Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
It has been a while since we went to Dafni Greek Taverna across from Port Authority and I admit that I totally forgot to post about our last visit. So, as we were looking for a place very close to this area because we were meeting Jodi’s cousin Rebecca , we booked a table for a dinner. The place was not that crowded (it was a Wednesday), and the waiter found a way to mix up dishes a bit, mistake that I would put on his difficulty to understand my French accent, although I was showing him the items we we were ordering on the menu.
We hear a lot about Mediterranean diet, so I took that dining experience as a way to improve our health, dessert included. Here is what we had:
They do not have ouzo surprisingly, so I ordered a glass of Kourtaki, a white wine from Greece, while Jodi had a lemonade that was quite good.
Kourtaki wine at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
We then share a bunch of appetizers, starting with a trio of spreads (pikilia):
- tzatziki (yogurt, cucumber, garlic and dill),
- melitzanosalata (baby eggplant, garlic, olive oil and lemon). So, in fact they brought us the taramosalata that is made with fish roe that I admit I did not really liked, and we had to tell the waiter he made a mistake that he corrected graciously.
- tirokafteri (cheese with spices).
Spreads at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
Tzatziki at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
Dolmades at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
Tirokafteri at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
Taramosalata at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
Melitzanosalata at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
The spreads came with pita, slices of tomato and dolmades, these grapevine leaves stuffed with rice and herbs. This was good overall, the tzatziki and melitzanosalata being my favorites.
We also shared a saganaki that is a baked Greek cheese. Do not expect them to flambé the saganaki like at Uncle Nick’s while waiters scream “Opa” and people are cheering. It is simply baked. Still, it was really good and I recommend it if you like cheese.
Saganaki at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
Saganaki at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
Next was kolokhitakia tiganita, that are fried slices of zucchini and eggplant, but instead of serving this with tzatziki, they bring it with skordalia that is a garlic spread that I ditched as not as good for a dip. The dish itself was good, slightly crunchy and not greasy at all.
Kolokhitakia tiganita at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
In fact, at the beginning, instead of bringing us the Kolokithakia Tiganita, they brought us, by mistake, the Kolokithokeftedes that are zucchini fritters with onions, mint and cheese, served with tzatziki. And the waiter admitted his mistake as he put the plate on the table, probably thinking that it would otherwise go to the trash…This dish was quite good and I did not regret tasting it: not greasy, tasty, the inside had strings of zucchini that gave an interesting texture with the outside being crunchy.
Kolokithokeftedes at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
Kolokithokeftedes at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
Of course, we could not not have the Greek salad, which is always a good choice.
Greek salad at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
Last was dessert. We decided to share a baklava and a Galaktoboureko, a Greek dessert made with a custard in a phyllo pastry shell. Both were good, quite sweet, with a preference for the Galaktoboureko as the custard counterbalanced a bit the sweetness of the sugary syrup it was smothered with.
Baklava at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
Galaktoboureko at Dafni Greek Taverna in NYC, NY
Overall, we had a great time at Dafni Greek Taverna: the food was good as was the company. It is not the best Greek restaurant for sure, but they offer a decent meal if you are in the area and Uncle Nick’s is either too full…or too noisy.
Enjoy (I did)!
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Dafni Greek Taverna - 325 West 42nd Street, NY 10036
