Iris Reviews

Easy to get to in Times Square, Iris is an elevated Mediterranean restaurant with a cozy atmosphere and delicious hummus, homemade pitas, whipped feta and other delicious items.

We celebrated our anniversary at Iris this evening. They gave us a circular table with couch seating, which allowed us to snuggle. The appetizers were great— the sourdough pita is irresistible. The eggplant dip is to die for. We ordered a salad and the duck. The duck was the best either of us has ever had. We were gifted a hazelnut chocolate ganache and honey liqueur for dessert; both were sublime. Given how flawless our meal was, this next part might come as a surprise, but the absolute best part of our evening was the service. Our waiter, Sheldon, was warm, thoughtful, and knowledgeable. Before we could think of something we might want, he was already there, having anticipated a question here or request there. We never had to look for him or wait for him. His support team were equally generous with their attentions. We were made to feel like valued guests for the entire evening. I cannot recommend Iris enough.

Really appealing menu with very taste food. While not a fine dining experience, the quality of the food was high and the presentation was quite attractive. Very convenient for a pre-theater meal too. Do get the pita, which is made with sourdough and has an excellent salt, oil and sourdough taste.

My wife and I and one of her friends recently visited NYC in January. Picked out this Restaurant - Iris. The New York Times wrote a favourable review of John Fraser and Rob Lawson and their take on Mediterranean food mostly from Greece and Turkey and the food did not disappoint. The Lamb Tartare, the Grilled Octopus, the Tzatziki, the Moussaka and the Turkish flatbreads were simply delightful. All recognisable but always with an added spice or a different taste to keep you on your toes and always asking what was added to the dish. We finished off the night with the baklava and it was subtle (negated the need for a big cardio workout the next day). Topping it off the Customer Service was attentive and went the extra mile to explain the food. We will return with more friends :)

If you enjoy Mediterranean cuisine and are in New York City, you will love Iris. It was ranked among the top ten New NYC restaurants in 2021. We were there on a warm summer evening. There is a large indoor dining space as well as outdoor seating. The two of us shared four "small plates," Roasted Eggplant, Cured Sea Bass, Ground Lamb Flatbread and Husk Cherry Salad. Each was delicious. The freshly made pita bread is a joy. We even had enough room for dessert; Pistachio Baklava and Strawberry Sorbet. Unusual, interesting and well-balanced menu options take the dining experience to the next level. Clearly the kitchen puts a lot of love into their dishes. The waitstaff is gracious and attentive. Go and enjoy!

4 out 5 good experience atmosphere and great food. The only disappointment was it wasn't heated properly. The restaurant was extremely cold. They said it was a building issue from construction going on.

We had a wonderful pre-theatre dinner. Service was attentive, yet not rushed. Our reservation was for 5:45. Our server asked if we had any “dietary or time restrictions.” We said we’d like to be out by 7:30. We had plenty of time to enjoy cocktails, appetizers, entrees and dessert. One of us ordered from their pre-theatre fixed price menu, and the other ordered a la carte. The food was delicious and well presented. The location, right on Broadway, is very convenient. The vibe was energetic, but we could easily hold a conversation. We exited exactly at 7:30. Highly recommend.

Excellent Pre-Theater menu, with selections from the ala carte menu. Service was attentive and professional. Wine list was truly global with selections from Turkey, Greece, Portugal and other European wine regions, with a few US selections. Food was outstanding as were the deserts. Would have gone back the next day, but they are closed on Sundays and Mondays.

They aspire to be top of the line Greek and almost make it. Of the mezzes, none were exceptional. No skordalia to be had. Pita served all puffed up, visually spectacular but meh taste. Grape leaves mushy. High point was a very nice twice fried calamari. Small wine list, Greek houses. Price points high. Main was moussaka. Covered with a fun potato tuille but the dish itself so so. Underseasoned. Served luke warm. Longish waits for good service.

Service great. Ambience great. Food meh. I expected the lamb to be decadent. It was not. Very fatty. Convenient to the theater though. Cocktails were lovely. I would not invest in the expensive menu items if I came back.

Food was quite good. Service was awful. We - three of us - sat down at the restaurant at 7pm and didn't leave until 9:15. We did not order cocktails, or desert. Just 2 glasses of wine each between us; we ordered a shared appetizer and each a main course. Snail's pace to get food. The server apologized and said that there was a "party upstairs" but if they don't have the ability to manage both, then they should not be hosting a private party along with regular dinner service. We ordered our food around 7:15 and the main courses showed up at 8:45. The server was polite but occasionally vanished not not because she was unprofessional, rather, she was assigned too many tables. So, I live in NY and dine out a lot mid-town, but I would not double down on our experience there.

Our dining experience at Iris was truly outstanding from start to finish. The attention to detail, from the warm welcome to the impeccable service, made us feel incredibly well taken care of. Every dish was a delight, but the Humas was an absolute standout—so rich and flavorful that I’d love to see a to-go option! The Branzino was the best I’ve ever had—perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. And the steak kabobs were incredibly tender and packed with flavor. If you visit, don’t miss out on these dishes! Highly recommend Iris for an unforgettable meal.

The restaurant is large and on the corner of a busy midtown street. We went for happy hour and ordered off the menu instead. The atmosphere is comfortable. It would be great if there were live music for happy hour, the space is pretty large. The octopus was very good but was in a citrus broth which was a bit odd and it may have been better in a type of sauce or puree with possibly potatoes or something else for the price. The restaurant had unique mediterranean flavors. The food overall was good and we would go back.

We came to Iris before going to see a play nearby. The ambiance is nice. It was hot outside so the air conditioned interior was welcome. The service was quite good and, as it was restaurant week, we got a lot of food for a reasonable price. The Greek Wedge (salad) was tasty and the branzino was also good. I would recommend Iris to anyone in need of food before or after seeing a show.

What an wonderful find! The food and service were both absolutely fantastic. The food was very flavorful and artfully prepared. The service was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive - but without feeling like they were hovering. If we lived in New York, we would be regular customers, without a doubt.

The good: Beautiful, spacious and open (the space seems almost decadent for Manhattan), very convenient for Broadway, and excellent service/bar. Opportunities: The food. The menu looked great, and we were excited to try everything - especially the meze and lamp chops. The presentation was good but the food was tasteless. Conclusion: I would come back for happy hour drinks and snacks at the bar (and to enjoy the open space and breathing room) before or after a broadway show, but would skip dinner.

We decided to go to celebrate a friend's birthday at Iris because the place was highly recommended to us. Since we sat down at the table, the person who served us named lan had a very bad attitude and I can even say rude. He made us all feel very uncomfortable, when we ordered our drinks he did it with displeasure and corrected the pronunciation of the drinks for all of us and he was obviously annoyed. The time came to order the food and far from making suggestions, he told us very rudely that we were ordering very little food and that we should hurry up because the kitchen was closing soon. When we asked him for the dessert to have a candle and some birthday message, he told us that he didn't know if it could be done, but the most unpleasant and sad thing was when we started singing happy birthday in SPANISH in a fairly moderate voice, he raised his eyebrows and With an annoyed face, he left the dessert on the table. I wish the management knows that they have a rude and racist person serving their customers. Decidimos ir a celebrar el cumpleaños de un amigo a Iris porque nos recomendaron mucho el lugar. Desde que nos sentamos a la mesa, la persona que nos atendió de nombre Ian tuvo muy mala actitud y hasta puedo decir grosero. Nos hizo sentir muy incómodos a todos, cuando ordenamos nuestras bebidas lo hizo con disgusto y corrigió la pronunciación de las bebidas para todos nosotros y obviamente estaba molesto. Llegó el momento de pedir la comida y lejos de hacer sugerencias nos dijo muy groseramente que íbamos a pedir muy poca comida y que nos apuráramos porque la cocina cerraría pronto. Cuando le pedimos de postre tener una vela y algún mensaje de cumpleaños, nos dijo que no sabía si se podría hacer, pero lo más desagradable y triste fue cuando empezamos a cantar feliz cumpleaños en ESPAÑOL de una manera bastante Con voz moderada, levantó las cejas y con cara de fastidio dejó el postre sobre la mesa. Ojalá la gerencia sepa que tienen una persona grosera y racista que atiende a sus clientes.

Absolutely superb food first class The service was exemplary and very perfect in terms of experience Love the atmosphere of the restaurant

We had a large family gathering so we organized a special menu for the everyone. We had to satisfy people who were vegan, vegetarian and ate animal protein. Food was served family style and it was wonderful! Freshly baked pita bread with various middle-eastern inspired dips like hummus, baba ghanoush, taziki, and olives. A fabulous tomato and cucumber salad with or without feta. Mains were so delish and included a vegan mushroom dish, halibut with a fabulous spicy red sauce and chicken. All so good! This place is lovely, the staff is terrific, the tables are spaced well apart and bonus, it's super convenient to Broadway. We will definitely return.

Iris has a super chic and swanky ambience. The lighting is dim, which adds to its allure. The restaurant has great substance too - the cocktails are excellent, and the Greek salad is divine. Huge fan of the octopus as well. My favorite dish there, however, is the fried Greek donuts for dessert. A total must-have!