Ayat Hind Hall is a vibrant, bustling Palestinian restaurant. Given its size and limited space, it's not the best for large parties or an intimate meal, since it can be loud and cramped, and the tables are tiny. However, since it's open-air, it didn't feel stuffy at all. In addition, they do espouse freedom and peace in the Middle East in their designs and slogans, so come with open-mindedness and respect. Ordered the Beef shawarma, which was filling and flavorful. Also ordered the Laziza Peach soda, which was malty and tasted a bit like a flavored non-alcoholic beer. Prices are varied and fair, ranging from $15-40 per entree. Service seemed rushed and busy but very kind and friendly. My one complaint was that the food took quite a while to arrive, but it was to be expected given how crowded the restaurant was. As Palestinian food is slightly less common in NYC, I'd recommend at least giving it a try, and if you're not in the UWS, they have other locations in Astoria and Midtown. read more

Ayat - BEEF Shawarma - PLATTER - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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As others have noted, the hospitality at Ayat is phenomenal -- and the food no less so. Staff are SO warm and kind, SO patient with spills, extra napkins, large parties, people of all ages and backgrounds and physical abilities -- really, anything you can think to throw their way. (And yes, we did throw a lot their way, alas.) Fresh, house made pita, excellent olives and olive oil, and za'atar are brought out for the table before you even order. This is hugely generous for a NYC restaurant, where there is often a fee for bread service these days. The menu is extensive, but happily, our large group was able to try a good portion of it. If you have multiple diners, you can't go wrong with the Mezze Filistini ("Mix platter of hummus, baba ghanoush, muhammarah, tabbouleh, salata tahina and labneh"). The hummus and baba ghanoush were fabulously rich and creamy, the herbs and vegetables pristinely fresh and flavorful. I happen to make killer baba ghanoush. This one was almost as good as mine. ;) The Hot Appetizer Mix in our case included falafel, wara dawali, cheese rolls, kibbeh, and fried halloumi cheese. The falafel were awesomely crisp, probably double fried, well textured. Wara dawali included some slightly tough grape leaf fibers (just like my homemade versions), but the lightly acidic bites were a nice foil for all the lovely fried things on the plate. It was difficult not to overindulge on appetizers and we were almost done in even before our **enormous** main course platters arrived. Among us, we had: - Fattat Jaj ("6-layer dish of roasted chicken, rice, chickpeas, mint yogurt, crispy pita, garlic sauce and slivered almonds") - Lamb Ouzi Royale ("Royal rice dish featuring a generous lamb shank, slow-roasted until tender, served over our signature ouzi rice mixed with spiced ground meat & aromatic Middle Eastern seasonings, finished with slivered almonds.") - Whole Branzino ("served over rice with salad") - Chicken Shawarma platter (with rice, salad, pita, pickles) - Beef shawarma sandwich I won't give the blow by blow for each dish, but will note a few commonalities among those we tried: - All proteins were tender, well seasoned, and moist. - Branzino was beautifully grilled, with crispy skin outside, perfectly moist fish inside. - The rice in all our dishes was plump and tender, perfectly flavorful, not overly oily. - Vegetables were, across the board, perfectly fresh. Salads (and those wonderful pickles) were very acidic, which cut effectively through fat / rich flavors. The little ones, who aren't as into lemon and vinegar, found them overpowering, however. Prices are extremely fair for 2026, NYC, especially in light of the quality and generous portion sizes. The message of peace, love and inclusion is everywhere -- on the walls, on the takeout bags for leftovers (since you WILL have leftovers), in the faces and actions of staff, cooked into the food. I don't know how one could eat at Ayat and not fall in love with this place. read more

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Ayat UWS is deliciously splendid. Lemme not get ahead of myself, before I talk food I have to give flowers to the staff and service at Ayat. Friendly, fast, efficient, kind - all the positive adjectives. My partner and I got here 25 minutes earlier than our friend and they sat us, they came and checked up on us multiple times. Water cups were always filled. It was amazing service. Ayat has ample seating inside, bar stools along the counter and tables of 2 and 4 in the restaurant. Seating offered outside as well. The setting; oh baby it's a New York Summer because everyone was out and about today on a random Wednesday in June!! It's a beautiful day out with the sun shining and the windows and doors were open. It's very lively in here, it's loud with joyous conversations of community and friends. It's beautiful. The food is delicious, the layers of crunch and seasoning were out of this world. Each meat was seasoned so well. The lamb was juicy and moist. Great time at Ayat. Free Palestine. read more

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First time trying any Ayat location! I tried the vegan platter, which let me sample a bunch of the appetizers I would have otherwise gotten. The falafel was the standout, but everything was so fresh and well seasoned, and the portion was sizable enough for leftovers. There was about a 25 minute wait for a table around 8pm on a rainy Sunday, so be prepared to wait a bit! We just ran across the street for a drink until our table was ready. It's pretty tight inside, with no room to wait inside and lots of staff and delivery folks running in and out the front. My only complaint other than the fact that the tables are so tight together is that it was really cold with the door opening so much. read more

Ayat - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Went for dinner tonight and this place is definitely BUSY. Lovely workers and you can see them preparing dishes hot and fresh right in the kitchen. I suggest getting there just slightly before you're hangry so you are not waiting for both a table and your food when it packed. I see why this place is so popular. Their bread oven is a great touch, and the bread comes out deliciously fresh and hot. I feel like I could eat 10 of these. We got the mezze platter, lentil soup, kibbeh, and lemonana. So much food for 2 people, but we have leftovers. Everything was great, next time I want to try a seafood entree. Interior is beautiful with the jugs of olive oil. Great neighborhood place with authentic vibes. read more

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We came here on a Sunday night and were able to get seated about 20 minutes later. Loved the chicken shawarma here, it was my favorite dish. The maklouba was really flavorful too but it had too much rice in comparison to the veggies. The chicken was solid though. The baba ganoush was a little small for the price but the pita was great. Pretty solid place for a group dinner. read more

Ayat - CHICKEN Shawarma - PLATTER - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Absolutely delicious meal! I will say- this location gets PACKED. Prepare to wait and pack your patience. Our food was absolutely delicious and (in my opinion) very reasonably priced. The space is open and airy and has a sort of rough hewn vibe (which I think was intentional?) - lots of exposed brick and wood, etc. Now on to the food: we ordered one appetizer (hummus), one flatbread (pistachio pizza), one salad (fattoush) and one platter (spicy chicken kebab) which was PLENTY of food for three people. The standout, to me, was the fattoush, which was bright, fresh and tangy, closely followed in my favorites list by the hot, fresh pita that accompanied the hummus. The pistachio pizza was savory and quite nice, but a bit more one note and not as much of a standout for me. The chicken platter was well seasoned with a generous portion and a delicious garlic sauce. Sides of olive oil and za'atar took everything over the top. My party sat on the patio and had a lovely meal outside. Our server was very aware and attentive and also very friendly, which made the whole experience even better. Absolutely would come back.... Just look at the photos! read more

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The service was great! Food was delicious and large servings. Overall great restaurant! read more

Ayat - Vegan VEGAN - PLATTER and Beef Kebab LG - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Went to Ayat on a Wednesday night and ordered a Beef Kebab SM plate. The kebab was very juicy and the seasoning was just right. It came with saffron rice, tahini, picked radishes and greens. Also came with free bread). I paired it with Ayran which went really well. Would highly recommend. Service was quick and cool college vibes. read more

Very bustling on a weeknight! Portions were huge and the meat was well cooked. Service a little bit slow since it seemed very busy but was in and out within a reasonable time. Would come back if in the area! read more

Very disappointed! The food was terrible! Service was rude. Tables were dirty. Definitely don't go here.

Ayat was a great experience and my first time visiting this particular location. I have been to Ayat before, but this visit stood out. I tried the mansaf for the first time and it was absolutely phenomenal. The combination of fluffy yellow rice, tender lamb, and chopped almonds was already great on its own, but the fermented yogurt sauce on the side really brought everything together once poured in. It was exactly what I was craving. I would highly recommend branching out into the more traditional dishes here, as they really showcase what makes this place special. read more

Always a phenomenal time at Ayat! The food is fresh, flavorful, filling, and reasonably priced. Pistachio pizza is my favorite on the menu! read more

Ayat - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Food was so salty such a waste of money tbh. Also a franchise. Service was ok but don't speak much English. Very expensive for such basic food. read more

Probably the best pita bread I've ever had. Food was great. Environment was nice and the area was very vibrant.

As much as I love my neighborhood, we are severely lacking really amazing restaurants. I always find myself going downtown when I'm looking for a really high quality meal. Tonight, I dined at Hinds Hall. I decided to go there because every time I had walked by, I was touched by the inclusive messaging written outside the restaurant (needed so badly right now), as well as the uplifting vibe of people gathering outside or inside for a relaxed meal. As a Jewish person, I thought it was really important to support their mission, and didn't have any specific expectations regarding the food. I was totally blown away. This was for sure one of the best meals I've had in New York. Everything was so fresh and thoughtfully seasoned, from the fresh olive oil, zaatar, and grilled pita they put on the table when we sat down, through everything we ordered. The hostess and servers were all also so kind and patient, even though we were being a bit slow to figure out what we wanted (because so many things on the menu looked amazing). I also really appreciated the lack of loud music (such a problem in so many places these days.) I am so happy to have this place in my neighborhood for so many reasons, and I am really looking forward to going back regularly. read more

Excellent service! Friendly staff. Nice setting indoor or outdoor. Traditional Syrian. Lebanese food. Lamb shank was superb! Bread baked fresh always! Lentil dish with fried onions was disappointing. Kibbeh was poorly made and not like the more traditional I was raised on. read more

Great dip platter; delicious pita; loved our entrees. The value is pretty good for what you get. Sit outside on a beautiful day, bring your own wine. Servers are always super nice. So glad to have this place in our neighborhood. read more

One waitress for inside and outside tables. A clueless manager who didn't lift a finger to help her. A kitchen that was unprepared without any mis en place. We got a plate of bread that sat on our table and nothing else. No food. No drinks. No service. We asked about drinks 3 times. We asked about our food. It would be up in five minutes. We finally left after 45 minutes read more

Really wanted to love this place and that's the reason I didn't want to rush into writing a negative review. Place is beautiful. Love the open concept. Service needs HELP! The woman seems to be on her first week of tending to customers. She wants to do so much and she means well but it's really affecting the experience. Service was very slow. Getting to speak to the person is not the problem. It's actually receiving the drink or food. Mocktails took approximately 20 minutes to make it to the table and this is after inquiring about them. Placed a second order for mocktails and those never arrived. Multiple people tending to customers but they truly seem lost and out of place. Most orders were also going to wrong tables(didn't look like the runner's fault but how the order was placed). Now on to the food...Lamb shank was dry. Not enough of the sauce it was cooked in. Pistachio flat bread was blah. The mixed grill was the saving grace. Meat was cooked to perfection and tendI would not leave my house to go spend money here. read more

Ayat - Mixed grill. Cooked to perfection - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Food is delicious!! First time eating fattat jaj and it was soooooo good. Cant wait to go back

Unfortunately this was very underwhelming for my partner and I. The seating itself was really odd and right on top of the next person, the music playing was great, but it was a windy day and every time the door opened, the cold wind came into the dining room. Additionally, we got a large kebab platter and it had the tiniest portion of overcooked rice. Really wanted to love this place ! read more

Overcooked food (tasteless at that), terrible service and no I don't want politics with my meal out. Don't bother wasting your time - so many other middle eastern choices in NYC not to have to deal with the attitude and the crappy food. After reading all the reviews I was excited to try this but both my date and I hated it. Sorry - won't be going back. read more

Food is amazing. So glad to have this spot in the neighborhood. Best on the UWS. A lot of other restaurants around here don't have the best management read more

If you plan to eat here, be forewarned that your meal will come with a large side dish of middle-eastern politics. But first let me talk about the food and service. On the night I went the place was packed. Usually this signals that there is tasty food to be had. To avoid a wait, I took a seat at the counter. The hostess was doing double-duty as a server and was clearly overwhelmed. I had to flag her down in order to place my order (beef shawarma over salad). Throughout the meal, no one checked on me. If I needed anything I had to flag someone down. It took a very long time to get my food but, to be fair, the place was totally jammed. My dish finally arrived and the shawarma was burnt to a crisp. Meat that should have been tender and juicy was black and crunchy. It had taken so long for the food to arrive that I didn't want to complain (I should have) and wait another half hour for them to bring a fresh plate that wasn't burned so I just picked thru and ate the few pieces of meat that weren't burned and ordered some baba, which was kind of meh, so that I didn't leave hungry. Now for the unwanted politics that comes with your meal: When I opened the menu, the very first page features a large map of what is generally acknowledged to be the State of Israel. However, the only places named on the map were Gaza, Tulkarm, and other Palestinian locales. No Tel Aviv, no Haifa, no Ashkelon, nothing. This is a very clear statement that the owners of this place do not acknowledge Israel, let alone its right to exist. This is an affront. There is other pro-Palestine sloganeering visible on takeout bags and elsewhere in the restaurant. Let me be clear: as an American Jew and human being, I am appalled and horrified at Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. I have come to believe that what Israel is doing and has done in Gaza is a genocide. The tacit permission that the IDF gives to right-wing settlers to murder Palestinians and steal their land is horrific and criminal. I have read many news accounts of these crimes and they make me sick to my stomach. Nothing will change under the current extreme right-wing Israeli government, which has effectively done away with any efforts at a two-state solution. However, what must be eliminated and reformed is the current government, not the state itself. When dining out I prefer not to be barraged with the political opinions of the establishment at which I eat. read more

George at the desk and Manuel mechanic were very professional. My transmission service on my BMW fixed my problem. Manuel explained well in detail what he saw and did. I'll be back. read more

They had this halloumi and shawarma sandwich that was out of this world and when they forgot something in my takeout and I came back, they were kind and gave me a free lemonade. Don't let preconceived notions or flaming reviews steer you away. The food is exceptional and the service is awesome. read more

Want to like this place but both times I've been here, service has been a major issue (food missing, wrong, or very late) and dishes have been WAY over-salted. I like salty, but it's to an inedible point. We ordered 4 separate things, and they were all too salty. Also, someone broke a glass near us, and the staff left shards on the floor under our chairs. read more

Fantastic food and friendly service. And the decor of this location is so warm and inviting. Portions are on the large side! But that just means more good leftovers to bring home! read more

The owner of this place is terrible! Charging 20% gratuity on the bill that doesn't even go to the server is evil. It steals server tips and forces them to explain to tables that they have to tip 40% in order to leave a fair tip for good service. Where does the money go? It's a workaround to not raise prices and then spring an extra expense on customers at checkout which benefits the owner, not the people actually trying to make an honest living. Food was great, service was great, but will not be coming back until management removes this unbelievable, unethical charge. read more

We went to Ayat Hinds Hall (Columbus Ave./106th) for an early dinner on 4/21. It was already crowded. We had Salata filistini with a side of chicken shawarma and lamb kebab. The food was delicious, and the portions were generous. The lamb was perfectly grilled. The fresh pita was tasty and replenished as needed. There were a few issues. We were seated at a small table between the door and the cash register. The heavy door slammed constantly as staff and customers went in and out; I guess the door stopper was broken. After being bumped repeatedly by wait staff trying to get to the cash register, I pushed our table out. The hostess said she would mention the door problem to the manager. We won't be back until the door is fixed; the constant slamming was too annoying. read more

Carlos gave us a great service, food was awesome and service amazing. Great place to go with a group of friends.

usually don't do reviews but here we go. i visited this place yesterday with a friend, she ordered a chicken kebab platter and i ordered a beef shawarma pressed sandwich. after 30 minutes of waiting for the food he waiter comes back and tells me they have ran out of beef and asked if i either want chicken instead of wait 10 extra minutes for the beef. i decided to wait the 10, which turned into 30 and we never saw our waiter again. we are over 1 hr into the lunch and no food has come out. when it does come out, me and my friend both get the wrong dish making us wait some more time. in the end we had lost our appetite and took the food to go. the food was decent but this location wont see me again no shade. try the bushwick location is nicer there. read more