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    Ayat

    4.1 (162 reviews)
    Open • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Ayat Takeout or Delivery

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    AYAT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Ayat

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    Reviews With Photos

    Pizzawarma
    Kyle W.

    We stopped at Ayat on the Lower East Side for my first Palestinian restaurant experience, and it was a really great one. We started with the Mezze Filistini, which comes with six different dips, and the portions were great for sharing with a group. Every dip was really good, but the muhammara was definitely my favorite, and the fresh pita they brought out with it was a great touch. The Pizzawarma completely stole the show. It's basically a shawarma sandwich meets a calzone, and the meat and flavor were out of this world. I honestly can't say enough about how tasty it was. We walked in without a reservation, our waitress was friendly and efficient, and the modern decor was really nice and clean.

    Platter, falafel & hibiscus mocktail.
    DeVora A.

    I can't wait to come back here. The food and service was REALLY good. I don't remember the name of the dish we had but it was like a sample platter that came with bread. The spices were blended perfectly. The bread was freshly made. We also ordered falafel and I had a hibiacus mocktail. There is indoor & outdoor seating.

    Menu explaining the foundation of Palestine
    Sadia H.

    One word: serene. Beautiful and spacious interior. This is not a grab-and-go eatery. This is where you sit and enjoy delicious food amid gentle music. Everything is prepared with love and pride. The complimentary bread basket served with zaatar and green olives is divine. So are the mocktails. We ordered fried haloumi. We also ordered the large chicken kebab platter. Supremely good. Prices are reasonable and service is on point.

    Fried Halloumi Cheese
    Jenny X.

    Came here after an Airbnb experience. Good: - I really liked the pita bread and it was free! - Super nice staff, they are like a family run business - Lots of seating inside - I liked the hallumi cheese and salad - the cheese was so savory and better than any one I've had before Bad: - The service took forever, though they gave us a baklava in exchange for waiting over 30-45 min for our food - The price is a bit high for the food Overall, this was a nice place to go on a rainy day!

    Lentil soup, Salata Filistini, Fattoush, Kousa Mahshi
    April M.

    First off, we were sat pretty quickly! Our table came with olives/ oil and zaa'tar, and man was the bread good. I mean like, seriously super darn tasty, pillowy soft and warm. They play Arabic music and the overall design at this location is super pretty!!!!!!! I love the brick arch deal they've got going on as well as the mural which gave it such an authentic feel. I got the Salata Filistini, which is like an Arabic cucumber salad. Super refreshing, and more so when you add extra lemon and some salt to it. My sister enjoyed the Koosa Mahshi and the lentil soup was tasty with a good portion. This place does their portions so well. Speaking of portions, don't be scared of the price of their rice platters. This mansaf, a dish that is the pride and joy of the Levant, was GINORMOUS. Probably enough to eat three meals out of, and I'm already a big portion consumer. It came with extra Jameed soup to pour over and the rice and almonds, as well as the meat, were worth every dollar and moment waiting for it. This is a place that feels like home and I'll be thinking about it until I come back.

    Inside - pretty cool
    Peter C.

    Ayat is a Palestinian cuisine restaurant located in the East Village. It was my first time trying this cuisine and as I was curious. I got chicken shawarma platter which can also be served as a sandwich. The sauce was good, but the chicken was dry. Given how busy they were service was attentive.

    Lamb Kebab Lg
    Jason D.

    In NYC for 48 hours and I was invited to Ayat. This place phenomenal the ambiance is very calming to be in the heart of NYC. This was my very first time trying Palestinian food so I entered with an open mind and empty stomach. The food was magical! The lamb was tender, the halloumi was savory and slightly sweet at the same time. This meal was a perfect 10/10 for me. The staff, the time is took for our food to come out, the flavors all a 10. I'll be thinking about this place until I'm able to get back to their tables.

    Appetizer mix
    Itzak H.

    Absolutely amazing Palestinian food with something for everyone. The restaurant gets busy for dinner so make sure to call ahead. The kitchen was surpassingly quick for how full the place was and the food did not disappoint. The only regret I have was not coming hungrier for all the amazing food we ordered. The place is nice and intimate with the tables pretty close together. And the wait staff is accommodating and kind to everyone. I highly recommend trying everything you can and maybe going for the platters if you're a large group. Do beware the portions are large and you can easily get full in just the appetizers. Just make sure to leave room for the knefe at the end!

    Chicken Shaw Platter
    Alyssa H.

    The food is incredible, the vibe is nice but casual, and the service was good too. I went for my birthday and was looking for something inexpensive and casual but nice enough to be celebratory. This was the perfect spot.

    Caroline W.

    Really enjoyed the dips Unfortunately got the meat platter and it was dry so would not get that Salad was decent and had good flavor to it Lots of seating options and staff were nice

    Kelsey C.

    We were lucky to walk in here on a Friday evening and be seated within minutes without a reservation! We were recommended this spot by a bartender a few doors down, and I'm glad he put this restaurant on our radar! Important to note: the portions are huge. You can easily order a few things and split them at the table, or prepare to have a lot of leftovers. We ordered the beef shawarma plate, falafel appetizer, and chicken shawarma wrap. Two of us could easily have split an entree because of the large portions. The pricing is very fair and competitive for the quantity. Our food took roughly 30 minutes, which is expected on a busy Friday night at prime dinner hours. Both of the entrees were great, but I would pass on the falafel appetizer if I were to go back. I personally normally love falafel, but I did not like this one at all, so I couldn't finish it. Service was nice, even though it was a bit crowded. If given the option, I would suggest sitting outside as the inside was a bit crowded and the tables are close to one another.

    Michael C.

    This review is based solely on the ambiance, server, and knafeh. WOW to all of them. The knafeh was absolutely delicious and I will be craving it. Staff were super friendly and welcoming. The ambiance was such a nice relaxing vibe. Need to come back soon to try the rest of the menu.

    Mezze Filistini, Pita Bread
    Sylvia T.

    I honestly really liked it. The pita was fluffy and good but nothing crazy but UNLIMITED so ++++++. The mezze platter was great loved the variety and I think recently I've just become a big fan of dips. My favorites were the yogurt dip and the red muhammarah dip. The hummus was also good. Mixed shawarma platter was good as well just kinda like good halal. The flavors were great and textures on the meat were also good. Happy with the variety of protein carbs and veggies. No real complaints. I did try my friends plates and they got the fattat jaj. Next time I would get fattat jaj instead I think it was similar but more unique, cooler dish. I really liked the crunch pita crisps in it and that it could be eaten like a dip. Inside it's decently big lots of seating. Very beautiful interior and decor. Service was also fast and great!

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    2 years ago

    I ordered the Lemon Garlic Chicken Ouzi and it was so delicious! The restaurant was beautiful inside and had lots of moving art.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Incredible food. BYOB. Highly recommend. The best middle eastern/ Mediterranean food in the city!

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    2 years ago

    Super yummy food and kind folks working here! Reasonably priced and beautiful decor! Would recommend!

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    2 years ago

    Beautiful food, wonderful loving people!!!!! I would recommend this place to everyone I know!!!!

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    3 years ago

    Amazingly tasty Every time I pass by it's always crowded... good sign. Worth the try ;)

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    3 years ago

    Excellence. The food, service and ambiance. They specialize in items only your mama can finesse. I felt right at home; warm, cozy and full!

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    2 years ago

    Amazing food and service. Great ambiance and decor and very friendly staff. The mansaf is the best I've ever had. Cannot recommend enough

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    2 years ago

    Great food, very tasty with very large portions. Attentive service in a cozy and homely atmosphere. Overall a great experience.

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    2 years ago

    Thoroughly enjoyed our meal here. Authentic Palestinian cuisine. Great service and and genial ppl. We'll be back to dine again.

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    3 years ago

    Spectacular food. Great portions. The fattat jaj never disappoints. Hits so many notes. The muhammara is very flavorful.

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    Not a good spot. Owners are not courteous; food is not good. Avoid - there are so many better options

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    3 years ago

    The most amazing food at the most amazing location! Amazing service in a beautiful location. Could not recommend this restaurant enough

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    Keki Modern Cakes - Bouncy cheesecake

    Keki Modern Cakes

    4.4(556 reviews)
    1.6 mi•Midtown East
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    Wow, this little shop is unassuming, it definitely catches the eye, especially for someone like me…read morewho loves Asian pastries. I've never tried a Japanese cheesecake before and was extremely excited to be able to pick up some treats for my coworkers as well as my partner's birthday cake from Keki. Ordering is fairly straightforward and done with a simple machine outfront. Once your order is ready one of the staff members hands it to you through a window; there is no inside area accessible to customers but our food came quickly and we took it back to the office. The cheesecake was fantastic. I read a bit about the background of the shop online and how the owner really cares about using high-quality ingredients, specifically dairy. It was justas described, light and bouncy. I enjoyed how it was not overly sweet and found that it was all too easy to devour the entire cake over the course of two days. Despite it not having much weight to it, it traveled surprisingly well as I took it home on my three train commute! Similar to what others have said, the real highlight of the shop, in my opinion, are their cream puffs. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the outer layer was thin yet had a nice little crunch to it. We tried the classic milk, cookies & cream pistachio and ube flavors. Our favorite was the pistachio by far, which had such a unique yet decadent flavor and our second favorite was the milk cream puff. There's not much else I can say other than you really have to go here and try the desserts yourself. If you're a fan of Japanese desserts that are rich yet not too sweet, you'll be a fan of Keki.

    Just got some tarts here so my review isn't reflecting what they're known for or typically have. I…read moreliked these ok because it was creamy and light, not too sweet either, but it may be the crust part that I wasn't as much of a fan of. There are lots of other tart places that do something sinilar and didn't really think these were that memorable. But read this keeping in mind I didn't try to cake items so that product may be better if all you're looking for is a light fluffy dessert that's not too sweet. Try something else here! Just did take out option here so not much to ambiance or service from my experience to speak on.

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    Bouncy cheesecake

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    Keki Modern Cakes

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    Prince Tea House

    Prince Tea House

    4.2(230 reviews)
    1.6 mi•Koreatown, Midtown West
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    We had a large group reservation for 13 people today (Friday) early afternoon around 1 PM. The…read morereservation process was easy and communication was quick and responsive. We worked with Eric via email and he was great managing and making sure everything was settled ahead of the event. On the day of our lunch, we arrived around 20 minutes early and the table was already set up. We had two servers throughout the meal and they were lovely. They made sure everything was set up and we had everything we needed. For a large group reservation, they have a $60 minimum and you order everything ahead of time. (The afternoon tea set is mandatory for everyone to get). We had the afternoon tea set, caprese tarts and strawberry parfait for all attendees. The food was filling and tasty. Tea is always so good as well (I always get my Rose Lovers Milk Tea!) All in all, a great option for a group reservation in the city!

    After eating some good comfort food, my friends and I wanted a little late-night sweet treat. We…read moresaw this place and thought it looked cute. We got the Ube Crepe Cake and Chocolate Lava Cake. The size of both were the perfect amount since we just wanted something small to end the night. The ube crepe cake was really light and creamy. The ube flavor was pretty subtle, and I mostly tasted the cream. It's a perfect light dessert, but I would've liked the ube flavor to be stronger. The chocolate lava cake was super rich and decadent but also really delicious. I feel like it kinda battled with the ube crepe cake since they're total opposites. The staff were friendly. The interior was really cute and had a relaxing type of atmosphere that made it great for a nice place to sit, chat, and have dessert.

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    Prince Tea House - Inside

    Inside

    Prince Tea House - Mango Mille Crpes Cake

    Mango Mille Crpes Cake

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    Ayat - mideastern - Updated September 2026

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