Trata

I have lived in the Upper East Side for three years and have walked past Trata many times but finally had the chance to try it on a recent sunny Sunday evening with my brother. This Greek restaurant is located on 2nd Ave. near 70th Street, has outdoor seating and offers a creative Greek menu with fresh fish, creative salads and wonderful desserts. I ordered a salad that I had never seen on a menu before with lettuce, watermelon and fried Greek cheese (maybe it's a summer special because it's not listed on the online menu). There was a minor issue with our meal though so we were given two complimentary desserts which were amazing. The first was Yiaourti- a dish with three scoops of chilled Greek yogurt each with different toppings. The first scoop was topped with pistachios, cherry syrup and honey; the second was topped with honeyed figs and the thrid was enhanced with honey, walnuts and quince. We were also able to try the Sokolata, a warm double-chocolate torte with seasonal berry coulis.
Outside of New York City, Tata can also be found in the Hamptons and will soon be in Roslyn, NY.
I am surprised to see that the restaurant is engaging in social media and has a dedicated Facebook Page.
Tata's rating on NYMag.com is only a 3.7 but what do you think? If you've dined here I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Avra Estiatorio

I had always been interested in trying Avra Estiatorio, a large Greek restaurant on 48th St. between 3rd and Lexington Ave. The space is huge, would be a great spot for groups, and the courtyard off to the side of the restaurant makes me think Avra would be a fun place to try in the summer time for some outdoor dining.The menu features a wide variety of Greek food, the meal starts off with two small dishes, one filled with olives, another filled with hummus and a basket of bread. To go along with our hummus my friend and I ordered the Kolokithi- traditional crispy zucchini and eggplant chips. For dinner we both ordered Greek Salads, of course my favorite part of the salad were the large slices of feta cheese and crisp tomatoes.
Reservations can be made at OpenTable

Milos Estiatorio

I had walked past Milos several times before but had never tried it until recently. The restaurant is extremely spacious, carrying the Grecian theme throughout with white stucco walls and large clay pots in every view. The back of the restaurant, near the kitchen, is set up like a fish market where diners can select a their fish from the bed of ice.
My three friends and I shared the Mediterranean Spreads, a Greek sampler which included Taztziki, Tarama, Kipti, Skordalia, eggplant croquettes and grape vine leaves. For my entree I had the Organic Heirloom Beets- baked heirloom beets served with green and balsamic vinegar.
A group of girls sat behind us came to Milos simply for drinks and dessert which looked amazing! I would definitely do the same, considering the dessert menu offers three diferent sizes of fruit platters, plus other traditional Greek dishes like Baklava, Galaktoboureko, Karidopita, Loukoumades and more.
Located on 55th Street between 6th & 7th Avenues, Milos would be a great venue for corporate events or simply large parties.

Ammos Estiatorio

I seem to always gravitate toward Greek restaurants and this time is no different. Ammos Estiatorio restaurant is located on Vanderbilt Avenue near Grand Central (btw. Park & Madison) which makes it a convenience place to meet friends after work. My friend and I sipped on crisp white wine while enjoying a plethora of Mediterranean dishes. We started with Krya Orekitka- a platter of House Made Spreads and Grilled Pita. The spreads included Kalamatat-Chickpea, Garlic-Ground Almond, Greek Yogurt, Roasted Pepper-Feta and Eggplant. For my entree I had the Kolokithokeftedes- fried zucchini cakes, Myzithra cheese, mint and Tzatizki sauce.
Everything was so good here- the food, the wine and the service!

Fig & Olive

A neighborhood go-to for great wine and delicious food. Subtly located on the Upper East Side on Lexington Ave. (btw. 61st & 62nd), Fig & Olive is a great place to grab a drink and appetizers. Good for a quiet night with a friend or a good date night.There are two other locations though, one on 5th Avenue and 52nd Street and the third location is in the Meatpacking District- 13th St. btw. 9th Ave and Washington St.
Siting down for dinner you are greeted by three different extra virgin olive oils from three different regions. Some Fig & Olive signature dishes include Couscous with Figs and Greek Yogurt. I personally love their cheese plates (naturally!) and their Manchego, Fig Spread and Almond Crostini, the Mushroom and Truffle Soup and the Fig & Olive Salad (figs, olives, tomato, shaved parmesan, manchego, gorgonzola dolce, goat cheese walnuts, green apples, 18 year balsamic fig vinegar dressing).

Kellari Taverna

I was truly impressed with this large Greek restaurant. Kellari Taverna is warmly lit with tall ceilings, a nice sized bar with oak barrels all around. I was pleasantly surprised by the waitstaff's knowledge of the cuisine and wine menu and the attentive service made me feel like I was attending their Grand Opening event. When I found out that this restaurant had been in NYC for 2 years I was blown away. I recommend the traditional Green wine, Assytiko produced by Boutari Estates in Greece (Vintage: 2002). And definitely start with the Saganaki (translation: flaming cheese) appetizer. Click here to see their menu but I also suggest the Patzaria salad.

Extra Virgin

Extra Virgin is a West Village neighborhood gem located at 259 West 4th St. (between Charles & Perry St). As one could guess from their name, the restaurant offers a variety of extra virgin oils from around the world. Aside from the array of olive oil, chef Joey Fortunato serves quality Mediterranean dishes like Roasted Artichoke Parmesan and a Greek Salad which is served with hearts of palm, feta cheese, tomatoes, chickpeas, kalamata olives, red onion, cucumber and hummus crostini. My cousin ordered the Mustard Crusted Virgin Chicken served with sweet pea risotto, cippolini onions and truffle broth. Even Whitney Port and her boyfriend have been seen eating at Extra Virgin in an episode of The City.
Check out this video of the restaurant.
Open for dinner every night of the week, lunch Tuesdays-Fridays and brunch on the weekends from 11am-4pm.