the best part of this restaurant was the overall feeling of the place. the food was clearly authentic and traditional, without any pretension, but there was something about the dim wooden-paneled walls and the candlelit atmosphere that elevates it to quite a romantic spot. the menu itself was affordable which was surprising to me for the expensive feeling of the service. the dishes came out efficiently which was nice since we were a bit late for our next event. the food itself wasn't particularly memorable, however. i enjoyed the patties which were tender and juicy, but perhaps a bit monolithically salty. the signature dish was a nice hunk of meat which had a bed of grain which also wasn't particularly complicated. the bread, freshly puffed, was probably my favorite part of the meal. overall, the place was nice enough for a walk-in on a saturday night and due to convenience i would be open to returning. i would be interested in trying the other dishes on the menu as well as it is quite extensive.

Great restaurant for small group meals in a rustic yet warm and intimate ambiance. Each dish I've tried here has been satisfying and flavorful, but my go-to's are probably the dips with the fluffy bread (eat while hot!) and the Mantia Tava (veal dumplings baked with creamy white sauce). The mixed grill platters are also great for group sharing. Will definitely be back with more friends!

I came here recently on a weekday for dinner with a friend. Service was friendly and fast, and the interior was fairly unique. Great ambiance. We started with the cheese pickled pepper. I personally wasn't expecting a bell pepper, but it made for a meatier dish. The pickle flavor is quite strong, but it's really well balanced with the cheese sauce (yes, it's more cheese sauce than actual melted cheese). The sauce flavor is quite mild, and is more there to provide a nice creaminess with the pickle. Overall goes great with the free bread they provide! For our mains, we got the mixed grill platter and the sarma to share. The mixed grill platter was a great intro to all the different meats. It was overall great, but one or two of the meats were a bit too dry/salty for my taste. The sarma was my favorite among all the meats! Super juicy because the wrapped sausage meat is in the broth, and overall extremely flavorful. Would definitely recommend to get a taste of Albanian food!

The ambience and decor here is totally amazing. They have decorated the interior in a way that you are truly transported out of NYC to a different place. They even have a cute little backyard with outdoor seating which is really nice. The service is very attentive and the servers were very friendly. Our server even took time to explain dishes to us and make recommendations. We got the baked cheese which was nice. The bread that comes with it is some of the best I've probably ever had. I definitely recommend the bread. The Tava Dehut and Tava Kosi were alright and didn't taste all that amazing in my opinion but were alright. The menu seemed quite overpriced for the taste of food and portions we received but it was a decent place to try nonetheless.

Nice authentic Albanian restaurant, super cool vibes as if you traveled there. I tried the mix grill platter, all kinds of meat were delicious. Sausage dip was nice, bread is so fresh! The Trilece is super soft and creamy, nothing beats this texture. Service is amazing, two servers are always around.

I'll be honest, I don't think I've ever eaten Albanian food before, but I absolutely loved everything I ate here. The waiters were so helpful in helping us navigate a new cuisine to us, and we were able to share everything so we all (table of 4) tried 9-10 different things. The atmosphere is really cozy and full of Albanian art and decor. Really hearty and heartwarming food.

My first time eating Albanian food. It was a pretty interesting experience. Didn't expect the dishes to be mostly comprised of veal. Didn't really know what was good, so we asked for some recommendations from the staff. Pepper dip tasted less pepper to me than cheese. It was super creamy and heavier than I thought it would be. The bread was really good though. I wasn't expecting that big of a portion for each person. Fli was more doughy than I was expecting. I wanted more filling between the layers. It was more mushy on the inside. Mantia was pretty good. There was ample veal inside but nothing else. Flavor was good. Tava Kosi was pretty good. Because the eggs were prepared with a roux, it was pretty starchy and filling. Mixed grill platter was okay. The preparation of the meats reminded me other Mediterranean meals. Every dish was pretty dense. Maybe I would order a vegetable dish next time. There was automatic gratuity added even though we were only a party of 4.

Excellent food and a lovely and warm atmosphere. We ordered a number of appetizers to share including the baked cheese, mixed olives and Tarator which was my favorite because it was so light and fresh with the cucumber and garlic and yogurt. We also had some main dishes that were well prepared and quite tasty! The stand out main dish which we also shared was the Tasqebap. Finally our server was so attentive and checked in on us several times which was also appreciated because we ordered a couple cocktails throughout the meal. The lychee martini was a particular favorite. Definitely will come again!

Absolutely obsessed with Çka ka Qellu! This place totally nails the Albanian/Kosovo food scene and brings the culture, traditions, and history to life through their amazing dishes. The qebapa and mixed grill platter at Çka ka Qellu are next-level deliciousness. Those qebapa, perfectly seasoned and grilled to juicy perfection, are like bites of heaven. And the mixed grill platter? Sooo yummy and sure to satisfy all of your meat cravings! Oh, and we can't stop talking about their incredible fli! Fli is one of Albania's favorite dishes and can more accurately be described as a layered pancake made with simple ingredients, baked slowly over a few hours. It's a masterpiece of our cuisine and we highly recommend you trying it! Also don't even get us started on their fluffy bread which we serve with ajvar - it's like a match made in food heaven! And can we talk about the hospitality? These guys know how to make us feel at home. If you're up for some seriously delish Albanian trad food, give Çka ka Qellu a go! We promise you won't regret it.

Cka Ka Qellue is one of the most unique restaurants I've been to in NYC! It's not easy to find Albanian food but it's well worth coming here to try it. Albanian cuisine, as you might imagine, reflects both its proximity to the Mediterranean and to Eastern Europe, with a variety of dips and grilled meats with many dishes including lamb, sausages, or cheese. The freshly baked bread that comes with the various appetizer dips is absolutely incredible. We asked for extra servings of it for everyone and and finished all of it. It's kind of hard to describe, but flavorwise it tastes like the best pizza crust you ever had, yet it's airy and puffy and fluffy. Recommended: ajavar or sausage dip with that BREAD, baked dumplings, baked lamb, mixed grill Prices are also incredibly reasonable by NYC standards.