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    RAWA Mediterranean Fusion, Middle Eastern Food, Pizza Place

    4.7 (166 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 9:30 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order RAWA Mediterranean Fusion, Middle Eastern Food, Pizza Place Takeout or Delivery

    RAWA Mediterranean Fusion, Middle Eastern Food, Pizza Place Photos

    RAWA MEDITERRANEAN FUSION, MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD, PIZZA PLACE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - RAWA Mediterranean Fusion, Middle Eastern Food, Pizza Place

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    Baba Ghanouj
    Matthew L.

    Rawa is a Mediterranean fusion restaurant that opened in New Haven, Connecticut in May 2017. It was founded by business partners Salam Al-Rawi and Fayez Al Hammadi. Al-Rawi is originally from Baghdad, Iraq. In the late 1970s, when Saddam Hussein's regime was particularly repressive, Al-Rawi decided to flee. He forged a stamp on his expired passport, hopped on a plane, and left the country. He could have ended up dead. He later worked at a number of successful restaurants in New York City. Hammadi is originally from Syria and co-owns Mosaic Nautural (a mosaic and tile art business) with his brothers. One of his other talents is cooking. Al-Rawi and Hammadi decided to partner up and found a space in New Haven's Westville neighborhood that had previously been home to Stone Hearth. At Rawa, the two have crafted a menu that features traditional Middle Eastern mezze platters (such as hummus, baba ghanouj, muhammara, labne), salads, soups, kebabs, falafel, biryani dishes, and even Mediterranean-inspired pizza served on pita bread crust. I recently attended Rawa's 8-Year Anniversary Celebration. This was my first visit to Rawa since their first year open and I was happy to be back. The place was all decked out with colorful decor. My group was treated to endless plates of various mezze platters, salads, falafel, biryani dishes, and Rawa's unique Middle Eastern approach to pizza. The bar tenders were also busy all night crafting delicious cocktails for the event. Some of the ones I enjoyed include the "Saffroni" (Hendricks gin, elderflower, ginger, saffron), the "Blood Orange Old Fashion" (bourbon, blood orange liqueur, bitters), and the "Up & Down Old Fashion" (bourbon, bitters). Attendees of the celebration were also treated to live entertainment with music by NYC-based Middle Eastern fusion band "Baklava Express" and a belly dance performance by Kelvia Mitri-Meda. I had an excellent time and I was so full by the end. If you love authentic Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food then look no further than Rawa!

    Menu
    Suzanne A.

    2nd time visiting and wanted to comment on the chicken birani. I'm not a big fan of birani and this was the best I ever had, we took it home and my son asked to bring it for school lunch the next day. Tried the rawa pizza special which was great as well as dips and kebabs. Really friendly service and casual atmosphere

    Desserts
    Enxhi B.

    My siblings came to visit so we came here for dinner. We made a reservation and were seated quickly upon arrival. We got a bottle of wine and the sampler plate as an appetizer, which included baba ghanouj, muhamarra, nivik, and labne. The labne was our favorite. For entrees, we got the lamb kebab, merguez, chicken biryani and chicken kebab. Everything was good. For dessert we tried the baklava, basbousa, muhalabia and another dessert I don't recall the name of. It was fun to try them all. We had a fun night.

    Lamb Kebab
    Gene W.

    Had a wonderful dinner here this past evening! We ordered the hummus and pita to start, and there was plenty to share for two. Theirs is done perfectly with some tomatoes and chickpeas and a high quality olive oil. The pita is scorching hot and meltingly lovely! The lamb kebab had just the right amount of spicy "kick" to it, complemented well with the seasoned basmati rice. The sauce was flavorful, and I enjoyed this different take on lamb, usually doused in yogurt sauce by other establishments. The Falafel was well balanced and crispy, served piping-hot, with a superbly-executed salad. I believe we'll be returning to try the shrimp biriyani and some of the more adventurous dips in the future!

    Karissa D.

    Chill vibes on a rainy Saturday early afternoon. Our server Emily was great, she made some pretty good cocktails as well! Everyone at the table enjoyed their food, from the chicken biriyani to lamb skewers to lamb chops and pizza. It was all savory and flavorful.

    Lamb Kebab
    Alisa W.

    Amazing restaurant. Food is incredible & it has a cute ambiance with lots of unique art. They were extremely short staffed & our waitress not only had to attend to every table in the room taking orders, but she was the hostess, food runner, & bartender too. She did it all & it was a busy restaurant. She was pleasant & never appeared stressed despite the chaos & doing everything herself. That alone made me love this restaurant more. The dip sampler is to die for & so were the lamb kabobs, falafel & homemade pita. I wish I lived closer I'd be a regular here.

    Restaurant
    Olivia J.

    I went to Rawa with my aunt for dinner a couple weeks ago and I'm really satisfied with my experience. I didn't know what to expect, but the food was extremely fresh and it was a great atmosphere. I got falafel with pita bread and hummus. The falafel came out very hot and was so tasty. The salad on the side was also very good. My aunt got the green salad with grilled chicken and was very happy with her meal. The service was a little slow, but it was very busy and it didn't bother me. Will definitely be returning soon, can't wait to try more dishes here! Hopefully they have the rice pudding next time.

    Chicken soup
    Rida S.

    I've wanted to try this place for so long, it's a Mediterranean spot with different options like Moroccan/Turkish/ Syrian/ Lebanese and even Pakistani. We tried the lamb kebab with rice and the chicken kebab with rice and so good! The meat freshly cooked and so soft. The rise also was divine, I loved the flavor in it. We also tried a chicken soup and it was packed with flavor and soft chicken and lots of onions and garlic yum! They gave a free dessert on Valentine's day which was nice, only thing was it took time for our server to get to us , must have been short staffed but everything took a while. It wasnt to busy either. Loved the quality of the food next time I will try their dips!

    Pita
    Matthew V.

    The espresso cocktail was delicious. My girlfriend was quite insistent it would be too much caffeine for me, that yet remains to be seen. The Depths were delicious. Though the amount of pita provided was paltry. Only two pitas for four dips? I think I deserve one pita per dip. The hummus dip was exceptional, the other dips were forgettable. I felt like the entree was very soupy and oily. I think it also would have been improved by being paired with pita. More pita please. Overall it was okay. A bit expensive for the quality.

    Sampler Plate
    Kersina D.

    This place is such a gem. I loved it so much. It was nice an quiet and looked very clean. I loved the art decor on the walls and it gave the feels of Mediterranean without trying to hard. Service was amazing food was delicious and the portions were huge. We also got desert but i forgot to take a picture of that. Get the baklava and ask them to warm it up just a little bit, it will change your life! No complaints here!

    Dip sampler!
    Jenni F.

    What a treat. This restaurant is in the neighborhood of my son's apartment. For weeks he had been saying, "We should go"! I am so glad we did and can't wait to go back. It is a very casual and funky space. The kitchen is open, you can see the chefs working and cooking from where you sit. There are cool murals and paintings on the walls that give it a very Greenwich Village vibe. The staff was VERY friendly and knowledgeable and gave great counsel about their menu that let us make perfect choices! We started with a sampler of dips, choosing the hummus, avocado, pepper and walnut, and lentil dips. Each of them was outstanding. Interestingly, the avocado was my son's fave, my hubby's fave was the pepper and walnut, and I was all about the hummus. Each one was better than the next. And they came with giant, fresh tear-apart pitas. DEFINITELY order extras with your sampler platter. For meals, we also did a lot of sharing but our favorite of the three dishes we ordered was the chicken with lentils. The chicken was flavorful and cooked to perfection and the lentil dish it was served on what out of this world. We also got the green pizza which had an awesome curry flavor and was even better when we reheated the leftovers the next day. Same was true of the tabouleh, meaning even better on day two! Make plans to go to Rawa, you will really enjoy it! PS -- oh, and the portions are generous.

    A colleague brought me here...checking it out!

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    9 years ago

    I went to Rawa on a night out with my wife. VERY poor service which upset my wife, the food was mediocre and not worth the price.

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    Page 5 of 5

    Ask the Community - RAWA Mediterranean Fusion, Middle Eastern Food, Pizza Place

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    3.9(1.5k reviews)
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    Clams on pizza...this sounded interesting enough to try. So we ventured out to the long venerated…read more(or so I understand) joint (some lady's name Pizza) only to find the line around the block. Clam pizza? Interesting but not that interesting. I had scoured Eater's New Haven section earlier that day and seen BAR mentioned for where to get apizza. We traveled into the quaint-ish New Haven core and parked on the street. Luckily, they had just opened, so we were seated upon arrival. We got two pies: the Clam Casino and the Portrait of New Haven. The PoNH was good. The ricotta was a nice contrast to the sausage and red peppers. The Clam Casino was worth the journey by itself, however. It turns out clams on a pizza is a great idea. Large whole clams and bacon with cherry peppers? Damned right. I wasn't familiar with New Haven brand ("apizza" as I've now been told), but the char on the bottom from the wood-fired oven is crucial at holding some topping combinations to a higher echelon than others (where it deflates others): see the other-worldly good Clam Casino versus this-could-be-better-without Portrait of New Haven. Regardless, the Clam Casino would be a go-to if I lived anywhere near here. The inside is huge. We sat in the main barroom. It was warehousey, but a pool table and picnic tables for large parties gave it a cool vibe. I enjoyed watching the bar staff have to hunch under the bar opening, which doesn't hinge up, as we waited for our discs 'o dough.

    Food: three stars We got two specialty pizzas a mashed…read morepotato and a New Haven. Both tasted okay and don't expect too much if you're visiting from New York. The portion was big considering the price (~$25 each). Service: one star Service was bad. The staff didn't introduce the food for us they just put the pizza on our table and walked away. Ambiance: one star We visited during Friday afternoon and there's no wait. The table was sticky and shaky. Menus were dirty with spills from drinks or sauce. Would give higher stars if service is better. The pizza itself was not bad.

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    One 6 Three - Potato Head Pie

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    4.4(314 reviews)
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    Today, we made a stop at One6Three, tucked into the East Rock section of New Haven, where it's been…read moreholding down its corner for about ten years. This place is small, unapologetic, and full of character. Decorative firewood stacked with intention, walls filled with wine corks, and #10 tomato cans repurposed as pizza stands. Walk in and you immediately catch the vibe, exposed brick, distressed plaster, a slightly industrial, almost factory-style feel that somehow still feels warm and welcoming. The centerpiece of the room is the wood-fired oven, running hot and glowing with that perfect orange flame. The aroma of burning wood hits you right away and sets the tone. From that moment on, the culinary experience is in motion. We ordered The Mootz and Breaking My Meatballs. Both pies are built on a very thin, tender crust with beautiful leoparding. The dough is flavorful and clearly well-fermented. Sauce is applied with restraint, just enough to support the dough and cheese without overpowering them, and it delivers a clean, bright tomato flavor. Breaking My Meatballs was the standout. Homemade meatballs, herbed ricotta, cherry peppers, mozzarella, and that same balanced sauce. The cherry peppers bring a sharp vinegar tang that cuts perfectly through the richness of the ricotta and meatballs. Every bite hits a different note, and it all works together. Easily one of my favorites. The crust across the board was thin and tender with a delicate smoky char from the wood fire, exactly what you want from this style. Bottom line: Great spot. Excellent pizza. Super friendly staff

    An okish first time visit. I wanted to try a new pizza place in New Haven for a birthday and chose…read morethis one. But the food didn't feel like a celebration, in my opinion. One 6 Three is an unusual name - it's a small and cozy spot with few tables and bar seating, set in a residential neighborhood. We tried the gluten free crust (available only in 12") American margherita pie and added mushrooms in half of it. The wood fired crust was well done, I really liked it. Lots of garlic, yum. However, the tomatoes on it were raw and that didn't feel very good. Also, there were no condiments offered on the side- like oregano- is that normal in a pizza place? Maybe I need to try more pizza places :)

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    8 Thousand Pizza

    8 Thousand Pizza

    4.7(36 reviews)
    7.3 mi

    8 Thousand Pizza is a pizzeria and pour-your-own taproom that opened in Milford, Connecticut in…read moreNovember 2023. It was founded by restaurateurs Skye Kwok and Tommy Nguyen. Kwok has more than 20 years experience in the hospitality industry. Some of the other restaurants he has opened include Sweet Basil in Fairfield, Pink Sumo Sushi & Sake Cafe in Westport, and Eat Noodle in Bridgeport. Kwok and Nguyen's latest venture opened at the Connecticut Post Mall in a restaurant space that was previously home to Cast Iron Chef Kitchen & Bar, which specialized in tavern-style pizzas cooked in a cast-iron skillet. 8 Thousand Pizza offers this same style of pizza, but what sets them apart from the previous pizzeria is that they also offer self-pouring technology, which became legalized in Connecticut in 2021. The food menu features two dozen tavern-style pizzas as well as burgers, wings, fries, salads and soups. Through the use of a supplied electronic bracelet, customers can self-pour their own beverage from a selection of 28 craft beer taps and 6 wine taps. There's a two-pint or 32-ounce limit for the self-pours. I recently visited 8 Thousand Pizza for dinner. I had previously visited the space when it was Cast Iron Chef Kitchen & Bar and was sad to hear that they moved. However, this new business concept of a tavern-style pizzeria with self-pouring taps sounded very interesting to me. This was actually my first visit to a self-pouring taproom, as these types of establishments only just began opening in the state in the last few years. After looking over the menu, I decided to order the "Grandma's Tomato Pizza" (fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, roasted garlic, tomatoes and EVOO) and the "Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza" (tomato sauce, pepperoni, hot honey sauce and mozzarella cheese). The latter happens to be 8 Thousand's signature pizza. Both pizzas had crust so thin that it's almost cracker like; they didn't flop at all. They were super crispy with excellent sauce and toppings. I honestly can't decide which one I liked better; they were both very good. During my visit, I enjoyed some self-pours of Grey Sail Brewing's "Captain's Daughter" (Double New England IPA) and New Park Brewing's "Cloudscape" (American IPA). Delicious pizza with craft beer is always an excellent pairing! I had a really nice experience at 8 Thousand Pizza and I hope to return with my family.

    Took the Family here for a Saturday lunch. Got a meatball pizza and a margarita pizza. Both were…read moremade well. The beer system is interesting and you pour your own beer. Paying by the ounce. Service was nice and attentive. But you have to go up to the counter to order. Many of the betas were out or empty. I did like that. They had a wide selection of glasses available for the different styles of beer.

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    Three Sons Pizza

    Three Sons Pizza

    5.0(11 reviews)
    1.8 mi

    Absolutely phenomenal pizza. Very much NY style but done the old school way, which honestly isn't…read morethat far off from a lot of New Haven style. We've gotten everything from specials to a plain here and it all slaps. Joe is also a super friendly guy. Located in Old Heidelberg as a plus (only on weekends, check their IG for latest schedule), with some good cocktails and a solid dingy vintage basement bar vibe.

    Entering New Haven Pizza scene with a buzz is Three Sons Pizza. You can only get this delicious pie…read moreon Fridays or Saturdays at the Old Heidelberg inside the Graduate New Haven (see their Instagram for the latest schedule!) Now let me tell you...THE SAUCE. I dream about it. It's enough where one night my husband and I craved pizza and I said we had to drive to New Haven to see Joe and crush a pepperoni pizza. If they have the tomato pie? GET IT. The rare Kale white pie? A vegetarian's dream. Keep an eye on the Instagram for which pizzas are coming out and how many. I came in a different night after going out in New Haven with a group and we snagged the last pizza at about 9:30pm, only 2 hours after they began service. Joe is also just fantastic. He's friendly, a caring dad (the pizza is named after his three sons, and why you see three basils on each pizza), and he does this after he perfected the recipe during Covid and is now sharing it with the world. Crisp pepperonis (how I like them), addicting sauce, unique flavor combos, go see Joe. He knows what he's doing. Maybe a good thing I have to drive 45 min for this pizza because I'd otherwise be here every weekend. Definitely a pizza worth checking out!

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    RAWA Mediterranean Fusion, Middle Eastern Food, Pizza Place - pizza - Updated June 2026

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