I had been to Eleni’s, a Gramercy area Greek restaurant on Third Avenue, but only for lunch. We decided on it for dinner based on my recommendation.

We were early for our res and walked into a half-full restaurant with many tables available. We requested one away from the large party. We were told no, and we asked for another one. The eponymous owner barked at us, saying no to each one we asked for and saying it was reserved.

Someone should give Eleni a copy of “Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect” by Will Guidara. Perhaps she saved those tables for her regulars that we weren’t and would never be after that reception!

Opting for the friendliness of the outdoor seating, we found the service personnel to be much more welcoming. We began our culinary journey with Eleni’s chips ($22), fried large pieces of organic zucchini and eggplant with tzatziki, along with a bottle of Harlaftis Chardonnay ($64), a Greek wine with the aromas of mature fruit sans the buttery oak typical of California ones.  We added their pikilia ($20) — the traditional Greek spreads of taramosalata (carp roe), melitzanosalata (eggplant dip), spicy feta and more tzatziki with a basket of warm pitas.  I recommend both apps and wine.

We split the seafood orzo ($38) for our entree with a few mussels, some shrimp, and few scallops over orzo in tomato sauce. Decent, but not as special as the apps.

Eleni’s
Gramercy
226 3rd Ave,
New York, NY 10003
212-982-9030
elenisnyc.com