The Best Greek Restaurants In NYC

This New York City classic has been open since 1986, and your grandma probably still loves it. You will too. Eat the Octopus, the Greek Salad, and Rabbit Stew.

Molyvos is most certainly among the best Greek restaurants in Manhattan, and it makes for a good Midtown dinner move after work, assuming you avoid some of the pre-theater crowds. They’re known for their Moussaka, but all the Greek classics are good here.

A tiny, excellent Greek restaurant on 7th Street in the East Village. Pylos is one of those spots that you either know about and absolutely love, or have never heard of. There is no in between. Order the Artichoke Moussaka.

Easily the coolest Greek restaurant on this list, brought to you by the owners of the cool and funky Lower East Side bar, Forgetmenot. Kiki’s is right next door on Division Street, and it’s full of good simple food and people who look like they probably had breakfast at Dimes. At 11am. On Tuesday.

Yes, Milos is stupid expensive. Paying $80 for a whole fresh fish that was pulled out of the Mediterranean yesterday is a crazy thing to do. But it is also a delicious thing to do, especially if someone else is paying. If you’re the one footing the bill, hit Milos for the lunch special: 3 courses for $25. It’s a steal.

An unexpectedly awesome Greek spot in Yorkville that’s great for the neighborhood and even worth making a trip for on a random Saturday night. Order the Halloumi, Zucchini Chips, and a whole fish.

In Greek mythology, Thalassa is a hot sea goddess with crab claw horns on her head. In Tribeca, Thalassa is a not-so-sexy Greek restaurant that hosts weddings and corporate events. That said, there are some solid dishes on the menu. Just know what you’re walking into. You might end up married.

The original Taverna Kycklades in Astoria is arguably that neighborhood’s most well known Greek restaurant (more on that soon). This new East Village location is a slightly less crowded, and also delicious. A great option if you don’t want to trek it to Queens.

A very casual on the Lower East Side for a Greek wrap and a plate of fries. Souvlaki GR also has good meze and a bunch of Greek delicacies for sale on their shelves, but don’t expect much more to get excited about beyond that. Use it for a quick, cheap meal on the move or late at night.

This small West Village neighborhood spot has a loyal following and an excellent traditional Greek Salad. Some say Snack Taverna also has some of the best Greek wines in the city, and by some we mean two of the seven people in the world that actually know something about Greek wine.

Known for fresh fish and long lines, this is Astoria’s best known Greek restaurant. Is it Astoria’s best Greek restaurant? That kind of depends on what you’re looking to eat. For fresh fish, it might be.

There really isn’t one Greek restaurant in Astoria that does everything well - most have one thing that they make their name on, and the rest falls in line behind that. At Telly’s, the thing is fried vegetable small plates. Don’t even bother with the mains. Eat in the garden out back.

Loukomi is the name of a children’s book about a cute little lamb. It’s also the name of this classic Greek establishment that serves an excellent plate of lamb. Coincidence? You decide.

Best known for serving rooster pasta - and no, that does not mean that the noodles are shaped like roosters. That means male chicken with noodles in a tomato sauce with feta and dill. No idea if that’s a classic Greek thing, but it’s definitely interesting.

Zenon is another Astoria favorite, focusing on the food from Cyprus. That means lots of halloumi cheese and lots of mint in the entrees. It also means you’re probably gonna like it.

There aren’t a lot of truly good Greek restaurants in Brooklyn, but Meze in Bensonhurst is one of them. Eat the Spanakopita.

Bay Ridge is a reliable place to find good ethnic food, and that’s certainly the case with Eliá, a solid spot in the neighborhood with an excellent braised lamb shank.