4.5 Stars...Rounding up to Five Stars! What a beautiful restaurant! I had read so many raving articles about Ayat, and have been wanting to go for the longest time. They have branches all over NY but when they opened one in Astoria, Queens, we finally went! Ayat is a little pricier than some restaurants in the area but you're paying for a quality meal, and it was so worth it...really!! Shout-out to our server Tyler, who was great in every way! He provided us with everything we needed before we even asked. Thanks so much, Tyler! Menu shared by 6ppl: -- 2 orders of Salata Filistini Salad ($9): very small portion. We actually wanted to try their Watermelon Feta Salad but it's no longer on their menu. This Salata Filstini Salad was a poor replacement and nothing special. Skip this and try another salad. -- Meze Filistini (6 spreads & fresh pita) $32.75: Excellent! All 6 spreads were delicious with the warm, fresh pita. All 6 spreads were fresh & tasty. You can tell they used quality ingredients. -- Lamb Chops w.rice, salad & tahini sauce (4 chops/$39.50): Excellent dish! The lamb chops were prepared perfectly and the Tahiti sauce really complimented the lamb. Get this!! -- 2 orders of Mixed Grill w.rice, salad & yogurt sauce ($37): Fantastic platter with one lamb chops, Beef Kebab, Kofta Kebab and Chicken Kebab. The chicken was a tad bit overcooked and dry, but the other meats were perfect. Recommended! -- Fattat Lahma (6 layer dish: meat, rice, chickpeas, garlic, tahini, crispy pita; garnished w.almond slices & mint) $31: This was an excellent dish. Someone had warned me that this tends to be dry, and to order this with extra yogurt sauce...great advice! We indeed ordered this with extra yogurt sauce, and honestly could have used even more! Haha But this was a great dish! I would get this again. -- 2 orders of Knafa $15: This was slightly different from any Knafa I've ever had. It was very loose and dry but really tasty nonetheless! This was a large portion, but was perfect for 3 people sharing. All in all, this was a great meal. The freshness and quality of each dish really shined. I would definitely return to try other dishes and repeat some of the dishes we had tonight. Recommended!! read more

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I love trying new food from other cultures, so I was all over it when my sister-in-law suggested this Palestinian restaurant. Every single thing was next-level delicious. First, they bring fresh, hot pita with dips to the table. It took every ounce of my self-control not to fill up on it. It was so good, and they kept refilling. We got hummus for the table. I'm not usually a huge fan of hummus, but it was incredible. We cleaned the bowl. We also got another appetizer that I can't remember the name of, and it was amazing. While the pita pizza was enticing, I wanted to fully immerse myself and try a traditional dish that I've never had. I went with the Fatta Jaj, a layered kind of bowl with meat, rice, pita chips, and a garlicky sauce. It was really good, but honestly I feel like the appetizers stole the show. To top it off, the interior of the restaurant was really nice, with a big tree at the centerpiece, bottles of olive oil on display, and the wood-fired oven visible. I think I'll be dreaming of this meal for a long time. read more

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I've had Ayat bookmarked for a while now, but since they finally opened their location in Queens and my friend had also raved about it since, I knew I had to come. I brought with my family for my dad's birthday. We all ordered 3 dishes to share. MEZZE FILISTINI This appetizer dish features pita breads with multiple dips/vegetables. This was probably the most popular ordered dish. Everyone loved it. It was well plated. Literally everything on this plate was delicious. It was so good we had to ask for more bread to clear this whole plate up. MIXED GRILL This dish features various meats/vegetables. I personally enjoyed the chicken/beef. I'm not a huge fan of lamb, so I didn't enjoy that. But overall, it's a well balanced dish for one to eat alone. PIZZAWARMA The pizzawarma is kinda unique to this restaurant. They stuff tons of meats/spices/toppings into a pita bread style pizza. It's their own take on pizza and they really use a wood fire oven to bake it, so it comes out tasting great. I was full after everything so I wasn't able to finish it. But I did enjoy what I did eat from it. The service was great. They catered to us well. Our server even took his time to serve our personal cake that we brought to the restaurant and had a birthday song played for my dad. Overall, my dad really enjoyed it (and so did the rest of us), so that was a huge success. read more

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Beautifully decorated restaurant with a tree in the middle. The food is amazing, freshly made, and well seasoned. The staff is attentive and helpful. TIP: Order the Pistachio Paradise! a wood-fired pizza with ground pistachios on a bed of mixed cheeses. read more

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I went in later at night but they were very kind and communicative about the closing situation. I wanted to go in because of the cool decor inside, and the ambiance was as nice as how it looked from the outside. We got the roasted paprika dip (best dip over ever had) and mint tea, and lamb ouzi royal. Lamb shank was delicious, though I wondered if I came in earlier if they would've juicier!! Overall I had a great time there. Will go back again. read more

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Came on a Monday night and was surprised to see how busy this is even at 6pm. There was a wait later into dinner. There is also a space upstairs for private parties. No alcohol. I went to their sister restaurant and so was excited for this place but the food was overall a little bland. Hot pita bread came but it was more unevenly baked, with harder texture compared to Al Badawi. The cigar rolls with beef was hot and crispy, a good appetizer. Pizzawarma: this was good but wished it had slightly more seasoning or more sumac onions Kefta bi tahina: the kefta itself was nicely seasoned but the lemon tahini sauce was so bland. Zahr ma laban: lots of tender lamb, and the stew was similar to the yogurt stew of the mansef. The cauliflower actually was better than the lamb as it soaked up the flavors well. Kunefe: not my favorite version. Go get the one on Steinway instead. read more

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Welcome to Astoria! So glad my friend & I got to stop by & try Ayat, we've been dying to go to the Brooklyn location for a while now so once they opened in our neighborhood, we knew we had to try them out. Service wise, they could use a little bit more work, I had to ask for my appetizer multiple times & by the time it came, I was done with my main course :( They did just open a couple of weeks ago though so I'm hoping that works out once they're settled in. The ambiance is so pretty, there's an aesthetic tree in the middle of the restaurant that many guests requested to sit by so I'm guessing this will become a popular photo op! Ok now on to what matters, THE FOOD! I ordered a spinach filled pie as an appetizer & the chicken kebab as my main course, my friend ordered lemon & garlic roasted chicken ouzi. It was fresh, great portion size but lacked some flavor? We had to order the knafeh for dessert ofc (which was part of the whole reason we came) - it was cheesy, crispy, fresh out of the oven but also did lack some flavor, like it needed syrup / attar? All in all, I was a little disappointed - I'd try to give this place another shot once they're settled in and hoping it was just an off day. read more

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5/5 service - very accommodating & sweet 3/5 Laziza Apple- decent, def not for everyone 4/5 Laziza Peach- love anything peachy 5/5- really good, not too sour 5/5 Hibiscus Margarita- really good 4/5 "WARA DAWALI $14 Grape leaves stuffed with a blend of rice, parsley, tomatoes, onions, and an array of spices, gluten free, vegan" love the sourness 4/5 "KIBBEH 3 pieces $12- Finely ground bulghur and meat filled with ground beef, onion, and Mediterranean spices" 3/5 potato cigar rolls- crispy 3/5 "PIZZAWARMA $23.85 Pizza crust- beef shawarma with halloumi cheese, pickles, olives, pomegranate molasses, sumac onions, and tahini sauce" wish it had more cheese, the beef tastes like lamb since it's cooked with lamb fat but not everyone likes lamb. 3/5 "SPICY CHICKEN KEBAB- Tender chicken marinated in harissa and chili spices, grilled to perfection and served with a cooling garlic dip" "3/5 FATTAT JAJ $24: 6-layer dish of roasted chicken, rice, chickpeas, mint yogurt, crispy pita, garlic sauce and slivered almonds" the top layer had more flavor, wish the flavor was dispersed evenly 4/5 "FATTAT LAHMA $29: 6-layer dish of meat, rice, chickpeas, garlic tahini, crispy pita, slivered almonds, and mint" had more flavor than the chicken 5/5 rice pudding- prolly the best we've ever had, def 1 of the creamiest, perfection, we'd come back just for this 2/5 knafeh - didn't like the flavor read more

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This place is so good, it makes me want to go back and re-rate previous 5-star restaurants as 4-stars because Yelp won't let me rate Ayat as 6. It is that good, friends. Everything--the food, the vibes, the service--is stellar. It is justifiably packed but please do yourself a favor, put your name down and wait it out. I promise it will be worth your while. The fresh pita goes crazy, imagine a piping hot, crispy carb balloon. When combined with the creamy rich baba ganoush or hummus, it is insane. The grilled selections are also fire. It's hard to pick a standout, but the chicken is especially tender and juicy and the kefta is an exceptionally seasoned explosion of flavor. Plus, it's gorgeous inside. I loved the olive tree at the center of the dining room (an Ayat trademark). And the servers, despite the insane number of diners and delivery guys flooding in and out, go above and beyond to be generous and helpful. Ayat is a gift to the neighborhood, and immediately earns a spot on the shortlist of favorite places to eat in Astoria. read more

Ayat - Baba ganoush - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

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We came here on Christmas Eve at an off time early dinner late lunch. The food was lovely! Very flavorful and definitely very acidic in a good way! Service was really quick everything came out fast right after we ordered. The ambiance in the restaurant is adorable. There's a huge faux olive tree in the middle with seats around it. The drink was fantastic too! The portions were pretty big FYI me and my husband shared everything :) read more

Ayat - Mezze Filistini - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Beautiful restaurant with tree in the middle and clear ceiling letting sunlight to come through. Food was incredible, freshly made, well-seasoned and tasty! Wonderful spot to come with friends and family alike. They also offer the biggest dates I've ever seen in a bowl, which I thought were fake and just for display. We appreciate the great hospitality, food & culture read more

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The restaurant filled up quickly by noon, especially surprising given how cold it was that day. One man, who seemed to be both the owner and the main host/server was handling most of the front of house early on. He was kind and attentive, though additional servers arrived later and were noticeably less so. We had seen the restaurant featured in an Instagram video where the food looked incredible, which raised our expectations. Unfortunately, the mixed meat platter was disappointing. The portion was quite small, came with no tahini sauce, and the meats were fairly overcooked. While I personally prefer my meat on the rarer side, we weren't asked how we wanted it cooked, so I assume everything is served well done by default. We also weren't offered any tahini or other sauces, which was a letdown, as I'm big on the condiments. We also ordered the mixed appetizer platter, which was pretty good. However, when we asked for containers to take the leftovers home, we were given one large container for everything. I was left wondering if I was expected to dump all the different items together. They didn't have smaller containers, which made no sense, especially considering how the dish would be packaged for a takeout order. I find it annoying when foods get mixed together unnecessarily, Overall, it was an okay experience, but nothing memorable. I'm pretty sure I won't be returning. read more

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Poor dining experience. Food was dry, objectively undersalted and served on small spill-over plates. We thought the image would make up for the disappointing meal only to be disappointed again. Never patronizing this place again read more

Ayat - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

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i had a great time here! it was my first time trying ayat and i've been wanting to try it for sooo long. i was not disappointed! the ambiance is great. i loved the interior and the music. the service was good. the servers were attentive. food was served promptly. note: i came here with my boyfriend saturday night at 5pm. it was pretty empty but after 6pm, it got packed pretty quickly. the food was amazing! i loved everything but i especially loved the muhammarah and kanafa. 100% recommend those two items specifically. they give olives and pita bread as free mini appetizers. very yummy! i would love to come here again to try more of their menu items! :) definitely give this spot a try. good place to go on a date, spend time with family or friends, celebrate a birthday etc etc. read more

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Space is nicely decorated with a big olive tree in the front of the restaurant. It's typically very lively and busy, having gone for lunch and dinner. Staff are busy as well but do their best. Could probably use 1-2 more servers for better service. Food is delicious. Dishes are colorful with different flavors. Generous portions and prepared well. The menu has much to choose from. Pizzawarma was very filling and had the right mixture of cheese, meats, and spices. Chicken ouzi was very tender; I pulled the thigh bone out cleanly. I'd definitely return to try other things on the menu. Four stars for two things. They have just one single bathroom that could be more organized. And their entryway could be cordoned a bit to prevent new customers from disturbing those seated close to the entrance. read more

Excellent food!! Go for the mezze.. fresh and tasty. The pita comes out table fresh and still hot.

Such a cute spot . We don't have a reservation but I recommend u make one . Our server was wonderful. We had the vegetarian platter and the mixed meat platter . Both were great but we liked the vegetarian one more . Everything g is very reasonably priced . Definitely recommend this restaurant ! read more

Such a treat to have this popular restaurant chain open up in Queens. I came during soft opening so I'm sure there's still a few kinks to work out. The decor is lovely, so open and warm, with tons of natural light. I do have to say I was wary to come in because there was only a faded logo painted outside so it didn't even look open to me upon first glance. My fiance and I ordered the kibbeh which was excellent. It was well seasoned and had a nice crunchy exterior. For our main course, we chose to get the beef kefta and fattat jaj. We were absolutely FLOORED by the portion of the fattat jaj. It was massive! Six layers of deliciousness. Every bite was so well balanced with textures and flavors. The kefta, however, disappointing. It was sadly very dry and tough. I do have to point out the exceptional service at the restaurant. Our waiter was so kind and attentive. He even offered to replace our sauces when they were running low. I had a great time here and was able to enjoy the meal for leftovers for a few days. read more

Ayat - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Beautiful ambiance! I loved the olive tree in the middle of the restaurant, all the natural lighting, and the olive oil bottles on the high shelves! They never fail to give each Ayat location its own personality while maintaining their Palestinian art themes and quality of food. The lamb was so tender and fell off the bone and the fried halloumi had pomegranate molasses drizzled over it which was so delicious. I loved this location and will be back! read more

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We kept being told the wait was one thing and it was another. The ambience was fine. The service was slow and the food was meh. Took too long to get mock tails. They are byob. We got the kebehh to start, which was fine then we shared the Shawarma pizza. It was way too vinegary. I did like the cheese. The beet was inedible. Not enough tahini. I just think that the pizza didn't need to have that much vinegar but I liked the bread. The meat was fine. I wouldn't go back. read more

Visited last night with my daughter and mother, and we all left raving about our experience. Service was excellent. We ordered the Lamb Ouzi Royal, Baba Ghanoush, Pistachio Paradise, Limonana, Shay Ma Na' Na', and of course ended the night with a Knafeh. Everything was perfect! The food came out piping hot, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. Portions were generous, we even left with to-go plates. Everything had a comforting, homemade feel that made the meal even more enjoyable. read more

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Disappointed in the service and food quality. You can tell that the staff wasn't working well together from the host to the waiter and manager. Food did lack flavor and seasoning. Waited about 30 minutes for the food to arrive and my fries were cold. The seats by the tree were very uncomfortable. Whoever designed the seating did not do a good job in measuring the seat to table ratio properly. Disappointed experience. read more

Ayat - Middle Eastern Near Me - Astoria, New York

slow service, mediocre food. Really not worth it. Crappy neighborhood. save your money.

I was so excited when Ayat came to Astoria but to my utter disappointment the take out of Beef Kebab was a terrible choice. The meat was so chewy that I had to throw out the whole order. It was inedible read more

Waited almost half hour for check. Terrible service. It was one man taking orders, cleaning tables, serving - literally everything. So disappointed because we were excited to try this place. read more

Love this place - the food, the ambience including the Olive tree. One of my favorite restaurants in Astoria

The atmosphere is lovely and the staff were kind and professional. It is clear that the food was seasoned, however it needed salt to boost those flavors. Some of my lamb was a bit dry. I do plan to return to give it another try. read more

This is genuinely my favorite spot now I'm so glad one opened up in Astoria. Besides the food being ASTRONOMICAL (think big portions and meat so tender you can hardly believe it), the staff are so kind as well. Plus the atmosphere of the restaurant is unmatched. read more

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Great food, service, and people. We will definitely be back to try more on the menu. We got dip mezze platter and lamb kebab.

It is the best Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food in Astoria. The service is amazing, and it is BYOB. The Pita is 10 out of 10! Wow! read more

Absolutely incredible. The staff are attentive and appreciate you asking their recommendations (so it seems, lol). Really great food and experience. read more

Awesome service, phenomenal food. Very kind staff. Such a warm experience in the restaurant!

Beautiful restaurant! We had a good time here--the food was so delicious and fresh. Huge portions!! I felt I could've shared my dish. The hummus was my favorite. Best I've ever had! read more

ohmygosh the best margarita pizza I've ever had. Their food is just so amazing. My boyfriend and I have been getting this place at least twice a week our new favorite spot in Astoria. read more