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Balaboosta

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

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BALABOOSTA ATMOSPHERE

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Trendy
Romantic
Classy
Upscale

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Recommended Reviews - Balaboosta

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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.

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.

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.

Paperdelle branzino and short rib

We had a fabulous meal at Balaboosta tonight. Whipped feta, to die for... cauliflower with those pickled raisins?!? Get out of here. Rice w tahdig and the short rib?!? Too good! So many thoughtful and well composed dishes served with comfort in mind. Would def return!

HUMMUS TAHINA

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

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Do they take reservations?

Yes, through Resy.

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Yep -- outdoor seating available during COVID.

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Shukette - The swirl soft serve

Shukette

4.5(716 reviews)
0.7 mi•Chelsea
•$$$$

yes. yes. did you hear me? yes. - from the summery patio, to…read morethe chipper waiter, to the first rip & dip of frena bread into the labneh, to the supple chicken, to the last bite of soft serve. - starting off with the frena bread was the start every meal needs. this fluffy pillow of garlic-drenched bread did not even need dip to be enjoyed. the roasted garlic on top served as its own topping. - we got the whole wheat pita too, which went well with the super nutty smooth hummus & the sweet, fig-lined & drizzled labneh. skip the pita & try the specialty breads... or get this to let the dips shine. the labneh was thicker than a block of cream cheese & broken up with the sweet garnishes. - the chicken was cooked astonishingly well. thick chunks of juicy meat with charred, salty skin. top it with a spoonful of their homemade garlic toum & it's even better. - the watermelon feta salad is a simple dish done with a flair. they add a tajin(-like) spice to add a spicy flair that is tamed by the refreshing, light watermelon & salty, savory feta. - the soft serve options are, of course, beautiful. the blueberry sorbet is intense, a fruity blast of bright, cold, light delicacy with a bold blueberry compote at the bottom. the "mic drop" is a nut lover's dream of tahini-based smooth ice cream topped with crunchy nuts.

I had dined at Shuka years ago and loved it, so when the more casual Shukette opened, I had wanted…read moreto check it out as well. However, even after being open for several years at this point, it has remained near impossible to secure an advanced reservation. We recently decided to hedge our bets and see if we could secure a table, and since it was a warmer evening, the outdoor seating availability increased our chances. Thankfully, that thought process worked, and we were able to get one of their patio seats. While the inside of the place was mainly filled by a large counter in front of an open kitchen, with only minimal tables, the outside offered loads of individual tables either facing 9th Avenue or 24th Street, both of which had coverings to protect diners from any poor weather. Thankfully, we were on the quieter side, facing 24th and the surrounding Penn South apartment complex. Despite being a distance from the kitchen, we enjoyed timely and friendly service. We were both not drinking that night and focused our efforts on the food instead. We decided to share a variety of small and large plates in order to try a little bit of everything. First, we started with two of the dips. The Matbucha was made from stewed roasted eggplant, charred tomato, and red peppers, which was then topped with fresh mint and cilantro. The Smoked Artic Char dip included chunks of pink fish, tossed in a smoked onion-garlic aioli and seasoned with dill, red onion, and lemon. While the deep red eggplant spread was hearty and robust, the char was more like a light, flavorful fish salad you might put on a bagel. Both were delicious, but neither came with bread, which had to be purchased separately. We were initially going to go with the more affordable whole wheat pita option, but our server let us know that theirs were the balloon-like bread rounds that were hollow in the center. Instead, she convinced us to pay double the amount and order their Moroccan Frena Bread, which was a bit more dense and similar to a focaccia. It was topped with oregano and fresh garlic cloves. We then dove into a few small plates, starting with the Roasted Beets from The Shuk section of the menu. The red and gold beet chunks had been sweetened with honey, spiced with a harissa vinaigrette, and tossed with candied hazelnuts, orange wedges, sesame, and mint. The dish offered bright colors and flavors. The Scallops a la Plancha were from the same section of the menu, but were essentially double the cost at an insane $30. The four small, grilled scallops were served in a watery sungold tomato broth that had been infused with shallots and cilantro. While the dish was well-seasoned, it was too expensive to be so messy and watery. We then proceeded to the Lamb Kebab, which was served on a giant metal skewer, which the server removed for us. The remainder of the plate had been reserved for Baharat-spiced potatoes, mounds of whipped goat cheese, sliced chili peppers, and scallions. Unfortunately, some of the meat chunks were chewy, but the seasoned potatoes were delightful. Lastly, we simply had to order their renowned soft-serve, which was available in their best-selling tahini flavor or as blueberry sorbet. We decided to do a swirl of the two to get the best of both worlds. The sorbet was a bit too sweet and slightly overpowered the nutty tahini, but the contrast was smart in theory. The high-rising mountain of frozen dessert was topped with a spiced almond granola that included chunks of candied ginger, a welcome ingredient to help settle our full stomachs. All in all, we liked the bulk of our meal at Shukette, but would I say it would be worth the hassle of waiting a long time for a table, probably not.

Photos
Shukette - Dining room

Dining room

Shukette - The mic drop

The mic drop

Shukette - Joojeh chicken

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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.

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Qanoon - Inside

Inside

Qanoon - Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush

Qanoon - Mujaddara Croquette

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Mujaddara Croquette

Balaboosta - mediterranean - Updated October 2026

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