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Went there for dinner. We arrived on Thursday night at 9 pm, and the place was empty. Surprising given the location. As soon as we sat down, we understood why my coworkers warned me against Dervish. Service: Extremely poor. They treated certain diners with such rudeness, my husband and I had to turn around to see who this host was. The waiters also are extremely lazy, and they just stand around the corner themselves and were just laughing and having a good old time. How about the fact that we had our water filled only once? and after our appetizer, they did not want to change the utensils. Food: We tried octopus to start with, and they gave us Stuffed cabbage which were not what we ordered. When we questioned them, that's when they "came clean". We also had filet mignon, and lamb shank. I really dont know what to say about the lamb.... It was so tough that i thought every bite required me to chew for at least 5 minutes. Filet was completely below average. Bottom line: Wannabe "cool" spot, but most importantly, if you are going to claim to be a $$$ restaurant and charge people money, the food has to come up to par, given the stiff competition around the neighborhood. I would never go back.

Having an office nearby in Midtown, I've been coming back to Dervish with clients and my family for years. I can attest that the food is truly authentic (I am quarter-Turkish and grew up on many of the dishes) and their $30 pre-fix menu is a steal for that area. The bar is gorgeous, and the live jazz they've been having on weekends have made it a unique place to take friends (though a little too small for large groups). Also, with your meal you get discounted parking at the garage across the street, which lasts even after your show is over. Just get the hostess to stamp your ticket. Overall, some of the comments about service are understandable, but you are eating in Times Square: as any New Yorker can attest, TS is a hub for overpriced tourist traps. Avoid it altogether if you're looking for a quiet meal. The staff at Dervish can be overwhelmed during the pre-theatre hours sometimes (5:30-8), but usually do a decent job. Come around 8pm, and it empties out immediately Favorite include the red lentil soup and stuffed baby eggplant for appetizers, and entrees are the iskender kebab, lamp shank, and sea bass (watch out... it's a whole fish). Overall, Dervish is a small taste of Istanbul in very busy Times Square. For those of you looking for something just a little different, make sure you give it a try.

This place started good few years ago but after couple of good reviews they spoiled. the service is very poor, food quality is not consistent.

We had a terrific meal. The food was nicely prepared and plated. The service was tops. The service staff was on top of their game with cotinuous follow up. A very nice pre theater restaurant.

Last night was our 7th or 8th visit to The Dervish. As always we found the food and service to be very good. Parking across the street at a discount is a big plus in the cost of an evening in the theater district. The manager is very interesting and a pleasure to talk with. We will be back again after our trip to Turkey this summer. Thanks to all.

Went for dinner Saturday and it was not a good experience. The guys behing the bar couldn't be less friendly if they tried. We got a main course and 2 appetizer, and one Bottle of red Selection for $140.85. My Entree were half warm and my girlfriend's specialty was completely cold and salty. At risk of bothering them, we had them reheated. Finally, we got to eat and the Food was not very good at all. The ingredients in the Food were either not fresh (at all!) or cheap.

The food was OK but service was very poor. Waiter are very impudent and rude. If they think your tip wasn’t as high as they dreamed of they will come up to you and complain the tip was too low. I never saw such boorishness anywhere else, so be prepared to tip more than you usually do anywhere else. Actually don’t go there at all; there are so many better choices around.