Avra 48th Street

This is a great option for an elevated dining experience! They have fresh seafood and if you like cheese, get the saganaki! They have a large dining room and attentive service. I personally enjoy savoring a meal, but if you’re in a hurry, this may not be the perfect spot for you. We didn’t get it, but I will be going back to try their desserts, which looked amazing.

Nice outdoor space to dine during nice weather! The service was really good 👍 My favorite was the halloumi a must-try, and the bread was soft and fresh. The hummus was good also. The truffle fries were a big NO for me. Didn't like it at all!! I liked the appetizers more than the main dishes. We got 2 appetizers and 2 main dishes, a side, a water, and a soda. Spent around 290$ with taxes and without a Tip.

What a wonderful meal. Started with Squid appetizer and the Avra chips ( zucchini tower). Both absolutely delicious. Then we split the fish special that was flown in from Greece that morning as well at the cauliflower steak. Both Amazing. No room for dessert unfortunately. Next time. Our Server had been with the restaurant for 24 year's. She was amazing!!! I will be back. Great place for client meetings as well as social events. We even saw a birthday being celebrated.

This restaurant is one of my favorite Greek restaurants in NYC! 👍😊 I first came here many years ago, just after it was opened, and I've never been disappointed! Yesterday I had lunch there with friends, and we really enjoyed the cozy, festive atmosphere as well as the delicious and well prepared food. 👍👍 The raw plate combo was truly outstanding 😋😋😋 ... and our main courses were delish with perfectly cooked fish 👍😋👍 ... but lacking a bit in presentation!🤔 Of the desserts we tasted, we liked the yogurt with the typical spoon sweets the best! 😋 The service was very friendly and professional ... but the prices are on the higher side ... reflecting the restaurant's location and the high quality of the food served! 😉

On 12/28/23, my husband, daughter and I paid a visit to Avra 48th Street after seeing the Christmas Spectacular (located conveniently across the street). It was our first time here and it was quite memorable. Gabriel was one of our servers and was super kind and helpful. We also met Kalia, the Operations Manager who was kind enough to gift us a sleek bottle of their olive oil. It tastes amazing and we love to use it when cooking our dishes at home. Thank you so much for making our first (and definitely not the last) visit worthwhile and pleasant!

I came here 14 years ago with my family, a Monday night in 2009, so vibrant, such great food. So good, we came back 2 days later on a Wednesday and only got a table because our waiter remembered us from the previous night. Went there tonight. Easy to get a table, in hindsight that should have been a sign. We were Totally deflated. I had the calamari , it would have been passable if it hadn’t been sitting under the warmer for 20 minutes. Chicken, blah… same The prices were crazy too, 30 bucks for a Greek salad??? Paid the bill and left the tip, and only after that gave some feedback to one of the senior staff. Avra, truly hope you can get back some semblance of what you were.

Our family’s favorite New York restaurant. Whenever we have lunch or dinner or celebrate a birthday in Avra, it is always a great experience.. The stuff is exceptionally friendly and helpful. The food is delicious, the best Greek Salad in the city. And I love the ambience, festive and cozy, as if it is always Christmas there 😊.

So nice I visited twice! Phenomenal Food😋Excellent Service🥳Lovely Staff😍Food tasted just like when we were in Greece 🇬🇷 Can’t wait to return😘

My family and I enjoyed dining at this Greek restaurant. Fish was fresh and reasonably priced. Although it was kind of crowded, service was attentive. But the table we had was cramped next to fish display... We would come back sometime!

Came here with a huge party and they were extremely accommodating with our reservation and our group. They have a great price fixed lunch for $38 for the quality of the food and what you get it's a steal. I got the grilled calamari to start it was so delicious, fresh and perfectly grilled and seasoned. This was an amazing way to start the dinner. The service staff was super attentive and always changed our silverware after every course. Main course I had their whole branzino which was perfectly grilled and ate perfectly with a squeeze of lemon. For dessert got the baklava which was very well executed and had unique flavor that I thoroughly enjoyed. This definitely place id love to go back and try more dishes. Thanks for having my family and I .

Great prix fixe lunch. Delicious spanakopita, wonderful bread and hummus awesome Bronzino and delightful desserts. Great atmosphere both inside and out. Service was very professional

Always an authentic experience at Avra, fresh salad, savory zucchini chips, lovely meat and fish. Festive ambiance.

Had a fantastic work dinner here. Great location, friendly and helpful staff. Everyone enjoyed their food and cocktails. Highly recommend.

Wow - any place that flies produce, olive oil and fish from Greece must be legit. The Greek salad is $$ but so worth it. Tomatoes, cheese and oil are divine. Brings you back to Santorini or some other Greek isle! Got the grilled octopus (healthy portions!), Avra chips (traditional crispy zucchini & eggplant chips with tzatziki) not to be missed, and grilled jumbo shrimp. Great for business meals, groups and special occasions. Have been a few times over the years and management is still the same which also speaks volumes. Didn't get the pic but the Greek yogurt dessert was so creamy and delicious too. Highly recommend!

Always friendly, professional, fresh and excellent food. I haven't been to Avra for over two years and I was delighted to see some of the managers I knew from sometime ago were still there. They were incredibly accommodating to me as a single diner and gave me choices of seating. I opted for the outside seating as it was a beautiful day. The service was as expected, excellent front. This was a lunch meal and I opted for a green salad with grilled salmon. They didn't have the grilled salmon as an option on the menu, but when I requested it, they were able to make it happen. Every bite was delicious. The salmon was perfectly cooked, fresh, and delicious. I'm so happy that Restaurant was able to make it through the challenging years and it's still a wonderful go to place on the east side. Thanks Avra team!

Avra (any of the locations) is great though I'm a fan of the 48th St location. If you enjoy Mediterranean seafood, this is the place for you. From fresh oysters, grilled calamari, octopus or Greek whole sardine appetizers all fantastic and fresh. Nice selection or whole fish, on display for review the mains are incredible. Service is outstanding and the setting is warm and inviting. Definitely a destination dinner.

Stopped here for dinner, had a drink while waiting on others to show up at the bar. The fish bar shows you the fresh fish for the night, a good selection of whole fish there. The menu was mostly fish, and the appetizers varied - I liked the octopus grilled, classic spreads were ok, and the sea bass souvlaki was just so-so. The main dishes we shared a strip steak (just ok, a little over cooked for medium rare), sea bass plaki was ok (again, not sure why so much tomato sauce). Grilled veggies were fine, and the truffle fries too dry (they need to cut them thinner). Dessert - olive oil cake was ok. Overall the food was ok; the service, though, wasn't great. A lot of waiting for the service between courses, no one around even to refill water after it was requested.

Great food. Nice ambiance. Helpful staff. Must have the desserts. Love the quietness of the dining area below street level.

Came here for the lunch prix fixe and loved every single minute of it! It's midtown, so expect lots of business meetings to be happening in this extremely spacious restaurant. What's great is that even during lunch hour, the sound doesn't become overbearing to the point where you have to yell to converse. To the food! For the prix fixe, you get one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert for $36.50. And with these portions? Yep, sure, I get it! For my appetizer, I got the calamari -- great, loved it. It was so light and fresh! A friend, though, got the daily special soup, which I think was a carrot soup, and oh my goodness, I've never been jealous of another appetizer!! But you can bet that I got a couple spoonfuls, and it was so goooood. So maybe if you're a soup person, try the soup! For my entree, I got the good ol' bronzino! I have yet to find a place that fails with bronzino (fingers crossed that I never do), but this presentation?? Beautiful. Stunning. The only downside was the horta aka Greek Greens aka Swiss chard. I love Swiss chard, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't my favorite as I found it a bit bland. For dessert, since I came with 3 other friends, we were able to get all four desserts and they were delicious! Whatever I was able to still taste after being so full! So, definitely come for the food (especially that lunch special!) and the ambiance and the service was also impeccable! As the other reviews have said, yes, it is pretty pricey, but the other stuff really do make up for it. If I find myself near 63rd and Lex, I will come back!

I had a very nice prefixe lunch here. They give you free bread, pita, hummus, olives, radish, and roasted red pepper to start. The hummus was very nice. My bread was warm! For appetizer I had grilled calamari which was soft and almost creamy. Branzino for main - generous portion! Light and fresh. I like that they serve it with the head on. Tasty and deceptively large slice of walnut cake for dessert, soaked in a sugar syrup at the bottom. The restaurant was packed. I sat at the bar and service was good, unremarkable. Paid about $50 for lunch including tax and tip. Expensive but worth it!

Came here on a lunch date with my boss' baby (I was watching her for the afternoon while they went to a show). Edwin at the door was extremely helpful not only with obviously helping me into the restaurant, but also with helping me getting the stroller situated. Victoria was my server and she was also extremely helpful and thoughtful the entire visit. From subbing pita bread for the hard crackers that come automatically when you sit down to recommending food items that were shareable. They made the experience really pleasant. And food was great! I had the prefixed menu that was about $35 before tax

We went to Avra on Friday night with a group of eight friends and had a fantastic time. Amazing Fish dishes were prepared and so delicious. The Greek wine pairings were fantastic and the service was excellent. We highly recommend Avra for large group, gatherings of friends or just an intimate date night. The restaurant is sectioned up so that you could have a private dinner if you wanted.

I've been frequenting Avra for years as it was located close to my office. I hadn't been back since covid and boy was I missing out. You can still rely on this NYC staple for some of the best Greek food outside of Athens. To start, bread & condiments are a wonderful touch. I loved the fig butter and the bread itself is perfection. I'm not a huge olive lover but even i liked these! We both ordered the 3 course lunch and it didn't disappoint. Amazing greek salad and I had the Bronzino. Hubby had the lamb chops, which he loved. The lemon potatoes that came with his meal were amazing. And dessert came with our lunch and we both opted for the baklava! So good! I can't say the prices are the cheapest in town, but Avra sits high atop of the best greek in NYC, hands down. Try it out for yourself and I promise you, you won't be disappointed. The restaurant itself is very nice and a great place for just about every occasion, including client events. I've done them in the past too and they can easily accommodate small and large parties. It won't take me years to go back. I'm hooked again. Opa!!

Had a business lunch meeting here. We arrived early. They brought out really delicious and fresh bread with butter that had sea salt or kosher salt sprinkled on it. The meals we ordered were the Bifteki, Tuna Nicoise, and Plaki. Everyone liked what they ordered. I thought the mustard vinaigrette Tuna Nicoise was mild compared to other times I have had Tuna Nicoise. It filled up rather quickly. There were a lot of conversations going on. However, you do not have to fear being overhead by people at neighboring tables.

Made a reservation via resy same day so I was able to get a great table at the time I wanted. The food and service were both fantastic.

The atmosphere is pleasant and elegant. The service was excellent and attentive. I ordered tuna which was somewhat dry and not very flavorful. My husband had filet mignon which was dry and overcooked. The side dishes were good (Lemon roasted potatoes, roasted vegetables) but the main dishes should have been the stars. When my husband told the waiter about the main dishes they comped a dessert which we refused but they insisted.

The original location still holds its own with its siblings. Rustic styling makes for a warm environment to enjoy a great seafood meal.

Solid business lunch location, so be prepared non-business lunch folks who are interested in coming here. The restaurant has a friendly ambience to it - nothing too fancy but very nice. I ordered the business lunch: Greek salad, fish of the day and the cookies. The Greek salad was delicious as the cucumbers and tomatoes were well dressed with the feta complimenting nicely. The catch of the day was a white fish, simple and small, that was grilled and finished with olive oil and capers. It came with some artichoke and green pea puree on the side. The cookies were delicious. They also start with some bread, hummus and olives which were really nice. They do take it away once your apps/mains are served so make sure you have your fill or request to leave it. Overall, it was a pleasant lunch. I would say that it was pretty loud and service could have been more attentive and friendly. At times, it was hard to flag one down to get some help.

After seeing the cute outdoor seating, we stopped by Avra for a late lunch/early dinner. We did the prix fixe menu ($38 for appetizer, entree, and dessert) and it was an outstanding deal for the high quality food and well-sized portions. It was also fun because it gave us the chance to try a bit of everything. All our food was delicious, from the assorted dips appetizer to the gigantes beans. The lamb skewers were a favorite, they were so tender and flavorful. The interior seating was also beautiful and would be perfect for a more intimate dinner or event/celebration. I will absolutely be back the next time I'm in New York!!

When in New York - Avra is always a good idea! Food is consistent- always very good! The drinks are amazing and atmosphere is fun. I had the pleasure of dining at both locations. Madison has a nicer vibe IMO, but provide the same great service.

My wife and I went here last Friday for a company event. We had more than fifty people and the service was fantastic. They know how to manage a large group. The appetizers were plentiful and tasty. I had the sea bass and my wife had the roasted chicken.

One of my favorite Greek places in NYC and really elsewhere. We made a post matinee theater reservation and were seated in a nice spot near the front of the restaurant. Great attentive service with recommendations for wine and a perfect cosmo. We started with a selection of the dips and olives and more prices as well as radish.... Nice start. Favorite was the tarama....creamy and tangy. Entrees were the branzino and youvetsi, the latter being very generous. Branzino as perfect and London and olive oil were all it needed I highly recommend this place.

This is our 3rd time here. We come here whenever we visit the City. As a 1st generation Greek, I get very picky about Greek cuisine. However Avra never disappoints. I love the 48st location. It is a large space that is inviting and offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Staff is nothing short of phenomenal. Many are Greek and I always enjoy talking to them in our native tongue. They offer great advice and really make you feel more than a customer throughout your stay. They are always present when you need something. Food and wine offerings are superb. Fresh is the name of the game here especially the fish which is flown in from all over the world. Sides are authentic Greek or more mainstream and don't forget dessert which is as authentic as it gets. I have added some photos of the dishes we got as part of celebrating my daughter's birthday. It is expensive so know that going in but it's worth every penny Try it....you'll love it.

Great experience. I thought at first that we were being shunted off to the hinterlands (to the "wine room") but, in fact, while not as "vibey" as the front and outdoor areas, was a notch or two quieter and actually a nice space, too. Server was one charming mf and we were not kept waiting for anything. The olive-and-hummus complimentary plate was great. Can't say that the red snapper (picked from the display case of whole fish) was worth $101... but excellent. The fish soup... not really. The vibe, the vitality, the ambience, the service all compensated for the shortcomings of the soup and the cost of the whole fish.

Beautiful trendy restaurant, with great vibe Great food , Best pre fixed brunch Monday through Sunday $38 Dinner is excelent but pricey

We had a lovely dinner at Avra. Arriving early the host was kind enough to seat the party members as the arrived. The food was delicious fresh. I was impressed with the perfect tomato's in my salad ripened to perfection. The lamb chops were delicious as was the saganaki and branzino. It's was expensive and fancy, we felt well taken care of and special at this mediterranean restaurant.

My wife had a severe reaction after dining at Avra and eating the swordfish. We had to rush her to the emergency room within hours. Following this, she underwent extensive testing for fish allergies, including a specific test for swordfish, all of which came back negative. The doctors concluded that her reaction was most likely due to the restaurant serving spoiled or contaminated fish. I reached out to Avra to inform them of this serious incident, but they have not responded at all. It's disappointing that a restaurant with Avra's reputation wouldn't take responsibility or even acknowledge such a significant health risk. The steak was mediocre, which I guess is expected for a restaurant known for seafood. The Avra chips were good.

Great food and good service! Came here at 10 and still saw several patrons come in after me despite the 10:30 pm close Started with delicious olive oil on bread that was complimentary. Also had a dish of complimentary olives, hummus, and radish. Waiter suggested the octopus appetizer that was well cooked and very tender. I also had the Chilean sea bass plaki and that was delightful. Perfect balance of tomato sauce and tender carrots, potato and Vidalia onions beneath a perfectly cooked sea bass.

Very good, though very pricey We came 7:30pm on a Thursday and the place was PACKED. Looks like a lot of colleagues or client dinner meetings, which the atmosphere and food is great for, but as a result the place is so loud with everyone talking. Free bread to start. I loved the Avra Chips with its tzatziki sauce. Both the grilled calamari and the freshly grilled fish we got were tender, light, and delicious. The latter was priced at market rate per pound. They have many fresh fish to choose from. Mediterranean food done well. These 3 dishes and a glass of wine turned out to be ~$100 a person..

Stopped in here for lunch. The restaurant was packed with what appeared to be primarily locals having business lunches. The service was perfect, the food was good, the prices a bit high. The Cobb salad with chicken was loaded with chicken. The swordfish brochette was very good. Very friendly staff and a convenient place to grab a meal.

This place has it all if you are a fan of real Greek food. Authentic preparation, high quality ingredients, and a truly lovely staff to take care of us. The seafood is especially tasty. Our waiter (Jack) took such good care of us that we will be back as soon as we can, and will bring our other Greek family with us when we can. Thank you for an unusually good meal! Come enjoy this place soon!

Nice upscale restaurant! You can keep it casual or dress up if you'd like! Make sure you order plenty of appetizers to try! The Mykonos Breeze drink was my favorite. Also can get very busy so I suggest making a reservation!

I came here for team lunch, and was pleasantly surprised. This place is SO spacious and the service here is top notch. Everything also seemed so fresh and well seasoned. I HIGHLY recommend the Avra Chips; they were so well seasoned and crispy. Most of my teammates, including myself, did the 3 course menu. I got calamari as the appetizer, grilled organic chicken for the entree, and greek yogurt for the dessert. I left feeling SO full and took most of my entree and some apps home. Our server was amazing and so funny. He really knew what he was doing and made the experience here so great.

Opa! Upscale Greek cuisine and very good indeed! It's an attractive restaurant with plenty of seating and a nice atmosphere. The kitchen and prep area is open to viewing. Wait service is prompt and efficient. This being Christmas Eve, we decided to go for just the appetizers (which menu offers plenty of choices) and do a tapas-style assortment for Seven Fishes. We had: grilled cuttlefish (sepia), sea bass souvlaki, grilled sardines, grilled shrimp, salmon tartare, tuna tartare, and crab cakes. All were excellent with shout-outs to the sea bass souvlaki (so creamy and soft), the sepia (deliciously charred), and the salmon tartare (very delicate and fresh). We also had their saganaki (we doubled up on this one) which was toasty and satisfying; and the special salad comprising hearts of palm, cubes of cantaloupe, thinly sliced bell peppers, and slivers of red onion. This salad was delicious. We followed this meal with strong cups of coffee and desserts of: galaktoboureko, olive oil cake, and a magnificent 16-layer chocolate cake slice. The chocolate cake and the olive oil cake were terrific, rich and moist, and not overly sweet - and a wonderful way to cap off Christmas Eve dinner!

Came for a work dinner recently and thought it was good overall, pricey for sure but good overall. Started with the sliced tomatoes which, don't get me wrong, were good but like literally take a tomato and slice it. And then charge $20? Even in Manhattan that's egregious. I got the swordfish which was quite good. It's Greek so it'll be cooked simply, and I liked that in this case, it was enough to create a quite a good flavor. Service was friendly and attentive throughout, very nice venue; feels like an escape from midtown. I'd go back!

We seated immediately for an outdoor table during a weekday at 12. There were plenty of umbrellas to block the sun and the staff will work to get you covered! I can't believe that the three course fixed price menu was only $34.50. Honestly, the whole meal was worthwhile to be a dinner course of restaurant week $60 value. I ordered the meatballs as my appetizer, lavraki-branzino for my main, and the chocolate cheesecake as my dessert. The meatballs were soft, flavored well, and complimented with the chunks of feta. The fish was HUGE with a lovely lemon/salt spice. I didn't love the horta veggies that came with it but overall the fish tasted fresh and the presentation was amazing. The chocolate dessert was rich, not too sweet, and topped off the wonderful meal. Servers are very attentive and change your table setting often.

Hmmmmm. Not sure how really "Greek" this place is, but pleasant enough. Service is attentive; the atmosphere was relatively hushed and grown-up on our visit. High points on the menu included the calamari, the Arctic char , and the halibut , the latter two being definitively non-Hellenic. Baklava was of breeze-block proportions, and rather dry, to be honest.

Very much a place you go with family Expensive and good food but there's not much else Just a typical expensive Mediterranean restaurant

I'm going to start with the service. Upon entering, the girl at the front stand wasn't the most pleasant. She almost seemed annoyed or bothered that we wanted to get seated. After getting seated, our waiter was really good. We ordered A LOT of different options .. from the different types of cheeses, hummus platter with pita bread, grilled shrimp, sea bass, salad, tomatoes, oyster mushrooms & desert. The food was delicious. Very filling. To top it off, the desert and homemade ice cream was amazing as well. The ambiance of the place was beautiful- really gave a great fine dining experience. It's safe to say that I really enjoyed my dinner that night.

I would say Avra is one of my all time favorite restaurants. I tried the Avra Benedict for Brunch and it was perfection! Poached egg, Salmon and that Hollandaise sauce. The bread is great too with the fig butter. Outdoor is spacious as well.

This is a great restaurant. The food is fresh and expertly prepared. The service is responsive and friendly. We ate outside and enjoyed the great weather and cozy setting.

Want fresh seafood? They have it here. Got the calamari, ceviche, grilled shrimp, and lobster pasta. Everything is fresh, healthy, maybe not the most flavorful, but fresh and healthy. Definitely felt rushed to order here though so maybe we panic ordered. Good for business travel dinner but I don't think I'd come here with friends.

Frequent Avra for their irresistible zucchini chips! The drinks are consistently impressive as well.

We went for lunch before a show at Radio City. The interior was nice, but only one bathroom for the dining room we were in. Not ideal. There was a long line of folks standing around in front of someone's table. My meatball app was luke warm at best. It was tasty, just not hot at all. My chicken and frites were both overcooked. Our server wasn't very attentive to our table. No banter and our plates, when finished, stayed on the table for a long time before they came to clear for the next course. I think this is a bit of a tourist trap. It could also be that we hit it on an off day? I wanted to love it. I love Greek food, usually. I would look for something else if you are looking for a mid to higher end meal. There are better places to go in the area.

Amazing Lunch!! Really nice Greek restaurant. Waitress was super nice. Went on a business lunch, slightly loud for any in depth conversation but we also sat in the lounge area bc it was a little last minute so idk if regular seating is a little more spacious. Overall pleasant experience.

They have an amazing pre-fixe and the ambience is nice. The food is incredible. The service is impeccable.

The service was inconsistent. It wasn't a very welcoming experience. The food was good but not great. Appetizers were huge as were the prices.