Turks & Frogs Tribeca
Gourmet Turkish Cuisine in an Intimate Setting
(212) 966-4774
458 Greenwich Street
(at Between Watts Street and Desbrosses Street)
New York,
NY
10013
40.723606
-74.00951
Neighborhoods: SoHo, Downtown
Hours:
Sun-Thu 11am-11pm
Fri-Sat 11am-1am
Price:
$$
Last updated 6.04.09
What People Are Saying About Turks & Frogs Tribeca
The Owner
Turks & Frogs Tribeca
Owner
Osman Cakir, a Turkish antiques collector with a passion for food and wine, has opened Turks & Frogs Tribeca, an authentic Turkish restaurant housed in a former stonemason's studio. Like his West Village wine bar of the same name, the red-walled Turks & Frogs Tribeca is adorned with French and Turkish antiques, including 17th century olive oil pots and classic Middle Eastern lanterns, all for sale. The exotic decor extends to the private hookah lounge downstairs, which doubles as the wine cellar. Guests can choose from a selection of cold meze (small plates), such as stuffed baby eggplants and red caviar, offered on a large tray in traditional Istanbul style. The mezze and entrees, prepared by a Turkish chef, are Osman's favorites from childhood. Turks & Frogs Tribeca is open for lunch and dinner everyday.
The Editor
Erin Behan
Citysearch
The Scene
What Osman and Orhan Kakir started with their West Village wine bar, they continue here. The striking space, dressed in cranberry red and sage green, devotes ample room to the bar, but also hosts linen-topped tables and more relaxed seating in back. Service is friendly but suffers from the occasional language barrier.
The Food
Cold appetizers start the menu off strong--both the lebni, a thick yogurt dip brightened with fresh dill, and the acili ezme, a spicy dish of chopped tomatoes and vegetables, are excellent, as is the warm house-made bread. One bite of the freshly fried cigars of feta-stuffed phyllo dough and you'll be content to stop there. But then you'd miss the manti, a classic Central Asian dish of tiny dumplings stuffed with lamb and served with warm yogurt sauce and the enormous platter of grilled lamb chunks presented atop a smokey layer of pureed eggplant. Finish with sweet baklava.
User Reviews
Carloma
November 21, 2008
Can you have the perfect dining experience? YES! The food is DELICIOUS... richly interesting... good size portions Whatever you do, try the roasted lamb... shut up... best thing EVER and the staff is friendly and professional and attentive
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kmgorman
May 31, 2008
My husband is Turkish, so we are always looking out for authentic Turkish restaurants with a good atmosphere. Since we tried Turks and Frogs, we've been back at least once every other week. It is by far, the best Turkish restaurant we have tried in NYC, including the outer boroughs. The ingredients in every dish are fresh and interesting, the food is cooked to perfection, the atmosphere is relaxed and moderately classy, and the service is outstanding. We typically sample several of the cold appetizers, including hummus and ezme ("spicy salad"), along with hot appetizers like the zucchini pancakes, which are outstanding . They have the best Coban (Shepherd) salad, too. The entrees are TREMENDOUS and can easily be shared, which makes up for their higher-than-average prices. I highly recommend Turks and Frogs to anyone who is interested in tasting authentic Turkish cuisine in a comfortable atmosphere.
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kem31753
March 16, 2008
Every month my siblings, wives, & significant others, choose a restaurant for an extended luncheon. This month my brother chose Turks & Frogs. I don't understand the frogs allusion, but from the delicious cuisine of Turkey this restaurant is a winnr. For starts, it's beautiful. Next, the service was outstanding. Neither too much or too little. Our waiter explained the dishes, made recommendations, and conversed with our table of 7 like we were old friends. Every single thing we ate was to die for - the creamy caviar dip and hummus on the crusty hot flatbread. The phyllo cigars of feta cheese. We ordered the lamb dumplings to share across the table as an appetizer. Everything we ordered was prepared to our specifications - medium rare lamb for myself to medium well lamb for my nephew. I had the lamb with eggplant puree. It was perfectly balanced. My nephew, however, made me jealous - his lamb with fresh oregano and lemon was moist, tender, and flavorful. As has been written, the desserts are humble. But you can't go wrong with the rice pudding. I finished my meal with Raki and Turkish coffee. The perfect end to a perfect day. One last thing - the bar tender wasn't there. But a brave waiter got behind the bar and with our supervision, created the signature Turkish Delight cocktail. He did great! We each had 3 apiece. The waiters told us it gets very crowded at night, but we had the restaurant to ourselves for most of Saturday afternoon. Outstanding!
read full reviewThe Details on Turks & Frogs Tribeca
What to Drink:
There's a full bar, but keep with the theme and try a Turkish wine, such as the 2004 Kavaklidere "Yakut" Okuzgozu d'Elazig ($32), which is also available by the glass.
The Extras:
If you're in the West Village, try the original wine bar.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Discover, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Romantic Dining, Hidden Find, Lunch Spot, Date Spot, Dine At The Bar, Bar Scene
Cuisine:
Message from Turks & Frogs Tribeca
- Authentic Turkish Cuisine
- Antique-filled Dining Room
- Warm, Seductive Atmosphere
Osman Cakir, a Turkish antiques collector with a passion for food and wine, has opened Turks & Frogs Tribeca, an authentic Turkish restaurant housed in a former stonemason's studio. Like his West Village wine bar of the same name, the red-walled Turks & Frogs Tribeca is adorned with French and Turkish antiques, including 17th century olive oil pots and classic Middle Eastern lanterns, all for sale. The exotic decor extends to the private hookah lounge downstairs, which doubles as the wine cellar. Guests can choose from a selection of cold meze (small plates), such as stuffed baby eggplants and red caviar, offered on a large tray in traditional Istanbul style. The mezze and entrees, prepared by a Turkish chef, are Osman's favorites from childhood. Turks & Frogs Tribeca is open for lunch and dinner everyday.
