Çka Ka Qëllue

Hearty, carb laden, flavorful food. First time trying Albanian cuisine, we ordered the fli, mantia, sausage dip, grilled octopus, mixed grill, fries and a bottle of Albanian cab from Kosovo. For dessert, we had the baklava and tres leche cake. Everything was fresh, flavorful. As this was our first experience with Albanian food, we had no point of reference for comparison. The rear courtyard table was tranquil and transported us to somewhere in the Mediterranean. Our server Lena was great and super informative. Every recommendation was good. Only the octopus was over charred and dry, but everything else was good. The pita was fresh and hot, the fries crispy. Day after dinner and we're all still pretty full. Apparently we should have been a little less enthusiastic about trying too many dishes as they're more calorie concentrated than they look. Skipping breakfast and lunch today, extra 30 minute run for make up. Suggest this as a winter food, or just go lighter. Food was good, just needed to scale back a little. $330 all in, 4 people, with a bottle wine.

Amazing food. I heard about this from a friend and it did not disappoint. We were all sold halfway through the appetizers. The dumplings were amazing along with the filet mignon.

We were out for a walk imagining dinner at an interesting restaurant when we walked past a red door that caught our eye.<br><br>Cha Ka Qellue was just what we had in mind. The notion of Albanian cuisine was intriguing and the high ratings sealed the deal. That was our dinner destination and it lived up to the reviews!<br><br>The food is flavorful and beautifully presented. The staff is attentive and the decor is warm and welcoming. Moderate prices make this a must try...and go back often place in mid town.

I stumbled upon this charming Albanian restaurant while taking a walk with my girlfriend near our home, and we had a wonderful experience. From the warm welcome to the attentive service and the absolutely delicious food, everything was top-notch. The waitresses were so kind, warm, and genuinely friendly. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish, and I can’t wait to come back and try more dishes on the menu.

Great experience here! Loved the ambience and feel of the restaurant. Service was fast and all the food items were top notch relative to their prices.<br><br>Would certainly come back again! Felt like I was transported to another city for a moment.

Best Mediterranean style you can experience in New York. The atmosphere is delicious as well as the food. Especially the service of the staff is the best. Thank you for your server Silva especially. Thank you for your kindness.

A cultural enrichment type restaurant. It's a quaint restaurant that gives you the feeling of being in Albania. You can tell the owners have pride in their culture. Truly a hug from Albania that makes you feel like you’re there. The authentic flavors did not disappoint. The staff is courteous and professional and super accommodating. The food over exceeded our expectations. Best dining experience I’ve had this week in NYC.

Have to say was bit disappointed from the visit. Despite the high rating from both locations, the dishes were mostly ok and with the exception of the main mixed grill platter, which lacked seasoning and was rather blank. Service was also slow and not very friendly.

First time at an Albanian restaurant. Tried Tava Kosi and Gulash. Personally felt like it could have been really good if more flavorful. Looked so good, everything high quality, hot- freshly made, including the beautiful bread, and really wanted to love the food, but all was kinda bland. Maybe this is how it is supposed to be made. I don’t know if other dishes would be a different experience. But seemed like an overall really cool restaurant. No tip line on receipt or pen given (until I asked) for adding a tip to the receipt, so seems like it is optional? Was told we could write our tip on the receipt if we want to. Prices were high for what we ordered, so maybe a reasonable amount to pay staff is already calculated in the price of the dish. I added my tip anyways, but it seemed like it was still going to be ok if I didn’t at this particular restaurant. If so, maybe just a note of “tip is optional” somewhere on the menu or receipt might help clarify, since it’s pretty much typically “required” at most nice-looking sit-down places.

Albanian food is completely underrated and doesn't get nearly the attention it deserves. This was my first time trying this cuisine and I wasn't disappointed. I had the pepper dip appetizer which reminded me of a mildly spicy and perfectly balanced fondue served with fresh baked bread similar to a pita or puffy Naan. For the entrée, I had the Tava Kosi, which is braised lamb served over an egg custard. The custard reminded me of the inside of a quiche but with a much softer texture. I went for Christmas dinner while visiting New York and the atmosphere and ambiance inside the restaurant could not have been better. The interior looks like an old European tavern with rustic brick walls. Cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. Extremely tasty food at an amazingly low price point.

My first time trying Albanian food. It was very delicious and wholesome. The restaurant itself feels like you’re entering someone’s home. It felt very warm and cozy. The dishes tasted home cooked too. The flavors were full without feeling too heavy. The lamb was super tender and not gamey. Service was excellent and our waitress gave great recommendations! Id love to come back to try more of the dishes.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐<br>Absolutely amazing experience at Ça Ka Qëllue in Manhattan! The food was outstanding—rich flavors, beautifully prepared, and truly authentic. Every dish on the table was delicious and comforting.<br>The service was top-notch as well. John was incredibly attentive, friendly, and made sure we were taken care of the entire time. You can really feel the passion for both food and hospitality here.<br>Highly recommend this place if you’re in NYC—can’t wait to come back!

The food was ok but the service was super aweful. Obviously the restaurant tried to make more revenue by squeenzing as more tables in a small room but that made evey guest feel crowded and uncomfortable. What made things worse was, the servers were not attentive to guests at all. They asked you several times whether food was ok but they never noticed that everyone's water needed to refill until we requested. I am not a fan of such fake oral kindness without real actions to serve. Due to the crowded seating, they needed to squeeze in and out to bring food or take out plates but they were not careful enough to hit and drop our personal stuff to the ground, after we already warned them from the beginning to be careful in this squeezing environment. And they didn't even apologize after dropping our clothes (they don't provide storage as we specifically asked after being seated) and personal stuff to the ground, which no server tried to clean in a snowy day (the ground was especially dirty after snow bc pepole went in and out leaving dirty snow water on the ground). After I expressed my dissatisfication of their service, guess what, they mandatorily charged us 18% service fees on our lunch bill and still brought out the normal tipping suggestion on our bill so they can double charge tips by chance for their bad service. What a worst manner! You should definitely avoid this restaurant if you want to stay happy for your day.

First time trying Albanian food and really didn't know what to expect, but wow! This did not disappoint.<br><br>My group of 4 ordered a few things to share:<br><br>- Sausage dip<br>- Sesame baked cheese<br>- Fli<br>- Mantia (Tava)<br>- Qofte Shari<br>- Mixed meat combo (excluding the liver and qofte)<br><br>Everything was absolutely delicious, it's really hard to choose a favorite. The bread was so soft and fluffy, I dipped it in everything that I could.<br><br>The inside was super cozy, staff was great, will definitely be coming back to try more of the menu!

Quaint neighborhood spot for Albanian cuisine. The ajvar appetizer dip was decent, very refreshing. The tava kosi main was delicious, although my only criticism is that there was very little lamb meat. Otherwise, friendly and prompt service and the overall vibes are relaxing. There is seating inside, in the back and in front of the restaurant. Ideal for groups up to 6 people.