Pera Mediterranean Brasserie — Restaurant in New York

A few weeks ago, I visited Pera with clients and colleagues for a high-stakes team dinner — about 15 of us, all dressed in formal business attire. I’d read about Pera in The New York Times, and some of my colleagues had positive prior experiences, so I was genuinely excited.

While the food was excellent, what happened that evening left a bitter memory for many of us. I feel compelled to share this — not out of anger, but in the hope it prompts reflection.

Earlier that day, I had worn a brand-new pair of leather shoes which gave me painful shoe bites. By dinner, the skin on my feet had peeled, and walking was incredibly difficult. I discreetly removed my shoes while seated at the table, simply to ease the pain. We were not in a casual setting — I was in a business suit, and I had no intention of being disrespectful.

But then a manager came over and whispered, "Please wear your shoes. Another customer is complaining." I explained I was in genuine pain, but she insisted, "It’s our policy." Then another staff member — tall, long hair, stern — chimed in: "You're inside our premises, not outside. You must follow our rules."

I was shocked by the lack of empathy. Rather than offering assistance or even a kind word, she looked at her colleague, rolled her eyes, and the two of them laughed. I was repeatedly told, “You should not have come if your feet were hurting so much. You should’ve stayed home.” That hurt more than the blisters.

When I asked for a copy of the policy, I was told it wasn’t written anywhere — “It’s common sense. This is not a tiki bar,” the manager said, repeating the phrase multiple times, despite the context clearly showing that I was in pain and not being unruly.

I get it — policies are policies. But in the absence of a written rule, and with a clearly explained physical condition, wouldn’t basic humanity prevail? I wasn’t asking for special treatment, just for a moment of understanding.

My team was equally taken aback by the dismissive attitude of the staff. What was meant to be a celebratory evening turned sour. This is a restaurant that has received critical acclaim, yet what we experienced was tone-deaf and demeaning.

I write this not to criticize for the sake of it, but to invite reflection. Maybe the policy should be revisited — or at the very least, enforced with more compassion. If someone is in visible pain, perhaps staff could ask, “Is there anything we can do to help?” instead of “You should’ve stayed home.”

I don’t expect anything in return, but I hope my experience gives the management a chance to rethink how rules and empathy can coexist — because right now, it feels...

This is a high-quality restaurant and you are very likely to enjoy your meal and overall experience here. Perhaps most important, however, is the value. When one considers the beautiful atmosphere, the quality of the service, and the very high quality of the food, it is very impressive that they offer all of that at the prices that they do. That is all the more the case when you consider its location here in Midtown Manhattan. Even if you are on your way somewhere else, the fact that it is so close to Grand Central means you might have an opportunity to enjoy this place. When one talks with the staff, it is easy to tell that they know the restaurant business and understand how to achieve success in it in NYC, which is obviously not easy. There is lots on the menu likely worth a try, but their burger is very good -- it was clear that the chef put some thought, creativity and knowledge into the sauce, for example. When someone can take a basic lunch like a burger and fries do that, you can tell that the restaurant knows what they are doing. The coffee prepared and served in a french press was very good; they served me a brand of Colombian (Omnipak is the brand, I believe they said). They said they were grinding the beans there and because it tasted so good, I bet they know how to store the beans properly and probably do that (which not every place does). The very fact that one can have a great sandwich and fries in a place as beautiful as this in Midtown Manhattan for $21.00 before tax and tip is really impressive. The service is good here too. It's evident that these are knowledgeable restauranteurs who know the industry and care about their customers. I will definitely...

We wanted to host a dinner for family offices and HNW individuals to meet and let them get to know about our venture fund and three other funds who were cohosts. We spoke with three different restaurants in the area. We settled on Pera because of their communication, menu, and ability to host up to 20 people. We ended up taking the wine alcove for our 16 guests. About an hour before the dinner started I arrived and realized that the wine alcove would not offer us the ability for people to stand and mingle without interfering with the flow of the restaurant. After speaking with the management no more than 10 minutes later they came back and were able to offer us the private room which wasn't being used at that time. They quickly converted it from 4 tables of 4 to 2 tables of 8 with space between for people to stand, have a glass of something, and network. The private room ended up being excellent and we had close to 20 people as others showed up unannounced. The service was five stars, the food was excellent, and the dinner went great. People were able to mingle, the wait staff was very attentive, the wine glasses and water glasses were always filled and the food was great. We were served a variety of appetizers and then a choice of a main course. I chose the steak and it was great, everyone had a great time. Five stars to the whole staff and the restaurant for accommodating us and for allowing us to stay after dinner and not rushing us out. if you're having a corporate dinner or a birthday party or some other function Pera is a great...