Good food, service was great. Ambiance was phenomenal. People were friendly and welcoming.

Five stars for an unforgettable celebration at ZOI Mediterranean! I chose ZOI Mediterranean to celebrate the completion of my Ph.D. program with a dinner for 10+ family and friends back in July, followed by drinks downstairs at Ten11 Lounge. I wanted an evening that combined elegance with just the right amount of party energy. ZOI delivered that--and then some. Because we were a larger group, I worked with their events team in advance. Tugce was wonderful to work with and helped me select a two-course dinner package featuring several cold and hot appetizers, a choice of three entrées, and a 90-minute beer and wine open bar. From the planning process through the final drink of the evening, everything felt thoughtfully coordinated. They even created a customized menu for my dinner. And then there was the food! Our appetizers included fresh salads, crispy zucchini chips with tzatziki, and beautifully fried calamari. The zucchini and calamari were light and crisp rather than heavy, and while neither really needed its accompanying sauce, the sauces took both dishes over the top. For our entrées, I wanted my guests to have variety, so we offered chicken skewers, Beef Butcher Bobka, and Short Rib Tandir. Nine out of ten of us chose the short rib--including me--and I'm glad we did. I have been searching for an exceptional short rib ever since having one years ago at a French bistro in Chelsea that eventually closed. ZOI's Short Rib Tandir topped it. The meat was incredibly tender and deeply savory, with a subtle braised-wine sweetness and caramelized richness. It was accompanied by wonderfully aromatic truffled mashed potatoes and carrots, creating the kind of full-bodied, balanced plate that makes you slow down and appreciate what you're eating. The rosé was a terrific pairing. But what elevated the evening from a great dinner to a truly memorable celebration was the service. Manager Anjan Rahman kept an attentive eye on our group throughout the evening without ever making us feel rushed. When I arrived, several guests were enjoying drinks at the bar, and I explained that we'd linger there until more of the group arrived. There was no pressure whatsoever. When we were ready to sit, I simply gave him a heads-up, and the team took it from there. Our server, Jason, was professional, warm, and exceptionally attentive. We never had to search for someone or ask repeatedly for anything. The entire staff made us feel genuinely taken care of. And the experience didn't end with dinner. We had reserved a table downstairs at Ten11 Lounge, which made for a seamless transition from elegant dinner to celebratory cocktails. Our favorite manager, Anjan, even came downstairs later to check on our group and made sure everything was going well. That small gesture says a lot about the hospitality here. The combination of ZOI's beautiful atmosphere, delicious Mediterranean cuisine, terrific drinks, and genuinely exceptional staff made an important milestone even more memorable. I was so impressed that before the evening was even over, I was already thinking about coming back. If you're looking for a restaurant for a birthday, anniversary, graduation, milestone dinner, or private celebration and want beautiful surroundings, excellent food and drinks, attentive service, and the option to keep the night going at Ten11 downstairs, put ZOI Mediterranean on your list. Thank you to Tugce, Anjan, Jason, and the entire ZOI and Ten11 teams for helping make my Ph.D. celebration one I'll always remember. Five stars, without hesitation. read more

Zoi Mediterranean Nomad - Short Rib Tandir - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

We had such a lovely dinner at Zoi - ended up staying longer than planned A special thank you to Sophia for taking such great care of us and for the amazing food and wine recommendations The short rib tandir, zoi mezze royal, and baklava are absolute must-orders read more

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Zoi Mediterranean on 31st Street was a pretty solid experience overall. We ended up sitting at a high top because reservations were needed even on a Wednesday night, but honestly it still worked out fine. The ambiance was really cute it's located in the lobby of a hotel, but the design makes it feel like you're dining on the side of molten rock, which gave it a really unique vibe. I ordered the short rib tandir. The meat was super tender, but there were a lot of fatty pieces throughout. The sauce itself was really good and flavorful, but the meat could've used a little more flavor on its own. My friend ordered the duck à la tandir and said it was cool. The calamari was definitely the standout of the night. Fried perfectly, light crispy batter, and tasted really fresh. Easily our favorite dish. Overall, I'd say it's worth trying for the ambiance, drinks, and appetizers. Some dishes hit more than others, but the vibe definitely makes for a cute night out. read more

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My experience here was horrible. I came for happy hour at 4:30 because I saw it on social media as 4-6, so I asked the bartender for the happy hour menu. He said he didn't know about any HH and if there was one, it wouldn't be now, so I said I saw it on social media as 4-6. He said he didn't know, so I asked again for a HH menu. He apparently asked his manager and they confirmed there's a HH. So I asked what the deal is, and the bartender said all drinks. I asked if the cocktails were HH and he said yes, so I asked what that means, and he said they're all half off. Then after he made them, he said it's actually only beer and wine. I was livid. Plus my cocktail tasted like straight up simple syrup and nothing else. $58 ($70 after tip which I didn't want to even give but I would never do that) for two cocktails when it was supposed to be $25 is wildddd. Terrible. I will never go back. read more

Zoi Mediterranean Nomad - Bar - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

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Excellent! The restaurant is gorgeous and the staff is beyond accomodating. We enjoyed all of our dishes and the pricing was reasonable for the quality of food we received! We came for my niece's birthday and they brought out a dessert with a candle and the cutest photo "frame" for her to hold up for a picture read more

This place is all about the ambience. The beautiful salt cave atmosphere gives a very modern chic and sexy vibe. The presentation of the drinks are super fun. I enjoyed my tequila cocktails. They offer plates that are good for sharing. The service was efficient and servers were friendly. It was a good experience. My party and I didn't go down to the lounge afterward, but we did have drinks at the bar. The lounge is selective about attire, so make sure you wear your good stuff read more

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Start off by saying I will give this restaurant a 5/5 for customer service. 3/5 for food. Given the great experience with the waiter, this gets four stars from me. Had a reservation, was seated immediately upon arriving. Place is beautiful, you almost feel like you're sitting inside a salt rock. Ordered wine and a cocktail (between land and sea). Wine was average, cocktail was fantastic. Delicious flavor and large portion. Started with sushi - was not provided the menu, but once I informed the waiter I saw sushi online, he brought it over. It was fresh and delightful. Ordered chop and chix and short rib to split with my mom. The chop chix was flavorful, but very small. Not enough to be considered an entree in my option. Should be listed as an appetizer. The short rib - terrible. I almost never send food back.. however, there was maybe a fork full of meat and the rest was fat. I was taken back they served something like that. HOWEVER, the waiter acknowledged that the meal was not up to par and provided us with the menu to select another option. He was very apologetic and fixed it right up!! Over a cute spot for a drink and app. Not sure if I would get dinner here again. Experience with staff was excellent and for that, they deserve four stars. As for the short rib, perhaps they can change the menu and remove that dish. read more

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We live close to this place and it looked amazing from the outside so we were super excited to check it out. On google the reviews were also 4.5+ so we had high hopes. The lighting and decor was super cute and very unique. However when we sat down, the tables were very close together to the point where if someone was slightly on the larger side, their backs would brush the neighboring tables. The food itself was very mid, nothing stood out as fantastic in terms of flavor. The veggie burger we ordered was so bad we had to send it back. As seen in the video, it looked like the patties (zucchini pancakes) was drowning in oil. Thankfully they didn't charge us for it but it wasn't before we took a bite and realized there was no way we could eat it or eat anything else the rest of the night. read more

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Vibrant and lovely evening at Zoi. My husband and I had dinner here on a Wednesday night. Love the decorative walls and ambiance. The service, cocktails, and food were all on point. Everything was very good and the portions were generous. We had the Greek salad, crispy calamari, and roasted cauliflower as our starters. I enjoyed the herb-infused grilled salmon as my main course. It was cooked to perfection. My husband had the short rib tandir, he also enjoyed it but it was a little fatty on one side. For dessert, we loved the cold baklava, it was light and not too sweet. This is an excellent spot for a romantic dinner. I will definitely return. read more

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I came here for lunch and we tried the butchers flatbread, the octopus carpaccio, and the mummara. The person I was dining with tried the Shanghai kiss which was delicious and comes with lychee and a sugar skull Swizler stick. Of all of the dishes we like the mummara the best. It was really well prepared. After that, the octopus carpaccio, it was very delicate very well prepared and very finally sliced. Everything was super fresh and delicious. I would definitely recommend coming here for a cocktails or a happy hour. The place looks beautiful as well. They have agate wall walls with back lighting so it looks really lovely too. The restaurant is a little on the smaller side with maybe about 15 tables, but it's a good really good space to have events or just come for a special occasion. read more

Zoi Mediterranean Nomad - BUTCHER FLATBREAD - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

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I was so excited to try this new restaurant and was disappointed in my experience. Our waiter kept rushing us and when I asked for recommendations, he was quite resistant and unhelpful. For drinks, we got the Shanghai kiss and between 2 seas. The between 2 seas was huge so definitely got our moneys worth. We started with hummus which was good and the bread it came with was fluffy. We also got the octopus carpaccio which was tasty and cauliflower. The cauliflower came out cold and there was no break in between courses. There were only two of us and were served with all plates at the same time which was quite overwhelming, I had to ask them to not bring out our meal immediately and to slow down. For dinner, we split the lamb chops which was supposed to come with chimmichuri sauce and it was barely there. We asked for medium rare and it came out medium. I had asked the waiter if what we ordered was enough food or too much and he said it was fine however I was still hungry at the end. It was a very underwhelming experience and I did not appreciate feeling rushed with my meal. read more

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Great ambiance and energy coupled with great food. The cauliflower was outstanding. Try the short rib and I promise you, you will not be disappointed. The service was on point. The waiter gave us suggestions and his choices did not disappoint. read more

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Walking the streets of New York and find this place. Yelp made up our mind. We enjoyed it. My wife got the felafel and I got the fire bread. First off the felafel was smooth and delicious and I don't care for it but this I would eat. Very nice. The fire bread was meat on a flat bread. Good not amazing it needed a little more flavor either heat or seasonings. It was good though. The service was great. I would return here in a later visit to the city. read more

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I really had a great experience trying their hot mezze dishes. We didn't try any entree but the cocktails and 3 appetizers were enough for us as we had late lunch. We ordered crispy brussel sprouts, muhammara and falafel. The first 2 were amazing!!! Falafel was Lebanese style and was ok. The interior decor was fire, and immersive. Cocktails we ordered were espresso martini and passion fruit. They were both good but a bit pricey. The waiter was very attentive and the appetizers were stellar expect for the bread which I wish it was warm. It's a bit pricey but nothing unusual for Manhattan restaurants. I noticed the big discrepancy between Google reviews and Yelp reviews. I personally had a good experience so, I would recommend checking it out. read more

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Came here for brunch, it is in the bottom level of a hotel. The decor is a bit flashy. I had the Benedict, the food was good but pretty overpriced for what it is. read more

I went to Zoi for a friend's birthday and the experience was honestly shocking. Our reservation was at 8:00 PM, and while being seated at 8:15 with a party of 10 was reasonable, everything went downhill from there. Our waiter didn't take our drink order for quite some time, and the drinks didn't arrive until 9:00 PM. What made it worse was that he didn't know which drink was which and actually proceeded to sniff them at the table. That was absolutely unbelievable and completely inappropriate. We had to call the manager over and ask for the drinks to be remade, which took another 30 minutes. We then placed our appetizer and dinner order, but the food didn't come out until 10:15 PM. Waiting nearly two hours for food is simply unacceptable. Throughout the night, we were constantly waiting for service, for drinks, for food, with very little consideration shown to our table. To top it off, the waiter was rude to us as we were leaving. The manager sent over a bottle of prosecco, but given the circumstances, it would have made much more sense to comp the drinks. The overall lack of service and professionalism completely ruined the birthday celebration. I hate to say it, but this place felt overhyped. It seems they either lack the capacity or the customer service skills to handle large groups. Sadly, this was a very disappointing experience. read more

It was really really really loud. We did the restaurant week menu. The food portion was tiny - essentially your entree of meats will be only 4 sausage links, an app, and a dessert for the price of $60 pp. Will not come back. The dessert was too sweet and overwhelming. The server was slow and we had to ask them to refill the water. read more

Zoi Mediterranean Nomad - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

The food was overall fine; the tomato salad was very refreshing, but the halloumi flatbread just tasted like a normal cheese pizza. Cocktails were fine as well; the "Mezcalita El Paradiso" was very good, but the "Meet You in Istanbul" was too sweet. The vibe is very scene-y -- think lights with gold undertones, drinks with smoke, and loud music. Unfortunately, the speakers are behind the booth seating, so your dinner conversation might be drowned out by the beat dropping. read more

I wasn't going to write a review, but now that a week has passed and I still can't believe how poor this experience was, I feel compelled to share it so this doesn't happen to anyone else. Our reservation was for 8:00 PM for a party of nine. We were not served our dinner until 10:30 PM--a two-and-a-half-hour wait with no meaningful explanation or accountability. To make matters worse, we later found out that our server was brand new. I genuinely don't understand how management thought it was appropriate to assign a new waiter to a nine-top on a Friday night. The lack of oversight was obvious. The drink service alone was unacceptable. The drinks were dropped off by someone else (who we later learned was the manager), who stood at the end of the table and yelled out what he thought each drink was, then passed them to the closest person for us to hand down the table ourselves. No one knew which drink belonged to whom. When our waiter eventually came back and we asked what a specific drink was, he picked up the glass, sniffed it, guessed what it was, and put it back on the table. That moment alone should tell you everything about the level of professionalism here. Both the manager and the waiter were completely unapologetic, which made the experience even worse. This was especially disappointing because it was my birthday dinner, and I had friends who traveled from out of town to celebrate with me. As for the food--after all that waiting--it was very mid at best. Lastly, don't let social media fool you. The restaurant is extremely small and is essentially located in the hotel lobby, which adds to the underwhelming experience. I will never return, and I would not recommend this place to anyone--especially not for a special occasion. read more

Pros: good cocktails (I had the Shanghai Kiss and it was really good), and good service. Vibes were nice. Cons: Aside from the cocktails, the babaganoush tasted flavorless, same with the zucchini pancakes. The chicken cigar rolls and chop and chick were decent, but ground chicken (at least to me) usually comes out nice because of how soft it is. read more

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The service and the food don't match the ambiance at Zoi. Sadly I feel that the only reason most people gravitate here is because of the ambiance. Not only did it take almost 10 minutes just to find someone to take my carry out order last Saturday, but I was told it'd only be a 15 minute wait & was there almost 40 minutes. I'm also disappointed to report that the food is bland, or at the very least the lamb shank is. I've been to many Mediterranean restaurants across the nation, and have never questioned their ability to season food. It's actually in my top five of favorite cuisines to eat for that reason but this time I wasn't so lucky. I don't want to deter anyone from giving them a try because maybe they were just having an off night, but maybe stick to the more frequently ordered items to ensure you'll be satisfied. read more

I went out with my family for a birthday dinner here yesterday and it was actually really great! The place is (obviously) stunning, the service was fantastic, and the food and drinks were only lacking of complaints. We all got different drinks from the menu and each one was truly a hit - everyone's eyes lit up at first sip and I'm not exaggerating. The "meet you in Istanbul" was definitely my fave; it was executed perfectly and came out looking stunning. The food was also delicious! Nothing short of what I expected - everything was flavorful and portions were a decent size. I don't usually like tzatziki/yogurt based things but this one was truly superb. The chicken patties and lamb shank were also really delicious and filling. I would definitely return! read more

Zoi Mediterranean Nomad - Mediterranean Near Me - New York, New York

Really good!! Great food, one of the best sushi I've tried and great kebabs, keeb and hummus!! Also is a beautiful atmosphere!!

It's rare that I say this, but under no circumstances would I return to eat at Zoi. The octopus and pave potatoes were delicious, but given the price, I'd expect real portions instead of what we were given. The portions were so small that it was laughable. We also ordered the short rib and tenderloin royale, which were served not only took 45 minutes to come, but arrived cold. The short rib came with a good amount of food, but I'd rather eat at McDonald's than order the tenderloin again. Our server didn't even bother to come back and check on us throughout the meal. Thankfully another server noticed us and was kind enough to bring us the check. Don't be misled by the nice ambiance. The food and service here are sub par, and the prices outrageous. Do yourself a favor and hit up your local Mediterranean spot. I personally love Sophra Grill in upper east side. read more

Overpriced food for small portions. Limited vegetarian options too. I ordered the falafel and greek salad to share and a drink and I paid $50+. Our waiter was very kind but the service was slow. I was here for a birthday dinner and the interior is beautiful, but would not recommend for a casual dinner with friends. read more

Great experience from start to finish. Fantastic cocktails, food, and ambiance and super attentive staff. Really creative menu with deep rich flavors. read more

Extremely disappointing experience. I went for lunch with my husband and we were seated around 1:45 pm, but it took about 25 minutes before anyone came to take our order. We ordered hummus as an appetizer and one main dish each (a burger for him and a meat dish for me). The hummus arrived after the main courses, served with very stale bread, and it was sour and completely inedible. My dish came with pasta that was totally overcooked. The service was poor--not because of the waiter, who was kind and tried his best, but because of the restaurant's terrible organization. He was the only person handling the entire dining room, which clearly affected the experience. The bill was around $120 for two people. While the space itself is fine, the food and overall service were among the worst I've ever had in Manhattan. I honestly don't understand how this place has so many positive reviews. Very disappointing. read more

The breeze yogurt soup was unique and good! The baklava was great. The lamb chops were ok but the freekeh rice with them was very oily. The music in the bar is too loud. The kitchen was really slow and the bar service wasn't great. Didn't get checked on, paying was annoying, etc. read more

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unfortunately the hype for this restaurant is simmered down to another aesthetically pleasing spot. our $25 drinks were watered down badly, our food was mediocre despite the prices and the restaurant being a mediterranean kitchen. good spot to take pics at though! read more

We stopped into ZOI on a random Tuesday night while we were in the city for work from Dallas, TX. The chicken cigar rolls, tempura shrimp, crispy Brussels sprouts, and falafels were delicious. While the food was very tasty, we will be back to ZOI because of Johnathan. He provided outstanding service. Johnathan went above and beyond to keep our wine glasses full, suggest some cuisine favorites, and is just an all around charming guy. Don't sleep on ZOI or Johnathan! read more

The waiter had no personality and when asked about certain items on the menu, he did not seem impressed. We ordered a couple of different appetizers to start since the menu looked good. Unfortunately, the food was not good and we literally left before ordering dinner, yuck! Two thumbs down read more

Not sure why this place has such an average rating. The pasta was good omg! Spicy rigatoni and the seafood one were both so amazing. The drinks and service were good as well. Hostess accommodated us with a different table after others had left and server checked on us but wasn't overly attentive which gave us room to relax and chat. Walls gave a nice glow for pictures. Great place! read more

Great dining experience with Ali. He was so helpful with our order for lunch, drinks and dessert. It was our first restaurant in Manhattan as we had just arrived and were on the hunt for a nice lunch. We received more than we expected. My husband had the minced meat bread and it was very tasty and I had the falafel platter. It was the smoothest falafel and hummus I had ever eaten. I was grateful for the wonderful bread bowl because it went wonderfully with my meal. We chose the special mango chocolate dessert and it was worth the money. What a great first experience in the city that never sleeps. Thank you Ali. We really enjoyed ourselves. read more

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I came in with average hopes and left thoroughly impressed by everything. This spot is consistently impressive!!! Their food presentation is beautiful. The complete staff offered kindness and support. This place contributes to local identity. read more

Bartender Carlos is very accommodating and super friendly. The best bartender I've come across!

Great ambience. Mediocre food. Drink were too sweet. The only good thing on the menu was the Dubai cheesecake. Melts in your mouth.

I chose this place for my Birthday because I enjoy Mediterranean & it seemed to have a nice ambience & menu that would make the evening special. All I can say is I won't be returning. Food was mediocre at best & very little attention to detail. Our waitress did try very hard to her credit, but the experience was only special because of the person who was treating me. They don't even let you have bread unless you ordered mezze & wouldn't let my friend have the cheese platter for dessert. read more

I usually don't leave negative reviews, but I felt the need to share this because I had really high expectations after seeing this place all over social media. I genuinely think they have potential, but unfortunately, the experience didn't live up to the hype. Even though we had a reservation, we had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated -- and the table was ready and right in front of us the whole time, which made the wait feel unnecessary. Once seated, the space felt extremely tight and cramped. Our table was placed right by the host stand and near the front door, which made the environment feel more hectic than comfortable -- not ideal for a relaxed night out. We ordered drinks first, and those arrived within 10 minutes, which was fine. But we placed our food order around 8:15, and the first dish didn't come out until 8:46. The rest of the food didn't arrive until 9:15. That kind of delay really affected the flow of the evening. The service was extremely poor -- clearly, they're understaffed and overwhelmed, which showed in how long everything took and the lack of attentiveness throughout the night. As for the food: it was just okay. The truffle Alfredo pasta lacked flavor and wasn't as rich or creamy as expected. The lamb chops were also underwhelming and missing seasoning. The halloumi pide was the only dish that stood out and was genuinely enjoyable. This place seems better suited for a casual happy hour rather than a celebration or date night. I had asked in advance about birthday accommodations and was told they could do something -- but it ended up being the bare minimum: a small candle and one server softly singing, which was barely audible over the loud music. Overall, we were really disappointed. read more

WORST service i've ever experienced! We went for my friend's birthday, who is gluten free. Our waiter gave her a dessert with gluten in it, and proceeded to tell me that I "should not let little things ruin her birthday" and that they didn't have any gluten free desserts. There is ice cream on the menu. The waiter said he was a manager and that it was his first day, but he was the rudest man I have ever met. He asked me if I was mad at him, and told us to be happy he gave us the dessert for free. I wish I could go back because the food and ambiance was so good, but I was APPALLED by the service. Everyone else was so nice, but this man needs to fired! Do better!! read more