Sahara's Turkish Cuisine

Sahara’s Turkish Cuisine… I love this place. This is the best Turkish restaurant in Manhattan. The lentil soup that they have is even better than the one that I had in Turkey. Atmosphere is so cozy and the the staff really friendly and smili face. Coming to this place always makes me so happy.

I took girlfriend out for dinner at this restaurant and we had an amazing dinner. Food was delicious, service was just impeccable and the atmosphere was so magical. We had lamb shank and lamb adana kebab with a nice red vine. Everything was so delicious.

Great place, great service, and the food was amazing all around. Dining in is best because the bread is fresh and they were generous with more starters. The meat was very flavorful.

What a nice restaurant. I love this restaurant it’s the best Turkish restaurant in NYC. I visited so many other Turkish restaurants but this one has the best taste and the perfect stuff. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming. Their lamb Adana dish is my favorite and I really recommend you to try their cold appetizer.

Very nice Turkish restaurant. The food was authentic. I really enjoyed the Manti & the Adana Kebab. The cold baklava & the Kunefe were so good with çay. I highly recommend this restaurant if you’re looking for amazing Turkish cuisine in NYC.

We love Turkish cuisine. In nyc this place is really nice and clean. Food is really really good and prices are reasonable.. we will be visit again .. ♥️♥️♥️

Wonderful service and atmosphere , elegant, traditional and delicious food 🥘 A+ my son rates the lentil soup his favorite Turkish 🇹🇷 dish

Food is so delicious!! Especially the cold appetizer plate, must order! Eggplant is now my favorite vegetable it is so versatile. The skirt steak and lamb slices are both awesome.

I love this place! Authentic delicious Turkish food, comfortable place and people are super friendly, attentive and service is extraordinary! I feel home when I go every week.. strongly highly recommend!! 7 star Emre, Nergis ,Guler r the best

I visited this place at one of my Turkish friends birthday party 4 years ago and since then it's been my favorite spot for Turkish food. They don't have lahmacun which is my favorite Turkish dish but their calf's liver and zucchini pancakes are THE best in the entire New York City. The stuff is excellent, very understanding and super kind service. Restaurant itself is very clean and very cozy ambiance. Give it a try I guarantee you'll love this place.

They have terrific food. I love their lunch special too, it is very generous and filling. For me, it can last the whole day, which is important because I can only afford to order food when I'm sick and can't cook. Thank you Sahara.

Celebrated my friend's birthday. Very friendly service and they were great in accommodating my friend's celebration. The meat was juicy, tender, and very delicious. Generous servings. The restaurant is very clean and cozy.

Wow! The food was phenomenal, the service was even better, and the ambiance couldn't have been better. I had never been, but a friend brought me with a large group. They handled the size of our group well, food came quickly and they were nothing but patient and friendly (especially for those who asked a lot of questions). I had the lamb gyro and it was perfect. The meat was amazing and I have no idea why the rice was so good, but it just was. I can't wait to go back and try something more daring!

Recently moved to the neighborhood and went here for the first time. Really good food and best service. New favorite for sure! Loveee their turkish coffee. Their Manti is just heaven!! Iskander is also greattttt!! Will be back for sure!! Also their best part is their super friendly and helpful servers. Great ambiance overall.

I was looking for a place where I could have a light lunch with comfortable atmosphere and I came across this restaurant..... what a gem! Lovely atmosphere, wonderful staff and a terrific menu! I only wanted a light meal so I ordered a small shepherds salad.... it was huge! It was absolutely delicious, and the bread, the olive oil with olives were out of this world! I can hardly wait to go back there with friends for dinner!

We were there last night and it was incredible.. Mustafa was a gracious host who treated us like family.. a beautiful white cloth restaurant with exquisite authentic Turkish food. We started off with hummus and Turkish bread. Both excellent.. For our entree we had lamb shank With eggplant placed on top.. absolutely delicious!. Also Diced lamb with yogurt sauce and green pepper that was truly a big hit. Our sweet desserts were three different variations of baklava that were to die for. A nice cup of turkish coffee and our night was done.

When you go to a place, especially a restaurant, you expect a welcoming environment. This place has it, not only welcomes you, very warm atmosphere and prompt service. Food is spectacular!! When the food served to you, first you eat it with your eyes. It has to compliment your sight, then you taste it. Especially after you taste it, you know this food is made with love. Look at the dishes, how they are plated, very nice and i am impressed!! Iskender kebab was beyond my expectations, thank you!

Great food. Great value. They got us right in. I highly recommend this restaurant if in nyc.

WOWOWOWWOWOWOW!!! Sag ol!! Thank youuu this was incredible! Big portions, amazing customer service, beautiful ambience!

My friend was looking for a good Turkish restaurant for our last night in the city. We stumbled upon this one online. A cozy warm decor. I think it's under new management or they haven't updated their status with Yelp because they did not honor the check in coupon. In any event, we ended up ordering the chicken soup which was extremely hearty and flavorful. The lamb chops were solid. My friend reported the mixed grill was adequate. The service was pretty prompt.

Dining at Sahara's is an unforgettable culinary journey through the heart of Turkey. The moment you step in, the warm and inviting ambiance, accented with traditional Turkish décor, sets the stage for a memorable experience. I would recommend ordering the cold appetizer platter, the chicken Adana Kabab and the Mediterranean salad. They also have a great selection of desserts. Sahara's is a must-visit for anyone who appreciates authentic Turkish cuisine. The quality of the food, combined with the warm hospitality, makes it a standout dining destination. I look forward to my next visit!

New York çevresinde gittiğim en başarılı türk restoranı. Her şey harikaydı. Yemeklerin tatı çok başarılıydı. Restoran çalışanları çok kibar ve anlayışlı çalışanlardı. Gerçekten güzel bir deneyimdi.

The food was amazing and the staff were more than welcoming! Would definitely go again

Authentic and delicious Turkish food. And the bread is sooooo good! Ordered takeout from Sahara's through their website. The portions were great and the food was delicious. The restaurant looked very clean and had Turkish style decor. Next time I hope to dine in. Must have: Cold Appetizer Plate, the portion is amazing and each dish in the appetizer plate is delicious! The damage: 2 cold appetizer plates, lamb dish, zucchini fritter dish, chicken thigh dish. Total was around $110 without tip/tax. The service was great and the portions were amazing. We arrived early to pick up our dish and were greeted by, who I believe, is the owner and his wife. They let us know that they were finishing up on the chicken dish and had us wait by the bar. They were very kind people. The portion of each dish was amazing. I feel like most pages in NYC have been skimping on the portions of their meals, but this place doesn't miss. We can't wait to go back!

I've eaten here several times over the years, most recently this spring. They have one of my favorite Turkish dishes, an appetizer called Arnavut Ciğeri, which is sauteed liver cubes. I order that at any Turkish restaurant that offers it, and the version here is one of the best I've tried. The portion was a generous size and, along with the bread that came with the meal, it was enough for dinner. I don't recall what I had at earlier visits, but I know I always enjoyed the meal. The atmosphere is pretty standard. Not a fancy date place, but comfortable and homey. Good service. I may go back tonight. (In fact I came to Yelp to look up diner hours and realized I had never posted a review.)

Yummy food, attentive service and open late. A gem. Vibes are vibing. Great for a bite to eat after a movie at the nearby AMC.

[This review is a copy of MY OWN review on Google] SUMMARY: Restaurant was under renovation when I arrived for my reservation. Restaurant never contacted me to tell me they could not fulfill my reservation. Go to Turkish Kitchen instead, they're the best. I really hate giving one star reviews, but come on guys. I made a reservation on August 17th to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday. A sign on the front of the restaurant noted that it was closed for renovations until the 17th. This was corroborated by their OpenTable page, showing the earliest availability being the 17th. When I arrived to the restaurant for my reservation, I was met by four construction workers and a restaurant nowhere near fully renovated. Giving Sahara's the benefit of the doubt, I figured that it was probably just the front that was still having renovations and that there was a location in the back that was free. With not a SINGLE restaurant employee in sight, I had to ask one of these construction workers what the deal was. He told me they were not taking any dine ins and were only open for takeout. The fact that someone who doesn't even work at the restaurant was more informative and professional than any of its workers speaks volumes. My biggest source of frustration during this whole ordeal was that I was NEVER contacted with an update regarding this. If Sahara would have simply reached out to me to inform me the restaurant was still under renovation, I would have understood. What makes this even more frustrating is that Sahara's is always empty. The most groups I have ever seen there at once where only two. I must have been one of the only reservations, if not the only, for that entire day. The point I'm trying to make is that there is no way the restaurant was so flooded with reservations that mine somehow slipped under the cracks. To somehow forget to reach out to one of your only reservations of the entire day takes a level of incompetence I did not know was possible. Anyways, we ended up going to Turkish Kitchen a couple blocks away on 3rd Avenue. The food there was amazing and the service was impeccable. If you're in the mood for some delicious (and halal!) Turkish food, I would suggest you skip Sahara's with their garbage service and head over to Turkish Kitchen.

The complimentary olive oil with tart black olives paired nicely with the sesame seed bread. Vine leaves (4/5) Unlike other dolma I've had before the ones here leaned more on the sweeter side with currants in their filling. Calamari (4/5) Calamari and the dip were pretty good. Only complaint is the calamari could've been crispier. Lamb Shank (4/5) Generous portion of tender lamb, but lacked in the spice department and could go with more vegetables to round out the meal. Rice was nicely cooked and was really delicious with the lamb sauce.

One of the better Turkish restaurants in the city. Great ambience. Fine food and drink. I loved the vegetarian platter. Although, if vegan, your options are limited.

I've been not only ordering takeout from here for years but just dined in once again this past weekend and had yet another incredible experience! I came in with a friend on a rainy night and they seated us right in the window. No reservation needed on a Saturday night which was lovely! The waitstaff is great, fast, and insanely friendly. The food is obviously the best part, and is incredible whether you're eating it off a white table cloth or out of a takeout container. My favorites are the Mucver zucchini pancakes, the Iskender Kebab entrée, and the Adana Kebab entrée. Extra yogurt sauce is almost mandatory, it's so good. They also have excellent Raki here that will keep you warm, and they serve incredible Turkish tea in the restaurant with zero rush that you often find in Manhattan restaurants on a weekend. 10/10 experience as always, 100/10 food as always (they literally NEVER miss!), and you should definitely come here if you're looking for a great, delicious, fairly priced, and incredible meal!

So happy with our lunch service here! We did one of every mezze platter and primarily kebab and adana chicken and falafell plates and it was so good and tasty! It's a quiet romantic restaurant and has a good sense of Turkish flavor in the decor. Really cozy place. Love the small business feel.

First off, the ambiance is cozy and comforting -- a well deserved escape to the bustle of Kipps Bay. Then, the food was a fantastic journey of flavors. The chicken of ottoman love (hunkar begendi chicken) surpassed our expectation, as did the falafel and zucchini pancakes. The staff was welcoming and kind. I will absolutely be back!

Wow, I gotta tell you, the food here is absolutely fantastic! Like, seriously, it's mind-blowing! I mean, Turkish cuisine is just out of this world. The flavors, the spices, everything is just perfect. You're gonna love it! Trust me, it's amazing!

Great on all of above also excellent home delivery we have ordered many times and live in neighborhood Lamb chicken etc

I can't speak to the entrees since I've been hooked on the cold appetizer combo, the proverbial appetizer that can be a whole meal if you count the excellent bread (the small is actually quite sizable). Highlights include soslu patlican and eggplant salad, and the showstopper is the ezme. My brief forays beyond the combo include a few bites of salmon, courtesy of my dining companion, as well the awesome pastrami cigars. Delivery logistics are top-notch, with meticulous packing and fast preparation.

Food wa so good and service also very well. And ambiance made me feel like I was somewhere in Turkey, I found it very authentic.

OMG, someone please roll me out of here. Ate like a horse. Food portion are huge, melts in your mouth of flavorful spices. Service was magnificent. Think I found my go to lunch place for Mediterranean food. So glad the food is healthy!

Ordered delivery and the food and service was awful. Ordered the sea bass, got trout instead at Sea Bass price. The fish STINKS (literally). The side salad was very small and the salad was far from fresh. Waste of money. Will not be ordering from here ever again and hoping for a refund.

Sahara's is one of my new favorite places to order dinner from. The delivery is always fast and the food is always delicious and packaged with care. The chicken shish kebab and grilled skirt steak entrees are very good, featuring well-seasoned high-quality meat. Both come with rice and a generous helping of nicely steamed veggies. But my absolute favorite entree is the manti- little lamb dumplings in a creamy yogurt sauce. The portion is huge and I usually get two meals out of it. When it comes to dessert, I know everyone knows and loves baklava, and the baklava here is great. However, my favorite Turkish dessert (and probably one of my favorite desserts period, since a Turkish friend introduced me to it a few years ago) is kunefe. Sahara's makes a fantastic one. If you've never had, it's an absolute must-try.

Sahara is one of my favorite restaurants & has a wonderful atmosphere! The traditional ambiance makes each meal a great experience. The food is delicious. My personal favorites are the iskender kebab, manti, & lamb chops. My wife always orders the lebni. We would both absolutely recommend!

Lovely ambiance. Great service. Good food but the dessert was DIVINE!! Try their homemade baklava. I didn't want to order it because I don't like such sweet desserts but theirs was out of this world!! Nice quiet place to meet for dinner where you can actually hear yourself and dinner date speak. Lovely!!

The picture of the falafel speaks for itself--the sauce you may need to be able to swallow it will be an extra 50 cent charge for each sauce. Could only get down half. The cheese pastries were so salty as to be inedible. Not over salted, drowned in salt.

Service excellent, food delicious, ambiance great. Definitely coming back! Got the chicken Adana and the lamb shank looked delicious!

Love this place! Have brought family members and friends here. They have an excellent lunch special. The complimentary bread and olive oil are delicious. We have tried the shepherds salad, the hummus, the gyro, the chicken kebabs, the salmon and have loved it all. The servers never try to rush you out when you dine in. Would highly recommend!

Intimate turkish restaurant, welcoming staff and delicious food! Coming from Washington DC , my husband and I were craving some hot soup and doner - everything was on point! I probably haven't had doner this delicious before! We will definitely come back!

Hidden Gem on 2nd Avenue across from Target on 29th. A local resident goto. Authentic turkish cuisine. Be sure to ask for the baba ghanoush which is to die for! (It's so good they can't make enough to serve everybody).

My favorite place and will forever be Food is amazing Staff is kind and helpful If there are any issues they fix it and make it up to you right away If you ask for a special request they listen and they deliver Definitely recommend it

The lunch special is a pretty good deal for the area. For $18, the lunch special includes an entree, appetizer, a drink, and bread. The bread is huge! I got the iskender kebab and eggplant salad. There was enough food for at least 2 meals and everything was good! The eggplant salad was fresh, but not my favorite. It was my first time eating eggplant salad so I have no baseline to compare it to. The iskender kebab is thinly sliced grilled lamb on top of some cubed bread with sauce. The meat was soo good! Highly recommended! The bread absorbed the sauces so it was on the soggy side. I still thoroughly enjoyed it though! They are open for pick up and delivery during the quarantine.

Pretty average Turkish food with some of the worst servers I have seen. From texting on their phones to chatting to one another to not paying attention when someone wants to order or get the check (or worse, forgetting to bring back the check with the guy on a table next to me,) they make you feel entirely unwelcome here. The Mediterranean salad was fine though it came on some corn/lettuce which was different. I ordered kufte which had some good onion flavor. A bit of it was charred but it was otherwise fine outside of it being not as juicy as other places. The rice on the side lacked the texture and flavor from other places, being essentially plain basmati. After finishing and patiently waiting for the check, the older woman there thankfully brought it back and I left a smaller tip than usual without having to say much (and with no one else saying anything.) I'll gladly walk the extra avenue to Turkish Kitchen or Galata. At least the bread is also fresh there.

Wow! Surprised by this place lol. I ordered the zucchini pancakes and gyro wrap for delivery. Delivery arrived on time and everything was packaged neatly. No spills. Everything was still hot too. Bonus! The zucchini pancakes were crispy on the edges and softer in the middle. Just the right amount of crunchy! The homemade garlic yogurt sauce that comes with it was an excellent complement. The garlic is not overwhelming. It's $9.95 for 3 decent sized zucchini pancakes. Worth it!! I'd order these again. The gyro wrap is described as "marinated baby lamb and beef grilled on a revolving upright skewer and very thinly sliced." It was delicious meat! It's "wrapped with mixed greens in a tortilla shell." It came with two sauces though I'm not sure what the red spicy one was. I wasn't a fan of it. The white sauce "sour cream-like" was yummy! The lettuce, tomato, and red onion were all fresh. It's a large gyro wrap for $9.95. Also, totally worth it!! I definitely recommend this place!!! Food is excellent and prices are totally fair!! Sooo happy! And sooo full!

The bread, oh the bread - ended up using ubereats one rainy morning and was blown away by the sultans delight . I got the grilled chicken version and was not disappointed by the warm feeling of it lighting my soul on fire . Definitely new fav take out spots for those turkish craving snowy January days

Several years ago I was attending an event with Dr. Mehmet Oz. Took a picture of him with a guest at the event. I then asked him to recommend his favorite Turkish Restaurant. Without hesitation he recommended Sahara's Turkish Cuisine. I've been dining there ever since and ordering delivery as well. I love their falafel and mixed grill. When I'm ready to treat myself to a great tasting and healthy meal, Sahara really hits the spot for me.

The food is delicious and very reasonably priced! The portions are also very generous! Has a cute authentic atmosphere! Highly recommend!

This place is awesome !! Me and the wife eat here as often as we can when visiting the city. All the food is delicious, and the staff are super friendly. I highly recommend this place

I wanted to try something new and different for lunch, so I looked around and I saw this Turkish place. Never had Turkish food before, however, I do really like Mediterranean food, and looking at the menu, it has a very similar flair. So I dived in. ATMOSPHERE/ARCHITECTURE: 8/10 Inside, the restaurant is quite spacious, I'd say at least 10 or so tables seating 4 people each. However, it was around 3 PM on a Saturday and the place was completely EMPTY. It didn't look like it was doing that well. Not sure why. At this point, I hadn't eaten the food yet but still, no red flags as far as I could tell. SERVICE : 7/10 A couple workers were up at the front, obviously bored with their total of zero customers dining in and me being the only order. They were nice enough. FOOD: 7/10 I ordered chicken kebabs over rice with a side of red lentil soup. Red Lentil Soup - Pretty hearty soup. Not super watery but not really thick either. The lentils are cooked into the soup well and it complements the bread perfectly. Chicken Kebabs over Rice - The chicken kebabs were VERY good. They were charred perfectly and had lots of good flavor and texture. My only disappointment was there was only 4 chunks in the entree. They were decent sized but I thought I was getting more. PROBABILITY OF RETURN: 7/10 I would go back here to try other things. The main part of the meal did not disappoint at all so I have faith in other dishes. TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT: Go and try if you have a taste for Mediterranean style. OVERALL: 7/10

One of the best Turkish cuisines in NYC. Good food and service and amazing atmosphere with Turkish music.

I really enjoy the food here. Unique menu with Interesting and traditional menu items