The 9 Best Middle Eastern Restaurants in NYC (2026)

Updated October 2026 · 9 picks

The best Middle Eastern restaurants in NYC in 2026 are Laser Wolf for Israeli skewers and salads on a Williamsburg rooftop, Miss Ada for modern Israeli cooking, ilili for Lebanese mezze in Manhattan, and Tanoreen in Bay Ridge for Palestinian home cooking. Au Za'atar, Sofreh (Persian), Yemen Cafe, Taci's Beyti (Turkish) and Ayat (Palestinian) complete the list.

New York's Middle Eastern food spans the Israeli grill houses of Brooklyn, Lebanese mezze in Manhattan, the Yemeni and Palestinian restaurants along Atlantic Avenue and in Bay Ridge, and Turkish kebab houses in southern Brooklyn. These are the standouts. None of them are kosher — for certified options, see our kosher Israeli guide.

1. Laser Wolf Brooklyn — Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Michael Solomonov's Israeli skewer house on a rooftop with skyline views.

$$$ Upmarket

Laser Wolf, the Brooklyn outpost of Philadelphia chef Michael Solomonov's Israeli grill house, sits on the rooftop of The Hoxton hotel in Williamsburg. Choose a charcoal-grilled main — chicken shishlik, kebab, fish — and it arrives with a spread of salatim (small salads), hummus and fresh pita.

The Manhattan skyline views at sunset make it one of the most popular reservations in Brooklyn.

Good to know: Book a sunset table on a clear evening and save room for the soft-serve dessert.

97 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249

Google Maps Website

2. Miss Ada — Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Modern Israeli cooking with a lovely back garden.

$$$ Upmarket

Miss Ada, from chef Tomer Blechman, serves modern Israeli and Mediterranean dishes in a warm Fort Greene dining room with a backyard garden. Expect silky hummus, vegetable-forward small plates and grilled meats with house-made breads.

It's a neighborhood favorite and a great choice for a relaxed date night.

Good to know: Request the garden in warm weather and order several small plates to share.

184 DeKalb Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205

Google Maps Website

3. ilili — NoMad / Flatiron, Manhattan

Big, buzzing modern Lebanese restaurant on Fifth Avenue.

$$$ Upmarket

ilili is a large, stylish Lebanese restaurant on Fifth Avenue at 27th Street, serving mezze, grilled meats and shawarma in a dramatic wood-lined room. The Brussels sprouts with grapes and mint yogurt are its best-known dish.

It works well for groups and celebrations, with a lively bar.

Good to know: Go with a group and order a spread of hot and cold mezze to share.

236 5th Ave, New York, NY 10001

Google Maps

4. Au Za'atar — East Village, Manhattan

Lebanese mezze, shawarma and grills in a cozy East Village bistro.

$$ Mid-range

Au Za'atar is a friendly Avenue A restaurant serving Lebanese and wider Middle Eastern dishes: mezze such as hummus, baba ghanoush and fattoush, shawarma and grilled kebabs, plus brunch on weekends.

It's a good-value spot for a casual dinner with friends.

Good to know: Order a mezze sampler and a shawarma platter to share.

188 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009

Google Maps Website

5. Tanoreen — Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

Palestinian home cooking from chef Rawia Bishara — a Bay Ridge institution.

$$ Mid-range

Tanoreen, run by chef Rawia Bishara and her family, serves the Palestinian and Levantine dishes of her native Nazareth in a bright, welcoming Bay Ridge dining room. Highlights include the fattoush, maqluba (an upside-down rice dish) and slow-cooked lamb.

Save room for the knafeh, the cheese-filled pastry soaked in syrup.

Good to know: Take the R train to 77 St; go with a group so you can try more dishes.

7523 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209

Google Maps Website

6. Sofreh — Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

Refined Persian cooking with saffron rice, stews and kebabs.

$$$ Upmarket

Sofreh, from chef Nasim Alikhani, serves Persian cooking in a handsome Prospect Heights dining room: jeweled and saffron rice with crispy tahdig, slow-cooked stews, kebabs and herb-filled dishes.

The cocktails use Persian ingredients like saffron and rose, and there's a sister bakery nearby.

Good to know: Order the tahdig and a stew to share; it's a short walk from the Brooklyn Museum and Barclays Center.

75 St Marks Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Google Maps Website

7. Yemen Cafe — Cobble Hill (Atlantic Ave), Brooklyn

New York's pioneering Yemeni restaurant, serving lamb, saltah and fresh bread since 1986.

$$ Mid-range

Yemen Cafe opened on Atlantic Avenue in 1986 and is widely considered the first Yemeni restaurant in New York. The menu covers slow-roasted lamb haneeth, bubbling saltah and fahsah stews served in stone bowls, and huge flatbreads from the oven.

It's casual, affordable and has expanded to other Brooklyn locations and Staten Island.

Good to know: Order lamb haneeth with a bowl of fahsah and tear the bread to scoop; finish with Yemeni tea.

176 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Google Maps

8. Taci's Beyti — Midwood / Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn

A long-running Turkish kebab house famous for its beyti.

$$ Mid-range

Taci's Beyti is a family-run Turkish restaurant on Coney Island Avenue, known for the beyti kebab — spiced ground lamb grilled and wrapped in lavash — plus lahmacun, pide, grilled meats and cold meze.

Portions are big and the atmosphere is warm and family-friendly.

Good to know: Start with the cold meze platter, then the beyti kebab; take the B or Q train to Avenue U or Kings Hwy.

1955 Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11223

Google Maps Website

9. Ayat — Ditmas Park, Brooklyn

Hearty, homestyle Palestinian cooking that has spread across the city.

$$ Mid-range

Ayat started in Ditmas Park and quickly became one of New York's favorite Palestinian restaurants, serving generous plates of shawarma, mansaf, grilled meats and mezze. It has since opened locations in Bay Ridge, Bushwick, Astoria, the East Village and the Upper West Side.

The Cortelyou Road original is still the one to visit first.

Good to know: Go hungry and share a large platter; the Astoria location is the easiest from Queens.

1616 Cortelyou Rd, Brooklyn, NY 11226

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

Which neighborhoods are best for Middle Eastern food in NYC?

Bay Ridge in Brooklyn has the city's biggest concentration of Palestinian, Lebanese and Yemeni restaurants along 3rd and 5th Avenues. Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill is the historic Arab-American corridor, and Steinway Street in Astoria, Queens, is known as Little Egypt.

Are these restaurants halal?

Several are, including Yemen Cafe, Taci's Beyti and Ayat, but policies vary. Ask the restaurant directly if halal certification matters to you.

Are any of these restaurants kosher?

No. For kosher Israeli and Middle Eastern food, see our guide to the best kosher Israeli restaurants in NYC.

1. Laser Wolf Brooklyn — Williamsburg, Brooklyn

2. Miss Ada — Fort Greene, Brooklyn

3. ilili — NoMad / Flatiron, Manhattan

4. Au Za'atar — East Village, Manhattan

5. Tanoreen — Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

6. Sofreh — Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

7. Yemen Cafe — Cobble Hill (Atlantic Ave), Brooklyn

8. Taci's Beyti — Midwood / Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn

9. Ayat — Ditmas Park, Brooklyn

Frequently asked questions

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