Au Za'atar - East Village

Great food, had 7:30 pm reservation and it was not too busy. By the time we left it was packed, later night restaurant. Had lots of small plates such as hummus n pita, fried cheese covered in honey, a salad and all the sauces. Beer was Lebanese served with lemon and salted rim of glass which was PERFECT and a first for me. The meal was the small platter which was all flavorful and well cooked. Would certainly return, service was good as everyone works as a team.

We came here for dinner. My boyfriend and I were exploring the East Village and wanted something different so we spotted Au Za'atar and went in. We didn't make reservations but luckily we got a table right away. Started with the SAMBOUSIK LAHME as appetizer (beef-filled pastry pockets with pine nuts) and it was delicious. Then we shared the Mixed Grill Platter Supreme (Shish Tawook, Filet Mignon, Chicken & Beef Kafta kebabs with hand-cut frites). It's big enough for two and full of flavor. After eating we got their dessert. We ordered chocolate salted caramel soufflé that wasn't too sweet. We also tried their cocktail Karkade. It's a refreshing hibiscus drink. Service was friendly and the vibe was great. This is a great spot for tasty Lebanese/Middle Eastern food in the East Village

had an amazing first time at au za’atar! - baba ghanoush: but too much lemon juice but still delicious with the fresh pita - chicken soup: too salty for my taste but definitely hearty - spicy falafel: a MUST!! - beef salad: beautifully roasted with chèvre cheese - shish tawook: tender roasted chicken cubes with fluffy spiced rice. came with a big spicy jalapeño haha the space was intimate and service was friendly & quick!

Food, ambiance and service all 10/10!! The non-alcoholic frozen watermelon juice was the best thing I’ve ever had.. The lamb shank melted off the bone— so incredibly flavorful. Spicy hummus was amazing. Some of the best rice I’ve ever had. Our server Olivia was so welcoming, warm and sweet! She made the dinner even better, not overbearing but was there to bring us anything we needed as well as some awesome recommendations. Cannot wait to come back!

I was very excited when I discovered this place since I am Lebanese and these dishes are all ones I grew up with. Upon entering we got seated almost immediately since we had a reservation. I knew I wanted the shish barak so that's what I got. My friend got arayes. I think the shish barak was disappointing the mean in the dumplings felt a little overcooked, the yogurt was too thick and the dish was way too salty. Maybe I'm more critical than the average person because I'm Lebanese and I've tasted what really good shish barak is like and this one was not it. It was disappointing as it was something I was craving because I missed home and I was looking forward to it. The service was good but I think the server was a little too present. There's a balance and I felt like we had to reassure her