I had the pleasure of attending a rehearsal dinner at Anassa Taverna Downtown and was thoroughly impressed. I got to observe the team in action, and everything was executed at the highest level. Event manager Olga orchestrated the evening beautifully — calm, professional, and truly in control of every detail. The food was not only stunningly presented but also absolutely delicious. The location is lovely, right by the park with views of the Hudson River and Jersey City just steps away. This restaurant is a perfect choice for any occasion — elegant, welcoming, and flawlessly run.
David Dyar
Their lamb chops were excellent and the baklava was some of the best I've ever had and unique with a layer of dates that was different from any I've ever tried.
Laura B
Fresh, energizing flavors. Dinner was served with complementary fresh baked bread and freshly made hummus.
For appetizers, we had avgolemono soup (chicken lemon rice) and saganaki cheese (like halloumi, but kefalograviera, and on fire...)
For our main, we split a wonderfully done branzino with a side of spinach and rice. Branzino was fluffy, capered, and hit the branzino-shaped spot in my stomach. Spinach and rice tasted of dolmades (surprise!).
Service was fine, restaurant was quiet on a Tuesday night; it's a shame they don't have more patrons for how tasty the food is.
tl;dr, if you like tantalizingly sour flavors that are mild yet bracing and utterly delicious, this is the right spot.
Ainur T
The place was pretty good! The food was enjoyable and the staff was nice. My only complaint is that the coffee was lukewarm, I really like it hot. The atmosphere was comfortable, and it’s a solid place for a casual meal.
Thank you for taking the time to respond to this review. Hot coffee is typically expected as the standard, without needing a special request, as it usually is in restaurants.
Claire O’Dea
I had such high hopes. Decided to try the brunch and it was sadly one of the worst brunches I’ve had in ages. I have to highlight though how lovely the servers were, friendly and attentive.
The brunch food, however, was on the level of a mediocre mass produced hotel breakfast. I ordered the omelet with leeks, potatoes and gruyere cheese. I was excited as the combo sounded delicious but it was so bland. My first suspicion was aroused after I was offered salt and pepper and was presented with a plastic bottle of iodized salt. The potato was plain boiled and I was wondering at the end if there was even Gruyère cheese in it at all. I doused everything in salt, ate until I was no longer hungry and promptly got the cheque and left. Shame. Perhaps their mezze is better, but I’ll not risk finding out now.
Saeatt Reed
Order the 35$ snapper, you’ll get half a fish in non-edible breading. The bones and scales are complimentary with the dish.
The lamb kabob and spread were good. The server made some good recommendations.
Limited veg options
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Lamb Kebab, Lamb Chops
Bob L
Our first visit and was difficult to choose from so many great sounding dishes and not overdue it. We manged to work it out and went with the Anassa chips ( amazing) , octopus and Greek salad as Apps, all so tasty. Not to mention the bread and spread they serve. Then on top the main course, We just missed the last red snapper , mine and our server's favorite, so we went with the black sea bass, was a first for me and was simply prepared with wine n capers (maybe butter - shhhh) , very delicious. Of course we ended with excellent coffee and Baklava (pistachio filling was to-die- for). So many return visits to plan!!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chara Aristotelous
We are a family from Cyprus and it was a beautiful night at Anassa all perfect?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Charles Cheng
Fix menu was very inexpensive at $32. The main was very small after the generous appetizer. Thought the fish should have been bigger and not child size.
Came here for lunch during restaurant week. The place is deceptively large from looking from the outside. The decor is very traditional Greek coastal vibes, which has always been a favorite aesthetic of mine.
Service was a touch slow, but was also nice not to be rushed. But having had some meetings after lunch, a little more urgency would have been appreciated. That being said, I don't think I've ever had my water glass filled so many times in one meal, which was greatly appreciated. Nonetheless the staff were kind and patient with our party.
Food was good and very fresh. I started with the salmon tartare, which is paired with these very tasty potato chip like crisps to eat it with. For the main meal I got the chicken which was good, but not stunning in any way. The notable points though were the oregano fries on the side and the fresh tomato and dill sauce served on the side are what amped it up more for me. Lastly, was the highest point of the meal was the dessert, we all had the baklava which although just a small little portion, it was just the sweet little bit we wanted to finish off the meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Baklava, Dip Trio with Pita
Henry Perez
Beer is ALWAYS cold!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fresh Calamari, Octopus
Tyler May
Food was great, balanced, had good flavors. Service was okay. Stepped into the bathroom before my food being served and I came back to my food alone at the table and 2 flies were feasting with it. While sitting on the outdoor patio, the table next to me was vaping directly into my table. The bar was very rowdy and distracting.
Great option downtown. Love the anassa chips!
I had the pleasure of attending a rehearsal dinner at Anassa Taverna Downtown and was thoroughly impressed. I got to observe the team in action, and everything was executed at the highest level. Event manager Olga orchestrated the evening beautifully — calm, professional, and truly in control of every detail. The food was not only stunningly presented but also absolutely delicious. The location is lovely, right by the park with views of the Hudson River and Jersey City just steps away. This restaurant is a perfect choice for any occasion — elegant, welcoming, and flawlessly run.
Their lamb chops were excellent and the baklava was some of the best I've ever had and unique with a layer of dates that was different from any I've ever tried.
Fresh, energizing flavors. Dinner was served with complementary fresh baked bread and freshly made hummus.
For appetizers, we had avgolemono soup (chicken lemon rice) and saganaki cheese (like halloumi, but kefalograviera, and on fire...)
For our main, we split a wonderfully done branzino with a side of spinach and rice. Branzino was fluffy, capered, and hit the branzino-shaped spot in my stomach. Spinach and rice tasted of dolmades (surprise!).
Service was fine, restaurant was quiet on a Tuesday night; it's a shame they don't have more patrons for how tasty the food is.
tl;dr, if you like tantalizingly sour flavors that are mild yet bracing and utterly delicious, this is the right spot.
The place was pretty good! The food was enjoyable and the staff was nice. My only complaint is that the coffee was lukewarm, I really like it hot. The atmosphere was comfortable, and it’s a solid place for a casual meal.
Thank you for taking the time to respond to this review. Hot coffee is typically expected as the standard, without needing a special request, as it usually is in restaurants.
I had such high hopes. Decided to try the brunch and it was sadly one of the worst brunches I’ve had in ages. I have to highlight though how lovely the servers were, friendly and attentive.
The brunch food, however, was on the level of a mediocre mass produced hotel breakfast. I ordered the omelet with leeks, potatoes and gruyere cheese. I was excited as the combo sounded delicious but it was so bland. My first suspicion was aroused after I was offered salt and pepper and was presented with a plastic bottle of iodized salt. The potato was plain boiled and I was wondering at the end if there was even Gruyère cheese in it at all. I doused everything in salt, ate until I was no longer hungry and promptly got the cheque and left. Shame. Perhaps their mezze is better, but I’ll not risk finding out now.
Order the 35$ snapper, you’ll get half a fish in non-edible breading. The bones and scales are complimentary with the dish.
The lamb kabob and spread were good. The server made some good recommendations.
Limited veg options
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Lamb Kebab, Lamb Chops
Our first visit and was difficult to choose from so many great sounding dishes and not overdue it. We manged to work it out and went with the Anassa chips ( amazing) , octopus and Greek salad as Apps, all so tasty. Not to mention the bread and spread they serve. Then on top the main course, We just missed the last red snapper , mine and our server's favorite, so we went with the black sea bass, was a first for me and was simply prepared with wine n capers (maybe butter - shhhh) , very delicious. Of course we ended with excellent coffee and Baklava (pistachio filling was to-die- for). So many return visits to plan!!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
We are a family from Cyprus and it was a beautiful night at Anassa all perfect?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fix menu was very inexpensive at $32. The main was very small after the generous appetizer. Thought the fish should have been bigger and not child size.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Corporate feeling eatery with good food and solid drinks. Our service was very efficient and attentive.
Our party really liked the frozen cocktail options. They're well balanced and not a sugar bomb with no alcohol.
The halibut special we got was excellent, the rest we just did family style appetizers and sides.
The fried zucchini and eggplant were delicious. Perfectly salted and the thin cut made them almost like eating chips.
Overall a solid place. Not a ton of ambiance but a good spot for some viddles and libations.
Kid-friendliness: Good for families
Wheelchair accessibility: Seemed very accessible and open
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Greek Meatballs, Dip Trio with Pita, Tzatziki Spread, Grilled Halloumi
Came here for lunch during restaurant week. The place is deceptively large from looking from the outside. The decor is very traditional Greek coastal vibes, which has always been a favorite aesthetic of mine.
Service was a touch slow, but was also nice not to be rushed. But having had some meetings after lunch, a little more urgency would have been appreciated. That being said, I don't think I've ever had my water glass filled so many times in one meal, which was greatly appreciated. Nonetheless the staff were kind and patient with our party.
Food was good and very fresh. I started with the salmon tartare, which is paired with these very tasty potato chip like crisps to eat it with. For the main meal I got the chicken which was good, but not stunning in any way. The notable points though were the oregano fries on the side and the fresh tomato and dill sauce served on the side are what amped it up more for me. Lastly, was the highest point of the meal was the dessert, we all had the baklava which although just a small little portion, it was just the sweet little bit we wanted to finish off the meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Baklava, Dip Trio with Pita
Beer is ALWAYS cold!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fresh Calamari, Octopus
Food was great, balanced, had good flavors. Service was okay. Stepped into the bathroom before my food being served and I came back to my food alone at the table and 2 flies were feasting with it. While sitting on the outdoor patio, the table next to me was vaping directly into my table. The bar was very rowdy and distracting.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Snapper
Good service and location
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
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