Gorgeous upscale dinner spot in midtown! We came as a group of 7 and were seated comfortably, lots…read moreof room within the restaurant. Great place to share several food items with a group. It was a little hard to hear and converse at times as it gets crowded, but the food was delicious and there are really unique items on the menu. Food: The duck shawarma was one of our favorites! The lamb and scallops were also flavorful and tender. The dips were delicious with the pita, but I wish the serving size for the dips were bigger. The fries were great - well seasoned! Also recommend the milky pudding, it was a nice refreshing way to end the dinner. Service: Our server was super helpful in letting us know what items are more shareable and his suggestions for cocktails. Definitely try some of the arak based cocktails. Vibe: Gorgeous interior, the mirrors and lighting really elevates the space and makes it a lovely spot for group dinners or dates.

We went for Mother's Day brunch. When we arrived a few minutes early we did have to wait a bit. The…read morerestaurant had two floors, nicely decorated and cozy. We were lead upstairs to a table. There were 7 of us The seating was cozy but not cramped. We started with 7 family style small dishes: Hummus with Falafel Pops (chickpea purée, tahini, falafel, olive oil), Spring Burrata (roasted cherry tomatoes, toast, basil oil), Hamachi Crudo (passionfruit vinaigrette, citrus zest, cucumber, mint, sesame tuile), Scallops (carrot puree, serrano pepper, brown butter sauce), Tenderloin Skewer (zaatar chimichurri, fresh herb salad), and Shiitake Stuffed Grape Leaves (tomato coulis, yogurt foam, herbs). Everything was delicious. The hummus was well seasoned the falafel had a nice crunch. It went well with the warm puffy gyro bread that came to the table. The burrata was wasm and creamy. I love the vinaigrette on the fish. I ended up eating most of it. The scallops were the sweetest, most tender ones I have ever had. The tenderloin skewers were tender and well seasoned. I liked the grape leaves but the rice consistency was very soft almost mushy and you can barely tell there were mushrooms. There was barely any mushrooms flavor. Next we all chose an entree. I got the duck breast, my husband and daughter each had the beef tenderloin. The duck breast was smaller than i expected. The skin was nicely seared and very crispy but boy did it give my jaw a workout. It was done medium rare. It was juicy but tough. The small beef tenderloin was tender and smoky. The waiter poured the sauce over the tenderloin for added flavor. Finally dessert was a fruit plate with ice cream and pudding. The fruit was fresh and the flavors of the ice cream and pudding unique. It was a nice end to a good brunch. The price was a little expensive at $85 a person.

Food and service are very goood. The only issue the wait time to get a table on weekends.read more

First of all I've been talking up Au Za'atar since my first visit, have sent many friends their way…read moreand have gone a few times since my first meal. My most recent visit this month changed all that. I went with my son because we were in town. As it was the first place we knew we wanted to eat, I made a reservation well in advance and we showed up on time. It was noisier than usual and pretty hectic. We ordered a few appetizers and meals and a drink. No one ever checked in on us or refilled our water. I flagged someone down for to go containers as we wanted to save room for dessert and a second drink. They brought the containers and then we proceeded to sit again with no one checking in. We had been there for approximately 40-45 minutes total and were still waiting on someone to come back with the dessert menu when the host came to our table and said "there's a party with a reservation who needs tho is table so could you please leave soon?" Never has this happened to me. How insulting. When I expressed confusion stating we hadn't even received a check so why would we leave, rather than offer a proper apology and/or a "can we get you anything else?" She just said "oh that's not what I was told." And then a server brought us a check. I asked him if 45 minutes was the usual amount of time they give customers with dinner reservations and he said "I'm not sure. We're just really busy and probably overbooked." Again, no offer to make it right. Initially I wasn't going to leave this review. I reached out directly to the restaurant via email to tell them about the humiliating experience of being asked to leave when we weren't even done. Instead of offering to make it right (anything would have been appreciated - a dessert on the house next time - just some token indicating they valued me as a customer) they just explained that there was confusion and that they've talked to their staff so it doesn't happen to anyone in the future. Both the experience and the response put a horrible taste in my mouth and sadly I will probably not be back.

This place is absolutely amazing. The second you walk in, the employees make you feel welcome…read more We started with the hummus and mixed dips with warm pita bread--absolutely delicious. You can tell immediately that everything is fresh. For the main course, we had a platter that came with steak, chicken, and lamb chops, and everything was cooked to perfection. The flavors and seasoning were top-tier. For dessert, we had the warm baklava, which was absolutely delicious with every bite. If you have kids, don't worry--they also have an appetizer that's similar to a mozzarella stick that was absolutely delicious. I just can't remember the name of it! They play all types of music, and even though the space is big, the personal and intimate connection with the employees is what really made the experience special. The manager, Joselyn, was incredibly warm and welcoming. Our waitress, Vivian, was on top of every single request. Bravo! I only wish I had been able to meet the chef because I would personally shake their hand. The food was truly amazing. This is definitely a place where you could throw a birthday party, have a professional dinner, or simply enjoy a beautiful night out with your wife. It has all the qualities of a great restaurant, and I feel like NYC is starting to lose sight of that kind of hospitality. Eating here honestly reminded me of my travels to Egypt. The hospitality was A1. BRAVO! And I can't forget the bartender--he definitely knows what he's doing!

The best eat I had on my trip! One of the people in the group reserved this restaurant as they have…read morebeen here before and raved about the portions and how good the food is. Definitely did not disappoint. All the food here is sharable and for 4 people it was enough. Sadly could not bring it all with us, but would have if we lived here. From what I remembered, we ordered the Lamb Shank, Sumac Fries, and Kouda Bi Zeit. All delicious, all notably the favorite. Probably the reason why I remember these out of the rest of our order. Drinks were also delicious. We ended up ordering each other's favorite drink. Mine ended up being the Mediterranean C vs the Once Upon a Time. Overall, highly recommend! Best mediterranean food I have ever had.

So So good- cute little spot (not huge venue but comfy). Service was great and BYOB which is a nice…read moreoption. Went with a couple friends and able to share dishes which was perfect- ended up getting a couple platters (chick and steak) along with dips (tziki and hummus). Everything so good and great atmosphere- recommend

Salma in NYC was somewhere I was excited to try, and I'm so happy to write about how much I enjoyed…read moreit. The decor makes it feel like you're dining in someone's home, which immediately sets a cozy, welcoming tone. Our waitress was incredibly friendly and attentive, adding to the overall experience. The vibe was very jovial when we went, with nearly every table enjoying wine [but it's important to note that Salma is BYOB, so don't expect to see alcohol on the menu]. We started with the muhammara, which was absolutely incredible. The pita wasn't anything special, but it didn't matter at all; it was simply a vehicle to get more muhammara into my mouth, which I was more than happy with. For mains, we ordered the filet mignon sandwich, the kafta kabob sandwich, and a side of seasoned fries, and everything was delicious. Overall, a wonderful, chill dining experience with great food and an inviting atmosphere. Absolutely recommend if you're in the area, and if you're not, I recommend anyway!

This was a stunningly great meal! We had the Tabbouleh (best I've ever tasted), Hummus Beirute…read more(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!

Had dinner at Balade yesterday after a really long time because Fattoush (across the street) was…read moreclosed 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.

3.5 stars, a beautiful dimly lit dining room and huge no less. There are a few steps walking up to…read morethe dining area. Great for groups of all sizes, reservations suggested but on this weekday visit, it was not too busy. We had a resy any way. Service was fair. Our waiter checked in with us once after we ordered and we had to beckon him twice - once for water refill and second for condiments/questions. What I didn't appreciate but understood, since we were two people dining, we got a corner table for two. It was not busy so we asked for the table next to us since we ordered plenty. They did not accommodate us saying they may need it for later. I did not think that was necessary since the place was not busy. This was 6pm on a Wednesday. And to boot, huge dining room - plenty of seating available. This was off putting as we said we ordered plenty. Our plates barely fit and they brought everything almost at once. Onto the food, I may not have ordered their popular dishes but nevertheless, nothing to rave about. Portions were shareable but it was just okay. There was not one stand out dish. I had higher expectations based on other reviews and photos but it was likely what we ordered. This was a vegetarian meal for me since I was dining with a vegetarian. - Moussakaa, this was a very tomato based sauce dish. Fried eggplant and chick peas combined had a nice texture. Mild flavors. - Arayess cheese - sorely disappointed. Very little flavor and I love my cheeses. It needed something to make it more appealing. It literally looked like cheese in a pita. And yes, by description it was. No condiments or side of anything to offset the plating. Visually flat. It could've used a sun dried tomato paste or some acidic side dipping sauce. - Yara Fries - shockingly simple, zaatar and spices. But they didn't put enough. It still looked like regular fries. And by the name, I expected more punch of flavor. It was not there. - Falafel - tricky dish if it's not cooked well. Simple again by name but the ingredients were just mild in flavor. Crunch was perfect. The chickpea, onions, cilantro and garlic was not pronounced. It was ok. Not memorable. - House wine, by the glass, decent and went well with what we ate. Would I return is the question... Likely not. The menu was so promising but nothing to bring me back.

Went for a party to Yara so we ordered a ton of different options. Vibes were great, not too busy…read morefor a Saturday night. The waiter and staff were also super helpful. Main critics were the bread/pita and hummus. I've never had staler bread/pita in my life. Wasn't soft at all and was tough to break apart. The plain hummus was also pretty salty. However besides that, the food was great. Highly recommend the eggplant dip.

I stopped here for a quick bite & enjoyed it very much- the chicken however was a bit dryer than I…read morewould've liked it to be but it was alright overall. The portion is more than adequate & it's any topping(s) that you want. I also wanted to give a shout out to Lara who is a really sweet employee & deserves all the best.

Fresh Mediterranean food. I opted for the chicken shawarma salad bowl…read more The salad consists of green lettuces and cabbage. I liked the plethora of toppings offered (sumac onions, jalapeños, cucumbers, tomatoes, banana peppers, feta olives and etc). The chicken shawarma was tender and I got a decent sized portion. The toum was garlicky and creamy. I really like the spicy green sauce! A pleasant deviation from C**a! I'll be back.

All I had heard about Hen House was their cozy, innovative dishes and was excited to go. They're…read moreknown for their falafel and other creative flavors and I went with the staple shawarma plate. It was served with lackluster presentation, standard ingredients, and lack of creative flair I was expecting and heard about. I wouldn't count Hen House out, but believe this was a one-off, standard, experience.

My friends and I arrived fairly early on Friday to dine in for brunch/lunch. We were greeted warmly…read moreby the cashier who told us to sit. The seating area is fairly small, which surprised me. We ordered the crispy garlic rice, the Piri Piri chicken sandwich, and the famous knefeh and chicken pancake. The server was so nice, she offered us a sample of the seasonal lemonade, which had rose water and turmeric. It did take a little bit of time for all the food to come out. We chit-chatted while we shared the garlic rice (a little crunchy, very mild) and the chicken sandwich. The PiriPiri sandwich came with a huge piece of fried chicken that was spiced and fried well. The chicken was juicy and not super dry. The little bit of pickled cabbage helped keep things from becoming too greasy. After a bit of wait, the pancake was served. It was such a fun experience with the crunchy kadayif noodles and the cheese hidden underneath a super fluffy pancake. The salty and cheesy flavors of the pancake went well with the rose maple syrup. The spice from the chicken added another note to the dish that made it such a great combo of flavor. I could not stop picking at this huge pancake. It's definitely meant to be eaten by at least two, if not three. If we had known, we probably wouldn't have ordered the other chicken sandwich. Overall the contrast in the chicken and knafeh pancake alone was enough to want me to visit again. The textural crunch, the melted pull of the cheese, the sweet syrup against salty and spicy flavors of the chicken. Not only was the whole presentation beautiful, but the dish itself tasted amazing. I would visit Hen House again for the experience.