't many choices (bad and worse). Needless to say, when I walked into Peri Ela a few weeks ago, I didn't expect much more than the quality and service I receive from their competitors (i.e. Sfoglia). I ordered a bit of everything in hopes of finding something that made this restaurant stand out from the others . I have been searching for something that tasted similar to "what Mom used to make". I was pleasantly surprised to find "what Mom used to make" with a twist of "our generation" mixed in. It was BRILLIANT! Peri Ela has created exquisite Turkish Cuisine in a fun, upbeat atmosphere. I felt as though I was welcomed into Sly and Jill's home after being greeted by them personally at the door. Along with their friendly staff, they seemed to make sure that everyone had a unique experience. I will definitely return to Peri Ela whether I am looking to simply enjoy a great meal (at a reasonable price) or start the evening off by meeting friends at their bar where we would enjoy some of their exciting cocktails and entertaining music! I am excited to have found this refreshing neighborhood restaurant and I look forward to returning often.

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21 out of 34 people found this review helpful.

yummy smoked eggplant

By lindaperalta1212 on 10/11/2010

  • Overall Rating: 9
  • Food: 9
  • Service: 9
  • Décor: 10
  • Yes, I would go back!

I went with my family and we had such a great service and food. I looooveeeeed the smoked eggplant and the branzino. My cocktail was amazing. My brother had the mixed grill and loved it and my mom had the grilled chicken salad and loved it as well. Awesome restaurant it was worth all my money .

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25 out of 54 people found this review helpful.

Love the lamb dishes!

By lambchops on 10/7/2010

  • Overall Rating: 9
  • Food: 9
  • Service: 8
  • Décor: 9
  • Yes, I would go back!

I have been dining here since it opened a few years back and am routinely pleased with the food, service, and atmosphere. The $30 meze sampler plate and bottle of house Turkish wine is really a terrific deal. The meze sampler plus maybe another app. and an entree to share is plenty for two people. I particularly love the Adana Kebab Yogurtlu -- lamb baked over pita with yogurt sauce. So creamy and delicious!

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24 out of 46 people found this review helpful.

Loved it!

By christine767 on 6/25/2009

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 9
  • Décor: 10
  • Yes, I would go back!

We had been meaning to try this cute Turkish place since they opened, but for some reason, we hadn't made it to Peri Ela until last night. We happened to be walking by and the "Meze and Wine Special" ($30) caught our eye. We were in the mood for something light, so we ordered the special which came with a delicious meze platter of humus, smoked eggplant, fried eggplant, red bean salad, and ezme, with lots of yummy bread, and we got to chose between a bottle of red or white Turkish wine (we went with the white which was nice and crisp). It was delicious!! We shared an almond pudding for dessert and had a couple cups of thick Turkish coffee to go with it. Perfect ending to a perfect dinner. We loved everything about the place... the food was amazing and the decor was quintessential Istanbul. It wasn't decorated with Turkish carpets or copper pots like most Turkish restaurants in New York. Instead, the atmosphere is like you're in the middle of old Istanbul, or even in some far away place in Europe. This place is a hidden treasure!

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53 out of 96 people found this review helpful.

Service a little slow, food definitely worth it..

By charlieY on 8/27/2008

  • Overall Rating: 8
  • Food: 8
  • Service: 7
  • Décor: 8
  • Yes, I would go back!

the zucchini pancakes are so delicious i wanted to make a meal out of them, but the slices of ground chicken with the yogurt sauce and rice pilav was just as delish. the 15 min lava cake (menu says 10 min...lies) was mediocre at best..ambiance and laid back appeal of the restaurant makes up for it. an upper east side gem. a great alternative if you don't want to wait in line for sfoglia across the way..

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58 out of 120 people found this review helpful.

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