Veslo

Today was the USA vs Portugal game in the FIFA World Cup so it was packed. Luckily I made reservations through OpenTable. I made a note saying it was my birthday. We had to wait 10 minutes after being seated to get water and the menus.
The grilled octopus was good but the quantity is not worth $ 20. The fried calamari was standard. The seafood pasta was a bit watery but good. The mixed seafood platter and the mixed grill platter was good. The fries from the grill platter could’ve been better. It’s hard to mess up fries. The pork medallion was tender but the sauce was too much for me.
The staff was nice and friendly though. And the décor is nice, they had flags up because of the World Cup.
Even though I went for my birthday and I specifically wrote that it was, there was no special treatment or any extra effort or even dessert. It was pretty bummer and disappointing. I won’t be going back. Restaurants are all about food and service and about the customer.

YUMM!!! cannot wait to go back. Amazing food left me craving more.

This place was very good, with a lot of fish on the menu. I went with my friends, and we had a great time. The food was well-​prepared, friendly service, charming environment. I had the sea bass, which was cooked to perfection. My sister is vegan, and the staff was kind, serving her off-​menu vegetables.

I love Veslo. It’s unpretentious, friendly, weird, and affordable. The soups are off the hook, and the salads are amazing – fresh and delicious, made with real thought. We also loved the octopus. The service isn’t super fast, but that’s not why you come here. A gem.

Wish we could have eaten in their garden area. The atmosphere is cozy and family-​friendly but not bad for a date either. They were playing country music when we went so if that’s not your thing, steer clear, but I’m not sure what the music is usually like. The staff was very friendly and genuine. You can tell that the food is made from scratch, which I really appreciate (soup was really greate) but it wasn’t done with the kind of precision that I really look for– the Fuži was a little gummy (although I don’t have anything to compare it to) and the asparagus wasn’t crisp. I didn’t try the gnocci with goulash, so I’ll have to try them again.

5 stars for amazing food! We ordered the seafood appetizer, grilled octopus and the mixed grill absolutely amazing. Great atmosphere and the live jazz band was a great touch. Service was ok… Definitely recommend!

After reading the great reviews I needed to try this place. This is a gem in Astoria, love the décor its very intimate and you feel like you were inside a boat. Their name Veslo means boat paddle, you will notice the boat paddles all over the restaurant in a very tasteful manner.
I came with my coworker for an early dinner on a Monday so the restaurant wasn’t crowded which only meant we got great service from our pleasant waitress.
We started with a bottle of Malbec which was a good choice.
For our entrees we shared the clams casino and stuffed mushrooms, both were delicious and came with even better sauces.
I got the Chilean sea bass and my coworker mix seafood with pasta (homemade). Both dishes were great but I have to say my coworkers was a tiny bit better I love the homemade pasta and it came in a great sauce (I cant remember the name but it was the first item under pasta)
By this time I was stuffed since both dishes were a good size and didn’t have room for dessert.
FYI they have the cutest outdoor sitting area too bad it was way to cold for us to sit there.

Why this place is empty for Saturday brunch beats me. I came here because Sanford ‘s was a 30 min wait and I was starving. I had scrambled eggs with Canadian bacon and home fries and my friend had the croissant sandwich. overall a good meal. Plus the portion were just right, not too small or too big. Also they have buy 1 mimosa or bloody mary at full price ($ 10) and the next one is a $ 1.

Love this place. Highly recommend the Goulash or Veal Sauce over the home made Fuži. You can’t go wrong with the Veal Šniceli or Veal chop as well. Absolutely delicious! But really you can’t make a bad decision off of their great menu.
Also a great place to catch some Croatian Soccer.

We came here for dinner for my parent’s anniversary but I didn’t have a reservations. Fortunately, they looked at their reservation list and was able to accommodate us with such — though I kicked myself in my head for not making the reservations ahead. They look at their reservation list as if they were thinking «How do we make this work…» They were very nice. Food was good. I had the Velso salad and stole my hunny’s meat for some added protein. He had some steak assortment platter. That was yummy, but I prefer my filet mignon medium rare — though I’m not sure whose fault that is. LOL.

Beef goulash. Sauce was a bit thin, gnocchi was a bit too soft and just simple dough cut on a diagonal. Not very exciting or tasty. Coolest thing about this place was the personal greeting from the chef and a complementary fried dough (think zeppoli) dusted in confectioner sugar.
Decent place but expensive for an only okay meal.

This is a place that makes you feel welcome. Great food selection, many choices of draft beers and huge HD TVs showing live NHL and soccer games. I come here often and every time it’s great. They also have live music on Thursdays. If you live in Astoria you should try them.

Great food, cute décor, service a bit slow. There is a nice patio that looks like it would be a great place to sit back and enjoy a crisp, cold Croatian beer in the evening. Sadly, it was raining. Inside is decorated with traditional Croatian items and oars hang from the ceiling (name of the restaurant means oar).
Went for lunch– very reasonable prices and large servings. I got cevapcici, which came with a great pureed eggplant, tomato and pepper side as well as some spiced french fries. Delicious and only $ 10.
I think my favorite thing was the blitva, a mixture of swiss chard, potatoes and some spices. I would gladly pay more than the low $ 4 price tag, and am determined to find a recipe so I can try to make this myself. Next time I will definitely try either the stew or the octopus, which is apparently a specialty. My friend got a salad with endive, avocado, and tomato. He said the tomatoes in Croatia are riper/​fresher but otherwise he enjoyed it.
The service was a bit slow at times, and there was no lunch crowd on a weekday, probably because of its location. The server was polite though, and kept glasses refilled. I’m guessing things pick up at night. Overall, great little spot tucked away in Queens that I will absolutely return to visit.

This was an amazing find right near the Broadway N/​Q stop. We had a late night dinner (930pm) on a Saturday night, and the food was wonderful. The Dalmatian Platter (neither black /​white or covered in spots) was tasty and a perfect appetizer. The Veslo salad was different, but yummy. Mostly marinated peppers and onion, but it worked.
The only thing ‘wrong’ was we got the primavera instead of the risotto, but the waiter fixed it right away, and the risotto was still very flavorful and creamy. The Chicken alla Veslo was also wonderful and very flavorful, but still tender.
We did indulge in dessert and had the tartufo, which was split into 4 pieces, with was nice for sharing. the Irish coffee was more Irish than coffee though, but that’s not a bad thing.
Food — 4 of 5
Atmosphere — 4.5 of 5 (the patio lights were out)
Service 4.5 of 5
Cleanliness — 5 of 5

Great find, of a small and good tasting Mediterranean vibe. The outdoor dining was great for the summer evening.
Wait staff continued to remain attended to our meal and needs.
Though its Croatian, they did have Sangria which perhaps is not their strong suit, as it tasted more like a juice.
We had appetizers and a salad. Really good filler for two people. The grilled octopus is as advertised, with a nice sauce from the Seafood appetizer, to make it even better. Also a great taste in the chicken endive salad, that had all types of tastes in it. Almost made a good appetizer, sharing the plate and building little endive chicken boats.
Give it try.

Wow. Went here the other night for a celebratory drink and dessert and it was great.
I have been to Veslo before with a few friends but I wasn’t there for long and felt that I couldn’t write a good review of this place. So went here the other night and was greeted quite warmly by the waitstaff and the manager. My girlfriend and I took a seat outside because it didn’t seem like they had the AC on inside. n Wow, a beautiful intimate garden. Loved it. We started off with some drinks, I had a mojito and my girlfriend had the Adriatic sunset. I remember that one because the waiter recommended it. Best part, they plucked the mint right from the garden that we were sitting in for my mojito. Loved. It. Both of these drinks were around 8 bucks and both of them were worth every penny. I have no problem paying a bit more for drink or food, if it is worth it, and the drinks here are strong and delicious, thus, totally worth it.
We then had the mozzarella and tomato appetizer, which was quite good and tasted quite fresh. Finally, to end the night, I had the chocolate lava cake and my girlfriend had the crepes. Crepes. Go. With. The. Crepes. They were delicious, light, and just sweet enough. My cake was good, but Jesus, those crepes took the cake, mehehehe.
All the food and drinks that we had at this place were worth every single penny. Our waiter was also quite good although nearing the end of the night it appeared that he was quite ready to leave and less interested in catering to us. However, at this point, we were already done with everything, so I didn’t mind.
This place is amazing. Totally, check. It. Out

A spontaneous date night brought Perry L. and I to Veslo. I had walked by it often on my way home and the reviews seemed pretty good. I was particularly craving grilled octopus or calamari, so their menu definitely sounded like a good fit.
On this brisk Thursday night, we were a little wary of the empty bar — the restaurant looked empty from the outside! But once you entered, an old school jazz band and a charming crooner made Veslo feel so welcoming. (Live jazz band is there every Thursday. They’re quite the flirts!)
We ordered:
Dalmatian platter of cheeses
Wild mushroom risotto
Krapanj style orzotto (calamari in a barley like grain)
The cheese was good, the risottos and orzotto were okay. We were not wowed by the food at all. Actually, both were such large portions that we got tired of eating it halfway through the meal and wish they came with sides. With such rave reviews for the grilled octopus, I regret not trying that dish straight up rather than mixing it up. I wouldn’t be opposed to trying Veslo again. The service was excellent and I really like the vibe and the band. But I definitely would splurge more to get better food.

I’ve been to Veslo a few times prior to seriously Unilocaling. Going back recently, I was reminded how attentive the staff was. By attentive I mean that it wouldn’t surprise me if someone crawled under the table and started rubbing my feet while I ate. I was reminded that the last time I dined here, the service was the main comment that my date made as we left.
The food is good, but not highly inventive in regard to flavors. The grilled octopus is… well grilled octopus. The steak ordered rare is a steak ordered rare. So you can come here, be pampered by the service, and have a decent meal that is guaranteed never to impede your social enjoyment.

I need to start trying more Eastern European food. If it’s anything like Veslo, then I’ve been missing out.
Veslo is a cool neighborhood Croatian spot. Besides a regular dining area, it also boasts a nice bar and a cool patio. The staff is friendly and the restaurant has a laid back vibe. On a typical day here, you may find yourself throwing down a 17 oz bottle of Karlovacko at the bar, watching TV or listening to stories from some of the older patrons.
The food is great. I’ve been here twice now and I’m a big fan of their Gnocchi with Goulash. They must stew the beef for hours cuz it’s very tender. The dish is $ 10 on the lunch menu and for that price, it’s a steal.
On my previous visit, I had the Grilled Octopus. The octopus was grilled perfectly and I would’ve never guessed swiss chard would go so well with it. Apparently Croatians know their seafood. I’m certainly a believer after trying the octopus here.
I haven’t been here for dinner yet but the lunch menu is fairly extensive. So far they are 2 out of 2 so I definitely plan on coming back here and trying more of their dishes. This is exactly the kind of local neighborhood joint I like to support — and so should you!

I like the idea of Croatian food, and I wish they had stated on their menu that they could make an all Chivapchichi plate or Chivapchichi and reznichi combo plate because the only place where I saw Chivapchichi was on the Meat Platter plate which was okay. Some of the meats were a little tough or just not interesting enough, but I must say their Chivapchichi was pretty good. Their wine selection is nice, but a little pricey. The owner of the restaurant came by to talk, and he was an okay guy, maybe he was just a little tired but he seemed a little disinterested which made me wonder why would you sit down and talk to your clients if you’re not 100% or going to add good energy. Anyway, it’s a cute restaurant and I’m sure it’s seen better days, perhaps they were just overwhelmed with the volume of people that day.
The good– I asked for sparkling water and the bartender gave me a bottle of flat water, I corrected her and she gave me a sparkling instantly no problem.
Why I enjoyed myself that evening? Because I was on a date with a sweet amazing guy and having a good conversation. He made my evening.
The bad and unacceptable– My date ate a rotten shrimp from their seafood platter. Need to list on their menu that they offer chivapchici. When you think of croatia you think of this dish and many others.
I feel like they try to be more fancy than they need to be. Just focus on making this food really good not prettying it up.