ZAGAT - Recent Reviews

"One of the best Greek restaurants in the NY area. Plus the Greek wines are excellent."
Reviewed by janeb1134195 on 03/22/2009

"Very helpful staff, espeically with wine selection. Having Greek wine with the food is a must to truly make the experience.
Reviewed by C & GB1006917 on 02/16/2009

Real Talk Video File - April, 2007

My9 Real Talk

The New York Times - May, 2007

"...So imagine their surprise in October 2006 when Axia Taverna burst on the scene, transforming the old place inside and out. The curb appeal was instantaneous: massive (and conspicuously expensive) dark-walnut entry doors, high-contrast outdoor lighting and, in an audacious touch, glass-paneled retractable garage doors that open onto a stone patio for warm-weather dining. The surprises continue inside..."

Crain's New York - February, 2007

"The strikingly handsome duplex is the work of ace designer Tony Chi. Its 130 seats radiate around and above an unusual conical fireplace resembling retro rockets on a spaceship. A roomy bar is screened from the dining areas by racks of horizontally displayed wine bottles. The setting comfortably blends modernity and ethnicity, with smooth white walls displaying clay pots on shelves near the ceiling."
"Chef Gorant's kitchen crew presents each dish with flair and skill."
"Savvy locals who know a good thing throng this Tenafly treat on weekends."

The Artful Diner - February 12, 2007

Father and son Michael and Alexander Parlamis's Axia Taverna is a genuine restaurant phenom. Open only since the latter part of September 2006, it continually packs in weeknight crowds that most establishments would sell their gastronomic souls to entertain on free-for-all Saturday evenings.

But it surely deserves both the praise and the patronage. The ambiance -- the warmth of a free-standing circular fireplace as you enter, cozy walnut bar, glass-walled wine cabinets, banquettes awash with throw pillows, an intimate second-floor balcony, and two huge garage doors that open onto a patio in warmer weather -- is au courant but decidedly comfortable, the service is professional and exceedingly knowledgeable with regard to menu offerings, and Executive Chef Alexander Gorant's contemporary Greek cuisine is as exceptionally prepared and presented as the prices are reasonable.

Hospitality Design - April, 2007

"Like the menus focus on shareable plates, Axia ultimately draws on the idea of a group of people coming together in a convivial environment and sharing meze."

Gourmet Magazine - June, 2007

"Diane Kochilas has lent her experience to Axia, a suburban outpost of fine Greek cooking in Tenafly, New Jersey. At Axia, there are modern touches: taramosalata is enriched with flakes of lobster, which works surprisingly well; house-smoked mackerel is shredded and mixed with finely chopped arugula, then topped with fried baby artichoke; and skate wing comes in a light crust of dried peas."

Better Living Section of The Record - November, 2007

Chef Gorant isn't re-creating his grandmother's Greek cooking at this hugely popular Tenafly restaurant, located in a wonderfully redesigned old home. The ingredients are Greek, but the combinations of taste and texture are unique – and will stop conversation with their flavorful surprises.

Garden Plate- October/November, 2007

Alexander Gorant...has mastered the art of mezedes, Greek dishes akin to Spanish tapas. These "small plates" afford diners the chance to eschew the appetizer/entrée scenario and do a good bit of gastronomic grazing, should they so desire."

ReNew Magazine- December, 2007

"Axia, from the Greek axios, means "worthy," and the owner of Axia Taverna has created a restaurant worthy of our attention. The notable design includes a fireplace hearth, prominently displayed and temperature-controlled wine racks, and a chic outdoor patio."

Off the Broiler Press - May, 2007

"Axia also has a good amount of seafood as well as whole fish in its main course section (Megala Plata) and its menu has a large selection of small plates (Mezedes) as well as charcoal grilled meats and features traditional Greek items such as roasted leg of lamb, mousaka (albeit in a unique clay pot presentation), pastichio (with a phyllo pastry shell)..."

NJMonthly.com - December 28, 2007

In Greece, locals commonly dine and hang out at tavernas rather than the more formal estiatorios. Axia means “worthy,” and as a place to socialize, this five-month-old certainly lives up to its name. Saturday night reservations are hard to come by, and a prosperous-looking clientele of mostly boomer-age couples keeps it busy.

The upstairs/downstairs space, originally a three-story home just off the town square, has been stunningly transformed by Tony Chi & Associates, the hot New York firm also responsible for the design of Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant at the Borgata. Axia’s handsome slate walls with white woodwork, blond wood floors, and acres of plate glass make a clean, bright, modernist statement.