Pera Mediterranean Brasserie

02/13/09

Never again

by Richie2001

My wife and I had dinner at Pera on a Saturday night and it was an unpleasant experience at best. The baby lamb chop was overcooked and the humus was served with bread that had a texture similar of a rock.

My wife had the monk fish which was not bad. The worse part of the meal was the service. The waiter never seemed concerned or even interested if our experience was good or not.

I did speak with someone who claimed to be the manager on the way out and his only comment was please try us again it will be better. I have never thought about writing a review before and I dine out in NYC often but this whole experience was downright dreadful.

01/28/09

Delicious, inventive, and fabulous!!

by Laura1884

I sampled a number of the smaller plates at Pera - the eggplant and tomato timbale is excellent; delicately seasoned and refreshing. The grape leaves were some of the best I have ever had as well - with a subtle sweetness that I really enjoyed. I also enjoyed one of the best cocktails - the Bld. Orange Gimlet- and probably the best dessert - the flaky pastry in a honey sauce with a melted cheese center I've ever had. A must try!!!

01/28/09

All around amazing!!!

by bpnh

My wife and I took my mother-in-law to Pera for some good Mediterranean and were more than impressed. The service is both attentive and informative, offering you the perfect wine selection for whichever dish you choose.

Of the many splendid offerings, I highly recommend the lamb. My personal favorite is the lamb riblets but the newly added sausge lollipops are also one of a kind. To me, lamb is difficult to cook and many restaurants typically overcook it or don't season it enough, leaving the scent of the lamb that is often unsavory. Pera has mastered the preparation and cooking of the meat and has made the meal an experience you won't soon forget.

• Pros: Service and quality of food
• Cons: If I had to list a drawback, it would be the space. That being said, I like the space and ambience, but the tables feel a little close.

11/25/08

Fantastic experience!

by jenlorin

We hosted our board dinner at Pera. It's a great place for a group dinner; the balance is just right between a fun atmosphere and a restaurant volume level that allows for easy conversation. The food was inventive and outstanding, and there were great vegetarian options available (why don't more top restaurants have good vegetarian options?) The servers were friendly and accommodating. The entire board raved about the experience!

10/18/08

High Class

by pppatel

Went Pera Mediterranean Brasserie in a group of 6 for my friend's birthday. Everything that night was so good and so perfect!

Food: I had a taste of most of the dishes they have since my friends and I got different dishes. They were all really good. Everything I got was delicious. I recommend the Filet mignon medallions.

Service: It was as if I am a princess or something. Not only do they help me take off and put on my jacket, hang my purse, pour my water when it's empty, refill bread after bread, etc etc. The waiters and waitresses are super friendly. The crowd was mainly middle age. Even though my friends and I were younger in comparison, the service was still the same--really good. Our waiter was hilarious and was really helpful.

Ambiance: The place is dim, and elegant. It wasn't quiet. Even though it's a "high class" place, it wasn't too dressy.

I ordered a 4 courses meal. I underestimated the portions. I was still pretty hungry after my 2nd course, but by the time I finished the third, I was getting a little full...and after dessert, I felt bloated.

09/18/08

Great food. Nice ambience.

by horacelock

I've been here about 5 times over the past 6 months and have always had a great meal. Granted I loved the adana the first time i got it but this last time i ventured out and got the lamb tenderloin and it was delicious. I love the fried artichoke hearts along with the eggplant and phylo rolls. As far as the atmosphere goes I find it a very comfortable environment with a great aesthetic to look at. The table up by the bar is beautiful.

08/30/08

Mediterranean Delight, Aching to go back!

by Pisc12345

Aren't we fortunate to be sybarites in New York City? Some friends and I ate dinner last night at Pera and ended the night with this thought. We were a large group and essentially sampled most of the menu. Some of us are New Yokers and others European (known for chauvinistic inclinations towards their national cuisine). Based on a friend's recommendation, I was hoping this would help enlarge their view of NYC dining as well as my own.

For me, gastronomic memories are made from raw ingredients working together in alchemy. If you agree with this, then order the hummus and eggplant appetizer. The texture and contrasts are incredible. Our server was very helpful in describing each option, leaving enough room for us to be impressed. Most of us ordered meat dishes as our main course, unanimously enjoyng the ground lamb meat and lamb chops. These flavors really stood out to me; I'd even go back again this weekend.....But, the best part came at the end: dessert. I couldn't have imagined how to put together the "Kunefe" - a succulent crispi vermiccelli-esque dough clenched around a dense yet light cheese, covered in honey. In-cre-di-ble.

• Pros: High quality ingredients, consistency in the menu, atmosphere
• Cons: need more direction with wine choices

05/27/08

Good service, iffy food..

by SueYH

My husband and I went to Pera for a much needed date-night. Great atmosphere as you walk in, a great get-away from the traffic of mid-town. But, while we enjoyed the bar area and the decor, the food was spotty. I'm Turkish, so I know something about Meditteranean food. They served the bread plain, no oil, butter, nothing. When we asked for olive oil, it was like Canola Oil. C'mon guys, you have a Meditteranean restaurant, you should be able to get the oil right! But the fish (branzini) was the best I've ever tasted. Really outstanding. The service was good, well-meaning, but a little clueless. No wine suggestions, no recommendations, etc. I know of restaurants that have much better turkish food..

• Pros: Atmosphere, Service
• Cons: Not all the food is great

05/11/08

Once it was perfect!!

by MarkMunafo

oooooh boy!. It was quite a while I was not back at this place. I hate when they change menus or cooks, The food is not what it was. I'm not happy with the change. Will not recommend.

04/13/08

The only thing that was decent was the 1 thing they couldn't ruin---the wine

by Charlene1234567

From start to finish, the experience at this restaurant was absolutely dreadful. It started when it took them 15 minutes to bring the bottle of wine we ordered. Next up, they delivered our warm hummus appetizer but completely forgot the accompanying bread. When we asked for it, they told us they were still baking it and brought it 15 minutes later with our other appetizer. No apologetic attitude, just complete apathy. For main dishes, we all ordered lamb chops--medium rare. Although the portions were a nice size (5 chops each), they only managed to get 1 or 2 of them in each order cooked correctly. Most of them were completely overdone and not edible---for us. And then came the most pathetic sickly looking grilled asparagus dish that were basically shavings of 7 spears, half of them shrivelled up and burnt.

Throughout this entire unpleasant experience, our waiter never once checked up on us or asked us if everything was o.k. Instead we had to constantly try to get the attention of other waiters/waitresses passing by, and even the manager. In a nutshell, there are way too many other fantastic, inviting, and service oriented restaurants to ever have a reason to frequent this place!!!!

• Pros: None
• Cons: Service, Staff, and Food