As a Lebanese girl, my deep love for Middle Eastern cuisine is woven into my DNA. I recall countless nights throughout my childhood when my dad would grill lamb chops in our backyard that my mom, brother and I would gleefully devour alongside bowls of tabbouleh and baba ghanoush. Other days, we would visit our favorite Lebanese spot in Westwood, CA and dig into beef shawarma plates and stuffed grape leaves. “Sahtein,” or “eat in good health,” my dad would say before we tucked into the food.
My heritage was cemented into my lifestyle, so when I arrived in New York, I was ecstatic to find a rich and diverse picking of Middle Eastern restaurants waiting at my fingertips. These eateries take innovative approaches to iconic dishes from Lebanon, Turkey, Persia, Greece and more, crafting unparalleled spreads and unforgettable entrees. Their personable staff makes you feel right at home, serving food that is a labor of love. Vibrant ensembles of flavors and aromas meld together inside warm and inviting rooms to create extraordinary (and healthy) culinary experiences that transport you to the Middle East.
- Village Taverna
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This rustic spot in the East Village is THE place for incredible Greek food in “The Big Apple.” While the prices occasionally coast into expense-account territory, the appetizing food and waiters who greet you with a big smile on their faces make the trip worthwhile. While their poultry are all hits, their seafood are the real showstoppers, including grilled salmon and shrimp cooked to perfection. However, the real highlight that will have you ordering seconds is the melitzanosalata, a dip made with roasted eggplant, red peppers, vinegar and fresh herbs. You will think about its smokey, vinegary aftertaste long after leaving the table.
- Taim
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This fast-casual, vegetarian-friendly Mediterranean East Coast chain is an elevated version of Cava. It has multiple NYC locations for you to pick from, including the West Village, Nolita, Flatiron, Downtown Brooklyn, Fresh Meadows Queens and several more. You can build tasty pitas, bowls and salads with diverse avant-garde options. Bases include hummus, turmeric pearl couscous, toasted cumin jasmine rice, super greens and romaine, while proteins encompass falafel, golden eggplant, cauliflower shawarma, chicken shawarma and impossible kebabs. They also carry numerous craveable sauces and toppings, including red pepper baba ghanoush and pickled cabbage. Portions are generous, the price point is relatively low and the food is high-quality – a great deal for any college student looking to save money and still enjoy a healthy meal.
- Taboonette
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This gem that prides itself on being the home of the original wood-fired Middleterranean Kitchen is nestled in Union Square. Dishes are made with fresh ingredients, and the service is always speedy. They offer vegan-friendly options like a mouth-watering “Kruveet” platter made with their signature arugula herb salad, roasted cauliflower, spaghetti squash, eggplant, rice, hummus and tahini, priced only at $13! They also serve breakfast, including the popular poached egg and tomato sauce dish Shakshuka.
- Shoo Shoo
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This airy Tel-Aviv-inspired bohemian cafe in Little Italy is just as delicious as Instagrammable, with bright pink, purple and orange flowers draped along its exterior walls. Their avocado beet salad is flavorful and refreshing, especially as we gear up for warm spring days. Served with delectable warm pita bread, their “Baba-ghanoo-shoo,” made with the perfect balance of eggplant, tahini and garlic, is the best I have ever had. They also twist traditional chicken shawarma by adding caramelized onions and grated tomatoes to create a mouthwatering confection. If this doesn’t sound irresistible enough, all their proteins are grass-fed, cage-free and organic.
- Au Za’atar
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This family-owned business located in the East Village and Midtown creates an authentic Lebanese dining experience with immersive meals and staff who treat you like family. It is home of the table side shawarma – an impressive tower of sumac french fries, delicately sliced smoky shawarma (your choice of chicken, lamb or beef), and a full-size grilled tomato and onion presented on a spinning machine, perfect for enjoying with a group of friends. They serve it with a heavenly homemade za’atar aioli sauce that implores you to return. They also offer a staggering selection of hummus and a delectable fatoosh salad made with finely sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes. And make sure to leave room for dessert! Their Ashta, a creamy milk pudding drizzled with honey and topped with sliced banana and pistachios, is a crowd-pleaser.
- Kubeh
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This spot in Greenwich Village prides itself on serving the “lesser-known” cuisines of the Middle East, including their namesake Kubeh, an Iraqi-Kurdish-Israeli dumpling-filled broth. They also serve tantalizing mezes like butternut squash with whipped feta and seared halloumi. They generously use flavorful herbs and spices to make their dishes especially memorable, such as their crowd-favorite hummus cauliflower salad. Kubeh also doubles as a cafe, serving Chaggacinos and Israeli drinks like Cafe Hufuch.
- naya
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With locations across the city, this chain is a contemporary Lebanese counter-service grill that lets you build your own bowl, salad and pita. It offers a range of proteins like shish taouk, chicken shawarma, beef shawarma, cauliflower, falafel and kefta lamb meatballs and a delightful assortment of toppings like onion-parsley sumac mix and pickled Lebanese cucumbers. It is the perfect healthy and cost-friendly lunch choice, with bowls priced only between $10.99 and $12.99 and pitas ranging between $9.99 and $11.50.
- ilili
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Situated in the Flatiron district, this restaurant “crafts a melting pot of Lebanese, Levantine, Mediterranean inspired cuisine mixed with New York attitude” is worth every penny. Stand-out dishes include muhammara, the iconic Middle Eastern sundried pepper and pomegranate molasses dip, and juicy lamb chops cooked with herb tomatoes and seared in a salsa verde. Their Phoenician fries elevate traditional French fries by incorporating sumac and parsley with a side of garlic whip to pack a punch of flavor.
- Zaytoons
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If you’re in Brooklyn, you must try this cozy spot specializing in Lebanese comfort food like pitza and burgers. Some highlights are lahambajin, a thin flatbread topped with ground lamb and beef, tomatoes, onions and spices, and their signature burger made with ground beef and lamb, grilled onion, tomato and hummus served over an English muffin. They also nail classic Middle Eastern dishes like the kidney bean stew, fasoulia and kibbeh, spiced ground beef and lamb mixed with bulgar wheat.
These restaurants are top-notch representations of the Middle East and worth the venture. From herby Lebanese specialties to aromatic Syrian dishes, you will not be disappointed.