Periyali

4.7

2473 Reviews

$31 to $50

Greek

Good for business meals
Charming
Good for special occasions

A cool Mediterranean retreat from the city's chaos, with fabric-swathed ceilings and pristine white furnishings. Even on a hectic night, service is calm and competent, and the professional couples at most of the tables seem to be speaking in peaceful whispers. The kitchen offers scintillating versions of hearty, refreshing Greek favorites. Souvlaki is charcoal-grilled and up scaled with filet mignon to produce an impressively tender, succulent result. Wine-marinated octopus legs are also charcoal-grilled, resulting in astounding flavor and not a hint of rubberness. Classics like garlicky skordalia, fava beans, sauteed chicken livers over lentils, and spanakopita are all best-of-breed versions, the latter prepared as a platter of bite-sized pies. A sizeable portion of moussaka, consisting of layers of juicy ground lamb and eggplant, tied together by a superlative béchamel. For dessert, the array of delicate pastries and the deeply creamy rice pudding are excellent without exception.

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This restaurant is permanently closed.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Greek
Hours of Operation
Dinner Thu–Sat 17:00–22:00
Phone number
(212) 463-7890
Website
http://www.periyali.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Private party facilities
Periyali is available for private events of all sizes and offers personally customized menus and experiences no matter what kind of event you are looking to book.

Location
35 W. 20th St., New York, NY 10011
Area
Gramercy Park
Cross Street
Between 5th & 6th Ave
Parking details
Street parking from 6pm-11pm, Public parking lot just down the block
Public transit
1,F,V,N,R,4,6 trains
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeaway, Wine

Featured in

100 New York / Tri-State Area Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Soupa Avgolemono
Rich chicken soup finished with egg and lemon
Oktapodi Sharas
Charcoal grilled, red wine marinated Octopus
Calamarakia Tiganita
Crisp calamari, baby greens and garlic sauce
Horiatiki Salata
Salad of tomatoes, feta, cucumber, red onions, olives and oregano
Keftedakia Saltsa
Greek meatballs stewed in tomato sauce
Psita Manitaria
Charcoal grilled oyster mushrooms
Pazaria Skordalia
Beet root with garlic sauce
Spanakopita, Tiropita, Kolokithokeftedes
Spinach pie, cheese pie and zucchini fritter
Fava Kremidaki
Pureed yellow split peas with red onion, lemon and olive oil
Gigandes Plaki
Baked with fresh tomato sauce and dill
Taramosalata, Melitzanosalata, Tzatziki Salad
Caviar mousse, grilled eggplant purée & cucumber with yogurt and dill, pita bread

Main Courses

Souvlaki Kotopoulo
Grilled chicken and fennel kebab with vegetable couscous extra virgin olive oil
Garides Psites
Grilled shrimp with pilaf, sautéed vegetables
Grilled Branzino
Whole fish or filet, grilled, olive oil, lemon juice
Solomos Exohiko
Wild salmon baked in phyllo with spinach
Mousakas
Casserole dish with layers of eggplant, ground lamb, béchamel sauce
Souvlaki Fileto
Charcoal grilled Shish kebab of filet mignon
Arni Youvetsi
Braised lamb shank with tomato orzo stew
Paidakia Thedrolivano
Charcoal grilled Lamb chops, roast potatoes, fresh rosemary
Kouneli Stifado
Rabbit stewed in tomato with red wine and pearl onions

Sides

Choice of:

Asparagus
Horta
Okra
Sautéed Green Beans
Potatoes

What 2,473 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.8Service
4.8Ambience
4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Periyali, a cherished Greek restaurant in Lower Manhattan, offers a "warm welcome" and "authentic" cuisine with standout dishes like octopus and lamb chops. Guests praise its "beautiful ambiance" and "attentive service," creating a relaxed yet elegant dining experience. Though closing soon, its legacy as a "go-to" spot remains strong.

2,473 Reviews

R
Richard
New York City
7 reviews
2.0
7 reviews
Dined on 23 October 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 5
Periyali is closing. I have been a regular for years. Came in to say farewell. The service was horrible. Waiter forgot my order. The replacement item was cold. He never came over to see how things were. Arrogant. We were doing him a favor. So sorry since we had countless dinners here over the years. The kitchen staff may have quit when they heard of the closing. Food was mediocre. Oh well.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 23 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Goodbye to my favorite Greek restaurant in the city. Been going there since the early 90s. Steve and Dimitri and the rest of the people of Preyali our institutions in New York! All the best!
1 person found this helpful
L
Laszlo
New York City
30 reviews
4.0
30 reviews
Dined on 20 October 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
As always, Periyali served up a delicious evening. I have been coming here for decades; it never loses its luster. Our waiter was fantastic, as was the food. I will be coming back for as long as they are open.
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C
Chris
New York City
8 reviews
vip
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on 19 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I am so sad to see this wonderful place is closing. It has been a favorite for 30 years. I had the pleasure of celebrating several special occasions here. The memories will no doubt be cherished.
1 person found this helpful
T
Thomas
New York City
39 reviews
vip
5.0
39 reviews
Dined on 18 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
It's wonderful. Sad it's closing. Been going for 20 years.
1 person found this helpful
P
Pamela
New York City
14 reviews
vip
5.0
14 reviews
Dined on 16 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
One of our favorite restaurants. Sad that it is closing. Idiotic that they are closing before the holidays.
1 person found this helpful
V
Victor
Pittsburgh
269 reviews
vip
5.0
269 reviews
Dined on 15 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food and service were great as usual. We shared the lamb chops and grilled salmon. Wonderful preparation and presentation.
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L
Leeor
New York City
32 reviews
5.0
32 reviews
Dined on 13 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
So sad that this fantastic restaurant is closing. Have been a fan for the 40 years it’s been around
Is this helpful?
N
Navtej
New York City
21 reviews
5.0
21 reviews
Dined on 8 October 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I can't believe one of my favorite restaurants is closing ... :( go there and eat while you still can!!
Is this helpful?
L
Luis F
New York City
317 reviews
5.0
317 reviews
Dined on 15 September 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Continually outstanding! Always a warm welcome and good cocktail. The bartender did a great job with our perfectly mixed dirty martinis. Our server was excellent (even if we missed Mac!). She took care of every detail and timed everything well. The food? OH dear - where to start? The octopus remains our favorite in NYC! I tried the sardines special appetizer... wow! They were perfectly fried and loved the garlic cream on the side. I also had the bay scallops main special. Also a big "wow..." They were perfectly pan fried and served beautifully over broccolini with lemon potatoes. My husband's branding was wonderful, but seemed like a smaller portion this time... Desserts and after-dinner drinks topped the night off. Thanks for a lovely evening... We leave NYC in 2 weeks and will be back before we depart...
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FAQs

Periyali offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (212) 463-7890.

Periyali is rated 4.7 stars by 2473 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

Order delivery or takeout

35 W. 20th St., New York, NY 10011

Additional information

Cross Street
Between 5th & 6th Ave
Area
Gramercy Park
Hours of Operation
Dinner Thu–Sat 17:00–22:00
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Greek
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street parking from 6pm-11pm, Public parking lot just down the block
Public transit
1,F,V,N,R,4,6 trains
Payment Options
AMEX, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeaway, Wine

Website
http://www.periyali.com/
Phone number
(212) 463-7890
Private party facilities
Periyali is available for private events of all sizes and offers personally customized menus and experiences no matter what kind of event you are looking to book.

Featured in

100 New York / Tri-State Area Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Periyali

Permanently Closed

Order delivery or takeout

There’s more to explore

Additional information

100 New York / Tri-State Area Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Appetizers

Soupa Avgolemono

Oktapodi Sharas

Calamarakia Tiganita

Horiatiki Salata

Keftedakia Saltsa

Psita Manitaria

Pazaria Skordalia

Spanakopita, Tiropita, Kolokithokeftedes

Fava Kremidaki

Gigandes Plaki

Taramosalata, Melitzanosalata, Tzatziki Salad

Main Courses

Souvlaki Kotopoulo

Garides Psites

Grilled Branzino

Solomos Exohiko

Mousakas

Souvlaki Fileto

Arni Youvetsi

Paidakia Thedrolivano

Kouneli Stifado

Sides

Asparagus

Horta

Okra

Sautéed Green Beans

Potatoes

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

Does Periyali offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Periyali restaurant rated?

Is Periyali currently accepting bookings?

Permanently Closed

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Featured in

100 New York / Tri-State Area Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day