Pylos — Restaurant in New York

We went to Pylos for dinner in late June and had an odd and uncomfortable experience. We've both been to the restaurant numerous times before over the years. The food has always been good, along with the Greek wine selection and cozy atmosphere, it's always been pleasant (the lamb shank was always a favorite). But after what happened on June 21st, neither of us will be back. About half way through our appetizer, two women speaking fluent Greek were seated next to us on the banquet in the back of the restaurant. The host/manager a thirty-something woman greeted the pair fondly in Greek. About the time that we received our entrees, the duo next to us each proceeded to do separate audio and visual Facetimes on speaker and at full volume. We were both shocked but not totally surprised. After about 5 minutes of this, during which it was hard for us to have a conversation and certainly unpleasant, we asked our neighbors to at a minimum use earbuds so that we did not have to listen to their full volume conversation or if they wanted to be polite, to go outside. Needless to say they were irritated and tried to age shame us for. not being with it enough to know that this is completely acceptable behavior. And apparently, Pylos agrees. I told the host/manager what was going on and she came over to check out the situation but did not do anything to remedy the problem or offer to move them or us for that matter. As a result, we rushed through our entree and asked for the bill. Pylos was so tone deaf about the situation that they asked if we wanted to stay and share a dessert on the house when what we really wanted to do was get the hell out of there and never come back. Really unfortunate handling of an...

Pastitsio Pylos’ terrine of baked pasta layered with aromatic meat sauce and bechamel sauce. On the same level as Ya-Ya’s home cooked labor of love recipe that the Greeks are known for. This meat sauce was one of the standouts of the evening. Order this.

Anginares Moussaka Artichoke heart moussaka, layered with caramelized onions, herbs, three Greek cheeses, and more bechamel sauce. You dig artichokes? Cheese? Cooked onions? You will absolutely love this.

Saganaki Tou Merakli Three Greek cheeses melted to perfection in a clay pot. Even total cheese heads will have a hard time finishing this. It’s hefty.

Htapothi Scharas Grilled and marinated octopus with capers and a balsamic reduction sauce. Very enjoyable. The octopus was a refreshing way to balance out the other heavy appetizers.

Horiatiki Classic village salad with tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, kalamata olives, and feta cheese served with Greek olive oil and red wine vinegar. A nice sized bowl filled with large chunks of veggies, sans lettuce.

Arni Kotsi Me Meli, Gigantes Skordalia Kai Psiti Tomata Cretan honey braised lamb shank served with giant bean and roasted garlic puree and roasted tomato. This was a little too dry and a tad over cooked. It was a close call between this and the lamb chops, and as soon as we saw the guy at the table next to us get the chops, we knew we made a poor call. The lamb chops were dripping with goodness and looked amazing. There will be a next time.

Krasata Paidakia Braised short ribs in spicy xinomavro red wine, served with porcini mushroom potato puree. Not your typical short rib - spicy and very Mediterranean. A nice change of pace from the normal French style short rib stew dishes I enjoy eating...

We decided to try Greek food for the first time for our dinner date and stumbled upon this restaurant - and it turned out to be the best decision we could have made.

When you walk in, you’re greeted by the host with a warm smile and seated immediately. Our first impression was that the place looked phenomenal - the clay décor on the ceiling, the wine bottles, and the vibrant colors all contributed to an amazing ambiance. It felt both cozy and welcoming.

The service was exceptional. Our server gave us excellent recommendations for both food and wine, clearly speaking from expertise. As first-timers, we found their guidance incredibly helpful in deciding what to order, and they made sure our glasses were never empty throughout the entire evening.

The food itself - besides looking like a painting Apollodorus himself could have created - was absolutely delicious. We had the roasted red pepper stuffed with whipped feta, which was creamy and perfectly spiced. We also enjoyed the saganaki and the htapothi scharas (grilled octopus), which were my personal highlights of the night. Everything tasted fresh, was seasoned to perfection, and transported us straight to Greece with every bite.

Thank you so much for such an exceptional experience! We will definitely be back to try the other dishes...