VARKA ESTIATORIO

ARE U KIDDING ME THIS IS UNREAL I traveled all the way from California to eat at this restaurant I especially hear about the crackers so I finally go to This restaurant and I can’t wait for the crackers I sit down and order these dam crackers that I have waited for and what happens I don’t get the crackers for 50 minutes after much complaint I finally get them and they are the worst crackers on this side of the Mississippi I am so disappointed and this restaurant is a disgrace to the cracker eating community

It was really good, The service was spotty, they forgot to bring some items we asked for. But, I get hung up on overpriced pretentious menus. 20.00 for a fried Calamari appetizer that was pretty good and 38.00 for shrimp scampi? Really? There were lots of really expensive cars in the parking lot and I guess the crowd does not mind the prices. 50 dollars a pound for tiger shrimp?

My grilled halibut with beets was cooked perfectly and was delicious. The nicest people work here (especially the bar tenders) as well as fellow diners. I will definitely return and recommend !

Everything one could look for in a restaurant. Great ambiance, pleasant garden patio seating, huge bar area, and amazing food. Service was outstanding. What more could you be looking for. Just go.

Gorgeous place to have a nice date night! We went on a warm night and sat outside for dinner Knowledgeable staff and a reasonably priced wine list. The bread was Super good and chewy dipped in an amazing EVOO. Olives and radishes were a nice touch. The food is well known all around this garden state to be top notch high quality greek seafood! I had the Bronzino which was very good and my wife had the angry lobster. Her lobster was very good but I was little upset to see it only had one claw and was billed as a 2 lb lobster ($ 57) which I thought was a touch expensive! Overall the décor and atmosphere made it no big deal as we knew it was a bit of a splurge night.

Had lunch here… nice open air indoor and patio atmosphere. Large room where you can see everything… initial course of beets, fresh crispy bread, hummus, olives, was outstanding. Fresh fish was simple and wonderful. Filleted table side and seasoned with olive oil, salt pepper. Very nice with attentive service.

Great restaurant to have a romantic dinner with your loved ones. Place is very clean, upscale restaurant and everyone that works there are very friendly. Food was good and so were the desserts. I’m not a big cheesecake fan but their cheesecake is to die for it was delicious!

First some history. The proprietors of Varka (Greek for boat) first created Avra in Manhattan when in my opinion Avra was special instead of just good. But upon arriving at Varka I was reminded of Greek food dining of Christmases past. This is a good thing; a very good thing!
Here’s what to order: grilled whole fish, karavides (Aegean langoustines — sort of like a cross between shrimp and lobster only infinitely better than either) octopus, horta (usually boiled dandelions with oilve oil and lemon juice – yes dandelions as in the weeds that your dog usually pees on), grilled calamari (yes grilled. this isn’t a friggin’ Italian restaurant that you hide the flavor of calamari with a ton of flour and marinara sauce) and as many other sides as you can handle. And I forgot the prasini salad (lettuce, dill, scallions, feta and olive oil with either lemon juice or red wine vinegar dressing with a sprinking of oregano) if you visit in the winter and agorontomata salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, spicy pepper, feta cheese, parsley and olive oil dressing with a sprinkling of oregano).
Staff is decent and friendly. I prefer to visit on quieter nights to really enjoy my meal and take int eh Greek experience.
In closing, Varka is the best Greek restaurant in NJ and goes head-​to-​head with the well known Greek joints in Manhattan.

Outdoor café was secluded despite being close to the street. Fresh seafood and salads, unique combinations (onion bowl with creamed spinach was phenomenal!), friendly ultra professional service.

We had reservations on Valentine’s Day and were seated immediately. Appetizer was grilled calamari stuffed with feta and entrees were halibut with beets, baby carrots, and onions and grilled sea bass with broccoli rabe. All were prepared perfectly! We definitely need to go back to appreciate the ambiance and possibly have a drink at the bar before dinner.

This place is amazing. Everything I have ever eaten was incredible. They’ll serve you the whole fish, head and all, or they can filet it for you if you don’t like your dinner looking at you. Try the octopus appetizer, best I’ve ever had.

An authentic Greek restaurant that came highly recommended buy my guy’s parents so, we all decided to come for lunch. A nice white table cloth lunch with enough variety on the menu to please everyone. I was surprised as to how quiet the restaurant was; only one other table was occupied when we came in.
The table is greeted with bread and oil to dip it into as well as a small tray of hummus, olives and radishes. This was a really nice touch and I really enjoyed the radishes which had either been marinated or had a seasoning on them. I selected the gyro which was served with greens and fries. The gyro meat was pretty traditional, moist and the tzatziki sauce was evenly distributed throughout the gyro. I know it sounds silly but, sometimes they just put a lump of it in one spot in the wrap. The veggies in the wrap were crisp and give it that crunch you would expect out of a traditional gyro. The greens were crisp and I finished them instead of finishing my fries. The fries were good but, the greens were better.
After our dining experience they brought us out a small plate of a few different cookies. Some of which I recognized and some that I didn’t but, they would make a great compliment to a cup of coffee.

Varka is truly a stand out place. I work in Ramsey so this is my offices go-​to place for birthday lunches, etc. We’ve been gong for years and they never disappoint. If you’ve never had their beet appetizer, you must… I’m hooked. My favorite lunch is the seafood Nicoise, it’s consistently awesome. Everything we’ve ever ordered has been wonderful. The Uncle Nicks cheesecake is so good, but every dessert I’ve had has been great. Truly a wonderful restaurant!

The food and service are excellent. It is primarily a seafood themed menu, so keep that in mind. They have a large rowboat in the restaurant, and if you like, you can pick out your fish. It is a bit pricey, so if I were to go again, it would only be on special occasion.

Really good
I mean really good
Borders on 5 stars
Prices are high and worth every single penny
Service is spot on
Very clean and friendly option
4 apps and 4 dinners and all were great
Would highly recommend

Varka is truly phenomenal. We came here for a team holiday lunch, after my boss raved about it, so the bar was set high, but fairly so, as we are all still talking about our delicious lunch.
Stepping into Varka is like stepping into Greece — white and blue, high ceilings, gorgeous woodwork, an area set up to be a lounge, as well as the well-​appointed bar, just draw you in, as you begin to take in just how gorgeous Varka is.
Our first stop, as so often is the case with work outings, was the bar, for wine and mixed drinks, all of which were very well received (and the cocktails/​mixed drinks were poured with a strong hand, which is always a positive).
We were quickly sat at our table (which from what I hear is not the norm if you come for dinner, as this is a VERY popular spot — make a reservation!), and were brought delicious, warm bread almost immediately.
The service at Varka on a whole is phenomenal. We were served and assisted by a number of waiters, each one warm and attentive. Service was quick, with drinks always being refilled, all food brought out promptly, and crumbs removed from the table before the next course. All of that attention to detail and friendliness just elevates the dining experience as a whole.
For appetizers, we started with the Varka chips, which are thinly sliced eggplant and zucchini chips served with a tzatziki dip that I could eat by the spoonful. They were absolutely delicious, light, a vegetable so somewhat healthy (technically, right?), and the perfect way to start our dining experience.
As far as lunch entrees went, there were choices that could accommodate everyone, even the pickiest of eaters. One of my coworkers is not a seafood fan whatsoever, but he had absolutely no complaints while eating his sirloin burger and fries (hugely portioned!).
Both my boss and I ordered the Tuna salad, which may sound like something that could be ordered at a deli, until you realize that the Tuna is actually perfectly seared tuna (we asked for it as close to raw as possible, which was the ideal way to go) served over greens and with apples/​walnuts. It was without exaggeration the best salad I have ever had. I couldn’t even finish all of it, as the salad came in an enormous bowl (but you best believe that I ate every single piece of the seared tuna). I cannot rave more highly about this salad. Another coworker stayed on the salad kick and ordered the Nicoise salad, which was another huge portion with scallops, shrimp, tuna, and olives, and was devoured by him.
Switching things up, my fifth coworker ordered the organic salmon. This prompted a discussion between all of us on how many at the table do not like salmon because of the fishy taste it often has had when we’ve ordered it before. After eating a few bites of her salmon, my coworker told me that I had to try it, because I needed to understand how good salmon tasted. To say it was delicious is an understatement — this salmon was beautifully cooked, and had absolutely no «fishy» taste. A perfect entrée for lunch that will be known to me as the salmon that won me over.
All in all, Varka is just incredible. From the amazing service, to the beautiful décor of the place, to the outstanding food and drinks, it makes sense as to why it is so well known in this area. I can’t wait to go back again for another tuna salad! (Sentences I never, ever thought I would say).

We actually found out about this place while eavesdropping on a family at another seafood restaurant. One of the members of the party was going on and on about how impressed he was with this restaurant and we decided we HAD to try it. So we went there last night and it was so incredible.
We got there very early, around 4:30, and were the only patrons at the time. The waitstaff was very professional and eager, though they kept their distance for the appropriate amount of time. We ordered the grilled octopus because it seems to be a Unilocal favorite and we were very happy we did. It was cooked so perfect, you could literally slice through it with a butter knife. We also ordered the chowder to split and our waiter offered to serve it in 2 smaller bowls for us, which we really appreciated. It was such a yummy chowder too! They served it with a lemon wedge and the lemon made such an awesome flavor in the soip, I absolutely loved it!
For our main course we both decided to have lobster. They offer so many different ways of serving the lobster that we were very intrigued! We usually steer clear of ordering lobster at seafood restaurants because we feel it is an indulgence that is usually too much of a process to actually enjoy. But the chef at Varka served it in a way that we didn’t have to fight at all to get the meat out of the shell. And both of our dishes were served with lots of sliced up garlic which was such an awesome part of the meal! I’ve never had a whole lobster to myself before and I am so glad that this was my first experience with it! We were both so pleased with our dishes (I had the chardonnay and he had the angry lobster) that we were dipping our bread in the sauce once we’d finished because it was so tasty! This restaurant is definitely pricey but worth every penny.

We went here for a company dinner. The grilled octopus appetizer, assorted sliced tomatoes with feta cheese, pita bread with different spreads and lamb meatballs were all delicious and great to share family style.
Their seafood is fresh. Anything on the menu will do. Salmon fillet or any white fish. The atmosphere is romantic with the dimmed lighting and the service is impeccable. We finished dinner earlier than expected. Surprising for a party of 60+.
It’s pricey but so worth it on occasions.

I was kind of surprised this place was as busy as it was over the 4^th of July weekend. Service was a bit slow as a result so we spent a lot of time waiting on drinks and there was a big gap in between courses. Other than that my family and I had a great meal. To start, we went with the grilled octopus and mussels. Of the two the octopus stood out the most– so good. For dinner we ordered the king crab legs, pork chop, loup de mar (white fish) and I went with the angry lobster. I tried a little of everyone’s and the angry lobster was my favorite. Nice touch of spice and not a lot of work. The pork chop was a close second if you’re not in the mood for seafood. The crab legs were pretty basic and the loup de mar was a little fishy for my taste but my mother enjoyed it. It’s a bit pricey so be prepared to spend or just have your parents pick up the tab like I did.

This was my second time at Varka and both were memorable… I really love the ambiance.
I have to say that they accommodated our large party of 9 very well with a nice round table. Our visit was for my mom’s 60^th birthday on a Sunday night in spring. The restaurant was pretty noisy, so with a big party it was hard to feel intimate.
My husband and I arrived early so we grabbed a spot at the bar and had a few cocktails. $ 50 later for 4 cocktails and I was only slightly disappointed because the bar tender really owned his craft. I ordered a blood orange jalapeño margarita and the bar tender started to question me. He was concerned and admitted that customers typically return it because of the heat. I can handle heat but I responded that I would just have a Negroni because my husband’s tasted awesome. The bartender proceeded to whip out their homemade jalapeño infused tequila to give me a taste. Once I confirmed that the heat was just right, he whipped me up the margarita. Classy guy. Two drinks later I was nice and toasty for dinner!
This place is seafood dominant so come prepared. You can order a steak but that would be strange. They have their seafood on display so that you can see what you are getting, specifically freshness. We started with tiger shrimp and langostino for the table. Super yummy. My husband and I split the stuffed calamari which I HAVE TO recommend as my favorite. I had the shrimp sacmpi which felt lame to order, but I was in the mood. The risotto that accompanied it was a hit. Super creamy and the shrimp were plentiful. The molten chocolate cake, cheesecake and the doughnuts were to die for! Dessert is a must.
I would definitely recommend Varka for a nice intimate dinner our with a couple or your significant other. It was a little too noisy for a party of 9 but no one left feeling unsatisfied in the end!