Lokal Mediterranean kitchen Reviews

4.3

964 of 13,360 Restaurants in New York City


Reviews

Best wine menu

By murato_10 |

Excellent wines delicious tapas ,Lokal is One of our favorite place at upper west side and also price are , affordable ,servis always friendly and polite.

This place never is anything less than perfect. The food & service.

By Paula C |

This place is never less than perfect. Have returned many times. Have been there for brunch, dinner and happy hour. Always reccomend to friends

Delicious dinner

By LadiesVoices |

My husband and I met a couple friends for dinner - - they suggested this place, which we'd never heard of, and we loved it. Fantastic food, a beautiful room, and wonderful service. Our server was Cara, she was a delight.

Great Food - Great Location - Great Service

By Josh M |

Located near Central Park, this place is ideal for a healthy lunch after a walk in the park. The fresh bread they bring to the table is amazing! We had some of the best service at this place during our trip to the city. We will definitely be heading back next time we are in town.

Good Food

By Elizabeth P |

This was a nice Mediterranian restaurant on the upper west side near the Museum Of Natural History. The service was good as was the food. I had the hummus and falafels...yummy. Reasonably priced for the area.

Perfect for a rainy day lunch in NYC

By deehell |

5 of us visited for a late lunch on a rainy NYC holiday week afternoon. We were quickly seated and ordered from a wide-ranging menu... every plate went back empty... delicious and filling food. And for NY, decent value... great local neighbourhood restaurant to visit.

Great newcomer to the area

By jdvicto |

Diverse Mediterranean menu, with food and service that was pleasing to us and, evidently, to all the diners at nearby tables. Pleasant outdoor (sidewalk) dining area.

Pleasant lunch

By JPLC01 |

We had lunch there, before a visit to the natural history museum, just a stone's throw away. Tasty food that allowed us to go out for brunches and hamburgers. But at the Upper East Side price. High budget, not suitable for a quick lunch or on the go. We liked Mariam's service and the exchange we had with her.

Phenomenal!!!!

By Alexandra W |

Amazing service, staff really kind and the foods amazing and the presentation is to perfection I would definitely recommend

Very lovely spot for lunch, especially after a walk in Central Park

By TravelerWithOpinions |

Hungry after our walk through Central Park, we ambled by Lokal and decided to stop. We were seated at a lovely outside table and had delicious food. We enjoyed the spicy vegetables dip (chopped tomato, peppers, garlic, onion, and hot spices roasted with olive oil and lemon juice) and the labneh yogurt with fresh dill, garlic and olive oil. We ordered 2 salads -- the avocado & tomato and the beetroot & feta cheese salad (garnished with golden raisins and walnut). Both were delicious. So glad that we stopped.

Great arugula salad

By OffIGo2Travel |

Stumbled on this restaurant and glad that I did. I was pleasantly surprised. The arugula and pear salad was delicious. The best arugula salad I’ve had.

Good Vibes~Hometown Feel~Fun Birthday Celebration

By Marjie R |

If you like a neighborhood restaurant like your home town, I would recommend The Lokal. It's good, and the atmosphere is a fun vibe. I would recommend the dips to start, but make sure that pita bread is served. I would suggest the fish dishes, especially accompanied by a tomato and avocado salad. If you want to avoid the large, touristy restaurant then I would give The Lokal a try for dinner.

Superb

By CakeEater |

What an amazing place for dinner after an afternoon at the museums! The service was very good. Our service was friendly and smooth without being inteusive at all. The food was Wow. Every dish was wonderful, but I would highly recommend the seafood dishes - all perfectly cooked that night. The grilled octopus and calamari was particularly delicious. Very enjoyable experience for travellers.

Extraordinary!

By Maxlee |

In one word, extraordinary! We had the Greek salad, with freshly made stuffed grape leaves, grilled calamari, falafel & grilled shrimp. Every single morsel of food was incredibly fresh & prepared perfectly. And the portions were generous too. The service was also excellent. This place is heads above the rest & a true gem. Can’t wait to go back.

Great!

By greenstravels |

Great food. Great atmosphere. Great service. The hummus and tzatziki were excellent. It was nice to sit outside and linger. They didn't rush us.

Delicious

By Mountaineer26 |

This restaurant had authentic Greek food! Portions were big, wait staff very attentive! They offered small plates! Cheesecake was a bit of a disappointment!

Always delicious - get the steak!

By Emily M |

The food is consistently excellent here, particularly the steak! It's always perfectly cooked and seasoned. I also love their bread (which they are very generous with) and the option to order three dips as an appetizer. Be sure to try the delicious hummus and tzatziki!

Tasty new mediterranean food on the Upper West Side

By hjbrooklyn |

Happened upon this fairly new Turkish restaurant for a Happy Hour. Besides great prices at the magic hour all the food looked great. I sampled several appetizers and the were all scrumptious. The service was pleasant and the atmosphere was very nice.Lots of restaurants on the UWS and this is a fine addition. Hope the nice young couple who own Lokal succeed.

Tripped across a surprisingly good little cafe

By Dan S |

Left the Museum of Natural History hungry. Walking to the subway we passed this place then went right back. Too tempting. We split the Pink Queen dip(shredded boiled red beets mixed with yoghurt), Grilled Beef Soujouk (sausage) with home fries small plate, then the Shrimp Casserole. It was all excellent, as was the highly professional, but not stilted, service. We figured out pretty quickly why the place filled up with locals for dinner. They must go there a lot, too, because many of them knew each other. We left stuffed, and the bill was only about $55. We're here for a few more days; we'll be there again before we leave. If you're in Manhattan, you've got to try this place.

Wonderful Meal

By TrvCpl |

This is a wonderful place to gather family or friends. The service is good and the staff is eager to make your time spent here enjoyable. The menu is expansive with something for everyone! The eggplants, chumus & various veg dips were delicious. We ordered 6 and the fresh breads accompanying them were crusty on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. The mains we ordered (vegetarian, chicken kebabs and 2 kinds of fish) were generous, and plated beautifully with vegs, salad and rice. Everyone loved their meals. Don't overlook the dessert menu even if you are full! The chocolate cake/vanilla ice cream, lemon cheesecake and pumpkin special were excellent as was the coffee. This was a family celebration and the meal was equally as special.

Good lunch spot

By Chelsea V |

Enjoyed a late lunch; the food was excellent, but not too filling which is what we wanted. Service was quick, but not overly attentive. Definitely try the cheese pastries and the octopus salad!

Great Columbus Ave addition

By Bobby159 |

We all enjoyed our dinner at Lokal. The hummus and eggplant starters were great and my friend enjoyed the grilled octopus. Our fish entrees were tasty. Some entrees come with salad, so be sure not to double order. Service was not the best in all NYC, but was fine. We got out in time to make our show.

Very good casual Mediterranean

By AmyC723 |

Had a fabulous Greek salad with grilled chicken. The chicken was delicious. Nice casual vibe. Easy place to go to. No airs or pretensions.

First and last

By Peter B |

We wanted some Mediterranean food quickly so went here. Completely forgettable experience. Less than mediocre food, made without any special effort. The dips were uninteresting, bread was terrible and the lamb we took home for pets.

Delicious Mediterranean Food

By Sezin S |

We visited the restaurant last weekend. Food was delicious and the servers were friendly. We ordered first three dips which called "pick three"; hummus, babaganoush, labneh.Then had small plates which were falafel, grilled octopus and Gambas ( shrimp). The restaurant has good selection of white and red wine.. We had a bottle of Rose. It was pretty tasty. We were already full for the entree, however, there was nothing left. I had grill shrimps and two of my friends had lamb sautéed which comes with rice and grilled chicken shish comes with rice and sautéed vegetables .Everything was delicious !! I guess we will try the happy hours next time!!! If you visit New York City, just stop by, you will never regret!!

Lunch with family

By Katie S |

I had been recommended this place by a friend so we decided to give it a try after a visit to the museum. Pro’s: staff generally attentive- water topped up many times, lovely bread to start. Cons: music was on really loud, we asked for it to be turned down, which they did but then it got turned up again, we had to ask again, as did another table as it was too loud to talk over. Husband asked for no onions- there were onions. Our Lokal wrap was supposed to have balsamic in but both didn’t have any which made the wrap quite bland and dry, similarly the chicken shish wrap did not have any dressing/sauce and was therefore also dry. Saving grace was the staff giving our daughter a free scoop of ice cream when she got upset which was a nice gesture.

Good food; decent ambience

By WorldtravellerKNH |

Visited recently with some friends. Small place - good ambience. Food for most part was actually very nice. Service was ok - not the greatest. It is fairly cramped space - but given its New York city - it's not a surprise. What was quite interesting is that their napkins were half the size of the normal ones - Not that it matters a whole lot - but just something interesting.

Great tapas with reasonable prices

By tms215 |

This is your neighborhood “go to spot”. Lots of food selections, very good wine prices, and tapas to satisfy anyone’s diet. Service is friendly, maybe a little slow---but who cares. Just sit, sip, chat, eat, and relax. Nice laid back atmosphere. You won’t go wrong returning again and again.

Lunch

By Michael |

Lovely lunch, excellent food beautifully presented and first-class service. Efficient and professional.

Lokal - Mediterranean restaurant on Columbus at 83rd St in Manahttan

By Michael |

Lokal serves a variety of foods - many of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern origin - like hummus - and hamburgers that are made from lamb rather from beef. The salads are quite good. There are also fish dishes and pastas.Many items on the menu are what you might find in a Greek restaurant like the ones I've frequented when in Athens. The quality of the food is very good, but what is most striking about Lokal is the generosity of the portions. Two can really dine on one portion of whatever you order. Since the restaurant is moderately priced, I don't know how they manage to provide so much good food for so little. They also have a good selection of beers and moderately priced wines (either by the bottle or by the glass). The service is good and prompt. I live nearby and go to Lokal either for dinner with my wife, or for lunch with a colleague - and are never disappointed.

Skip-it Mediterranean

By Delia A |

In a city where food reigns, this was disappointing. Hummus was standard, the pear and Gorgonzola salad good, but the remainder was unsatisfying. The tabouleh has large parsley pieces and was unseasoned -- their sous-chef too lazy to chop properly. The war described layers of flavor and seasoning but was dry and plain. And if soggy baklava is your desire, you've found it. Heavy, drenched, soft layers of pastry rather than light and flaky. For this price, pick a different restaurant.

Good meal

By Joseph G |

We stopped in before Shakespeare in the Park and had a very enjoyable meal. I had the falafel entree which was excellent and filling. The wrapped cheese appetizer was also great. The service was on point in every way.

Great Mediterranean on Columbus Ave

By Ohtobeinsandiego |

This is a fairly casual restaurant on the Upper Westside with a fairly extensive menu of Mediterranean dishes. We shared the beetroot and feta cheese salad, three of the dips, hummus, baba ghanoush and labneh, served with their fresh house-baked bread, and finished up with their grilled lamb meatballs. More than enought for two people. Nice wine list containing a variety of international and domestic wines. Service was attentive and prices reasonable.

Would go back

By SirAlexanderFleming |

Food was yummy. Great pear salad and wraps. Nice atmosphere. Found it a tad pricey. $3 diet cokes without refills.

Excellent service

By Ali G |

The service was excellent and food was delicious! Definitely recommended. Mediterranean dips, grilled octopus and avocado salad & shrimp was delicious.

Friendly well managed restaurant, wish the food had been better

By daylilly50 |

A popular west side Mediterranean restaurant. You are greeted warmly and seated in either booths or tables. There is a bar area with hi top tables in front The menu has many typical Mediterranean dishes. The pita bread is unusual in that it is a small individual loaf and served hot and fresh Unfortunately the food was disappointing. The dips were average as were some other appetizers The stuffed cabbage main dish came with a white sauce drizzle ( assume it was yogurt but didn’t work ) The shish kabob was an ample portion but again just okay While the restaurant is friendly and comfortable the food just didn’t measure up

Lots of choices

By WestchesterP2 |

Lokal is a comfortable restaurant with a nice bar area. The food is good. Served with Turkish bread, the Favorite Dips Platter has plenty of food for 4 people and each one of the choices is delicious. Lots of appetizer choices and a nice array of entrees. Plan to go back to try the Lokal lamb burger. Staff is friendly and attentive.

Fresh and Good

By Elizabeth K |

Pretty little Mediterranean restaurant with fresh ingredients and nice atmosphere. Cucumber tomato avocado salad is delicious.

Great bread!

By dancinggoats |

Needed a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Looked interesting so decided to give a try. Kept it light with a dips platter of multiple mediterranean selections. And although there was not a bad one, each one was significantly enhanced by the bread it was served with. Also enjoyed the dorado as a finishing touch.

I recommend!

By Daniele P |

Very good restaurant to eat in family. Well served and appetizing dishes. Nice Mood with outdoor area to eat. Great option for family meals with children.

Lambfest

By Karen S |

Very good food and service. Burger was delicious, fish and skirt steak were also delicious. The lamb meatballs could have used some taziki sauce but overall favorite was the octopus.

Wonderful neighborhood spot

By IvyNYC |

This is a wonderful spot for lunch and dinner. The decor is fresh and upscale. The menu has a great selection with many share dishes and delicious, beautifully presented entrees.

Fantastic!!!

By Monica S |

We love this restaurant! Their grilled chicken wrap with French fries or tge side salad is fantastic! We also love the bread that the meal comes with, its warm and delicious!

Med Club

By Aaron P |

No one will be traveling from Queens to eat at Lokal 83, a Mediterranean restaurant on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. But it’s a comfortable neighborhood place serving homestyle Turkish and Greek fare. Excellent dips, and a lovely version of kabak titlisi, a Turkish dessert of chunks of roasted pumpkin with a honeyed sugar syrup, drizzled tahini, and chopped nuts. Excellent service, and a modest price point.

Try the stuffed pepper rolls!

By billhollowsky |

Looking for a change, we stopped in to Lokals. We really enjoyed the seating outside. Staff was very friendly and the service was good. There is a good selection of dishes to fill you hankering. We had the mixed olives, stuffed pepper rolls, grilled meatballs, and stuffed cabbage. The stuffed pepper rolls are a must try!

Great Mediterranean food. Easy spot for lunch.

By Jillfromct |

Ate here with a friend for lunch. Food was terrific. She had the chicken and rice plate and I had the Greek salad with salmon. Everything was tasty. The bread that they put on the table is TO DIE FOR! The hummus was also excellent. Not fancy but definitely pleasant inside.

Yikes

By twoguysinF |

In spite of glowing reviews: -Lamb burger was overcooked and inedible. -Steak and eggs was mainly eggs with garnish of random orange slices (?) Not a good place.

Tour USA

By Santiago GdelaT |

This is a very nice restaurant. Close to central park and museums. Chimichurri is exceptional. Tha flavors in the dishes are very good. Price is good and balanced with quality. Service is the best thing in the restaurant.

My new favorite!

By Susan L |

This is exactly what we were looking for! A delicious assortment of flavors, good wine and great waitstaff in a comfortable setting. Will definitely be back.

Fabulous Mediterranean food - and generous!

By CyndeSears |

Stopped here after several hours of the Natural History museum and a walk through Central Park. Wonderful outdoor air-conditioned kiosks - could enjoy the summer sun without the heat. Had the "pick three" appetizers - we chose baba genoush, hummus, and tzatziki. Main dishes of chicken kabob, falafel, and cheese ravioli were all outstanding. So much food that we sent enough for a full meal home with our son. Service was very good.

Middle Eastern At It’s Finest

By David B |

Great Middle Eastern food on the UWS. Sat on a hi top table in the no parking lane in the street. Great staff and food. Definitely stop by for a bite.

Loved it

By Meighan2012 |

Had the meatballs, chicken soup, and small plates. Grape leaves were excellent. My kiddo loved the soup. The hummus was garlicky and tasty. Meatball plate was good. Overall, very pleased with our visit. Service excellent as well. Clean.

Good Turkish/Mediterranean food

By JHT1622 |

A choice of good Turkish food on a busy street--Columbus Avenue-- near the American Museum on Natural History. Reasonable prices, many choices. A vegetarian could get a nice meal here. It can be a bit noisy, but tables at the back or booths are quieter.

Great Mediterranean Food

By TSorren |

On Wednesday March 21, 2018 we walked in a snow storm (we weren’t prepared for clothes wise) from The Met on Central Park East through The Park to eat lunch at Lokal 83, needless to say when we arrived we were cold, wet and hungry!! We weren’t disappointed, this place ROCKS! I had chicken soup and the Portages Octopus, my wife had lamb meatballs and our daughter had flank steak with Chimichurri! All the food was awesome...did I forget the hot bread, awesome as well!!!! For dessert we had baklava and Mediterranean flan...extremely tasty as well! The service was great, we came in all wet and were welcomed with big smiles and a comfortable warm place to sit! We were there for 90 minutes plus having lunch and talking about our crazy morning walking in a Nor’easter that dumped 10 inches of snow on the city! If you are ever in the area I highly recommend Lokal 83, you will enjoy every aspect of this place!!

Unexpected and Memorable

By Catty |

We didn’t plan to eat at Lokal - just happened to walk by when looking for a quick bite. Wonderful experience from when we first walked in the door to the end. Fresh, beautiful meal and lots of healthy options on the menu. My companion required gluten free, and the menu indicated gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan. Really wonderful staff as well.

Mediterranean Delight

By SCOBAR123 |

I’ve lived in New York for 42 years, most of it on the Upper West Side, so I have seen wonderful neighborhood eateries come and go. I hope this one stays! We stopped in for brunch after exhausting ourselves at the Columbus Street fair. The omelets are gigantic, and my lamb meatball wrap was perfectly seasoned and cooked, and surrounded by fresh, flavorful tomatoes and greens. Perfectly crisp fries. The food all around us looked and smelled divine. Terrific waitstaff, and the noise level is quite tolerable. We will definitely be back for weekday lunch and dinner.

Interesting style blend

By xparker2017 |

This relatively new restaurant on the UWS in NYC seems to try to do several things at once. Most items are available served in tapas style small plates, with a limited number of full entrees, salads, and appetizers. There are vegetarian options (don't know about vegan). The food is generally good, despite some cilantro and other seemingly Mexican flavors that may not bring the Mediterranean to mind.

Great mediterranean food and good service

By dcsilvap |

As many others have posted, after visiting the Natural History Museeum stepped into LOKAL with no major expectations than a quick lunch to carry on with my activities but, it resulted in an amazing lunch. The combination of 3 dips was simple remarkable (Eggplant, Tzatziki & Labneh) served with garlic home made bread, just as the grilled portuguese octopus. Later, the Gambas al ajillo and the "Lokal garden salad". A very good draft Montauk beer and a glass of Valpolicella Ripaso (2015) completed a very good lunch experience witha waiter that exceeded expectations. Many thanks Lokal friends.....

Fresh and healthy lunch

By Alice R |

Dietary lunch and fresh in reasonable prices. Quantities are important. I recommend this restaurant especially if you are looking for a more balanced meal.

Good Mid-East Food

By NeroNewDelhi |

Stopped here on our first night in nyc, with no foreknowledge about the restaurant. Everything we ordered was well seasoned, with balanced flavors, and pretty authentic. Not fancy and definitely not high end, but great for a quick meal.

Great lunch - will definitely go again

By betteskid |

I had lunch here recently while in NY. I really liked my food - nothing fancy - a wrap with fries - but the wrap was really fresh and tasted great. I particularly like the way this place uses parsley as a green as opposed to a garnish. The service was also great and the menu offers many other things that are more elaborate than what I chose. My daughter had a lovely plate with eggs, salad, hummus (delicious) and everyone loved their food. They also bring some of the best bread I have ever had for the table. Check it out!

Amazing!

By robbiedigital79 |

Stopped in for lunch before hitting the museum of natural history and thoroughly enjoyed the food. We had hummus, a Greek salad, calamari, and meatballs. Apart from the calamari which wasn’t anything special, the rest of the dishes were just fantastic! Highly recommend.

Great addition to the UWS!

By Antigoniesq |

We had dinner twice in this beautiful restaurant. The layout is comfortable and spacious with both banquettes and tables, well spaced from each other. We loved the dishes and the service was excellent. Menu highlights for us were the barbecued meatballs and the stuffed cabbage. Truly delicious! Can't wait to go there again!

Friendly neighborhood joint.

By Ruby G |

Friendly customers. The food is healthy and reasonably priced. I totally recommend this place if uou are dining or just drinking solo, with friends or family.

Outrageously amazing grilled octopus.

By AndrewFromMadison |

I was only there for 2 days, one day I tried Grilled Octopus, and the other day Grilled Calamari. Both were great but Octopus was better. The other things that came with it were awesome too. I never miss Mediterranean resturants anywhere in the world, and this one is one of the best I've tried.

Cozy dinner spot

By Maria229 |

This is a gem of a restaurant with a relaxed vibe and comfortable space. Every dish that came out looked delicious and the prices were very reasonable. Only comment is it took a good while for apps to arrive, so be sure to go when you aren’t in a rush.

I keep coming back

By Houston_family77 |

The best grilled octopus anywhere. It is served with sautéed onion and other Mediterranean style ingredients. The flavor is always robust and yet the meat is always soft. It is consistently perfectly prepared and I have had it a dozen times on multiple Visits to nyc. The grilled chicken kebob is wonderful as are the Greek salad and the shrimp casserole which I had for the first time. The jumbo shrimps are plump and there are plenty of them justifying the $30 price. It is served in an oval cast iron skillet — mushrooms and onion and bell peppers topped with a bubbling and generous overlay of cheese with the appearance of a pizza. Absolutely delicious!! Last night I had the Dorado fish entree. So light and flavorful. Dorado is a mild white fish. Seriously, it seems that I could go through the entire menu and be satisfied every time.

Great Lunch Spot

By sjoyce24 |

We were in the area visiting museums and wanted a light lunch and a cold drink. Thank goodness for search engines on your phone! Great atmosphere in this lovely restaurant. We sat at a high top in the bar area and had great service. Shared three small plates and had a cold beer. The food was so fresh and had great flavors. Really enjoyed the olives and tabbouleh. We talked about the meal all week!

Lunch with Friends

By James W |

A few of us ate lunch here recently, after a stroll through the park. Overall, I would rate this as an average place for lunch. If you check out their web site, you'll see that the "lunch", "dinner" and "all day" menu selections all point to the same document. This means that there are no lunch specials, nor will you find any wraps, sandwiches, etc. anywhere on the menu. Having said that, the food was decent, although not wanting full dinner-size entrees, most of us ordered salads of one type or another. The staff were also willing to prepare some wraps for our crew (ie from the brunch menu, even though we were in the middle of the week), which was nice of them. I tried the avocado-tomato salad, with grilled calamari added, which was pretty good, although somewhat skimpy on the avocado, but I should have asked them to go easy on the olive oil (I left behind a puddle of oil in the bowl). All in all, not a bad place for lunch, but not super-great either.

Great food and wonderful atmosphere

By Tomer_where_to_next |

The host and waiter were really nice and informative. I went with friends from abroad who were vegan so the restaurant had a lot of different dishes that accommodated them too. Everything was very well priced and we sat in a booth a bit in the back of the restaurant which felt like we had our privacy but also a part of the atmosphere of the place. I'll go back there mostly because the food was delicious!

Our go-to spot on UWS

By Monica S |

Such a great restaurant on the Upper West Side! My favorite is their grilled chicken wraps with french fries. My husband likes the Grilled Chicken Shish kabobs. The side of rice, side salad and side bread all very yummy too.

Great Lunch Restaurant in NY

By Vincent0910 |

We have been visiting NY in summer 2018 and were walking around Central Park. At noon we wanted to find a nice restaurant close and found the LOKAL MEDITERRANEAN KITCHEN with a table outside. Having studied the interessting menu, we ordered some different starter and main dish, having also a nice wine. The serving was quick and friendly and the taste was really really great! We were positive surprised about the good quality of the dishes and really enjoyed our stay. I can really recommend to pass by this restaurant and enjoy a lunch break. PS: I was writing this recommendation however later as usual and could not mark the right time in the field below. The visit was in August 2018! Not 2019 - but cannot go back that long time. However I would like to give a good rating of that nice and tasty lunch.

Recommend

By Anne |

Excellent fish Various map Cooked Mediterranean way indeed: non-fat, tasty Waitress (nice little news) charming And... as soon as you want a GOOD coffee, ask him. She'll do it to you.

Lunch

By mstuehrk |

The best stuffed cabbage rolls I’ve ever had! All my fellow diners enjoyed their food as well . The staff was helpful and the facility was comfortable and clean. Nice selection of local beer on tap really made my day.

Mediterranean/American greasy spoon

By Hege M |

It used to be a great French Bistro which served awesome moules frites and spectacular wine. It's now a rather disappointing Mediterranean/American greasy spoon with sad uninviting interiors. But at the tale end of Sunday brunch and decided to stick it out. As expected my feta omelet was greasy, hard, cooked to death. My husband has good instincts. He got the mezze, which you really can't mezz up! The coffee and the wine - sorry I mentioned it! Reeking from artificial room freshener, even the restrooms were off putting. But now we know.

EXCELLENT FOOD

By Betsy P |

Two of us ate dinner at Lokal. We shared dishes from the small plate section: Grilled Calamari, Gammas al Ajillo, Tabbouleh. We dipped pita bread in Baba Ghanoush, whipped red caviar, and Labneh(yogurt). Everything was fresh and delicious. The menu is filled with many entrees as well. Staff were friendly and did not rush us. And somehow the noise level was low enough to have a conversation. We will definitely go back.

A very pleasant meal with many options for a vegetarian friend

By Alan304 |

The sangria was very sweet (too sweet). The small plates were tasty. The calves liver and crab cakes were good. The zucchini pancakes were good enough to order again. There are many good restaurant options in the area. Lokal is a good choice - particularly if there is a vegetarian in your group.

Best Mediterranean restaurant at UWS

By murato_10 |

Lokal is our favorite restaurant . The food fresh and tasty, nice atmosphere. And friendly service . Definitely place to visit when you are in New York

Very, Very Good

By Michael S |

Lokal Lokal is not a five star restaurant - it merits five stars for being very, very good at what it purports to be - a moderately priced eatery with excellent middle eastern fare, Dinner for five with a bottle of wine was $200 plus tip. This included one large appetizer and one entrée served as an appetizer, three entrees and two of us having two small plates each as our entrée. Simply put, a lot of food. The portions are between generous and large, notably the beet salad and a lamb stew. What did we eat? Appetizers were a three dish mezze - hummus, baba ganoush and spiced vegetables and a falafel plate. Dinner was a chicken shish, that beet salad, that lamb stew, and two us ordered the same small plates, a shrimp in garlic and oil and red lentil cakes. Everything we excellent, the shrimp the best thing on the table - you must order it. The wine was Portuguese red, just $44, a novelty for New York, good wine at a fair price! Service was terrific, the food was hot, the venue is pleasant, spacious for Manhattan, brightly lit with a bar. It is also easy to hold an intelligent conversation without too much noise - I was in town in part for business, in part for fun, dinner was a mix of both, Lokal was quirt nought for me to explain my Options income Blueprint service to someone at the table. Essentially a neighborhood place, if you stating north of 59th street you should consider Lokal.

Superb

By Horace D |

Superb. Highly recommended! My friend and I enjoyed a lovely lunch here during a quiet holiday weekend. There's a lunch menu but we opted to go traditional menu with dips, it was hard to choose! All are yummy, a yummy tomato avocado salad, and very crisp falafel! The homemade warm bread with garlic was amazing to accompany everything. Then we moved on to dessert... cheesecake and the tiramisu!! The staff is very attentive, friendly and helpful. The atmosphere is welcoming, warm, quite large inside and out. We'll be back to try more of the huge menu. Make a reservation.

love the garlic!

By T8travels |

Enjoyed outside dining at lunch over the fourth of July weekend. Meze plates and a refreshing drink. Loved the garlic in the tzatziki and hummus - perfect!

UWS Mediterranean

By David E |

Excellent shish kabob, grilled chicken and Mediterranean dishes. One of our favorites on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Overpriced diner food.

By lesteryoungfan |

I read many good reviews of this restaurant, but frankly, it is overpriced and the food tasted like something you’d get in a diner. They charged $19 for an octopus appetizer, and the amount of octopus was about the size of your pinky. It was very disappointing, served on Iceberg lettuce. And a small portion on top of that! The eggplant appetizer was better tasting, but for $12, we thought it was a small portion again. I can deal with quality over quantity, but all told, the appetizers were overpriced. Our main courses were lamb sauté, which was very tough, with a boring sauce. Again, it reminded me of something from an average diner. We also had the stuffed cabbage, which either the rice was undercooked inside, or there was some vegetable that was a little too crunchy. Again, in a diner for half the price, I wouldn’t complain. Then we ordered dessert. There was a cold, sliced pumpkin with some kind of weak sauce and a few nuts, and also a chocolate lava cake that was twice too expensive. The only good thing I can say about the places at the server was very pleasant.