I recently had the occasion to go to Bay Ridge for a Yelp event, and I had to pause. Having never been to this part of Brooklyn before, I really had no idea what was here. Doing a little research beforehand, I discovered Tanoreen. Yes, I actually heard of this place before! I remembered them being reviewed in the New Yorker some time ago and made a mental note to come here one day. Better yet, they are a Michelin "Bib Gourmand" restaurant meaning that they offer great food at a great value. Tanoreen sounded like a gem that couldn't be missed on this initial foray into Bay Ridge. Indeed, it was! It was a real treat to see a menu with so many middle Eastern options and have the confidence that everything would be prepared correctly. The restaurant is family owned, after all. I began, predictably enough perhaps, with the hummus ($6). Delicious! Their hummus is really creamy, and it is finished with a high quality olive oil and even a few chickpeas. The pita was soft and took up the hummus really well. There was a lot of flavor, and I really had quite a bit of this before my main course arrived. It was a nice treat. For the main course, I went with the kafta with tahini sauce ($17), though they also serve it with a tomato sauce. This was very colorfully presented with chopped parsley garnish all around the oval plate, with a burst of purple kohlrabi for even more garnish. On the plate, there were two mounds of food. To my left, rice pilaf with brown vermicelli noodles folded in, presumably for texture. To my right, a finely ground lamb patty smothered in tahini sauce topped with potatoes. It might all look a little unusual, but it tasted pretty good with the left mound nicely merging with right mound. It is very filling and reasonably priced too. I was pretty happy with the selection. The service is adept, and the dining room is really well decorated, in a fresh modern tone that I don't usually encounter at ethnic eateries. The atrium seating area with full street view was nice as well. What a great neighborhood spot! Recommend. read more

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It's worth a trip to Brooklyn to check out Tanoreen for Palestinian/Middle Eastern food. They have the standard cold and warm appetizers that many middle eastern restaurants have but the seafood here is worth a try. Went a little overboard with getting both hummus & baba ganoush but both were good. Got the special fisherman's dinner which was excellent as was the shrimp with garlic. For dessert try the kanefeh. It might be one of the best things you've ever had! read more

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After today, I am convinced: Tanoreen is my favorite restaurant in Brooklyn. We have tried many of their dishes, all of them divine, incredibly flavorful, balanced, fresh, warming...the eggplant napoleon, the brussels sprouts, the kabob...honestly, I hesitate to suggest any one particularly dish because they are all wonderful. I will say that the most enjoyable way to eat here is to think of it more as a small plates place: have a bunch of the appetizers and just one main. You'll thank me for it. We'd eat here every week if they'd open a location closer to Park Slope. Thanks for another wonderful meal (which included great service as usual). Tanoreen is a gem!! read more

Without a doubt the best. The very, very best. Their appetizers are so good that it's pretty much the norm to fill up on a mezze platter and assorted other goodies - so I can't even really speak on the entrees. Get the brussel sprouts and cauliflower. Don't like either vegetable? Get them anyway - you're about to be converted. And do not even think about skipping the eggplant napolean. I dream about his dish and talk about it incessantly during my waking hours. Layers of the smokiest baba ganouj sandwiched between the crispiest, most amazing rings of fried eggplant. Was worried about the quality of the food once they moved to their bigger location - but it's still as wonderful. Service is still as good and you even can expect the table visit from Rawia, the most congenial of restaurant owners. read more

The food is pretty good! Whenever I go to a Mediterranean restaurant my go to appetizers are the grape leaves. Sadly, this was the only appetizer that disappointed. I have had better in other places. I had ordered a chicken kebab and the chicken was beautifully cooked. It was tender and juicy. Not a dry piece at all. Service is great and the waitstaff is so good with kids! Take out wise, they do take a bit long but it is worth it! read more

I normally don't eat too much middle Easter food but this place was great. Recommendation were great and the appetizers were we'll received. Took just a bit to get my food but it came out very good. Highly recommended. read more

Tanoreen - Lamb - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. They were able to fit a party of 11 people last minute on a Friday evening. The food is amazing and the Knafeh dessert is a must try! The restaurant just has a very relaxed vibe and the servers were all very attentive. read more

Family owned business and very delicious food. Just pop in and take a look at how amazing tingling doubling it is.

Service 10/10 Food 10/10 Food quality: chicken dishes are so tender same with meat dishes it comes off like cotton candy. Cooked to perfection. Dessert: their Kanafeh is probably the best one I ever had in United States. read more

Excellent food. I know now why this place is always packed. Not very fancy decor but spacious.

After hearing so much about this place, I made the trek out to Brooklyn to check it out. The arrangement of the food and the decor of the place were both beautiful. We tried several appetizers and most of them were pretty good--including the Eggplant Napoleon, hummus, and a walnut spread of some sort. My friend and I shared a shepherd's pie and found it dry and unremarkable, but I came with a party of 12 and the consensus seemed to be that we loved the appetizers but the entrées were only so-so. The lemonade with orange blossom and mint was also delicious. I would come back for the Eggplant Napoleon. read more

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Love the food here I think in the 4 or so times I've been here the quality has never faltered and I've tried everything on the menu. Appetizers: Eggplant Napolean = hands down the best and its a meal in and of itself! The lamb feti is amazing its my fave from the specials. The entrees are big enough to share.. the apps are all great... the hummus is fresh always, the kibbeh is tasty, the meat pies flavorful, the olive tepanede on point. Simply can't complain and the best part is the owner/chef is still around she checks on everyone speaks to people about the food cares about the feedback and hasn't cut back on the quality of ingredients. read more

I visited Brooklyn from California with a friend in August 2009. Let's say we planned our trip around what to eat instead of what to see. Of the 16 different places we got food, this was my favorite. It's middle eastern cuisine. It's a small hole in the wall restaurant in Brooklyn. On this day, because we got up late, we had lunch at about 3-4pm. By 6ish, we were here and I wasn't even very hungry. But the food was so good, I finished my plate. Before your meal comes, you are given flat bread and pickles. The pickles are delicious! What we had: MEDITERRANEAN GRILLED CHICKEN ($15) Boneless chicken breast, basil pesto sauce with sundried tomatoes, and mushrooms, served with rice pilaf. *****This was the meal I ordered. The food comes visually appealing and doesn't look greasy. The chicken was tender and the sauce was flavorful. My rating is an absolute 5!***** CHICKEN KABOB ($15):Tender chicken breast cubed and bathed in our special marinade. ****This is what my friend ordered and I had a taste. The chicken was marinated well and not dry. It too was delicious. I give this a 4.**** If I ever make it to NYC again, this place is definitely on my list to visit again. There was so much I wanted to try as everything everyone else ordered looked fabulous. read more

Tanoreen - Mediterranean Chicken - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Radiant and stellar, risen above the drab Brooklyn middle eastern landscape.....the culinary giant of mighty Tanoreen once hovered. But now they cower dejected by the concrete slabs, sobbing tears of yesteryear's glory. Oh how the vanquished have fallen at the feet of their own misgivings. The sullen shawarma bland and indelicate where zesty spices were laden. The flailing felafel agony of muted mushy pulp. The red pepper disaster .... oh yes, it too lost its hump. Now the camel rots on the banks of Bay Ridge. read more

Given that I've had middle eastern food from a majority of restaurants in New York, I was truly looking forward to my date night dinner at Tanoreen. However given the hype and price, I was grossly disappointed. First off let's get the positives out of the way. The ambiance is great and works for both a large gprup outing or a more intimate dinner. The walls were adorned with middle eastern decorations. The service was great and the waiters were very attentive at refilling the water and knowledgable about the dishes. Now the negatives. The food is bland for the most part...period. We had the eggplant Napoleon which was overpowered by the baba ganoush. The second appetizer was the Mushkaan which is a pizza topped with chicken flavored by middle Eastern spices...this was truly delicious. The main course was the mixed grill platter which consisted of paltry cubes of chicken and beef and two small lamb sausages served in a sea of rice and salad overpowered with lemon. And that bit costs $21. I've had food at zaytoons and at Istanbul in Brooklyn as well as various restaurants in Astoria. But Tanoreen was by far the worst. If you want a nice ambiance with dry and bland food that will leave your wallet lighter then give Tanoreen a try. read more

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Outstanding Mediterranean Food! Tanoreen is by far one of the best Mediterranean restaurants I've ever dined at. GF and I had 9:15PM reservations on a Saturday night. We took the subway out from lower Manhattan and arrived about 8:40 PM. We were temporarily seated at the bar while our table was being set, where we were greeted with outstanding, fresh made drinks, and (by request) a sampler appetizer plate containing several different dips including fresh made Hummus, Eggplant Salad, Turkish Salad (OMG!) and a Beet Hummus served along with a basket of flat bread with herbs. All were fantastic, we couldn't get enough and the cold appetizers practically spoiled us for the rest of the meal. Once we sat down we ordered a couple more hot appetizers, so we could sample more new flavors. We had the Eggplant Napoleon and Sujok, a dried armenian sausage, sautéed with garlic, olive oil & hot harissa, and the Crispy Halloumi Cheese. Nom! (Note that the Halloumi cheese comes out hot, but is served on cold cucumber and tomato slices, be sure to eat it quickly before it cools). We wanted to try every entree on the menu, but given how full we were from the appetizers we opted to try the highly recommended Leg of Lamb. It was outstanding, with the meat falling off the bone, and all of the veggies soft and moist. For dessert (not that we had any room, but...) we had the Knafeh: A house specialty, Knafeh is crispy layers of fillo dough stuffed with Rawia's homemade sweet cheese, soaked in orange blossom syrup & topped with crunchy pistachios. Service was outstanding throughout, and the Chef, creator, owner Rawia Bishara came by our table to ensure everything was in order. It was. Clearly all of the food here is made with love and care. We can't wait to go back. read more

Tanoreen - The cookbook - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The new location is terrific! It was a Sunday night at 8pm and every table was full but we were still seated in 5 minutes. The service was great. The atmosphere is very nice (although I wish they'd turn the lights down a little to make it a little more intimate). The food is really wonderful. It's classic Middle East but with the owners own flavoring on most of the foods. Appetizers are priced in the $5.50 - $6.50 range and meals run from $12 to $18 with some higher priced specials. The owner still goes from table to table to check on everyone. The crowd was everything but Middle Eastern. I sensed that most of the patrons weren't even from Bay Ridge...I know the Slopers love this place and I agree...it's great! read more

Tanoreen - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I bough this 6 inch kinafa for $18 dollars. Is it good yes is it worth the money absolutely not. They have cut down on the quantity and quality a lot. From $12 dollar for a 9 inch kinafa to this. They're getting full of them self. Please come back to earth. read more

Tanoreen - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

An episode of "Best Thing I Ever Ate" with Sunny Anderson praising the the Knafeh (dessert) brought me here. The restaurant is nicely decorated Mediterranean style. Very friendly vibe this is definitely a nice place to dine with family or friends. I was very pleased with the service and the food. I ordered the lamb shank it was served with with roasted veggies (potatoes, carrots, and, dates) the portion size was extra large. My dinning partner had the Grouper fish, it to came in extra large. We both had food left over. I was anxious for the dessert course and OMG it was everything I thought it would be the crispiness of the shredded phyllo dough, cheese, and sweet syrup all baked together to perfection then topped with pistachios mmmmmm. I will be back for more. read more

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I'm saddened to learn they changed the menu and chef. They no longer have the option of making a sampler platter from its appetizers menu. The rice noodle pilaf that accompanies many entrees is now soggy and lacks the flavor that previous chef had achieved. The cucumber tomato parsley salad that is served on every entree lacked flavor. Granted, they cooked and spiced the chicken kebab harmoniously and deliciously. The Shepherd's Pie was dry. The Short Rib is/was delicious. The restaurant decor and ppl are still nice. If you're going there on a Friday or Saturday evening, Call to make a reservation. It's full house. read more

Philip is an excellent waiter and the food is excellent. It is consistently great! Highly recommend

We love the food and atmosphere at Tanoreen! The food is fantastic, and the restaurant staff is professional and attentive. We are happy regular customers! read more

First time here and I loved it. It's a Great place to get my Middle Eastern fix. They have valet parking and despite it being extremely packed, they were able to get us a table pretty quickly. The restaurant is small and cozy. The service was amazing and the food was delicious. I ordered the Mansaf even though it wasn't on the menu, not how I am accustomed to in Jordan but it was still delicious. Before leaving I had to eat Kanafeh and I was not let down at all. The only thing is that I wished they didn't have the AC blasting, it was pretty cold at the restaurant. I was shivering the whole time I was there and my food got cold pretty fast. But other than that I would go back to eat, I'll just remember to wear warmer clothes. read more

Tanoreen - Mansaf - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I absolutely loved this place. The portions was huge though. I had the Mediterranean chicken with pesto sauce and mushrooms. The hummus hit the spot! I love the way it was made and the bread added on to the yumminess! read more

Tanoreen - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Eggplant Napoleon must have been a creation for the gastro gods. Smoky and crispy complimented by a ring of fresh salsa... you can not miss this appetizer! We asked our waiter to bring a sample of the hummus which turned out to be a perfect compliment to the most flavorful falafel I've had in months. Definitely ask for hot sauce at the beginning of your meal. The prelude already had me swooning, and I was excited to see what the mixed grill combo had to offer as I continued to sip on my Nazareth Sunrise. The first taste of chicken was insanely moist and flavorful, even for white meat which usually pales in comparison to the lamb and beef. Filet Minon was cooked to a juicy temperature and the other meats were tenderly highlighted by a nice balance of spices, bringing out the natural flavor of the carved flesh. However, I did have a moment of something foul-tasting... probably kabob that had been inappropriately stored or kept a few moments too long. After my exposure to the plating techniques served up by Tanoreen, I'm pretty there's a worker whose sole responsibility is to chop parsley. Seriously, this place is swimming in the green stuff, but it definitely adds a festive characteristic to each of these Middle Eastern plates. Our meal ended with a gigantic portion of the chef's special walnut and pistachio Knafeh, a version without cheese, which we ordered along with Baklava (to be honest, 'twas rather dry and you can find more varieties at local bakeries). Take a moment to make reservations for your party and you'll avoid some unnecessary confrontation with the house-front staff. My overall experience was positive, especially after a particularly courageous waiter ceased his "playful" harassment about my age. read more

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I heard a lot about this place, and finally today we had a chance to go there. First of all, observing the plates that they serve you can see that there is a very good chef in the kitchen working and touching the food (not like other chefs coming to their restaurant for a while). The service was amazing, our waiter, Philip, was really attentive and professional. You can feel that everybody working in the restaurant are aware of what they are doing. Highly recommended. read more

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I hate to be yet another person to say "I preferred the early version," but the new, bigger, shinier Tanoreen does not make me love Brooklyn the same way the old one did. I preferred the BYOB policy, the intimate seating, the more frequent interaction with the lady who makes all of the delicious appetizers, and the sense that you were being well taken care of. All of that said, this is still an extremely excellent restaurant. Yes, it's crowded (we were 20 minutes late for our 7 pm reservation and couldn't be seated until 8:20) and yes the food is very sour, but oh is it delicious. We ordered only vegetarian dishes (and no alcohol) and just about everything off the special menu was standout-- especially the cauliflower tagine and the red-pepper-walnut spread. It will never be the same as it once was, but it might still be worth the trip to Bay Ridge. read more

You can't go hungry here. Nope. Not possible. We starts with a cold appetizer sampler in which you get to pick your items. We did cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, hummus and some red pepper dip/spread. I don't even like cauliflower but this was good. But it pales I'm comparison to the red pepper dip. That was lick your plate good. We also did a flatbread with spiced chicken which was really good. I did the small falafel for my entree. And after all those appetizers I could barely finish it. But it was good. Service here was superb. Nice clean atmosphere. Can't wait to come back. Heard the mini pies were good as well as the stuffed cabbage. read more

Love, love LOVE this place. Impeccable staff, delicious fare, and great atmosphere makes it a soon-to-be favorite restaurant in Brooklyn. Wish the prices, though decent, are more reasonable. read more

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If you need a middle eastern craving fulfilled, this will hit the spot. Their wine selection is also great which is a nice bonus.

Opentable res for a Tuesday night, the place was full! We were offered tap or bottled water immediately while waiting for others to arrive. Right after ordering pita basket (soft, crispy, crispy with zaatar) and small plate with pickled beets, cauliflower, and green olives with harissa (little spicy) comes out. Babaganoush is not too exciting or unfamiliar, labne is a little bland without the olive oil, fried haloumi was battered and a little well done. The Turkish salad was amazing - spicy with just the right amount of vegs and harissa, we ate all of it! FIL seemed to enjoy his string beans with beef stew served with rice. Hubby enjoyed his fish (filet) served with rice and cucumber/tomato salad. I got the maklobeh which is a lamb shank served with rice that is slow cooked with eggplant, cauliflower, carrots topped with carmelized onions and almonds (love the crunch)! Also served with yogurt. Surprisingly, having had it before, the knafe wasn't to die for as I thought. The orange syrup and pistachios on top add dimension and texture but I don't think the cheese was cooked enough? read more

Tanoreen - Maklobeh "upside down" - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This place had been on my list since before moving to NYC, since I had heard great reviews and am a huge fan of middle eastern food. I finally made it down the Bay Ridge (the ONLY drawback is trekking down) and dropped in for a few appetizers. They bring you out a delicious complementary bowl of olives, pickles, and pickled beets, as well as a basket of mixed breads. The herbed lavash (crispy flatbread) was amazing! We ordered the eggplant napoleon, mini pies (one spinach, one meat, and one cheese), and the vegetarian stuffed grape leaves. Hand's down, the eggplant was the winner. Personally, I'd skip the pies next time and order the meaty grape leaves. Don't get me wrong, however -- everything was delicious. Icing on the cake? Yep. The owner makes her rounds through the dining room to ensure everyone was satisfied. Love it. read more

Tanoreen - Egglant Napoleon & Mini Pies - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I rarely make it to Brooklyn to eat let alone Bay Ridge. But after seeing the kanafe dessert featured on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" I had a mission. It was a cold November day and my mother was in town. We decided to make the journey out to Bay Ridge and OMG I am sooo glad we did! This was truly one of the most memorable meals I have had in New York. We decided to just order and assortment of appetizers to share. Cold vegetarian grape leaves -the best I have ever had labaneh- perfectly cool minty and refreshing hummus- I have eaten a lot of hummus in my day and this truly topped them all- sooo creamy topped with whole chickpeas and drizzle with olive oil baba ghanouge- perfect musukken- homemade flatbread topped with spiced chicken and almonds- I don't even know where to begin describing this dish! The flavors and textures were so complex. I have seriously been dreaming of this dish ever since. For dessert- the famous kanafe- The kanafe was a little too sweet for my mothers taste but it was right up my alley! Sweet cheese, floral rosewater, crunchy pistachios... what more could a girl want?! read more

Tanoreen - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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AS GOOD AS IT GETS FOR MEDITERRANEAN We came here for a friend's bday. I'm usually not a big fan of Mediterranean but Here's 2 must try's before you die: 1) Brussel Sprouts w/yogurt sauce. (Best B.S. I ever tasted in my life) 2) Knafeh Dessert (Cant describe it. Just pure special) PS: Service was top notch. Unbelievably attentive. read more

Tanoreen - Knafeh Dessert - "Featured in "Best Thing I Ever Ate" on the Food Network - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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We ordered 100 bucks worth of food. We live in jersey so we came all the way to see dyker heights and thought would do take out here since there are 800 plus reviews of this restaurant. The lentil soup which is the simplest dish usually was so bland and tasteless that my daughter didn't have more than 2 spoons. The chicken kebab was super dry and over cooked chewy, the lamb dish had 99 percent rice and 1 percent minced lamb and was again totally bland. The dessert we were told we can go home and cook (we paid for unfinished dessert which is really strange but it's fine since we were told it's better to make it hot and I understand that ) we got it home and it was terrible too- a mish mash with no taste at all too. I regret spending 100 bucks on the food from here. I had high expectations based on the reviews. read more

Tanoreen might be my favorite restaurant in all of New York. It's not an everyday/go-to place (I'd probably pick a sushi or pizza joint for that), but when I'm in the mood for unique flavors and sick of everything else, I head here. The spices, the preparation...they separate Tanoreen from the already high level of Middle-Eastern restaurants dotting the map of NYC. I'm really glad to see their growing success since all the write-ups a few years ago--they deserve it. And now they're in a larger space and have a liquor license, so there's absolutely nothing to gripe about. Everything here is good, but first and foremost, if I come to Tanoreen, I come for the hot appetizers. The "mezes" you should try: mini-pies, sambosek (yum) kibbie, and sujok. Of course, all the cold dishes are great as well. I haven't explore the entrees very much, but everything so far has stood up to the challenge. Can't wait to return! read more

The lentil soup was alive with spices. I rather enjoyed my chicken fetti was delicious. The service was competent and didn't draw attention to itself. I know Mediterranean isn't usually considered brunch food, but we came here at a few minutes past 11 and had the place to ourselves. When we left there was only one other party of three (around 12:20-12:30). Just a thought. read more

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As much as I wanna love this place, anytime I have eaten here though the flavors are explosive, the aftermath is brutal. Digesting their food is the problem. It seems like the oils used to fry their food is low end and bad for your digestion. Maybe cheap vegetable oils. The falafel is dry and heavy. Leaves your stomach feeling blah. Same with the kibbie. They have to change their frying oils and start investing in organic better quality meats. The chicken kabob was also dry and blah and the dips were good but again the oils have to go. I have had food there a handful of times and I really want to like it but it's the same result. read more

One of the best Middle Eastern food around Brooklyn. We went there 3 times and it's always excellent and the owner was there all times stopping by all tables to make sure everything is OK ( you dont get to see this type of behavior too often!). We ordered bunch of appetizers: Baba Ghanouge, Eggplant Salad:, Labaneh, Eggplant Napoleon:, etc . I ordered from specials lamb shank ( it may or may not be available). Lamb shank was excellent. btw, you must try Eggplant Napoleon :) the place is usually crowded so definetely call ahead to make reservations and allow sometime to find parking- It's Bay Ridge! A+ read more

Tanoreen - Lamb chops- super yam! - Middle Eastern Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The MOST exceptional and authentic Middle Eastern Cuisine outside of the Middle East ! Everything is freshly prepared, and truly delicious! Eating in or Takeout is always a 100% Positive Experience!! Thank you toothed beautiful Owner and all her Staff!! read more