Amazing food and ambiance. The food is 10/10 and our waiter didn't miss a beat. Shout out to Ali. Perfect for date night or a chill night with friends. Will be returning!! :) read more

Mirka was the best!! Incredibly attentive and had fantastic recommendation. Took the time to walk us through the menu and gave us great advice We ordered a great variety of dishes that arrive promptly and were delicious. The setting was amazing and there was great music! read more

This was a stunningly great meal! We had the Tabbouleh (best I've ever tasted), Hummus Beirute (delicious), Balade Falafel (more below), and shared a Mixed Grill Platter (SO good and so much food!). We eat a lot of Mediterranean food but haven't had anything like the Balade Falafel before. Instead of the usual patties, the falafel was formed into cups and filled with tahini, pickles, and fresh herbs. Excellent balanced flavors and such a great presentation! The service was extremely friendly and attentive. Pleasant, quiet interior. Very good value for the money. Only wish we lived in NYC so we could revisit this wonderful place! read more

Had dinner at Balade yesterday after a really long time because Fattoush (across the street) was closed for a private party. The food here has only gotten worse since my last review, and the prices are now 2X. Additionally portion sizes are smaller than ever. We had the loubieh, hummus beiruty, eggplant entree (I forget the exact name), and the grape leaves. It was all average at best, bordering terrible. The best thing was the rice and the pita bread. I definitely won't return. read more

Came here on a Wednesday night to catch up with friends. Made a 6:15pm reservation via Resy which was seamless. Ordered a whole bunch of dips and for mains, we shared the mixed grill which was really delightful. Was so full - I didn't have room for dessert. Highly recommend to try out. Their garlic whip was one the best I've had in the city. Make sure you make a reservation as the restaurant had people waiting outside as we left at 830pm. read more

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Craving something fresh and delicious for lunch so I stopped by Balade. Upon arriving the staff was very attentive and made sure I got my seated with my menu and water within minutes. The space is very inviting and I'm sure it looks beautiful at night. My waiter's name was George. I ordered the chicken shawarma with a side of fries & he recommended I try their lemonade. This meal was so flavorful. I love their garlic butter. I will most definitely be back. read more

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We had a great dining experience at Balade! The ambiance is so cozy and intimate. The drinks were good and the food was flavorful and delicious. I highly recommend the Balade Mixed Grill Platter! The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. I highly recommend checking this spot out! read more

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Great food, drinks, atmosphere and staff! Party of 3 on a Saturday night, reserved in advance. The space is beautifully decorated and the staff was welcoming and helpful. We each had a glass of Lebanese wine and the server let us sample before deciding. Great touch! I ordered white (Massaya), and the others each had a glass of the Lebanese red. We shared a bunch of mezze small dishes. One person in our party is vegetarian so we ordered mostly veg, only 2 of the items were meat. We started with pick 4 Veg Mazmeez: Falafel Mouhmara Baba Ghanouj Labne with toum Additional items we ordered: Arayyis Makanek Batata Harra Everything was delicious and I would definitely come back. read more

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Afternoon Birthday Lunch 6/7/2026 We were seated as soon as we arrived( even without a reservation) We had the sweetest waitress. She was very helpful describing the dishes and even told us what ingredients were in the dishes. She made delicious and tasty menu suggestions. She refilled water glasses and checked in from time to time. Our dilemma was what to get Mr Picky for his birthday dessert. We ended up with a milk custard type dessert with crushed pistachios and sweet syrup. Perfect palatte cleanser after this delicious meal. Our starters were Kebbe as well as the shrimp appetizers. Both were very fresh, tasty, and delicious. Entrees we ordered the lambchops and tuna over salad. Now these were both amazing in flavor, and cooked to perfection. This restaurant is now in our after church rotation. If you are ever in the area...pop in here and let your taste buds enjoy the deliciousness. read more

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Balade in the Lower East Side: www.baladerestaurants.com Cuisine: Lebanese Noise Level: Pretty loud. Service: Fantastic! My 3 cents: They have indoor and outdoor seating. You're right on 1st Ave. so lots of people watching if that's your thing. We rather be inside w/ air conditioning :) Get the Baba Ghanouj and the Kebbe Kras! Their Tarboush Chicken came highly recommended. This was thinly sliced marinated boneless chicken, topped w/ toum, honey, dijon, sliced tomatoes, onions and pickles on a pita style pizza. The crust was perfect. The raw onion, tomato and pickle w/ the sauce was a bit weird. The sauce had a flavor profile that was ok. If someone ordered it and offered me a slice, I might have it if I was in the mood for it but would I order it again for myself? Probably not. I'd come back to try other dishes. read more

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Came with a friend during restaurant week and it was a ton of food. We were both getting full just after the appetizers lol. I took most of my entree home and it fed me for another two meals. The desserts were refreshing but also a little too sweet for my choice. Overall the flavors were expected and didnt blow me away but i appreciated the portion sizes. We came during lunch time and a lot of tables were empty but it started filling up by the time we left read more

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Pricey but tasty, not sure if it's worth the cost & crowds though... came to $65pp when a friend and I ordered 3 dips & 1 main. No drinks. The dips were quite small portions but came with a couple mini pitas. The pitas were chewy and fresh, but on the drier side. Considering the dips were priced at ~$20 per, I would have expected a slightly bigger portion! We ordered the variety of kababs for the main, which came with fries and pita. The meat was well cooked and we got generously sized chunks. Maybe I'm just personally not a huge fan of kababs because they're dry even if cooked well. The fries were standard but nothing special. read more

Balade - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

This place is definitely one of my top 10 now, I'm a tourist in nyc and it had one of the best food. We got here at a very late time and their amazing server Mirka was still so friendly and nice and gave us all of her attention. The ambiance was very chill and calm with a little music in the back. Honestly I think the store got my 5 stars because of Mirka because of how nice and friendly she was. One last time shout out to Mirka!!! read more

Y'all every step of this meal hit the dang mark. Got two apps: Hummus with Lamb and Kebbe Kras The hummus was stellar - creamy, tangy, and the added lamb was perfect. The Kebbe Kras was fireeee, beef onions and almonds with this minty yogurt sauce to dip, it was crispy and steamy got me feeling some type of way. Shish Tawook for main, chicken so tender I was like I wish I was that chicken. Toum was great (as it should) and rice was so flavorful mmm. Star of the show though, got the Ashta for dessert y'all I was tearing up at this table that ish had me smelling colors I was on cloud 15 I cannot believe what I experienced there like as i'm writing this review i'm taking breaks and looking up a recipe to make this bc i need moreeeeee. read more

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We were lucky to stumble upon Balade the night before Thanksgiving. For a while, we were the only patrons. The decor and vibe felt really nice. Service was attentive. Their fresh bread was fantastic along with their hummus made for a great appetizer. Everything tasted well seasoned and was cooked to order (especially their grilled chicken). Portions were gigantic which we appreciated. Definitely highly recommended and we hope to visit again! read more

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Went to celebrate our friends graduation dinner here! As expected, the food was absolutely delicious. They have a limited cocktail menu, but they can make anything you request. The service was great! Please do try their meat platter and the different hummus and dips with pita ! Will be returning read more

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Sharif & Rommy were the best best energy and vibe, making every accommodation possible and creating the most welcoming, warm & homey environment - exactly how Lebanese food should be shared. Now for the food - I got the shish tawaook and it was exceptional. Huge portions, comes with rice and vegetables. I got extra toum and it was clearly house made! I love balade and everyone in our 5 person group loved it. A nyc staple. A home away from home. read more

Balade - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

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The food was incredible! Generous portions and savory in the best kind of way. The service was also excellent. Ambiance really made the experience. I chose this place for my birthday dinner and I was extremely happy I did. read more

Came here for restaurant week. It was $45 for the set. Honestly it was very ok. The dips were great but overall for New York, it was below average. The pizza beef thing thought was fire. The service was decent. They could've been more attentive to the water considering it was not busy. They also tools. While to check in on us when we were waiting for boxes. The dessert was good and not sweet. It was more savory which I really enjoyed. The flavors were lacking a bit but perhaps it was the restaurant week deal. read more

Balade - Dessert - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

One of the best Mediterranean restaurants I've come to in NYC. My sister and I shared the pre fix menu and upgraded the entree to the supreme mixed grill. For the appetizers, we ordered hummus and tabouleh. The hummus + olive oil was amazing and the pita bread was fluffy and warm. I would honestly order the spreads just for the bread. I've heard the muhummara is really good but didn't get the chance to try it. The tabouleh was chopped really finely and was authentic. Lastly, our entree was huge and was good to split between 2-3 people. We replaced our fries with rice for our entree. The atmosphere is really cute and warm and our waitress was really helpful and had amazing service! read more

Balade - Supreme Balade Mixed Grill Platter - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

Wow!! I really appreciate a pleasant restaurant experience and that's exactly what I had when I went this past weekend. The customer service was great! We got there early for our reservation and we were seated immediately. The waitress didn't hesitate to give us menus, offer us drinks, and help us decide what to eat. Considering it was a Saturday night, I was surprised it wasn't busier than it was. We went after 9pm so we were able to take advantage of their happy hour. For their advertisement it seemed they only had 4 drink options for happy hour but it also includes some standard cocktails, such as their espresso martini: which was tastier than I expected because they're so hard to do. The waitress also communicated with us about which items were/were not edible because we mentioned we had a nut allergy at the table. As silly as that sounds to rave about, it's definitely important to be mindful of people's allergies and dietary restrictions. The mezze options are the biggest highlight!! We ordered the hummus beirtué, which is super simple, but fresh and delicious. Additionally we tried the rkakat and I couldn't recommend this enough. If you're someone who likes a crunchy but cheesy mozzarella stick, this would be a PERFECT choice for you. As far as the supreme mixed grill, I would recommend for 2+ people. Depending on how hungry your group is, this could definitely work for more especially with the mezze eaten prior. I will say that for the supreme mixed grill, I wish it came with some more veggies as I expected there to be some more in the pita as it can become pricy for a smaller group. It came with fries and while it was a lot of fries they weren't anything to rave about so we barely touched them. The meat was well seasoned and paired perfectly with their house pita (which we loved). For just the two of us, we didn't bother to get the prix fixe as it would've been a lot of food because we really wanted to try the Supreme Mixed Grill, but if there's something else you may want to try it could be a good deal. For this reason we didn't even try dessert, but I would've loved to as it looked amazing in the pictures. I'm excited to have a new Eastern Mediterranean/Middle Eastern spot to rave about. read more

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Went here on a busy Saturday during the dinner rush and the owner was kind enough to squeeze us in without a reservation. We ordered the hummus beirute and the fattoush salad to start and the supreme mixed grill to share. The hummus beriute was super creamy and came with the most fresh and pillow-like pita I've ever had. The fresh hints of cucumber and tomato made it a refreshing yet warm dish and the perfect starter to our meal (8/10) The fattoush salad was also delicious, fresh, and well dressed. I really liked the crunchy and edible bowl in came in as it paired really well with the mixed grill. (6.5/10) The mixed grill was everything we wanted and more. I often like to try a bunch of different meats so this was perfect for that. It came with beef kafta, lamb kafta, chicken tawook, 2 lamb chops, and 2 pieces of ribeye steak with chargrilled vegetables. On the side they also included a cone of fries, a spicy sauce, and a garlic sauce. All the meats were juicy, tender, and very well-seasoned. My personal favorites were the beef kafta and the lamb chop, but you can't go wrong no matter what you try. The garlic sauce was the cherry on top with a very strong garlic flavor, and overall the meal was super filling meal. (9.5/10) The ambiance is upscale with dim lighting and the place is nicely decorated. I would definitely recommend to anyone in the east village looking for authentic Mediterranean flavors. read more

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Very good place! We made reservations for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. When we got there it was pretty quiet with only one other table busy. The place is pretty small with a few tables inside and outside. The place is decorated very nicely with cute traditional art. For food we ordered the hummus to share and then we got the platter and chicken wrap which was super delicious. All the protein were cooked well and not over done. I would definitely come back! read more

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If you are in the mood for Middle Eastern cuisine, Balade is the place to go. It's an intimate dining experience. The lights were dimmed, the servers wore crisp white shirts and black pants, and they were attentive to the customers. Eftalia E. was our server. She was AWESOME. She was nice, friendly, accommodating, and also made great drink suggestions like "The Old Fashioned" I started the order with falafel. It was very good. The tahini sauce was really special- Flavorful with spice. A definite MUST try. Next, I ordered the Balade Mixed Grill which consisted of Beef Kafta, lamb kabob, chicken tawook, and grilled vegetables. Fries were also included with this meal. The lamb was a bit chewy. I wish it were more tender, but it was good and nicely seasoned nonetheless. It was a sizable portion and could definitely be shared between two people. I also ordered the Greek Pitza. This was very delicious. I loved the feta cheese, olives, tomato, and saatar atop light, crispy, and flaky pita bread. The final item on the table was the Shish Tawook. This is marinated chicken breast cubes with toum-served with rice and grilled vegetables. Another very good choice. The chicken paired with the grilled vegetables was the ultimate flavor combination. For dessert, the chef treated us to some Baklava. It was the perfect way to end the dinner. It was not super sweet. It was just the right amount of everything. I strongly recommend you try this New York hidden gem. Make a reservation, and sit and enjoy some delicious, traditional meals. Til we eat again... read more

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I love Lebanese food and couldn't wait to try this restaurant. When I arrived I parked on the street nearby. We walking into a dimly lit restaurant. We were sat by one of the owners and he also served us which was great. I started with an espresso martini and my friend had a mocktail. We then got served a variety of food: salad falafel lamb and beef sausage Supreme mixed grill ashea All the food was really good but my favorites was the hummus and the falafel and pita bread. We definitely had a really good experience! read more

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Came here for a friends birthday. The place is super tiny so you have to wait outside until they get you (It was freezing cold). The restaurant was completely packed and the music was pretty loud. I usually don't like loud music but the music selection was GREAT! The staff was so accommodating and friendly. The men didn't like their margaritas and the waitress/bartender said she knew she messed up and made them a fresh batch. My espresso martini was perfect! Started off with the falafel which was a little dry but tasty. I ordered the salmon and that was great but the potatoes were too salty. My husband wanted the sea bass but it was sold out so we opted for the branzino in tahini sauce. Delicious! For desert I ordered the baklava which was probably my favorite dish :) the staff sang happy birthday to our friend with lights and music. It was perfect. read more

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oh my god, WOW!! the service was quick and the servers were hospitable. the ambience was subtle yet bustling with fellow restaurant goers enjoying their food under the dim lights. we went during restaurant week for a group of 3 so we split 3 separate appetizers and had our own entrees and dessert. the mezze was the star of the show. we ordered the Baba ghanoush alongside the Muhammara and a salad i forget the name of. all were incredible with the Muhammara being the most notable. the flavors danced on our tongues. this all paired with the bread they serve each table had our mouths watering. the bread they serve was oddly my favorite part of the meal. so fresh, warm, and airy it tasted like a fresh hot cloud. i ordered the beef kafta entree from the prix fix menu and it was juicy and flavorful. it was served with rice and a side of greens. my boyfriend had the chicken equivalent and the chicken was juicy and cooked well. for dessert i had a pistachio cheese dish which was served with a fried pastry that i cannot find again on menu. it was also delicious but a little too cheesy. the crunch of pistachios paired incredibly well with it though. read more

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Everything has been fantastic, Nour and George were fantastic! The drinks were fantastic and the food was better. Excited to come back! read more

Only people who are here on a Friday lunch was a bit odd, but the food hit! The chicken schwarma is it! The fries paired wonderfully and so did the yogurt dip! Try to beer! Cheers! read more

Balade - Chicken Shawarma - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

Very nice ambiance. One of my friends described it as "upscale hole in the wall". It's classy but down to earth and you don't feel like you need to be dressed up or anything to be there. We were a group of 3 with no reservation Monday night and just had to wait a few minutes for them to clear a table. The staff were all very welcoming and were very mindful of my friend's nut allergy. I had the batenjen. It was perfect, the eggplant was cooked to melt in my mouth the chickpeas had this buttery texture. The rice on its own was actually just as delicious, and the vermicelli pieces added an interesting texture. The side pickled vegetables (ordered separately) were a nice compliment to my food. Also got a Balade jallab (date juice garnished with pine nuts) which had a really unique floral taste. Since dates are a very sugary fruit I was worried that the drink might be really sweet but it was actually very well balanced. I remember one of my friends ordered the chicken shawarma sandwich(?) and can't remember what the other ordered, but they both said their meals were great too. It was a little expensive but worth it. read more

Balade - Batenjen, pickled vegetables - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

Wasn't my favorite meal - I tried a wide variety of food with a group of work colleagues and this meal was just alright! The meats weren't very well- seasoned and the hummus, mouhamara and the baba ganoush were easily forgettable. Not a meal I want to repeat! read more

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This is such a cute and intimate place. I had a great date night for Christmas Eve and the service was spectacular. The food was very tasty and hands down one of my favorite Mediterranean places. I would come here again to have friends try something new. read more

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A truly amazing Restaurant Week meal here!! Our server, Isla, was lovely and so helpful! Then the food, was so scrumptious and the portions were very generous. Also, the ambiance is gentle and the interior design, very attractive. we will certainly be back!!l read more

"Mediterranean with a Turkish lean" I've been here a few times since this is in my neighborhood. It's a good choice and can't go wrong here, but I think there are some better options. I think the sandwiches are standout and some of the best thing on this menu. What's to cheer - Pitzas -- snacks flat bread pitas with toppings which are super authentic - Dark, upscale decor - Friendly staff - Good food with all of the classic Mediterranean dishes What's to jeer - Overpriced - A little small and it feels cramped with crowds - many dishes with typical preparation read more

Great food and great service! We got their weekend specials and they were both delicious. Lourena took great care of my fiancee and I and the food came out quite quickly. Ambiance of the restaurant is nice and there were a few smaller children so definitely family friendly. Definitely recommend a reservation! read more

This restaurant has been on my list for years to go to and finally got the chance to visit during restaurant week. One thing is for sure, you definitely need to make a reservation beforehand especially if you are visiting during a weekend. The restaurant is small and intimate and can fell cramp at times. The cedar wood on the walls adds to the whole Lebanese experience. We ordered the fattoush, hummus, and batata harra for our appetizers. The hummus was the perfect texture and did not have an overwhelming taste of tahini. The fattoush was the perfect ratio of salad and pita chips. Only thing I wish was the mint was broken up instead of whole leaves being mixed in. The batata harra was nice and warm, perfect for the cold weather. It's not that spicy but has a nice kick to it. The shish took sandwich surprised me that it was cut up in three pieces, the toum mixed with the pickles and chicken was phenomenal. The pita did not get soggy at all. Typically I do not order dessert but highly recommend. We also ordered the ruby rose which if you do order, I recommend stirring it as it helps to enhance the flavor overall. The service was phenomenal and everyone was really nice from the host to the servers. read more

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After visiting the 9/11 memorial and museum, we grabbed lunch here . As it was early afternoon, it wasn't busy but I made reservations prior just in case. At first it took a while to get seated as the host was in the kitchen but after that service was friendly and attentive. Their homemade lemonade was the BEST I ever had, so freshing! The food was incredible as well! Will definitely return. read more

Balade - Chicken Shawarma Sandwich - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

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Maria was an excellent server. We were unsure of what to get and she easily suggested great items. Would eat here again!

This restaurant has a lot of seating available and takes reservations on line. Their menu has so many options for different platters, sandwiches, dips, etc. I went with the chicken shawarma sandwich with Laban bi khiar as my side. The yogurt salad was so good drizzled onto the sandwich. The chicken was juicy and flavorful, and the pita was soft and nicely toasted. The sandwich also came with pickles and vegetables inside which gave the sandwich a nice crunch and extra flavor. The wait staff was great and we didn't have to wait too long for our food. read more

Balade - Chicken Shawarma Sandwich - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

I've had Balade delivered for dinner twice and as of last night, have eaten there twice. So far, it's some the best Lebanese / Mediterranean food I've had in Manhattan. First time we got delivery, we were astounded by the freshness, high quality, and deep flavors and knew we had to visit in person. Luckily, both times were with friends so I got to hear about the meat specialties they enjoyed! Our waitress Isla last night and a gentleman from last time were both great at providing a welcoming and friendly dining experience. The interior is warm and feels like an old world cellar of sorts. The manager I saw running around deserves a round of applause for what he does to keep that small space running so smoothly. Everything I've Tried at Various Points: *Classic Margarita *Beirut Beats/Zaatar Manakeesh (Lebanese pizza) *Mezze Supreme Assortment (hummus, baba ghanouj, labne, mouhamara, kebbe krass, sfiha, makanek, and halloumi cheese) -- didn't try the meat-filled appetizers *Pickled Vegetables *Warak Einab (dolmas) *Lentil Soup *Artichoke Salad *Rkakat (fried, cheesy phyllo rolls) *Fattoush *Falafel *Balade Fries + Balade Rice *Shankleesh (aged cheese, herbs, zaatar) *Fatayir (like spanakopita) *Fafet Shrimp (incredible yogurt sauce) *Loubiye Bzeit (stewed-like green beans) *Lebanese Salata *Kenafa + Baklava Desserts Friends Have Ordered and Raved About: *Mixed Grill Platter (beef, lamb, chicken, veggies, pita) *Shish Tawook (chicken, veggies, rice) *Lamb Hummus Favorites are: lentil soup, fatayir, loubiye bzeit, baba ghanouj, fafet shrimp, and warak einab. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu it seems. I do suggest making a reservation. Huuuge fan of Mr. Semaan's vision and am happy to have recently found out about Balade Your Way nearby which is their fast-casual, small-menu sister restaurant that I'm hyped to eventually grab lunch from! read more

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