THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Vareli Awards

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Vareli Restaurant Review:

This bi-level spot across the street from Columbia University is just what the neighborhood needed: a restaurant and bar with a creative cocktail list and an affordable and inspired menu. The food is brought to you by Gramercy Tavern and Bouley alum chef Amitzur Mor, who cooks up Mediterranean fare with gusto. Cheese and charcuterie boards are available, but the warm items are even better. The small-plates side of the menu includes a charred grilled octopus, crispy pork belly which comes in a block and then falls apart when the fork hits it, and spice-rubbed head-on prawns. A standout among the larger plates is the lamb burger, but there’s also roasted free-range chicken. The wine list spans the globe, but the cocktails will keep you quenched, particularly the citrus vodka Snowball, which tastes like a creamsicle.