Came here on a sunday around 4:30 PM, and was surprised to find it quite busy. The interior was cute, but a little bit cramped. We ordered a burger and a dip to share. After waiting for more than 30 minutes, we decided to check on the status of our food and found out our waiter accidentally put in the wrong order for a chicken skewer, which took much longer to cook. As a result, they gave us the dip for free and the chicken skewer with a discount. The chicken skewer was very juicy and tender, but slightly lacked flavor even with the sauces. However, I liked the tomato flavor of the matbucha, and the pita bread was very warm and fluffy. read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Chicken skewer, matbucha - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

I've been to the village location a decade ago, loved this location equally much. Great food, good drinks. Small cozy cafe vibes and nice service. Check thevegetarianvoyager on IG for reels and pics read more

Packed Saturday late brunch. Definitely make a reservation beforehand! The tables were pretty tight without much space in between. Service was alright. Food was good though not outstanding. Overall a decent Mediterranean joint. read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Shakshuka, Beets Salad, Hummus Falafel - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

We have eaten here several times, and we always have a good experience. It's charming, romantic, it won't break the bank, and most importantly, the food is so good! Make sure you get the hummus/pita to start. The hummus has like a jalapeno/ lemon sauce in the middle that has a unique, smoky taste that is not spicy. The first time I came to eat here was right after a slightly traumatic experience, and the warmth of the food, the service, and the atmosphere actually made me recover faster from it. read more

Delicious, flavorful, and filling. Excellent service. Smaller space, but a cozy and inviting atmosphere. Was the perfect spot for our group of four to catch up. read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Amazing $26 breakfast deal! I've had it before but this time opted for the 4 spreads with pita. Great shareable for 2-3 people. Falafel & Tahini was our favorite! read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Falafel & Tahini, Tabouli Salad, Matbucha, Labaneh - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Centrally situated in Williamsburg and a really cosy Israeli cafe with inside and outside patio seating (covered and heated). The food was very delicious and reasonably priced. We ordered 4 small plates - babaganoush, falafel in tahina sauce, Labneh and Matboucha (tomato and garlic with hot green peppers) which came with fluffy Pitta. Arayes was a lamb main. The staff were super hospitable and attentive. The main took long to come out but the staff more than made up for it by giving us a complimentary hummus and pitta and half off the main dish. Definitely recommend this place. read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Arayes - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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12 Chairs was on my list of places to try while I was in Bryant Park Winter Village. I decided on the chicken schnitzel and fries. However, the sandwich did not come with the fries as advertised. They were a separate side order. The chicken cutlet was nicely breaded and fried crispy. I liked that I could choose what I wanted in the pita. The tastes all blended well together. If you are not serving what's advertised, then take it off the menu or put a sign up for customers. 3/5 Til we eat again... read more

Really liked everything. We came at 5ish on a Saturday and got lucky, with them seating our table of 6 right away. The hummus and pita was delicious as were the pierogis. I got the areyes and would say that I liked them better than my boyfriend's Schnitzel but I probably wouldn't order them again. The meat was yummy, but I think I just wanted more going on with my dish. Overall, a solid spot. read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Came here with a big group and I must say... WOW!!! Such amazing flavors and such an amazing ambiance. I will recommend this place over and over to anyone in Williamsburg read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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We went for brunch and the food was good. The pierogis were very good and so was the hummus. The service was not awesome. It took forever for us to get drinks and the server did not come back and check on us. We had to flag down someone else to grab him for us. Well priced and in a good location. read more

My friend and I were seated right away on a wednesday night! The food here is pretty good and fresh. read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

I really like this place, been twice and both times were great. Shakshuka is good, schnitzel is good, and I think my mom got the smoke salmon sandwich and she really liked it. Service was good. I love sitting outside here so can't wait for it to get warm again. read more

12 Chairs Cafe - shakshuka - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Great food, service and atmosphere! We arrived in a cold day and they offered us hot mint tea immediately, which started the experience very positively... read more

First time here and the food was amazing! Highly recommend the arayes. The strawberry cocktail was delicious and not too sweet. Service was great. Can't wait to try other items on the menu. read more

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Everything was delicious. That chicken schnitzel salad was so good! My only complaint was the mushrooms on the hummus made it more watery, I prefer a thick hummus. read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Schnitzel Salad - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Order: - Falafel & Tahini (4/5) - Pancakes w/Fresh Fruits (4/5) - Arayes (5/5) - Sweet Potato Fries (5/5) - Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice (3/5) Pros: - Great tasting food with Middle Eastern options and classic brunch options - Large menu - Able to get a seat without reservation Cons: - Very busy with tight seating both inside and outside - Food can take a while to come out - My "freshly squeezed orange juice" tasted very much from a carton and was very warm - Hard to get servers attention - Pricey Overall: Great tasting food but overpriced and service wasn't the best read more

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I used to work right by the SoHo location and previously I didn't care for this place much and hardly ever went. But now I frequent their Brooklyn location quite a bit, because I love their labneh here. It's so good and paired with that warm pita is heaven. I could eat entire tub of the labneh. The place is a bit crammed and can get a bit crazy, so that's something to consider, but I still come to get my fix. I get the following: Freshly squeezed oj - can't go wrong with this. ARAYES Grilled pita filled with minced lamb, served with a spicy cherry tomato salad and tahini - I get this, but I only eat the filling, because I don't care for the pita, since it is hard as hell. I don't get why they can't have it be softer. If they changed that aspect, I would be able to eat the entire thing. SMOKED SALMON SCRAMBLED Soft-scrambled eggs over toasted challah bread, served with smoked salmon and capers - I recently ordered this and I was specific about the salmon not arriving on the same plate because it reminds me a really bad brunch I had in UES, where the hot food "cooked" the smoke salmon and changed the taste and texture. This is why I never ordered the dish here, but it was good. read more

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Stopped in on a Sunday afternoon with no reservations and they were able to get us in. Wonderful food and service was excellent. I asked for the Niçoise salad without tuna as I'm vegetarian but really love that salad. The server offered me falafel in place which was wonderful and served on the side. The hummus is definitely big enough to share and we ended up taking one home. The inside of the restaurant is decorated very nicely and it feels warm and comfortable to be here. It can be a little loud and hard to talk at times though. read more

What an awesome experience. Walking in the place was bigger than I thought, with a large party already seated and various smaller tables around the floor, there was a lively excitement going on. Seated and our first drinks ordered it was reminiscent of a Saturday night out in Tel Aviv. We ordered the 4 "small" plates. Israeli pickled veg and other olives, pickles and peppers. Hummus & falafel, Labneh and Taboule. Seriously the BEST falafel I've had outside Israel. We also got the lamb kebabs and chicken skewers. Flavors were amazing and everything juicy. If I lived anywhere near Brooklyn instead of across the country this would be my go to spot without a second thought!!! read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Did not love this place. Probably would not return. We were sat down 15 mins after saying our table is almost ready. Not a big deal, but it looked like they gave our table to a different party. They charged us twice for a side of egg, and we only found out because we asked for a receipt. Still very kind, i'm sure they would have removed the charge had we asked. The atmosphere was very hot outside & a little unkempt. There were flies everywhere, and we had to ask them to turn the fan on. The food was mediocre. It was just standard middle eastern food. My favorite was the labaneh, but i've had a lot better before. The malabi isn't bad, but I don't recommend if you're not into jelly like textures. read more

12 Chairs Cafe - eggs sinya - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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12 chairs is always really good and consistent. My salad was yummy as usual but guys what is up with this hummus? I've had it so many times and it has never come like this. read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Hummus - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Hands down the best Israeli spot in Williamsburg! I've been here a few times and every visit has been amazing. The food is incredible, the vibes are immaculate, and the service is always on point. Huge shoutout to MJ--she's the best waitress! Super friendly, attentive, and made the experience even better. Can't recommend this place enough. read more

This place has been one of my fav brunch spots since i moved to NYC like 5 years ago. Love both their BK and Soho locations. Their Sakshuka is absolute delight. Almost everything on their brunch menu is solid! Ambiance and service is great too. MUST try! read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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We did take out and we're close by. So the food arrived fresh. And it was amazing. The lamb burger was juicy and had great spices and flavor. Hummus, bread. Cauliflower and salad was awesome. I can't imagine how good the in restaurant food is but I plan to try!! Hummus had such an interesting flavor. ! The order arrived quickly too ! read more

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I will start with the food which was excellent, my husband and I had masbacha, humus with chickpeas, an egg and lots of olive oil. The pita was warm and fluffy. We made reservations on Saturday for Sunday. When we arrived the woman told us our name did not appear on her tablet so we could sit at the bar. I told her we have an email, text, and we left our credit card number and she said it didn't matter. While my husband was looking for the email, she came back over to us and asked if this was my husband's first name and the reservation just popped up, past the time that we had made it for, I am thinking she just hadn't seen it. She seated us without any apology whatsoever. Otherwise we had a table by the wall which was great because it was crowded, they music was very good too. I would have given it 5 stars if this hadn't happened. read more

great food , great service , had a great evening there , food was fresh and tasty , good drinks as well .

Really cute spot! Fantastic falafel, a very homeytown vibe. Not a diner, not a cafe, but a cultivated family feel space for enjoying good company and food. Easy to spend plenty of time here nibbling and sipping. We had the beet salad, tried a negroni cocktail and enjoyed falafel on the house salad. Friendly, unhurried, comfortable! read more

What a great Mediterranean spot, went to both locations and both were phenomenal. I loooooved the Aires which is a grilled pita with minced lamb. It's such a flavor bomb, I absolutely loved it with the tahini. The 12 chairs salad is also quite refreshing with the grapefruit mixed with some nuts and the vinaigrette (along with greens). A good summer salad. If you don't eat meat, the tuna pita is worth a try as well, can't go wrong with it. All in all a great chill spot for solid eats with friendly staff. read more

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They didn't impress enough the first time we went. I thought the hummus was great. It had this zingy lime sauce right in the center I thought was nice. The tomato fish thing was okay. Fish was tiny though. The shimdupi.... I don't know wtf it's called was good. Overall good but I think it could be better and definitely deserves a second chance since the menu was huge and the atmosphere was cool. read more

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We ate at 12 Chairs Cafe for a late brunch on a Saturday. It was busy but we only waited 10 min for a table for 3. The service was great and the food came out quickly! The hummus with falafel, tabouli, and babaganoush with warm and fluffy pita was all I really needed. Each bite was full of freshness and flavor and I loved their version of tabouli. We ordered a shakshuka and lamb but the shakshuka was rather bland and the eggs were over cooked. The lamb was good, not great, and overall needed far more spices to make it flavorful. The mimosas were ok, but for $15 each, you can definitely find a more affordable brunch spot if you want to have a boozy brunch. I think 12 chairs is an ideal stop for when you're craving pita with all the dips and want a modern vibe. But truth be told, it will probably not be the best Israeli food you've ever had when it comes to meat + shakshuka entrees. read more

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We had made reservation for a table for four on a Saturday night, and this place was absolutely packed. We got our table after waiting for 5-7 minutes and got started with service right away. Fairly attentive servers came within a minute or two to get our beverage order. I wasn't aware they did not have any IPA's (or beer in general) on tap, but the IPA they did have in bottle was decent enough. We ordered a few things which included Hummus Mushrooms & Onions ($15), Hummus Falafel ($16), and Cauliflower ($15) - all were absolutely tasty! Food arrived within 20 minutes of ordering. Friendly staff and great ambiance in general. Will visit again for their excellent food! read more

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12 chairs was such a treat for us on a busy Saturday. Thank goodness we reserved for an earlier time because we got there around 10:30am. Our servers were friendly and staff was helpful. We needed a high chair for baby but that took a long time to get one. The place was filling up super quick and I understand why staff was very busy. The food here is so amazing. What was the best thing we ate was the hummus with mushroom and onions. It was served with hot pita bread and some olives& pickles peppers. I am usually not a huge fan of hummus but this hummus... I saw stars when I took the first bite. The mushroom and onions gave it so much flavor and with the acid, it just melted together. I really wanted to lick the plate but were in public!! The arayes were packed with flavorful minced lamb and I love how they grilled it so the pita was crispy. The borek looked like a giant fried dumpling. Once you cut it open, the purée and egg just spills out. The tangy sauce on the bottom and crispy dough was delicious. Sammy's lamb kebabs were spicy and super flavorful. 12 chairs is jammed packed with spices and I just couldn't stop eating. I get why this place is packed for brunch. It was truly a delight to try their food. FYI, their latte is delicious too!! read more

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Chilly night in Williamsburg. Been wanting to try this place for a while. Made a reservation. We were prompted seated. Our waiter was nice. I got a hot toadie . It was quite good. Shared a bunch of small plates. Kind of typical Mediterranean stuff. Would say the yogurt dish was pretty darn good. And got the chicken schnitzel. Which i liked. Potato wedges could have been a bit better. Prices were pretty typical. Overall a good experience read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Everything we ate. - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

To start: the food is absolutely delicious. The chicken is juicy and cooked perfectly in the grilled chicken sandwich and pita schnitzel. The Israeli salad compliments the dishes very well and is light and refreshing. I highly recommend the meat hummus in comparison to regular plain hummus because the flavors of the meat and mushrooms are to die for. The downside of this place is it seems to be very disorganized and slow with seating/taking orders/getting the check and overall service. Waitress wasn't very attentive and had conversations with friends for a while before taking orders or providing water but I guess that's just the relaxed vibe of this place. I'd for sure come back for the food though (just probably at a random non-busy hour). read more

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The food here was good although certain things like the borscht could have used a little salt or spices to add more flavor. The pelmeni were good as was the stuffed cabbage and lamb burger. However, my main complaint was the ambience. The service was satisfactory. it was very noisy and the tables were too close together for comfort. Between the loudness of the music and the echoing of the voices of the other diners, the noise level was almost intolerable. When I arrived and heard the noise level, I almost turned around and left. I didn't because I was with friends and we would have had to find another place to eat, and every other place was just as crowded. This is very unfortunate because the noise level made the enjoyment of the meal almost impossible. i do not like having to constantly say "what?" to hear a conversation. It is my theory that modern restaurants make dining uncomfortable in order to ensure that customers don't linger and tables turn over quickly. Maybe if we go during the week, things will be a little less hectic. read more

Great place with awesome music (70s-80s disco music at the time). Challah bread with most plates? Check mate. We had Smoked Salmon Scrambled - soft scrambled eggs over toasted Challah bread (great!!!) French toast (good shareable plate) Overall great experience and good for a larger or small group too. read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Smoked Salmon scrambled - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

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Amazing breakfast, got the Israeli spread with eggs siniya (with tahini, some tomato and herbs on a skillet). Came with pita and sliced fresh bread, Israeli salad, olives, avocado, labne, pesto, and feta cheese. The Israeli breakfast comes with a coffee and a juice. Nice chill ambience on a Saturday morning and fast service. read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Everything was delicious. Aside from what's pictured (hummus, falafel, tabouli, beets, labne) we got the schnitzel salad and Malabi. Jachnun was already sold out. Service seemed but short handed but staff was really nice all around. Labne was absolutely perfect if I could have it every day I would. 10/10 read more

12 Chairs Cafe - Labaneh,Tabouli Salad, Falafel, Hummus - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Tons of hype around 12 chairs and was excited to go on a saturday night to catch up with friends but honestly one of the worse experiences I've had recently. Food: Food was nothing to write home about. A bit overpriced, even for NY, and not nearly at the level i was expecting after hearing every person recommend this restaurant. We ordered both babaganoush (comes w pita) and hummus (comes with pita) and were given 3 pitas total??? For four people? A) not nearly enough pita for the amount of dip and B) i feel like since both items came with pita it should have been more than 3 pieces total? My friends were obsessed with the hummus, the falafel could have been better and cocktails were fantastic, probably the best part of the whole meal. Service: Service was overly attentive and we felt rushed and unwanted. There is no entryway so we squeezed in while we waited to talk to the host. This resulted in standing behind a door and having a server literally shove the door open onto us. Was then asked in a condescending tone if we had a reservation. We did (7:30) and were 10 mins early. They weren't ready for our res and had to combine two tables to make a four-top for us. They also told us in the most pretentious way that our res was ONLY 90 minutes and we had to clear by 9pm (btw, at 9pm there were three other large tables open so were rushed out for nothing). They asked our drink orders within 35 seconds of sitting down, said we needed a minute and then were given about 35 more seconds before being asked again. When the remainder of our group arrived we were again asked every minute if we were ready to order. Every time we said we weren't ready they gave us such an annoyed look (btw we put our full order in within 15 minutes of sitting). When clearing our food (which they also asked several times if they could do), they accidentally hit me in the face (and my glasses) with silverware! Ambiance: Good music (Israeli music) but far too loud to hold a conversation. I lost my voice trying to talk to my friends. Small restaurant but tables are much too crowded (even for NY, especially for Williamsburg). Chairs have rounded backs so nowhere to hang your bag/scarf/earmuffs and tables are too tiny to set anything on the table. read more

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