Pylos Restaurant

Pylos Restaurant
Mediterranean Cuisine
128 E 7th St
(btw Ave A and 1st Ave)
New York, NY
(212) 473-0220

Reservations: No for lunch, Yes for dinner.
Price: Moderate

This is my second time coming to this amazing restaurant in the East Village for some warm Mediterranean food. The first I went was two years ago on a nice summer day outside of the restaurant. It was very packed that night and my partner and I opted to eat outside to enjoy the nice summer night breeze. I had a wonderful experience there and had looked forward to come back. I came back to Pylos for lunch to see if the same expectations would be met.

When first entering Pylos, you’ll get this sense of feeling of home. The big wooden door in the front, which is extremely warm from all the heat it absorbed, made me feel like I was walking into a fancy cabin. Once inside I was immediately greeted by one of the waiters who was super super nice, extra points-haha, and told us to feel free to sit anywhere. I was immediately drawn to all the claypots that are hanging on the ceiling as you can see:

(This is the front of the restaurant)

…and opted to sit in the back because I’ve never been back there. The decor looks beautiful. There are comfortable pillows for you to support your back and there was so much wine to choose from. That day I wasn’t in a “winey” mood so I just had water. But yeah, it was a nice relaxing moment especially from a day of walking in the cold.

Alright, time to sit down and order something. From a bout 11 – 4pm, it’s also considered as Brunch, and there’s a prix-fixe menu fyi.

Free Pita Bread

This warm bread really helps after coming out from the cold. I believe the waiter forgot the hummus dip, but it didn’t matter to us. But we later on find a use for this bread for something else that Dawen ordered.

Appetizers

Saganaki tou merakli three greek cheeses melted in a clay pot
Price: $9.00

Don’t worry about the pronounciation. The waiter was really understanding about it and even told us that he wasn’t greek. But he did know how to pronounce it when we asked him too, so it was very nice.

Verdict: This is very good, and you’ll love this especially more if you’re a cheese fan. Now I’m not no cheese fan, but Dawen does and it goes great with the pita bread.

Recommended: Yes. Have you see 3 cheeses melted and just served to you like this?

And wow, you can’t believe how fast their service is. It’s just one dish after the other. Maybe it helps to kind of sit near the kitchen.

Greek Yiayia’s Fried Potatoes Wedges of hand-cut fried potatoes served with grated Greek sheep’s milk cheese and oregano
Price: $5.00

Verdict: These potato wedges are very crispy and salted to perfection. The thing is that it seems a little dried, but otherwise it’s a great comfort food.

Recommended: Yes

Greek Comfort Food

Pastitsio PYLOS’ terrine of baked pasta layered with aromatic meat sauce and bechamel
Price: $15.00

Verdict: Don’t think this looks small because it isn’t and it packs a powerful punch. The top layer is very soft and cheesy, which compliments well with the pasta and the meat. This is a very filling dish and among one of the most popular because I saw many people eating it. After all, it is a comfort food!

Recommended: Yes

Ta Afrata Keftedakia tis Dianas Diane’s light-as-air meatballs, pan-fried in olive oil
Price: $9.00

Verdict: This is no ordinary meatball because it has a strong minty flavor, sort of like grape leaves. I thought this minty/herby flavor really overwhelmed the natural flavors of the meatball. After when the meatball cooled down, it was very sour to me which I didn’t like. Dawen seems to love it a lot so it’s just a matter of opinion.

Recommended: No, but it tastes better than most meatballs!

That was it for lunch. I did not finish any of my food and decided that it wasn’t wise to get dessert yet. That and I banked on going to Australian Homemade for dessert after when softrice showed me the website. Check out the website or wait for my review in a few days.

Overall it was a great lunch. It was under $40 for the both of us and we had one of the best service ever.

Rating: 4.5/5

Health Inspection Violation Points:

9- Passed

Inspection Date: 02/28/2006

Violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.

1.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.
2.) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.

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