Cancel

Open app

Search

Balaboosta

4.2 (133 reviews)
Closed • 11:00 am - 2:30 pm, 5:30 PM - 11:00 PM
Updated 2 months ago

Balaboosta Photos

Business Info

BALABOOSTA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Trendy
Romantic
Classy
Upscale

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Balaboosta

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

The cockatil made with Fig Arak! It like a Manhattan but better!
Kam M.

Amazing experience, cozy restaurant, super friendly staff, the food was tasty, we ordered the chooped salad, artichoke, tahdig ( definitely recommend) and wgyu kebabs. The cocktails are also uniquely crafted. Really unassuming restaurant but what a gem!

Chicken and (purposefully and yummy) burnt rice
Amy G.

So good! The servers, chef, and owner were awesome. That wagyu kebabs were spectacular as well as the chicken!!!! Only thing I didn't like was that they only offered water and alcohol. A freezing cold Dr. Pepper at this fine establishment would've given this place 10/10. Oh and the ambiance was cool and pretty

HUMMUS TAHINA
Victoria G.

Food 3/10 Overpriced Mediterranean in the West Village. A very limited brunch menu, and I felt uncomfortable and sick afterwards because of how greasy and oily the dish I got was. A very disappointing meal, as it went downhill after the pita and hummus. The duck pastrami was literally oozing oil. Atmosphere 8/10 Cute interior decor, quirky in a sense. Style over substance unfortunately. Service 7/10 Nothing wrong with the service, but nothing memorable either.

Pastrami
Charles B.

If you look the perfect brunch spot up in the dictionary Balaboosta should come up! Everything is immaculate from the service to the food. I made a reservation for brunch at Balaboosta (highly recommended) and when my group arrived at the restaurant we were sat immediately. Once sat, the server came over quickly to greet us and took our drink order, all the cocktails/champagne were perfection! From there we placed our food order and here is what we had: To Share: - Hummus (must try! The warm chickpeas make this dish) - Whipped Feta (I have no words! But the date molasses was so good) - Pappas Bravas (if you like a good aioli this is your dish) Main Course: - Eggplant Shashuka (I love traditional Shashuka, but with eggplant this was truly elite; so much flavor) - Pastrami (never seen a dish like this, but the puff pastry and vegetables all go together in harmony!) The server continually checked in on our table and was warm and friendly; whenever she saw that our champagne glasses were running low she would ensure a new one was on the way. The vibes are super laidback with a touch of elegance. I love the fact that they use Aesop's soap in the bathroom. I cannot stop talking about how wonderful Balaboosta is and cannot wait to come back for dinner!

@cafeTAMbien  Pastrami SHAKSHUKA
Tamara S.

Brunch at Balaboosta, NYC Cute spot but very oily-heavy dish left me feeling bad. Ordered: - Hummus Pitriyot: Mushrooms, caramelized onion, baharat, pita - Eggplant Shakshuka: eggs, peppers, tomatoes, feta, sour dough pan deietoast - Pastrami on a Puff Pastry with honey mustard and pickled fennel: While the concept and presentation were on point, the dish was very oily. The dough was greasy and the pastrami was thin and mostly fat. With thicker cut of meat and a less oily puff pastry, this could've been a standout.

Victoria X.

There are mostly tables of 2 or 4 here which makes this place a great spot for groups of 2 or 4. The ambiance here is great for dates or a nice dinner out with friends. The food here is full of herbs given that it is an Israeli restaurant. The service here is attentive and friendly. We came at 6:30 without a reservation and was given a table (we just had to leave by 8pm).

Whipped feta, Moroccan carrots, steak, creme brûlée
Marianne F.

Walked in and snagged a seat out front. Everything was delicious, service was friendly. The creme brûlée with halva was an excellent recommendation.

Nice outdoor eating area
Rebecca S.

Very delicious food, warm, accommodating staff and a choice of seating - indoor, outdoor (cabin or tables) or at the bar). Drinks were delicious! I rarely ever drink alcohol but my bf encouraged me to try his "yalla" and it was SO delicious! The ginger and lemon tasted super fresh. Definitely get the hummus and whipped feta to start Chicken entrée was our favorite- perfectly cooked and seasoned. Cauliflower side was also delicious. The table next to us was eating stuffed cabbage - it looked incredible so will be back for that! My brother really enjoyed his shrimp app- picture is so blurry bc he was too eager to eat it! It was my mom's birthday so they brought a delicious Israeli Tiramisu over with a candle for dessert, which was very sweet of the Balaboosta staff to do. The bite I snuck of the birthday tiramisu was delicious and refreshing- it was frozen! Almost like an ice cream cake :D

Catharine N.

After failing to get reservations at Laser Wolf in Brooklyn, we wanted to find comparable Israeli food. Stumbled upon this restaurant and so glad we did! One of the best hummus I've had!! What we ordered: 1. Hummus 2. Eggplant 3. Lamb 4. Rice 5. Calamari 6. Crème brûlée My favorites were the eggplant, lamb, and rice! Overall a delicious meal and left feeling completely stuffed!!

Josephine L.

Wine Wednesday, July edition, was held here because the spotlight was on Israeli wine. Sadly, they offer only one white and one red Israeli wine by the glass, otherwise you have to buy a bottle that starts at $65 and goes up to the three digits. So we stuck with the Midbar (white) and Jezreel (red). The lack of Israeli wines by the glass is my only complaint about Balaboosta. The. Food. Was. Fantastic. I've traveled all over the Middle East, and even recognizing that the restaurants here inevitably have to be diluted for bland American palates, it's still hard to find truly good spots to get my pita on. Ba'boosta doesn't pretend to be completely "authentic", but the fusion touches are well done. We started with the Whipped Feta and Cauliflower appetizers, both of which were stellar. The latter was better, IMO, but it's hard to go wrong with perfectly crispy little white trees mixed in a bevy of delicious spices. Entree-wise, we got the Branzino, Brick Chicken, daily special of Salmon, and Stuffed Cabbage. The first three were perfectly cooked (esp. the melt-in-your-mouth chicken). I didn't much care for the Stuffed Cabbage because of the mix of sweet and savory, but if your'e into that sort of thing, you'd like this. I wish they'd taken a chance with the dessert menu. Places like Qawah House don't shy away from authentic Yemeni desserts, and they're packed to the gills every hour of the day. Here the offerings were standard Western desserts with slightly Middle Eastern touches, such as the Malawah Churros and Baklava Ice Cream. Good? Sure. But if I wanted churros, I'd go to a Mexican restaurant, and Baklava Ice Cream is just a soggy version of fried ice-cream. Extra points to our wonderful server, though, who was almost always there for us when we needed her.

Chicken Shawarma, PAPAS BRAVAS, SHAKSHUKA
Orrin E.

Years ago we discovered Taim and it became a favorite spot for a quick bite if we were at The Village Vanguard. A friend gave me a signed copy of the Balaboosta cookbook, and there are some recipes in there that have become my "go-to" favorites, so for years I've been dying to try one of Chef Einat's sit down restaurants. We finally worked it out and snagged a brunch reservation for my birthday. It was a busy Saturday, we opted for indoor dining. We started with the mint lemonade and yalla drinks- which were both tasty and refreshing. We started with the Dip Sampler (tahini, labneh and my favorite, matbucha) and papas bravas. For main events we went with vegan shakshuka- which was amazingly flavorful and the Chicken shawarma which was a little disappointing. I was expecting the chicken to have that wonderful typical grilled taste but instead instead the chicken almost tasted like it was boiled and then tossed in the aioli- the pickled onion was a nice touch and the home made pita bread was very good. I later ordered a $2 side of harissa- and honestly after mixing that into the shawarma it was much, much better. I'm giving 4 stars, and I'm looking forward to trying dinner next time.

Salad

Everything we ate was incredible. The skirt steak was cooked to perfection. The salad was amazing. The mint lemonade was refreshing. Desert was the best. Wow! Service was exceptional.

HUMMUS TAHINA
Elizabeth L.

Amazing Israeli food experience! My friend and I came here for a casual lunch. We couldn't choose what we wanted so had to get a few plates to share and try all the goodness! Let's start with the whipped feta with honey - an absolute must!! I've tried many whipped fetas before but this was has been a favorite! The hummus with meat was delicious and I would definitely recommend getting that as well! We split the chicken shawarma for our main - I loved the presentation and that it was already served in a pita. I'm not big on sweets, but I did find the challah French toast to be yummy service was great!!

Paperdelle branzino and short rib

See all

4 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 1
Photo of Kam M.
3
19
16

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Tim O.
491
1455
320

6 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 1
Photo of Amy G.
3
24
8

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 2
Love this 0
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 1

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

3 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 1
Photo of Marianne F.
19
246
530

1 year ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 1

4 years ago

Helpful 16
Thanks 0
Love this 13
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

4 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 2
Love this 2
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Ari B.
0
21
4

1 year ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 1

5 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Alan L.
95
1328
2530

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 1
Photo of Mila T.
1
148
468

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Lisa E.
491
1083
6543

4 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Anna E.
371
3
0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Su L.
322
1035
3949

7 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

7 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0
Photo of Martin W.
442
73
1

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Mike C.
5000
2053
138680

8 years ago

Helpful 13
Thanks 0
Love this 12
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Great food and restaurants. Also have a nice selection of food on the menu all tasted great.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

Page 1 of 4

Balaboosta Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Balaboosta

Do they take reservations?

Yes, through Resy.

Do they have outdoor seating?

Yep -- outdoor seating available during COVID.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Mediterranean 27,439 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Shukette - The swirl soft serve

Shukette

4.5(720 reviews)
0.7 mi•Chelsea
•$$$$

Wow! Can I say WOW! We loved everything we had and were lucky enough to see chef/owner Ayesha. it's…read morea beautiful restaurant with a lot of outdoor seating both in a built out parklet, a little side patio and some seating on the sidewalk in front. The pickles were bright and pungent, a great start and pairing to everything else. We started with the smoked char which was something unique and eggplant which were great to pair with the absolutely fantastic Frena. We also tried the lafa, but the Frena is what dreams are made of! Lamb kabobs were on point and to finish the Mic Drop was an absolutely perfect way to finish the dinner. Flavors were bright and loved the crunch of the hazelnuts. Absolutely loved this Chelsea outpost, so much fun and the food is fantastic. Only downside is limited indoor seating given the long serpentine bar in the restaurant. Limited bathrooms too resulted in quite a queue waiting for the facilities.

Yes yes yes yes yes!!!! Shukette you have my heartttttt. We…read morecame here after a wedding welcome party where we had some snacks, so we weren't very hungry. BIG MISTAKE! I wanted to eat everything! We sat at the counter and watched everything being made, and lemme tell you - that kitchen is run like the military. The cooks are incredible and fast and precise and clearly care about their food. So amazing to watch them at work. Here are my food thoughts: - Frena bread - the BEST bread I've ever had and I'm not even kidding. It surpassed a Chicago Michelin restaurant that I love. I can't stop thinking about this Frena bread. - Roasted Eggplant Spread - Very yummy, though the Frena bread didn't even need a dip. But luckily still good to eat with a fork hehe. - Cucumber Salad - delicious!! Loooved the pairing of cucumbers and olives. - Chicken Wings - After watching everything cooking on the charcoal grill, we had to try something even if we weren't that hungry, and these wings were awesome. The seasoning was fantastic and the dip was great too. I am seriously considering coming back to NYC solely to come try Shukette with a large group so we can order the whole menu. I am obsessed.

Photos
Shukette - Dining room

Dining room

Shukette - The mic drop

The mic drop

Shukette - Joojeh chicken

See all

Joojeh chicken

Qanoon - Makloubeh

Qanoon

4.2(220 reviews)
0.6 mi•Chelsea
•$$

such good food. 10/10 experience going in at 8pm. service was great and they let us host our infant…read more- Salah (or Samir?) was an awesome host and we felt so welcomed. ambiance was great. peaceful yet upbeat at the same time. hummus + octopus za'atar bread sumac chicken all amazing

Had dinner at Qanoon in Chelsea on a weekday evening, which is a Palestinian restaurant that opened…read morein 2019. We arrived around 6pm, and the restaurant was fairly quiet. It is on the smaller side, with around 15 tables, creating a cozy atmosphere with warm wood finishes and natural design elements, and there's a television. I met a friend for dinner, and we shared several dishes. We started with the mocktail of the day, a frozen watermelon drink ($12), served in a pint glass and it was very refreshing and not too sweet (didn't taste like any sugar was added). For appetizers, we ordered the hummus ($12) and baba ganoush ($12), both served with pita. The hummus was good, with whole chickpeas mixed in for added texture, but the baba ganoush was very good. We also ordered a gluten-free option, a side of crudités ($7). Next, we tried the baked feta ($19), served with thin slices of peach. While the combination of flavors worked well, the portion was small for the price. For our main course, we shared the Kofa, Palestinian meatballs baked with cauliflower, onion, tomatoes, and tahini sauce ($38). The dish was enjoyable and very flavorful, and the tahini sauce well-complemented the meatballs well, but the portion size felt small given the price. The service was attentive throughout the meal. We had several questions about gluten-free options, and our server took the time to double-check each dish we asked about, which was appreciated. The pacing between courses was also well timed. Overall, I enjoyed the meal and appreciated the cozy atmosphere, attentive service, and thoughtful accommodation of dietary restrictions. The restaurant was quiet enough for easy conversation. While the food was well prepared and flavorful, the portions felt small considering the prices.

Photos
Qanoon - Inside

Inside

Qanoon - Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush

Qanoon - Mujaddara Croquette

See all

Mujaddara Croquette

Balaboosta - mediterranean - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...