Village Cafe

Ambiance (4/5): The restaurant is located a little farther from the street, almost inside a parking lot, within a small homey dining lodge. I felt like I was inside someone’s home and felt welcomed and comfortable. Not loud and well lit. Service (5/5): We came at an off hour during the weekend around 1:30pm there was still around 6 parties dining in. The staff provided good recommendations and good service. When asked for water without any lemon slices, they provided bottled water at no extra cost! Food: (4/5) – rated New York Times top 100 Best Restaurants in New York City in 2025 Every dish came with a small cup of sour cream / Tzatziki based sauce that went with every dish. This was a must and this was mastered very well. Kutaby with chicken and lamb (4/5) – we ordered one each but the

WARNING: We came here recently for what was supposed to be a SPECIAL FAMILY CELEBRATION, and it turned into a very disappointing and frustrating experience. We understood the prices would be HIGH, but the portions were shockingly SMALL for what we paid. A $20 salad was barely enough for one person, and the shish kebabs were over $20 each with only a few small pieces of meat. The service made everything worse, as the staff felt COLD, DISMISSIVE, and made us uncomfortable to speak up. At the end of the meal, we discovered a $20 “convenience” charge, a $30 item we NEVER ordered, and an automatic 20% gratuity added for a party of four WITHOUT anyone telling us. My Dad was about to leave an additional tip before we noticed. It was upsetting because we chose this restaurant to celebrate together

First time to try this place, beautiful setting, great atmosphere, and delicious food. They offer everything from Shish-Kebab to soup and dessert! The Azerbaijani cuisine there is unique and tasteful. The lamb dishes especially the fried lamb liver are flavorful, I tried it, but it wasn’t as advertised in their photos in terms of portions and looks, That’s why I dropped the rating one star. But the Turkish bread is a must-try. The staff is friendly, and the service is prompt. Also, Get the black tea pot, it’s worth every drop of it.. Definitely, this place in general worth a visit!

We had an amazing experience at Village Cafe, enjoying authentic Azerbaijani cuisine that truly took us back home. The service was fantastic - friendly, attentive, and welcoming. We tried dushbara, kutab, chicken shish kebab, and eggplant salad, and everything was incredibly delicious! The flavors were rich and authentic, just like homemade Azerbaijani food. The only downside was the rice that came with the kebab—it was a bit dry and could have been better with saffron and maybe different type of rice. Other than that, everything was fantastic, and we’ll definitely be coming back for more! Highly recommend this spot for anyone craving traditional Azerbaijani flavors :)

The food at Village Café was very good, and the service was excellent. However, the portion sizes don’t justify the prices. You leave feeling like you paid too much for too little. Worth visiting for quality, but the value needs improvement. We won’t be back!