Dervish Turkish Restaurant

I have to say I don’t normally eat at or write about places like this (and I don’t plan on starting a trend).  Dervish is a sit down restaurant, it’s over $10 and the decor is what you would describe as “nice”.  It could qualify for a “business lunch” and it’s not even a buffet… which means it’s not really Midtown Lunch material.  But, right before Christmas my boss said he wanted to take me and a co-worker out to a nice lunch as our holiday gift- so I figured I might as well bring the camera along for the hell of it.

Dervish is a Turkish restaurant on 47th between 6th & 7th with lunch and dinner specials that make it an obvious choice for tourists looking for something to eat before going to the Theater.  The lunch special is $14.95, and for that price you get your choice of an appetizer and an entree… a pretty good deal if you’re looking for this type of sit down meal.

For our appetizers I think we selected pretty well.  The Turkish Salad was nice with chunks of tomato, cucumber and onion tossed in a vinaigrette.  The hummus is a pretty standard choice- and was perfect for dipping the bread they bring out before the meal. But the real star was the egg roll looking bureks… stuffed with spinach and cheese these were pretty awesome.  I’ve never had a burek before- so I’m not sure how it compares with a less touristy Turkish restaurant… but these tasted pretty sweet to me.

Pics of my entree, and the +/- after the jump…

I’m a big fan of lamb, so I ordered the lamb with okra which came with a plate of a pilaf style rice.  It was ok, but nothing special.  The lamb was tender, and it had plenty of okra, but it was pretty under spiced.  My boss and co-workers each got chicken dishes (one got the chops- seen below, and one got the kebab), which were predictably plain.  They seemed to like both dishes alright, but they were nothing to write home about.

All in all, if you are looking for a reasonably priced sit down meal, for lunch, with some great variety (you get the appetizer and entree), you could do alot worse than Dervish… but it’s clear the entrees can be hit or miss.  As we were walking out, I noticed alot of people eating what looked like a plate of gyro meat over rice.  Looking at the menu, I’m pretty sure it was the Doner Kebab- and definitely the way to go.  If my boss ever takes me out to lunch there again- I will definitely order that.

THE +

  • I’m looking for a nice sit down lunch, in a nice atmosphere
  • $14.95 gets you an entree and appetizer (add in the bread, and it’s plenty of food)
  • Great place if you want ethnic food, but your co-workers are less adventurous.  There are some pretty mild options for any palate
  • The service was decent, and we were back at work within an hour

THE –

  • I don’t want to pay more than $10 for lunch
  • It’s sit down, so you’ve got to pay tip (making it even more expensive)
  • The dishes we ate were pretty bland
  • There’s bettter, cheaper Mediterranean options in Midtown
  • For this price, I’d rather eat at one of the more expensive Indian Buffets (like Utsav)

Dervish Turkish Restaurant, 146 W. 47th St. (btw. 6th & 7th), 212-997-0070

8 Comments

  • It has a nice interior, but with the wood panelling, chandelier and tile floor it looks more like an upscale pub grub place than a Turkish one.

  • For Turkish food I prefer Akdeniz on 46th Street. I think the food and service are better. One of the times I ate at Dervish our waiter was rather surly…

  • Michelle-
    I agree–Akdeniz is out of this world. The salmon wrapped in grape leaves is amazing. I have been there with my Turkish sister in law who also loves it. They used to have (not sure if they still do) a three course price fixe for $17. Can’t beat that.

  • Free bureks if you’re drinking at the bar!

  • Mmmm, I love hummus.

  • ever tried the burek at Djerdan on 37th between 7th and 8th? It’s the Serbian/Balkan-style burek – the big slices. They have spinach, meat, cheese, or potato-filled, I think – I’ve only tried the meat one (greasy and so delicious). Takeout slices are $4, and are about the same size as the paper plates they come on (eat-in is another dollar or so).

  • We tried Dervish last Friday night after a show and were pleased. My partner is Saudi and he found the lamb to be fresh and perfectly cooked. The service was very good. Ironically, we had eaten at Utsav the night before and left wondering why they left all the spices out. Even a Midwesterner would have found the food bland. The rice pudding however, was delicious.

  • D3rV1sh35 F0 Lyf3!!!

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