At long last I’ve eaten at Drina Daisy and I loved it, loved it, loved it.

Ever since it opened, I’ve been frequently encouraged to dine at Astoria’s Bosnian restaurant. Until recently, I just never got around to it. At first I assumed they wouldn’t receive enough business to survive here. But six years have passed, and they’re still here, flourishing.

I’ve never heard a negative comment about the place, and I think I’ve discovered why. Drina Daisy is the rare culmination of an exotic ethnic restaurant that has excellent food, but also properly guides you through the experience with an expert hand. I understand that Drina Daisy is a husband-and-wife team effort of work and co-ownership, and it was evident by our server Ken’s expertise that he was the husband. Right away, you are encouraged to check your preconceptions at the door and let yourself be steered through the culture and customs.

I love a dining experience where I learn something new and then do as the natives do. And did we ever. Not only did we knock out the entire menu, but experienced a traditional Turkish coffee service, tasted Eastern European beers and wines, even took a “spirit”ual journey, sampling strangely-hued boozes from faraway lands. I strongly recommend putting yourself in the hands of your host, taking his suggestions, and just going along for the ride.

Should you be the finicky, reserved type, you’ll still likely enjoy your meal, but letting yourself go is key: Nothing ventured, nothing gained. At Drina Daisy, I witnessed a vegetarian eat sausage after seeing the rest of the party’s reaction. I watched as a young woman who’s never enjoyed lamb in her life rip some off the bone and completely change her tune. It’s in such an atmosphere that these things are possible.

As mentioned before, I sampled everything on the menu. All is recommended. Upon arrival you’re served soft, house-baked bread with butter or ajvar, a bright roasted red pepper, olive oil and eggplant spread. It’s fantastic but save room, for there is far more to come. I advise the purchase of both the Bosanski Sudzuk ($10 and $15), a smoked beef sausage reminiscent of salami but somewhat softer and less dry, and the Suho Meso ($10 and $15), a plate of chewy smoked beef slices. Both are served with various cheeses (just provolone on my visits), delicious pickled green peppers and cabbage, and roasted red bell peppers. A lovelier antipasto platter I’ve not seen. The cucumber and tomato salad Sopska ($6) is another worthy prelude. Small cubes of cucumber and half wedges of tomato are tossed with cottage cheese, provolone and a sour cream dressing. It’s light and refreshing, yet substantial enough for a healthy lunch option.

Drina Daisy offers six regular entrees, each spectacular. First, the Sarma ($15), traditional stuffed cabbage leaves. I’ve had these in the past, but never this good. The tender cabbage is packed, as usual, with ground beef and rice, but the spices and the red pepper and beef broth take it to a higher level. Sarma Sa Prvrcem ($14), the vegetarian version of this dish, is no lighter, despite the omission of beef, but its richness abounds. The included garlic is restrained; just enough to tantalize rather than paralyze the palate.

Next, we had the beef pastry Burek ($15), a beef-stuffed phyllo dough topped with sour cream. The crispy exterior almost as rich as its filling, this dish, as well as the rest of the menu, is best suited for sharing. Our server and guide Ken encourages platter presentation for a party of three or more, and it ended up working better that way. The Burek’s vegetarian counterpart, Zeljanica Pita ($14) or “spinach pie,” may indeed be richer than its predecessor. Layers of spinach, cheese and sour cream throughout the crispy folded dough proved just as satisfying as the spiced cubes of flavorful beef.

Bosanski Goulas’ ($18), a beef stew, was more beef than stew, but I’m not complaining. The menu alludes to “Mediterranean spices,” but I wish it were more specific. I want to make this stuff at home! The beef is differently cooked in each of its featured dishes, which I find impressive. Here, the paprika-spiked beef is extremely tender but not falling apart.

Of course, the big daddy of the menu is the Jagnjetina Na Rostilju ($24), or whole roasted young lamb. The rotisserie-cooked lamb has an amazing seasoned exterior, the fatty bits bordering on crunchy. You don’t know which part (or parts) of the lamb you’ll be served, but I assure you that you won’t be finishing it in one seating.

I also must mention plate presentation. Each plate is as beautiful as it is delicious. Regardless of your order, the plate is garnished with a small oil and lemon tossed salad in a raised dish and a fruit arrangement. On my visits, the fruit consisted of a small bunch of perfect grapes, a slice of kiwi, a standing wedge of pineapple, a slice of orange, a cresting wave of cantaloupe and a whole strawberry impaled upon a tower of watermelon. The fresh salad and bounty of fruit are the perfect contrast to whatever rich and heavy entree you have chosen.

There is but one dessert; however, I see no need for another. Baklava ($4) is a walnut pastry many are already familiar with. The quality evidenced at Drina Daisy has put all other lesser baklavas to shame. The chef takes much pride in her version, which is dense and rich. A little piece about half the size of an average brownie was more than enough for our table of three. The Kafa ($3.50), a Sarajevo-style Turkish coffee, is the perfect accompaniment. Served in a miniature copper pot with a small demitasse cup, a glass of mineral water, a tiny butter cookie and a small dish containing rustic sugar cubes, we let Ken walk us through the way the coffee is enjoyed. I would go into details, but I prefer if you’d go see for yourself.

Unlike the other ethnic restaurants in our area, I truly felt transported at Drina Daisy.