Amazing Israeli food! Yes, the restaurant is crowded and can be noisy, BUT the food is simply amazing. A very helpful server comes to sit at your table to assist with the ordering process- to go over the menu, item by item, and to help your party figure out what to order so that everyone leaves sated. The food is served family style and comes out dish by dish as the dishes come out of the kitchen. We had the broccolini (the horseradish sauce is to die for), the hummus (someone in our group didn't want lamb so we skipped the lamb hummus - will have to try it the next time), the mushroom pasta (delectable), the fish schwarma (delicious- but probably the weak link in the evening) and - the piece de resistance- the short rib, a melt in your mouth dish that was nothing short of perfection! Worth every yummy bite!! Desserts are tasty but nothing special - it is a kosher, pareve restaurant after all, but finish with a glass of fresh mint tea and you'll leave feeling very happy and well fed! read more

We have really enjoyed Malka in the past--the inventive food, the whimsy, the community aspect. We have taken guests there and made it a regular on our eating calendar. But we made a reservation recently for the "kitchen counter" (which we have so enjoyed before) on a Sunday night. We were seated at our res time, sat there with menus in front of us for a full 20 minutes without any acknowledgement of our presence. Not an offer of a glass of water, not a "would you like to order a drink?" People walked by us, people looked into our eyes but nothing. I tried frequently to hail a server as they rushed past. Nothing. Finally, we stood to leave, which attracted a bartender, who just shrugged when I explained why we were leaving. The hostess apologized and asked to seat us and take care of us herself, but we said, "too little, too late." The worst part was that she said multiple times, in explanation, that they were JUST SO BUSY TONIGHT. This is not a valid excuse for a restaurant to use. If your restaurant is too busy to provide normal service and hospitality, then you are understaffed, unprepared, and should not be taking reservations. There is a commonly-used expression in business which says, "your failure to plan is not my emergency." Since that evening, there has been no outreach from management since we abandoned our reservation, which I hoped there would be. I'm afraid that, for us, this is a dealbreaker in a town with plenty of welcoming places to eat. read more

food was amazing and the service was great. The general manager was particularly friendly.

50 stars!!!! I was lucky enough to celebrate my 60th birthday at Malka with my husband and adult children. When our server, Michael, came to the table and introduced himself to us I knew it was going to be a fabulous experience. He calligraphed "Happy 60th Birthday Sara" on the paper table runner and the celebration began! The food was spectacular, each dish was better than the one before it. The first course was the best humus we had every eaten. This raised the bar to a crazy high level. The charred broccolini, branzino, rib steak and strawberry rhubarb pie were stand out dishes. Thank you to Michael for creating the energy for the evening and to the chef for exceptional food! read more

I was so looking forward to trying Malka. I had heard so much about the famed schnitzel. We went on a Sunday and did the brunch thing. Sat at the bar. The bartender, waitstaff, and manager were professional, personable, and did a great job of keeping the vibe going. Some of the salatim were good -- the fried potatoes especially, focaccia, muhamara -- whereas others were meh (carrots, cucumber) and still others were "nice" (beets). We were too full to enjoy the roast beef sandwich. The one bite of the meat that I tried was quite good. However the schnitzel was dry. I couldn't tell that there was bone marrow in the filling. I think if it was cooked less it would have been fine but as it was it was bland and chalky. Not sure I'd return but there were definitely points to recommend Malka not the least of which is that it's a restaurant that happens to be kosher rather than a more typical kosher place. read more

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Amazing place. Food was great, hummus is a must! The pita is served with the best tahini. Meat is cooked perfectly, we had the lamb but next to us was a delicious looking steak. The servers are friendly, make recommendations, and just look like they are having a great time vibing with the music. Drinks are awesome, they have arak, always a plus. We were there on a Saturday night, so I'm not sure if this is the norm, but had a pro DJ, played all Israeli music, people were dancing and just having a great time the whole night. Must come back on a weekday, they don't have schnitzel on Saturday, so I will come back :) read more

Welcome to the newest kosher restaurant that appeases even those who aren't. Walk into a unique ambiance of a bustling restaurant with calm at the table. The hostesses were kind and welcoming. Our server could not have been kinder and participating in our special occasion. Not to neglect the rest of the staff who were personable, hospitable, as if you were dining in their home. The food was delicious and highly recommended the schnitzel and hummus. Honestly just about anything you see on the menu that seems like something you would generally like, you will more than likely fall in love with here. read more

Definitely not what I expected especially after having an amazing time at Shmonè & HaSalon...First off, I was the first solo guest here as Malka opened yet was told I couldn't sit at a table rather than the bar because it would be "busy", meanwhile I was in and out within 30 minutes, and only 3 other parties entered within this time. Secondly, even though I was seated at the bar (not even the open kitchen) I was put right next to the iced buckets of beverages that got in the way when eating as I'm left handed. On top of that, I overheard the employees conversation and it seems as if this management is still getting things organized since they've opened (though it's been quite some time now) because some were confused on how much of a brunch shot was "too much" to serve. This area was also right where servers kept passing back and forth so I was caught in the middle of this. The salad was okay but is skippable. The fish shawarma had a creative presentation, but it wasn't what I envisioned, and it was very similar to what you'd get as an octopus salad/tuna tartare appetizer from a Mediterranean restaurant. The quality of the food is up there, but the service isn't. read more

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I was lucky enough to grab a seat at the bar during their opening evening and I could not be more impressed! I was a giant Miznon North fan, so I was glad to see that some of the staples of that menu - the beet carpaccio and grouper in particular - were still available. But the new dishes were not to be missed - I had heard about the schnitzel from friends who visited Malka in Tel Aviv and it did not disappoint. Whipped potatoes in the middle of paper-thin crispy chicken? Just tell me where to sign. While the food alone was worth the trip, the feel of the place really brought it all together. The staff is enthusiastic, kind, and knowledgeable. Their energy infuses the entire restaurant with a spirit that I've only experienced during those legendary meals shared with closest friends and family. Though I entered to dine on my own, I left with great friends who I ate with at the bar. Thank you to Jess, Morgan, Rene and all the staff for creating an amazing place - I cannot wait to go back. read more

Great atmosphere, a little bit of Tel Aviv on the upper West side... Definitely not your usual low energy Kosher place. What made our anniversary visit special? What's the wonderful Manager and his crew who treated us like family at the moment we entered... and the hummus is pretty great too read more

Amazing food and amazing friendly staff. From the moment you walk in and get greeted to when you you leave, they were so nice and helpful. As for the food I highly recommend the schnitzel and steak. read more

Disappointing I'll start with the good. Our waiter Jesse was very nice. The schnitzel was very good. The mashed potatoes inside the schnitzel kept the chicken moist and flavorful. Unfortunately everything else was underwhelming. Serving hummus without bread is a slap in the face. The focaccia was good, but for $10 it's inanely small. Food is expensive and not particularly flavorful. I didn't like the lamb shank. The menu tries to be whimsical but comes off as arrogant and uninformative. "A very Israeli hummus so close to perfection". "Four spicy instruments that will swirl your soul". Meh. Too kitschy for me. And the hummus - it better be amazing if you call it that and I don't think it was. Perfect hummus comes with a lot of pita. Tables were on top of each other. Seating at the bar was on top of each other. Glad we tried the place, but much prefer other Israeli restaurants (lazer wolf, Dagon, zahav, Miznon). If you need a kosher place, this is a viable option but for me I'd prefer to go elsewhere. read more

Amazing food. The schnitzel was delicious as was the Hummus and lamb. The beet carpachio was really good as well. read more

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This was a fantastic experience! The vibe is hip casual. The server came over and explained that the food will come out in random fashion - for this reason the dishes are made for sharing. We started with the hummus and the meze platter. The hummus was unbelievably delicious. The meze platter was varied and came with a giant falafel, mini cucumbers and a bunch of other vegetables. It was delicious! I ordered the lamb kabob. It came with focaccia underneath. My husband had shredded lamb on two giant pieces of challah toast. Both dishes were excellent. The only underwhelming part of the meal was the dessert. We ordered a lemon bar. It was dry and the lemon flavor was hard to discern. We will definitely be back. Loved the concept. Service was very attentive. read more

average much better places out there.i would say this place you come once and thats it. says michelin star chef but not that at all special. pricey chicken shitzel and it was average read more

Met and exceeded expectations. Eyal Shani has done it again. Everything was superb. The standout (although the menu changes): The lamb ragu with hummus was perfection. Our waitress was really nice and cool. read more

Courteous service, pleasant small plates but weirdly for American expectations no pita bread for hummus, eggplant etc. Small, expensive lamb shank overcooked to the texture of cardboard. read more

Probably the worst indication of Israeli cuisine in the world. Schnitzel stuffed with mashed potatoes was over fried and missing the chicken Rib eye was FAT EYE Tehina bowl was not enough for one person Drinks were sub par and measured to the last ounce! The only good thing was the waitress, Kaitlin. Maybe Chef Shani should have been more than an INSPIRATION for this restaurant. read more

Pounding deafening music. Average Israeli served by a distracted confused waitstaff. Skip.

The food and the service very disgusting is not worth one dollar don't go don't bother

Malka NYC is an incredible experience. The food, ambiance and service were incredible. It's so different from the other kosher restaurants in NYC. read more

While we were in New York to celebrate our son's engagement we decided to try this restaurant. It was very nice looking inside and we were seated quickly. The menu was well thought out with many delicious dishes available. We ordered an entree for each of the six of us along with many exciting appetizers. The loaf of bread for the table was unique and magnificent. I've never seen anything like it. We all shared the appetizers which were delicious and unique. The mains were all wonderful and we were all delighted. We ended up taking food home as the portions were generous. The service was impressive and attentive. We all enjoyed ourselves very much and our celebration was a great success. read more

Unfortunately a great disappointment. The food was lackluster and not thoughtful. The menu online is twice the size of what is actually available at the restaurant. I wanted to love it so badly. I will say the DJ is a 10/10. The server great too. read more

Incredable food. Amazing service. Would highly recommend this restaurant! Will definitely be going back.

we started off we 2 slices of cold challah bread. not fresh. -$7 followed up by 4 main dishes which were served 2 at a time. After 20 min -third main and the fourth person got their main dish 35 min after the first two were served. Portions were small. Service was slack. Honestly , I was so looking forward to this . And came specially from Long Island . It was below average in every way. Schnitzel was really delicious. And salad was too. Other than that - average . Disappointing for a restaurant carrying the name of Eyal Shani. read more

Went for dinner with a group - could not have had a better time. The food is outstanding. We had some food allergies and our server was extremely diligent in making sure we knew which dishes contained which ingredients. Everything was delicious and every table seemed to be having the best time. I don't live in the neighborhood but I will make the trip gladly to come back. read more

I absolutely loved Malka in Tel Aviv and was excited for it to come to NYC. The NYC location lived up to my expectations. The food was fresh and incredible. The staff was warm, welcoming, and attentive. When I can secure another reservation, I would 100% go back again. 10/10 read more

I waited for this reservation for 2 weeks and I will say this was probably the most disappointing food experience I've ever had. We waited 45 min for bread and a salad that was dressed with Salt and olive oil. The beet "carpaccio" tasted like a they where playing a joke on an ashkenazi Passover menu. No flavor, sliced beets drizzled with horseradish pieces. The lamb shank came in a cast iron pan with boiling beans yet the actually lamb shank was cold. Please someone explain how this is possible , it's like the placed the cold lamb into the boiling beans I've never been so dissatisfied or frustrated by a dinner experience, we didn't even order dessert. For such an anticipated chef to open a restaurant and make it seem like there was no effort out into this menu is sad. It's a shame for the kosher community who genuinely believe and are excited about new experiences. The only good think I have to say was the price was alright but I could have stayed home and made myself a way better meal. read more