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    Sami & Susu

    4.4 (94 reviews)
    Closed 5:30 pm - 10:00 PM

    Sami & Susu Photos

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    SAMI & SUSU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Intimate
    Classy
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Sami & Susu

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    $34 lamb kebab with mind blowingly good malawach
    Kseniya K.

    Dinner only. You absolutely need a reservation to be able to get in. The space is tiny. It seats 10 to 12 people at most. It is very cramped. Prepare to be sitting very close to strangers at the same hightop table and be actively involved in their conversations. There is also a time limit-- we were asked to leave after an hour and a half. That made me feel very rushed. I understand that this place has to make a profit, but paying such money and then being essentially kicked out was not pleasant. Only one bathroom, so don't wait until the last moment--get in line early! $12 muhammara dip was delicate and flavorful. Liked the tiny plate clean--the owner/our waiter remarked how he's never seen such shiny plate. Small portion [served with one small, fluffy, warm pita], so this will stir your appetite, making you want to order more. $34 Lamb Kebab with malawach, sumac onion, zhoug, tahini was hearty and satisfying. If you're hungry--go for this--you will be full. Meat was tasty--good texture and balanced flavor profile. Malawach bread was spectacular--top highlight of our meal--so flaky, rich, oily [in the best way], dense yet light--a study of contrasts! We would eat this bread all day long if we could. $44 steak with creamy corn was fantastic. Very tender and flavorful meat. Creamy corn was the highlight--so much butter, your taste buds will sing from joy and want to eat this nonstop. So glad I could sample this seasonal item. The chocolate budino $12 was perfectly balanced: not too sweet, but delicately flavored. Rich mousse-like consistency. Very dense and satisfying. Good to share, as even one bite is so rich and can cap off a great dinner with a pleasant note of sweet texture. We tried the $15 Sherry as well as $16 Sherry Martini, and i wasn't a fan of either. Sherry Martini was a bit harsh/bitter compared to a smoother Sherry. Would go for a different drink next time.

    Regina X.

    Interesting experience going through the kitchen to get to the bathroom. Small space but thoughtfully decorated and cozy. Charging additional for the pita when you order the dips is such a New York thing. Food was well executed overall, but the tight seating and hole-in-the-wall appearance adorned to seem elevated and exclusive just isn't my cup of tea. Also didn't help a lady on our right was talking super loudly.

    Hamachi crudo
    Gab G.

    This is my ideal restaurant and a new fave in the area! Made a reservation for a Saturday night before a show at Mercury Lounge (it's really small, so would recommend booking ahead). I tried: + Muhammara - highlight #1 + Winter citrus - good + Parsnip risotto - fantastic + hamachi crudo - highlight #2 + fennel & pear - amazing + Chocolate budino - perfect ending House white was also great. Will have to come back for the lamb kebab.

    Kim X.

    A very small cozy restaurant on the lower east side serving American and Mediterranean food. If you're a party of two, you may end up sharing a table with another party of two. So this may not be a good spot for a first or second date if you don't want people listening in! We shared the 3 dips. The labneh and muhumara were expectantly excellent. The matbutcha was surprisingly amazing. I've never had it before. The 3 dips came with 2 warm pitas. You would definitely need more. We split the fennel and pear salad. I was not a fan as I felt like it needed more texture/crunch and more of a zing in terms of flavor. We finished everything with the branzino which was cooked well over a bed of delicious leeks. Thankfully I've been eating fish as a kid so I was able to navigate the few bones that were left behind but my partner wasn't as skilled as I was. Overall would come for the dips and hot pitas. The food was good enough to inspire me to try others on the menu.

    Chicken, whole fish and panzanella salad all so good
    Caroline H.

    Food was DELICIOUS and love a healthy Mediterranean vibe. Would go back just for the dips and the whole chicken. Maybe overpriced so good for special occasion so you can order more on the menu. Cocktail was a miss.

    Carolina R.

    One of my favorite meals from my last trip to NYC! I still think about it my friend and I stopped by (without a reservation) on a Tuesday evening and we were able to grab a seat in the bar area. The restaurant is tiny but that what makes it great. We ordered some wine and the dips with pita which was incredible! We shared the harissa chicken and omg it was delicious! So juicy and not dry at all!!! We also ordered the chocolate budino I believe and it was incredible. The whole experience was amazing! I want to return whenever I'm back in NYC!

    Muhammara
    Deana B.

    Can't believe it took me so long to get here, Sami & Susu is such a gem! Sami & Susu is perfect for a date or catching up with a friend. It's very small and intimate inside with just a handful of tables and counter top seating. The wine list is phenomenal both by the glass and bottle. And food is amazing! We had the Muhammara, Tomato Panzanella and Harissa Chicken. We loved everything and would highly recommend the same order. The chicken is some of the best I've ever had in NYC (move over Barbuto). If you're looking for a cute, casual and delicious dinner spot, this is for you.

    Tuna Carpaccio
    Ellen O.

    I've enjoyed 2 dinners at Michelin Bib Gourmand Sami & Susu, and I'm a big fan! Service is friendly and attentive. Charming ambiance. The food is delicious. At my last dinner I loved the Tuna Carpaccio, the Hanger Steak with Creamed Corn, and the Chocolate Budino. The restaurant is tiny so reservations are a must.

    Sophia C.

    Food and service were amazing! Our server was so funny and kind. Highly recommend the chicken!

    Labneh
    Anthony P.

    Heard about this place for a long time and finally got to try it. Mediterranean is a cuisine I have a soft spot for, and I guess what I was surprised by was how intimate/elevated the ambience and the style of food was. I guess I was thinking it would be more casual (not like cava casual, but like casual no-frills middle eastern) but this is definitely more elevated. The chicken was good, though some of it was a bit dry/overcooked. The lamb kebab was really delicious and the hit of the meal, with its juices dripping on the bread underneath it and it was extremely tender. The asparagus was ok. The pita was very soft and oily. The tuna was solid. The dips were good too but nothing to write home about. Really if you come here get the pita and the lamb. They also have orange wine which many places don't have!

    Natalie H.

    This was a nice, cozy spot, great for drinks and small plates. The pita and spread/dip were amazing, but everything else was fairly average.

    Menu
    Alex R.

    So although the menu is fairly limited there a few tasty dips and fresh pita to start (labneh, muhammara) which were tasty especially with hot puffy pita. Chicken came out first. It is a tasty bird, albeit I wish the harrisa flavor permeated through the meat not just the skin. Next came the lamb kebab. It was juicy and really flavorful. Surprise star was the flaky and crispy malawach , which was crispy and lite and had all the things you love in a croissant in a flat bread. Our server and hostess was a bit running around since she was the only one working the dining room, which meant she was hustling although a bit understaffed. I hope that the menu expands a bit since options felt a bit limited .

    Muhammara with Pita

    Already planning on coming back to try more. We ordered the Muhammara to start--a whipped roasted red pepper spread served with a small fluffy pita. We loved this and would absolutely order again. Also got the potato boureka--a cheesy potato filling wrapped in flaky puff pastry. These were good but a bit one note (think pierogi). For our main meals: branzino and lamb kebab. The branzino was so delicious and a super large fish (don't let the pictures fool you). Underneath the fish is a bed of perfectly tender leeks in seaweed butter. I would absolutely order this again. The lamb kebab was on a puff pastry-like pita, very buttery and flaky. Both of these entrees were fabulous and next we want to try the steak!! The space is small but very cutely decorated with small tea candles, flowers, and high-top tables. Some reviews mention being too tight next to other customers, but we did not feel squished at all.

    Scallop

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    4 days ago

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    13 days ago

    Pretty good food and nice service! cozy little spot perfect for a rainy night in for some warm comforting food

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    Amir N.

    Thank you so much! nothing like a good dinner and a show. See you soon

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    Amir N.

    Thank you!

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    Amir N.

    Thank you, Anna!

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    2 years ago

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    Amir N.

    Thank you so much!

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    Amir N.

    Thank you for the kind words! Hope to see you again soon

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    2 years ago

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    Amir N.

    Thank you! We appreciate the feedback

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    Thank you!

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    Amir N.

    Thanks, Alison! We're happy you enjoyed your visit to our restaurant

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    thank you so much!

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    Thank you so much for the kind words!

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    Thank you for the kind words!

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    Thank you! Glad you enjoyed everything

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    Ask the Community - Sami & Susu

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    Rake Wine Bar

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    Wow East Village! You have yourself a gem with Rake Wine Bar! We were waiting for our dinner…read morereservations and decided to stop in here for a pre-dinner drink and bite. I am SO glad we did. The vibe drew us in, they had great music bumpin from the outside, it looked lively and welcoming. Let me tell you- I would have skipped dinner and just stayed here all evening if it was my choice! But alas, my husband wanted a bit more to eat. But let me tell you- their knowledge of wine is PRISTINE! I can't tell you what white wine we had but they captured our tastes perfectly. We also shared a bruschetta and it was deliciouso! I love how friendly the staff was here and how unpretentious it all was. Next time we are in NYC- we will definitely make a point to come visit Rake!

    My partner and I were looking for a great double date spot, so we decided to give Rake a try due to…read moreits relaxing vibe and multitude of bites we could share. First I'll start with the wine - we ended up trying all three happy hour wines (HH until 7), which the tables favorites were the white and we ended up getting a bottle to split once HH ended (but I really enjoyed the other vino verde option). It was incredibly refreshing and paired well with the many tinned fish options. As you'd expect - it's a pretty massive selection and there is bound to be a varietal and glass for any palate. It's also attached to a wine store - so it's fine to see all the bottles when peaking over. Food-wise - this is where it was hit or miss, they have a pretty extensive menu (with a whole tinned fish section!) and we ended up ordering the buratta on focaccia (buratta was excellent, focaccia was too dense for my tastes), mushroom truffle crostini (way too salty), the flatbread with sliced kielbasa (was fine), halloume (table favorite ), tinned sardines in lemon oil (delicious), tinned smoked trout (my favorite). Overall the four of us were very full at the end of the meal! The space itself felt very relaxing and rustic, and definitely got busier as the night went on (we got there at 6:50 and left around 9). The service was also fast and attentive - even for the amount of tables they were serving. Overall - I'd definitely go back again, and maybe just focus on the wine and another tinned fish selection!

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    Sunn’s

    Sunn’s

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    Played the Opentable notification game and got a Friday night counter spot. My boyfriend and I…read moreshared: + Banchan of the day + added gochujang candied squid + Sunn's salad with chicories, sweet potato, sesame jang + Spicy tomato Tteokbokki + Ssam (beef brisket) + Sesame Crusted Mochi Cake Ssam was my favorite dish. Also loved the kimchi, cucumbers and potato salad from the banchan. Tteokbokki was a standout as well. It was more than enough food, and we even took home leftovers. Service was very friendly, and coat check was a nice touch!

    I wanted to love Sunn's but overall it felt overrated…read more We ordered the banchan, chigae, bossam and tteokbokki. Starting with the positives -the banchan was solid across the board and really flavorful. That said, charging for banchan feels strange to me. Traditionally, it's complimentary, like bread at an Italian restaurant so that part didn't sit right but it was flavorful. The chigae was interesting and probably the standout dish. It had a unique flavor that reminded me of a mix between soondubu and dwenjang chigae which worked well. Unfortunately, the rest was a miss. The bossam was overly salty and didn't feel true to the dish. The tteokbokki was another disappointment -it came with cheese (which wasn't expected) and just fell flat overall. For the hype, I expected much more especially because I've eaten Korean food my whole life. The venue is small and the seats in the back are uncomfortable.

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    Vibes + wine bottle + cute water dispenser
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    Cozy sitting corner by the window
    Cozy sitting corner by the window
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    The counter by the kitchen
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    Olivia H. is clearly a paid reviewer because my experience here a few days ago felt like a literal…read moresitcom. First off, the front door is mounted on flimsy plastic hinges, so every time someone opens it, it swings open violently and knocks the vase off the nearby table. The service was somehow even worse. When I was there on Tuesday, May 19th from 8-10 PM, there was exactly ONE bartender working the entire place -- both inside and outside -- and she was unbelievably inattentive. My date and I sat at the bar for TWENTY MINUTES before she even acknowledged us or asked if we wanted drinks. I literally had to call out "Excuse me" just to order a $25 quarter-filled glass of wine. Embarrassing all around. And when we were ready to leave and wanted the check, the female bartender working on Tuesday May 19th from 8-10 PM was busy standing in the corner chatting with someone instead of helping customers. I haven't seen someone move this slowly or care this little since the DMV. TO MANAGEMENT - this was absolutely horrible, embarrassing, and unprofessional service. Clean up your act, and hire a second or even a third bartender.

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    Perfect match!
    Perfect match!
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    Sami & Susu - mediterranean - Updated June 2026

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