Zenon Taverna

The best Cypriot cuisine in NYC hands down. The set platters are the way to go to sample lots of different stuff. Family owned.

The ambiance is warm and cozy like you’re in your yiayia’s kitchen. Everyone is sweet and so helpful. The menu can be overwhelming seeing as there is so much to offer on top of the daily specials and option for a 16plate variety dinner.
Cash only– stop at an ATM prior to coming in.
Food is authentic Greek with a homemade feel.

Astoria is crawling with tavernas serving Greek fare which shouldn’t be surprising since its a former Greek enclave (now hipster enclave). Zenon Taverna is a good restaurant and serves the usual Greek fare ranging from seafood to grilled meats. Décor is cozy and service is friendly.
We opted for the set of 16 small dishes and it was tasty. They gave us 4 or 5 different dips ranging from tzatziki to hummus to tahini to mashed potato mixed with caviar. Pita was toasty and tasted really good with the dips. Grilled meat selection was also quite good with the pork donor and Cyprian sausage (seftalia) being the best of the bunch. Zenon is a more traditional place and isn’t as cosmopolitan as other Greek eateries in the area like MP Taverna but if that’s what you’re looking for, its a great choice.

Very fresh authentic cyprian cuisine, been coming here a long time I’d def go on a Sunday when they have kleftiko !!!

My large family has been coming here for over 6 or 7 years. We always get a jug of the house wine and the three meza platters: Cyprus, fish and vegetarian. And, naturally, a Cypriot coffee to end the meal. The food is delicious. We’ve spent time at many Astoria Greek restaurants, but Zenon is our favorite. The atmosphere is fantastic, and the family that runs it is so friendly and welcoming.
Here’s an example: We recently returned to celebrate my little brother’s graduation. After we left, my parents’ car wouldn’t start. Not only did the staff welcome us in from the cold and give a round of coffee, one employee went out to give the car a jump. If that’s not treating guests like family, I don’t know what is…
Even before that evening, I’d give 5 stars. The one thing I ALWAYS forget is that it’s cash only. So, plan accordingly. The closest ATM is down around the block.

To start off, Zenon Taverna is an excellent find in Astoria. The restaurant has a cozy ambiance, and it’s tastefully decorated. It’s a great for dinner groups. The staff were extremely courteous and offered great service.
Moving on for the authentic Greek and Cypriot food, this place is on point. The staff was excellent in explaining the options for the Meze meal, which were full course tasting platters of 8 cold dishes and 8 hot dishes. We ordered the Seafood and Vegetarian Meze. The salads and dips were decadent, especially the roasted eggplants and tzatziki sauce. And the fried, grilled calamari are not to be missed. Plate after plate was perfectly presented and served. Boy were we stuffed at the end ! ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would go again, already planning on a next time :)

I love Zenon! The food at Zenon is absolutely amazing (I have had multiple things there– my favorites are the chicken and the lamb), not to mention the atmosphere and location. You won’t be disappointed. The food is authentic, detailed and tasty.

This place is amazing! The food is really good and the service indeed! We asked for many dishes and we were not disappointed! The variety of Cyprus and Greek food was amazing. We will be back! (They don’t received cards, just cash)

This is the most authentic Greek food that I have eaten in Astoria thus far (and that speaks for itself)! Greek food is inherently simple, yet complex because of it’s detail and precision. That’s why it can appeal to so many different people, who come from different cultures and backgrounds. Zenon has an ecclectic menu that showcases the whole of Greek food. My favorite choices are BY FAR the tasting platters. The tasting platters can either be seafood or meat based– and are only $ 20 for numerous small plates that sing fresh, spot-​on Greek food. I normally go for the seafood platter because, I mean, $ 20 for a large amount of well-​prepared seafood?! The seafood platter comes with octopus, fish, calamari (other fish options that I cannot remember because there are so many) and then sides such as olive-​oil mashed potatoes and a plethora of salads.
I am so impressed by this place, that I recommend it to anyone who is looking for the «authentic Greek food» that Astoria has to offer!

I really don’t want to change the first review because I still feel the restaurant has awesome staff and the food is amazing !!
But have to say that not everyone has accommodating behavior. Few months after our first visit we decided to have our child baptism reception at Zenon.
My husband called a few times to get everything organize before the event. The first floor is a tight spot, we were having about 20 of our family members so they said they had a more open space upstairs. We agreed and we though things were settle. On the day of the baptism we left the church I got caught up looking for parking and ended walking in after my guest, who were already seated in the first floor all squish in. I didn’t mind but the first thing I notice was this lady face. Who I didn’t know who she was but it seems she was in charge of my reception. I don’t know if she’s the wife of the owner but she was in charge. I felt uncomfortable right away, like we were just invading her restaurant, her face of disgust brought me to ask her if everything ok? With her long face she said why we didn’t reserve upstairs, is bigger space, I really wasn’t in the mood to have a bad time I just told her, we called and we where suppose to get upstairs. The whole time this lady’s was eyeing us and pointing her fingers towards my guest. Never once she came around or had any type of courtesy around me or my family. By the end the older man who I think is the owner, helped us wrap it up and be out. I don’t know if it was because this lady complain but I felt rushed out .
Sad to say won’t be coming back Ever. Spend a lot of money for such dead service.

I always say the service is as important as the FooD! … I decided to host my little girl baptism reception her3, called 2 weeks in advance to make reservations, everything was a go.
From the moment we walked in everything was just chaos… Stupid ZENON, seats all 25 guests on the first floor, cramped up like sardines! Let me not forget to mention THE OLD OWNER LADY, with the B*t#h radar on high! Complaining to my wife, why didn’t we book the upstairs Etc… Why don’t you ask your staff freakin idiots (The Old Lady Had On The Hatter Stare The Entire Time) … I made the reservations prior YOUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE I AM HAPPY & COMFORTABLE!
The food was Good, the waiter’s & hostesses tried there best. It was just a terrible experience, on a day that meant SoO much to me & my wife!
The honest truth is I felt that THE LADY may have been, passing judgement on my Guests! As if they were not good enough to eat there. How Sad even thinking, that statement may be TRUE!
FYI: They Over Charged, I didn’t even care. Left a 22 percent tip in Cash & Bounced!
This spot only accepts cash & still charges Tax .
Even funnier is that everything is done by a MATHEMATICIAN aka ZENON STAFF, no calculators needed here! LMAO

OMG, I’m soooooo FULL! A group of us came hungry and ready to feast! Boy oh boy, were we satisfied! We all ordered the Cyprus Meze @ $ 23.95 per person, which included 8 cold appetizers (with bread & pita) and 8 hot dishes. Some dishes were better than others, but all in all, a great meal! This is a great way of sampling many dishes that this restaurant has to offer. This is especially good if you’re coming to this restaurant for the first time. I will definitely be returning and now, I know what to order! Great service; charming ambiance. Below is what our feast included:
Menu: Kypriaki Mezedes — Cyprus Meze — Meal :
8 Cold Appetizers (w/​bread & pita):
~Kypriaki Salada — Cyprus Salad (Romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, capers, imported Greek feta cheese and olives. Dressed in extra virgin olive oil and vinegar).
~Tzatziki — Yogurt & Cucumber dip (2% Greek yogurt and cucumber w/​fresh garlic, mint & a touch of sour cream).
~Melitzanosalada — Eggplant dip (Roasted eggplant mashed with onion, parsley, Greek imported feta cheese and caper leaves with a touch of mayonnaise).
~Scordalia — Garlic dip (Mashed potatoes with fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice).
~Tahini — dip (Ground sesame seeds with fresh lemon juice and fresh garlic).
~Tarama — Red Caviar dip (Mashed potatoes with carp roe (caviar), onion, extra virgin olive oil & fresh lemon juice).
~Hummus– dip (Tahini mixed w/​chickpeas, fresh garlic & lemon, garnished with sliced Kalamata olives & extra virgin olive oil).
~Pantzarosalada — Beet Salad (Fresh sliced beets with garlic in red vinegar, seasoned w/​extra virgin olive oil).
8 Hot Dishes:
~Keftedes Arnisia — Lamb Meatballs (Garlicky lamb meatballs char-​grilled, seasoned with onion, parsley, salt, pepper and oregano).
~Halloumi (Cypriot cheese) (Grilled sheep and goat milk cheese). Tastes best with fresh lemon.
~Lunza — Smoked Pork Loin (Pork loin Cypriot Style: marinated in red wine, smoked, & rubbed with crushed coriander, sliced and char-​grilled) — tastes great paired with halloumi!
~Loukaniko Spitisio — Cyprus Sausages (Home-​made with pork marinated in red wine, herbs and spices).
~Souvlaki (Char-​grilled pork kebab seasoned with oregano, salt and pepper).
~Ortikia — Quails (Quails marinated in wine, lemon, oregano and garlic, char-​grilled).
~Sheftalia — Pork Meatballs (Char-​grilled pork meatballs seasoned with herbs and spices).
~Diganito Kalamari — Fried Squid (Fresh calamari deep-​fried in soy bean oil, seasoned with salt & fresh lemon).

Finally made it here last winter after living a few blocks away for several years. Don’t know what I was thinking… waiting so long to try! God forgive me.
I’m a huge seafood and shellfish fanatic. Ordered the seafood platter. On point. Everything was succulent and mouth watering. Service was warm and inviting.
Boo-​yah!

Let me preface this review by saying that my wife and I had a 6 hour layover in New York before we headed to Venice. My wife’s brother insisted that we come and try the Cypriot food during our layover. My wife’s dad and his entire side of the family are from Cyprus and most still live there and we visited there for a couple weeks last year and fell in love with everything about it.
Onto the food: we came at lunch and decided that a meze would be too much food for the two of us right before traveling. So we ordered some grilled halloumi (thick goats cheese slices), keftedes (Cypriot meatballs), and some pork sheftalia (pork meatballs) that came with some lemon potatoes, and I got a KEO (Cypriot beer) and all of it was phenomenal. It made my wife and I want to go back to Cyprus asap. The keftedes were piping hot, and we doused them out with some lemon which only made them better. The halloumi and the lemon potatoes were definitely high points of the experience, and I got a chance to practice what little Greek I know.
It’s been mentioned before that they only accept cash, but there is an ATM at the shop on the corner probably 30 yards away. Don’t miss out on eating here.

A solid alternative for Greek/​Cypriot food. Honestly, I don’t know enough about the cuisines to distinguish one from the other, but I will add Cypriot cuisine to my list of international meals I’ve had in the City (Uzbek food, anyone?).
Disclaimer: I normally avoid cash only restaurants if they’re full service. I do appreciate that Zenon has a clear sign at the door noting that they do not accept credit cards, and provides directions to the nearest ATM. I actually went to a full sit-​down Korean restaurant in Brooklyn that did not announce it was cash only until the bill arrived, which left a sour taste in my mouth (I’m more forgiving with Zenon as a family owned restaurant than this other ultra-​trendy Korean restaurant). Still, it does make me appreciate how easy it is to pay by plastic when dining with a large group (thank goodness for Venmo).
Zenon has an extremely extensive menu; it will take you a while to get through and decide what to order. They also offer plenty of daily specials (sadly they were out of Greek lasagna, the special for Sundays, when I visited).
I enjoyed the hot bread basket, which included fresh olive bread and piping warm pita. It was a great way to eat the lemony hummus.
I’m still new to Greek food, and was blown away by the lemon potatoes that came with my main dish.
Prices at Zenon for main dishes hover around the $ 17ish mark. The portions are very generous, though if it were up to me, I’d much prefer a half portion at a smaller price.
At restaurants, I tend to order items that I can’t easily cook myself. Because I don’t have a full grill in my tiny city apartment, I gravitated towards grilled meats, selecting the pork meatballs and tenderloin kabob platter. The meatballs were juicy and well seasoned with parsley. Though the tenderloins have the trademark smokiness you associate with grilled meats, I wished they had either more seasoning or a sauce to keep them company. By themselves they were too plain.
Bonus points for the complementary orange slices and grapes when paying the bill, it’s a very unique touch!

Great food and great service!
We ordered Fish Meze Meal and everything was so yummy!
Definitely I want to go back again.

2.5 stars.
The place is cute, the service outstanding, the atmosphere welcoming… but the actual food we had was forgettable.
We ordered their famous Cyprus mezes for $ 21.95 per person, which comes at a great price for the huge amount of food they bring you. However, this is pretty much it. None of the 16 small plates was particularly good. The cold dishes weren’t flavorful, and most of the hot meat dishes were dry and barely warm.
Cold mezes tend to be similar anywhere you go, so you can’t really expect them to be memorable dishes. However, the hot mezes should have been better… I guess u get what you pay for.
We didn’t have anything else, so I can’t speak for the quality of their entrees. Nevertheless, except for the food above described, I have lil reason to go back.

Order the meze and you will leave happy and very full. Don’t even think about it and just do it. You will not be disappointed. We ordered the cyprus meze which was amazing. It’s $ 22 a person, but with the amount of food you get it’s totally worth it.
We were started out with the cold appetizers which consisted of a number of salads and dips along with some breads. I particularly liked the eggplant dip and the cyprus salad. I think we were getting pretty full just on the cold dishes. Then the hot food started appearing. Oh my. The food seemed like it just kept coming. The meatballs and kebabs were especially good. Needless to say we had plenty for leftovers the next day for lunch.
The one downside is they do not accept credit cards so bring cash or stop at the ATM next door before coming.

If people say Greek food is king in Astoria, then Zenon Taverna is the King of kings (in Queens). The last time I had Greek food this good, I had to fly across the world to the Balkans (not joking).
I went here for lunch and ordered the Wednesday special — the baked lamb with artichokes, tomatoes, carrots, and potatoes. It came to the table wrapped in a ball of foil, which, when you opened, a plume of aromatics pleasantly entertained your nose. Tasting it was even better: the tender bits of lamb fell off the bone and were fork tender. The vegetables complemented the dish, highlighted the lamb, and rounded out the whole plate. I had to resist picking up the plate and sipping the delicious braising liquid itself. Pita and other bread filled in for that instead.
Service is efficient, polite, and never uncomfortable. It’s the perfect kind of place I would go to have some local Greek food.

Cash Only
Whenever someone says he/​she lives in Astoria, the friend always replies with «oh, the Greek restaurants are great there.» I imagine my eyes rolling, but I have worked hard to keep them from actually rolling. Astoria has Greek restaurants is like saying the Rolling Stones is a band from the 1960s. It’s true. But only part of the story. Zenon Taverna is one of those places I thought was an Astoria Greek restaurant, one of many that I have never been to. I was wrong. It’s a Cypriot restaurant.
The interior reminds me of a large, rustic dining room which just happens to have many dining tables. The plates are a mismatched mix of Corelle dinnerware that makes me think of my Grandmother hosting Thanksgiving, except my grandmother always used those Styrofoam plate/​tray things with dividers. The menu is extensive, but the first 2 pages are mezes (a series of small plates) which may only be ordered for 2 people, as there are 16 or so plates in each.
Another stand out from the menu is the entres which differ by day. For example, you may order chicken and okra on Fridays, or pork stuffed gape leaves on Saturday. My foodie intuition goes crazy when I see this on a menu; to me, it means fresh ingredients and perhaps old family recipes. I’ve ordered these daily specials twice, and I’ve not been disappointed.
Pro tip: Although you see people waiting outside on weekend nights, you can totally make reservations. Do it!