Farida Reviews

We saw the 4.6 stars on Google, so we've decided to give it a try. The food was great, the service was so friendly - you must give it a try.

After checking out several neighbourhood restaurants today we decided to give this new Central Asian place a try, based largely on the line-ups to get in that we passed and the charming Kazakh woman who greeted us as we perused the menu on the sidewalk. The bottom line? The food was good, not great, and was very fairly priced. We liked that it was very different from anything we'd tried before, and we lived 16 years overseas in several Asian countries. However, you will not want to ask for it to be delivered on a Saturday night! The confirmation message said it would likely take 30-45 minutes. It took 90 minutes and only then after we called 3 times to check where it was. And when it arrived it was missing a couple of things we'd ordered. We ate what we got and then called to let them know that food we'd paid for was missing. Another call and an hour later someone came to our hotel and refunded exactly the amount of the food that was missing. Which is fair, but other restaurants, especially new ones, would have comped the whole meal, given the issues: two long delays, 5 phone calls, and a pretty basic mistake on their part. I strongly recommend they hire more staff!

We accidentally found Farida Restaurant after dropping off our luggage at Schwartz's luggage storage - food is similar to Greek or Turkish food but DIFFERENT. It is cooked over charcoal and atmosphere is Central Asian ( Uzbekistan Turkmenistan etc) We were very lucky to find it for lunch

Farina offers something unique with a focus on Central Asia Uzbek cuisine. You will find dumplings and rice lamb offerings. I order the lamb over rice which contained some unique flavorings that fused well together.

This is for the Cedar St location. Had never had Uzbekistan / Kazakhstan food and it's too bad it can't be gotten in more places in the country. The meat was tender, the veggies still had some snap and the spicing was amazing. There was a slight sweet hint that as a Chef I couldn't place so that was intriguing. Would have liked some butter, honey, something as the bread I was given was very thick and dry though it did have a nice chew to it. The waiter wasn't super attentive to me. The table of 3 in front of me and the table behind me that spoke the language were much more interesting to him.

Nice place, really family style, seems also family owned. Highly recommended: traditional dumplings. And chak chak for a desert. Would recommend for a winter dinner with friends or f you want to try some new cuisine. They definitely have vegetarian options, but meat lovers would enjoy more:)

If you are in Midtown West, do yourself a favor and eat at Farida. (Though it is very small, so better to call ahead!). We had 7 people, ordered chicken kabobs, salmon kabobs, beef and potato dumplings, meat pies, salad, pickles plate, and the hummus platter. It is the first time I have been to a dinner with this many people and there was literally not a bite of food left on any plate.

This was a remarkable meal. The owner came over to walk us through the menu and the cuisine as this was our first foray into Uzbek food. Boy, was I gad we came in. We had Uzbek Plov, a lamb/beef “stew” over delicious flavorful rice; Manti, steamed meat and onion dumpling (you get 4 huge ones); Samsa, baked meat and onion pastry (you can choose a pumkin filling too). Each came with its own unique sauce for pouring over. The waitress also gave us some homemade hotsauce whch complemented the plov. The owner’s wife was sitting next to us eating her dinner (her friend started chatting with us and told us who her dining companion is). Owner’s wife is Farida so this lovely little restaurant with yummy food is her namesake. What a compliment. Come. You will be happy you did.

Enjoyed a Sunday lunch at this one of a kind Uzbekistan cuisine in Hell’s Kitchen New York.The dumplings ,veal and lamb sashlyk and lamb pilaf were very delicious and tasty.

A good selection of authentic Uzbek dishes. Nothing was outstanding, but everything was good, and the decor is charming.

I visited them during my trip to NYC. The waitress was very kind. She made us a lot of delicious recommendations and I absolutely loved everything they cooked for us. I highly recommend it. It’s a different proposal of food.

I'm not very familiar with Uzbek/Kazakh cuisine and had a very nice meal here, tried a variety of dishes. They have a small dining room inside and a partially enclosed outdoor space along the road which was still a good atmosphere. I would be interested in coming back and trying more dishes.

The place itself takes you to Tashkent immediately after you open the door, the decoration, the music and the staff will make you feel like you’re not in New York anymore. The restaurant maybe fits 20 people max, but that’s what makes it cozy and unique. The food is awesome, there’s no other word to describe it, from the little breads with pumpkin and beef filling to the plov and sashliki. The flavor is something out of this world, so tender, so good... you can tell everything is home made and cooked at the moment. The staff is really friendly as well, follow their recommendations if you’ve never tried Uzbek food before, you won’t be dissatisfied. Big shoutout to Julia, who was our waitress, she was very nice and friendly. So was another woman working there (I couldn’t read her name) she recommended to visit the restaurant at night when they display live music. I recommend this place a 100%

This is a new restaurant in Hell's Kitchen Manhattan and it found its way onto a very recent top 20 list of new NYC restaurants I came across, so since we live in the area, we decided to go. Central Asian, Uzbek food is unknown to NYC, so there was a crowd of New Yorkers (mostly without reservations) who were trying to check this little place out. Very typical NYC, rush to anything new that seem hot or trendy. And then the vibe continues or not. At Farida, I think the vibe will continue. Now there is much to explore on the menu, but we only ate the meat samsa (very good, give us MORE sauce next time-it was so yummy); they were out of what seems their most popular entre dish because we ordered it at 615pm and they were strangely out of it, and then another table later requested it and was told the chef was cooking another batch. It was some kind of rice dish we will try and order it next time. But the lamb skewer and grilled veggie skewers were excellent. My recommendation, when the skewer comes, eat it then. The restaurant is very tiny but very nicely, traditionally (I guess!) designed. And yes, we will go back, will try thy spinach samsa, maybe a soup, and SKEWERS! - may even try a fish skewer to see how fresh their fish is..... large portions too! (they need iced tea)

Location is very small and tables are very close to each other, maybe too much, but waiters welcome you with a smile, they are really helpful and, even if maybe not super fast, I was satisfied with the service. I like what I had, prices are maybe just a little bit higher that I would have expected. Anyway, I enjoyed my dinner here, I would recommend it.

Like stepping into a story of central Asia. The waitress and owners share stories of the old country and how the amazing dishes are prepared. Everything tastes fresh and meticulously prepared. The ambiance is cozy and warm. It is easy to have a conversation with anyone here. Tried a bit of everything: Uzbek plov, samsa, and shashlyk. Also very good: lamb lyulya. The Arabian Nights in Hell's Kitchen - refreshing and invigorating!

First exposure to Uzbeki cuisine. The restaurant is small with 2 waitresses. We had a 6pm reservation in time to make an 8 pm show. Service was decent for the first 15 mins. Then the restaurant got busy. We didn’t get the wine we ordered after repeatedly asking. It was difficult to get the waitresses’ attention. Food was tasty and served hot though bit on the heavy side. Appetizer - mixed Samsa, one with meat and one with pumpkin inside baked pastry dough. A bit on the spicy side. Manti with pumpkin, dumplings sprinkled with dill and sour cream on the side. Delicious. Manti with meat were large steamed dumplings served with sour cream, a bit spicy. Uzbek Plov is a rice dish with lamb, beef, veggies and seasoned with cumin- my favorite dish by far. Mixed veggies on the grill were al dente and good. Ox Tail stew was supposedly slow braised with chic peas and onions. While the seasoning was pleasant, the oxtails were fatty and not as tender as one might expect after the “slow” cooking. I don’t recommend this dish.

I liked the charming room with large murals of Moguls lounging and eating. The wait staff were also charmingly attired in typical Uzbek style. And the food arrives in picturesque dishes. We started with an array of umka (flaky buns with stuffings of spinach, beef, and chicken) that could have been more interesting with some spices. Then plov (pilaf with beef and lamb) was rather dry and also lacked distinction. Finally my manti (dumplings stuffed with beef) were well made. All came with yogurt and red sauce. We added much pepper. It’s really my fault for preferring spicier food. Also it is my fault for not wanting kebabs, the specialty of the house. I find them so uninteresting. Finally it’s my fault for not liking lamb, the preferred meat for most dishes. We have had Uzbek food many times. The dishes are often the same, but they tend to be well made and worth it.

Walked past looking for somewhere to eat when owner umitjon suggested we look no further and come in. We were not disappointed by umitjons hospitality and also the food which was brilliant . We will return soon.

We were looking for a halal restaurant before heading to Manhattan, and found Farida online. It’s an Uzbek restaurant with amazing food. I ordered the cold yogurt soup ( Okroshka) which came with a side of bread. It was delicious. The chicken shaslyk was tender and mouthwatering, the handmade manti with meat was amazing. We enjoyed our dinner. The lady who helped us was friendly and helpful. Would definitely go back.

I’m from Central Asia, this food is really authentic, but if you show the dish prices to Central Asian people, they will think this restaurant is really stealing money from Americans. Irrationally expensive, good for visiting one time in lifetime.

First time visiting New York. And we had heard that there is good Russian food avail there. So we searched for a place near our hotel & found this gem. We knew we had to try their food one of the nights during our stay. Sure glad we did. Their food was delicious, Borscht was perfect & had their Uzbeksi Pulao which was also delicious. The service was great, very friendly. The place was full with local Russian folks. Highly recommended place.

The food was amazing! The service was very friendly but seemed scattered. I'd go back! We started with these pumpkin and beef stuffed pastries. The beef was amazing! We then shared potato dumplings and lamb kabobs. So tasty!!

Visited on our short trip to NY, we were looking for a halal food and came across this small quaint restaurant. The staff helped with recommendations.

I can’t give less than a ‘3’ because the food was absolutely lovely, but it was crazily expensive for what we were served and there were additional costs added to the price printed on the menu!!!

An authentic Uzbek food place. The food is very tasty. The prices are above average. There are limited seats so it is better to make a reservation beforehand.

Great food, great service, bustling little family-owned hole in the wall. Very friendly and attentive. Had a great visit along with the meal, an excellent and fun dining experience. Best we have had in NYC. The decor is a cultural experience as well. Farida and her family obviously enjoy people, and are very cheerful and encouraging. We had beef and chicken umka (pan-fried puff pies), and beef and pumpkin manti (steamed dumplings). Both were very good. We split both orders, getting a mix of fillings rather than just one or the other. Great to have a flexible menu. We had a side order of vegetables, and that was excellent also. Large enough for the two of us and delicious. They were already sold out of Uzbek plov, their signature dish. Will come back to try it, and to get more tour guide info for our trip to the 'Stans. Thank you, Farida. Marty & Nancy

Popped in here on a late Sunday evening, around 10:30 and the place was packed! They very graciously accommodated us very quickly. Overall quality of the food is great and fresh. The servers and manager were very attentive and very proud of their restaurant! Only four out of five, as the prices are a little on the pricier side (which I get, as a restaurant in NYC can't be cheap to operate) and the wine selection is limited. I wish they would serve native Uzbek wines. Would return!

We italians are often quite picky and a lot more demanding than any other nationality when it comes to food. When the concierge at the hotel we were staying advised us to try such an unknown cuisine i was a bit skeptic. Most people in Europe and even in the US, barely know where Uzbekistan and Ex-soviet republics are located and especially in Italy such restaurants are nowhere to be found. The Farida however completely managed to change my mind. The ambient was small but cozy, typical of NYC and the atmosphere was very very homely. Everyone in the staff just looked at you with a 32 teeth smile and was so happy that you chose to try the traditional dishes of their distant home country. The asian waitress in particular was probably the nicest one i have ever met, so caring and kind and always smiling. Also, the chef, with a strong russian accent makes everything even more enjoyable as you can taste the love and the passion he puts in his dishes. He even went out to make a special sauce for my mother who is intolerant to garlic. The food is just a little bit spicy and in general very very tasty and good. I usually don’t go out of my way to compliment this much, but they deserve every word i’m putting in this review: The lamb was excellently cooked and i strongly recommend trying Uzbek Shurpas soups. We came back many times during our holiday and will surely come back again if i happen to pass by NYC in a future trip. Keep up the good work!

They can it central Asian, think halal lamb with Uzbeck spices. Everyone had the lamb. You should order a skewer per person and might want an appetizer. Meat was melt in your mouth, people are so nice prices are quite fair. About 37th and 9th. Worth the walk. Lots of choices.

The most important - very delicious food. Vegetarian options available. Prompt service. Owner and servers were very polite, gave recommendations according to our tastes.

I'm glad to see a central Asian restaurant open in the neighborhood! The food is delicious. We ordered the Uzbek Plov, Okroshka, lamb and beef shashlyk, ayran, nan, and the fruit compote. The plov was the highlight of the meal. Very tasty. Shashlyks were also delicious (we liked the lamb one better). Okroshka was good and refreshing, though probably i won't order it the next time. Ayran was great! It had fresh dill and cucumbers in it. Highly recommended if you like yogurt-based drinks. Nan and the fruit compote (really just a fruit punch) were meh. The staff were very friendly and the service was good, although they seemed a bit too nervous to make a good impression on their first customers. The waitress made a small mistake with our order. She corrected the mistake and also brought us a complimentary salad and fruit plate. The manager sounded a bit harsh on her. Overall, I highly recommend this place. I'll certainly be back.

We had been looking up interesting and different cuisines and had bookmarked this place since neither of us had experience with Uzbek dishes. Due to tourist subway and directional confusion we arrived in a rush to get to our show. The manager was very helpful in allowing us a table and we blindly chose a few dishes to try. The Plov and the chuchgavarra (sp?) were fantastic! The Plov meat was very tender and seasoned beautifully and is served with a cold salad with instructions to mix with the meat and rice dish. Very complimentary. The chuchgavarra were beef dumplings served with a few red sauces that had a nice heat. I can wait to go back with less of a time crunch. Highly recommend!

The week before I was in Russia and got introduced to the Uzbek food, it was a great coincidence that just a week after when visiting our NY Office I found this restaurant nearby so I decided to try it to continue my exploration of Uzbek cuisine and it was a GREAT IDEA. The restaurant is really small (~8 tables only) but it is really cozy and the food + service was OUTSTANDING! I had Shurpa (Beef soup) and a a great Lamb Shashlyk (Lamb skew) which came with a great Adjika sauce on the side. Price wise the bill was less than $40 tax/tip included for 2 plates + drinks so this is really cheap if you take in consideration how expensive Manhattan is. The 2 waitress were on top of everything but not intrusive and really helpful explaining dishes and making recommendation. Give it a shot! you will not regret your decision

I wandered into Farida largely because I wanted to have some food that I can’t get at home, and central Asian hit that mark. I’ll rave a bit about the service; my host/ server was friendly, welcoming, had recommendations when I asked for them, and was super-sweet and attentive without being intrusive. It’s an intimate space - seats about 25 or so - and has appropriately eclectic decor. The TV was showing what seemed to be an Uzbek version of “Sábado Gigante.” I had the meat samsa appetizer — delicious pastry wrapped around a seasoned meat filling. A hearty appetizer even if I had shared it (it came with two pastries). I wish it had been warmer, but it was tasty as was the accompanying tomato sauce. I had the Uzbek Plov for the main - rice with meat and vegetables. It was tasty and very filling. I’d call it hearty and good, though not life-changing. I had an unremarkable but solid Russian lager to wash it all down. At 30 bucks, I thought it was reasonably priced. I can’t speak to authenticity, but it was an enjoyable introduction to an unfamiliar cuisine, and worth a stop for a filling meal that’s not your everyday dinner.

Excellent, reasonably priced food. Service was friendly and attentive. We had Plov (rice pilaf with beef and lamb) and Manti (meat filled steamed dumplings), both of which were very good. Would definitely return.

The only Uzbek/Central Asian restaurant in NYC. Small and cozy, with amazing food and wonderful hosts. We went there for one dinner and canceled reservation next day at another restaurant to come back here. Did I say food is amazing?!!! The atmosphere there is like you are at home - everyone feels welcomed and people start talking to their "neighbors" sitting next to them. I highly recommend this place and will definitively be back !

Met up with some friends for a 1 pm brunch with a resso via Seated. Even the restaurant is small, it still didn’t seem like getting a seat was a problem because it wasn’t full. I had this place bookmarked for a while because I had never tried Uzbek food, so I was excited for brunch. To start, we shared the mini puff pies. We got the combo of four and chose one of each - prime steak, chicken, spinach, and pumpkin. The spinach was probably the best of the bunch because it reminded me of spanokopita. But overall, I would probably skip this app. For mains, I originally wanted to ground beef kebab but they didn’t have it. So I settled for the Uzbek Plov (mix of beef & lamb with carrots, rice, and chickpeas). The meat was braised, which made it pretty dry. I think they are counting on the fact that there aren’t many Uzbek restaurants in the city, and because of that, they can charge higher prices for mediocre food. Each entree is around $20-$25, which is pretty pricey, considering it is mostly rice. Maybe we just ordered the wrong dishes. At least I can cross this place off the list now. Even though I didn’t have a great first experience with Uzbek cuisine, I know there are better restaurants out there, so the search shall continue. Tip - they automatically charge a 20% service fee (regardless of how many people you have) and a surcharge to use a credit card. So that on top of high menu prices? It’s like a highway robbery out here!

Farida is a tiny restaurant hidden in the shadow of the Port Authority. The decor is not fancy but it’s still welcoming. The food is authentic and fantastic, from the classic central Asian plov, seasoned perfectly, to pickled vegetables (just great) to salmon on skewers thst was probably the best such treatment we’ve ever had. We split an order of chack-chack (imagine unsalted nacho strips coated in honey and raisins - very tasty!) for dessert. The dishes are not just Uzbeki- there is classic Georgian soup and shashlik, Ukrainian borscht, some Turkish dumplings, etc - so there is something for everyone. The people running the place could not have been nicer. What a great discovery for us!

From the minute my husband and I walked through the door to the very end of our meal we were treated with such hospitality and genuine care. Food is fresh, flavorful, and hearty. Each dish was seasoned perfectly and the bread served reminded me of my grandmothers “kolak” Look for Faridia when you are in town and go enjoy an authentic East meets West menu. We can’t wait to come back and bring our family. This place is a must for those who want to try something new! You won’t be disappointed.

The place and the welcome are warm the meat was pretty good, but for the price we still expect more assortments that accompany the meat like mashed beans or potatoes instead, a lot of onions in large quantity, a salad without sauce, and a tiny piece of fine bread ... I was still quite disappointed, I ordered a milkshake snickers, tasteless with a few bits of snickers fighting at the bottom of the glass. As a French tourist it surprised me a lot for the price I paid for it... but goodwill of the staff.

The service here is excellent! The owners are so friendly and they make great recommendations. Even if you don’t know anything about Central Asian cuisine, you’ll be in great hands. The Manti, Samsa and the Llyula kebab are delicious! Will definitely be back soon to try the rest of the menu.

Pros: Excellent, hearty/filling authentic Uzbek fare with gracious (albeit somewhat slow) service. Cons; The restaurant space itself is tiny & cramped (to put it mildly), and the decibel levels were out of control. Most of the patrons there at the time were from Uzbekistan, apparently, and the owner suddenly decided to start singing karaoke, inviting them to join in. It was almost like being outsiders at a private party, which seemed uncomfortable. Not sure if this is the norm, or just a onetime occasion. In any case, for that reason, I probably wouldn't go back.

As usual, I am crazy over Plov. So, we looked it up online and it had good reviews. It was so hot today, but as we entered, we welcomed warmly (which I hardly see nowadays) and the were courteous to us. The artwork around the restaurant were colourful and good, depicting stories which entertained me. We ordered the: 1. Manti 2. Plov 3. Bread (naan) 4. Lulya shashlik The meat were all very juicy and flavourful.

Touring through the neighbourhood and got hungry. Checked out menu, looked interesting. And prices were right. Cozy interior. I’ve not had central Asian food before. I was delighted with our choices. Shared pumpkin and onion samsa (light baked pastery filled with deliciousness), a lamb kabab, and a grilled mixed vegetables kabab. Sounds like not much for 2 people, but it was rich and flavourful without being heavy and we were happily sated. Being a late lunch we had quite an appetite going in. I’m usually not a fan of kababs because more often than not, the meat is over cooked and or tough. BUT Farida’s lamb was tender and juicy. Our server is from Kyrgyzstan and helped us through the menu. And made recommendations. I’m only in Manhattan for a couple of more days, but would happily trek back there for more samsas. I’ve also posted this review on google.

I have worked and traveled extensively in Uzbekistan and the food here did not disappoint! All the ingredients were fresh, the spices and flavors superb, and the atmosphere, dishes and decorations tasteful! So happy to now have a go-to Uzbek restaurant in the center of Manhattan! Highly recommended for a taste of Central Asia

Read about this place in Eater and wanted to check it out since it is in my neighborhood. My husband & I stopped by on Saturday night at around 8pm. A busy time, but luckily they had 1 open table for us. The owners greeted us as we entered and sat us towards the back. The restaurant is long and narrow with about 14 tables (2 tops) which can be pushed together for groups. In fact there was a group of 6ppl towards to front. There were 2 waitresses that served the entire room. We ordered a couple apps, the plov entree, and a couple of shashlyks (skewers). Everything was so flavorful and delicious! I HIGHLY recommend this place and happy about it's arrival in the hood!

I have never experienced a more stressful dinner, all caused by an inept Maitre D’ who seems to think it is acceptable to move people in the middle of meals because he cannot organise a dinner seating. This happened to at least three tables of people around us. It almost happened to us until I looked at him incredulously. The food was pretty tasteless as well. My companion had a lamb stew which was flavourless and characterless. The Plov on which they pride themselves was a straightforward Pilav with no discernible spicing or flavour. The chicken soup was apparently OK. I left in a temper and wanting to get drunk just to calm down.

A true hidden gem. Wanted to grab a bite before hopping on the train. This Uzbek food is abundant with fresh vegetable salads, dumplings (manti) and savory phyllo-dough pastries (samsa), and flavorful meat and rice dishes. It is extremely reasonably priced in New York's wall street district. Tucked on a small street on Cedar Ave, the restaurant is warmly decorated with colored brass lanterns and wooden counters. Service is so friendly and they want to meet your every need. I would go back here again and again if I were around this area.

I visited the Lower Manhattan location. One of the best restaurants I have come across in the Financial District!! The pumpkin manti was spectacular!!

I wanted to try this place because it is the only restaurant like it in midtown Manhattan. It is a bit overpriced for this kind of food, but the portions were generous, and the servers were gracious. I asked the server what a restaurant like this was doing in Hell's Kitchen. She told me that most Uzbeki restaurants were not in Manhattan because of the rents--hence the higher prices. It was late at night. I ordered one of my favorite salads--the Tashkent--and my partner had a good chicken thigh kabob.

Excellent food. Everything was very flavorful. Service was good. Ambience is very pleasant (downtown location). Highly recommend.

If you want this type of food go to 108th street queens and enjoy Salute. Why? this place is too dificult to enjoy. The good is grossly over priced for the amount and quality. For example a mixed plate of hummus etc is priced a $ 19.00 and you are served a tablespoon of each appetizer on a platter. The bread is minimal as well. The soups are greasy and rice is poor. The olives that garnish the feta cheese are canned olives with no taste. To make matteres worse. when seated you maybe interupted to change tables for new guests who need a larger table [ yes I saw that happen to 2 tables when i was there]. What do they think? to make matters worse, the place is very small for the amount of tables and this creates a terrible noise. It was so bad we left our meal unfinished just to get out! All together a miserable experience. This is not a treansient problem. it is the nature of the place. be fore warned.

Excellent selection of Central Asian dishes accompanied by the inevitable post-Soviet mandatory gastronomic fakes like Ukrainian borscht. I’d recommend chebureki, kebab and pilaf. In addition, try Uzbek mineral water - amazingly delicious!

I cannot say enough about this small gem on the West Side. World travels have led to many wonderful meals and Uzbek is one. Farida made us feel like we were back in Tatarstan and Kazan. Everything we had was authentic and amazing and we know we have to go back to try things we wanted to order. The Umka puff pies and Plov were awesome. Even better was the family atmosphere and the overwhelming friendliness of the staff. We live in DC but Farida is on our list next time in NYC.