We really enjoyed our meal here. We had an amazing bottle of wine to start, then we shared the hummus bowl with a lamb kebab, and the lamb terracotta. Everything was so delicious, we live just around the corner so it's dangerous. needless to say, we'll be back. P.S. If you order dessert, the Turkish Sundae is outstanding. read more

Treated like family at this wonderful restaurant on UWS with a heated backyard garden. Dinner and desserts divine and service second to none. read more

Amazing Israeli fresh food! We ordered the Israeli salad, house bread, eggplant carpaccio and the amazing chicken they serve it in side of the bread! Woow very recommended read more

This place is my favorite Arabic restaurant in NYC. It's expensive, but worth it. The menu is very small. So is the restaurant. But there is also garden seating when the weather is nice. I only sit inside or do private catering. When I am in NYC with my friends from Europe or the Middle East, I bring them here. It's also a cozy place for a date night if you enjoy Lebanese food away from crowds. read more

I went here last week for dinner with a friend. Bustan has several things working in its favor, including a great ambiance, attentive service, and a varied wine list with multiple price points. The lamb terra cotta was delicious. The eggplant appetizer we ordered could have used a bit more oomph, but we did enjoy the squid. The desserts... excellent and true to the Mediterranean theme. Excellent neighborhood place. read more

Had dinner and lunch here a couple of times. Absolutely delicious food in a friendly atmosphere. Great garden to sit outside. Will definitely go back again read more

Do I dare say that this is quickly becoming an UWS staple? I guess that's a bit ambitious when you are comparing to the likes of Barney Green Grass and Jacob's Pickle. But seriously, its the go to spot for a nice dinner with family (or even date night for you UWS couples) The service although is a bit hit or miss, everything on the menu is actually very good. The must haves are the soft egg burek, charred octopus, who can say no to burrata?, or the roasted cauliflower (must). If you're still hungry you should try the morrocan cigars, they are basically mediterranean egg rolls and the falafel. The only dish I wouldn't recommend is the side cirspy kale, it's just too oily. read more

Our go to spot in the neighborhood. Delicious Mediterranean food! Love the outdoor garden and will keep coming back!

Vibrant atmosphere. We dined in the back garden on a cool summer night. The waitstaff were helpful, knew the menu and the wine list. Very friendly. We had the lamb, beef cheeks and striped bass. The seasonings were all robust, different and enjoyable. I especially liked the beef although it was quite a heavy dish. read more

Great food and cute outdoor garden. It is pricey though...

Wow... I never expected to give this sort of review to Bustan. What could have been a great evening of food and drinks turned into...well...not great. As soon as we walked in, I noticed that whoever decorated this place had no idea if he was going for something chic or trendy or whimsical -- just a total mess in that department. We were seated immediately on a Friday night, which was great, but our four-top was an awkward side table where everyone's seated on the same side. All of this was totally fine, including the delicious five dips and bread we enjoyed to start (particularly the taramasalata, a potato-fish egg mixture), but it just got...not great from there. Our waiter, though well-meaning, was unsure about the food he was serving and inattentive. Several folks in our party ordered the halibut and enjoyed it; the terracotta lamb was also enjoyed. My skirt steak and bone marrow came cold, so we sent it back. It came back burnt. The waiter had no idea what to do and ran away; we approached the manager (not the owner), whose snotty attitude didn't improve the situation. They did end up comping up some kanafe and tea, the former of which was SALTY. We know kanafe -- it's sweet and delicious and crispy. This was just gross. This place has a lot of potential, but I guess the sense that the folks running it aren't training the folks below. read more

The decoration is pretty cool but I got so disappointed of the terrible service from our waiter and busboys. I mean we need to ask multiple times to multiple people when we needed something, they just don't care about the clientele. It wasn't that busy brunch on Sunday. Any ways the Food is pretty good. I hope the servers put more attention. read more

Great brunch spot. Really good service. I had a skillet of tomato sauce, poached egg, and lamb sausage. Great flavors. Different and delicious. read more

Flat bread is awesome. In fact, all the bread is awesome. Place also has great lighting and ambience with a friendly staff.

I really like the atmosphere of this place, especially the garden in the back, but I wish the food was a bit tastier. Shared a hummus bowl with chicken, merguez appetizer and grilled beets salad. It was okay but not nothing to come back for. Also service could be a little friendlier. read more

The food is bad and expensive. We ordered short rib spring roll, mushroom flat bread, and lamb terra cotta. They were all below average. The interior is distasteful that makes you feel like you are in Vegas. read more

There's a reason they're rated the best hummus north of West 4th. Cozy atmosphere, thoughtful staff, and the best sangria I've had in the city. They also have a great brunch deal for an entree, dessert, and unlimited brunch drinks for an hour for $29. Definitely check it out. read more

Yuuuuum! Brunch is my favorite time to come here but you can't go wrong with dinner either. I would recommend sitting in the back patio during the summer. read more

Ate at the bar with a friend. Food was decent and the bartender who served us was nice. Unfortunately, our meal was ruined by the fact that the staff let a group of five ten-year olds mill about the bar watching football within inches of us. For around 45 minutes, they were literally bumping into us, chattering away so that it was impossible for me and my friend to carry on a conversation. Meal was ruined. It would have been totally fine if a group of people wants to get up from their seats for ten minutes of a game but 45 minutes was way too much. Picture your next meal - a bunch of ten-year olds standing IMMEDIATELY next to you and rubbing against your chairs. It's not a pleasant environment and it doesn't make for an enjoyable meal. I wrote to management the day after to explain what had happened. Waited a week. Never got a response. Guess they simply don't care. read more

Great food and service! Spicy feta, burger, and salads are amazing! Everyone is extremely friendly and attentive.

I came to Bustan with a group of 17 for the prix fixe lunch, and had an absolutely wonderful experience. This meal was one of the best prix fixe lunches I've had. Portions are quite large, made with fresh, delicious ingredients. The service was exceptional. We will be back! read more

Subpar food. What can I say. I was highly disappointed with this place. Although the service wasn't bad, and the waiters were mediocre, I felt as if the food was overpriced and not great at all. It wasn't the worst thing I had eaten before, but it didn't leave a memory for me to want to come back. I felt as if I could have gone to a different restaurant with great quality food for the better buck. Since we live in the area we decided to give this beautiful looking Mediterranean place a try and it was a new spot, so we figured it was time to try something new. Nothing great apart from its good looks and cocktails read more

The food was really good, but I wouldn't get the calamari. It was a bit tough. The bartender was really friendly and attentive!

Couldn't keep me away for long from bustan, went for a brunch again only two weeks after I've been there for the first time. cannot speak highly enough of this place, as a native middle eastern and big foodie it's by far the finest modern mid eastern restaurant in NYC. litteraly amazing food. read more

What an incredible meal my wife and I just had here. The hummus and bread were a great intro to whet the appetite. The dish with an egg on top with a tomato based sauce and lamb sausage links was truly to die for. Service was exemplary and prices quite reasonable. read more

I was so excited to try this place, and got the Lamb Terracotta. Was amazing! Unfortunately, I got some sort of stomach virus or food poisoning later that night, whether or not from this place, I'm not sure. I hadn't eaten out anywhere else that day, which led me to believe it was what I ate that night. Regardless, I unfortunately cannot come back here again since I'm so scarred from being sick from that night :( read more

I loved the deserts!!! I recommend you to try this tasty, amazing and fresh food. We got the Laila which was light and sweet and the meringue deserts with berries. The raspberry sorbet inside was incredible! read more

I have eaten at Bustan about 6 times now, for brunch and dinner. My conclusion: for UWS, this will be one of my go-to places if I don't feel like cooking. But it does not compare with similar restaurants downtown. For food, I would give it 3.5 stars. There are many delicious items on offer, but the problem is lack of consistency. When we first ordered the cauliflower dish, it was crisp and delicious. The next time we ordered, it was soggy and tasteless. When I ordered one of the shakshukas for brunch, I asked for the yolk sunny-side. But when the dish came out, it was hard. They graciously offered to make it again, but the second time, not even the whites were cooked. But when I looked at the table next to us, the eggs were perfectly cooked. Bustan knows how to execute a dish well. They just need to do it more consistently. read more

I ordered the shawarma sliders and they were very tasty. The meat was good meat. However, the portion size was smaller than life. This was disappointing. I was stuffed regardless. My dining companion ordered hummus with chicken and falafel balls. The hummus was delish and the chicken was fresh and succulent. The falafel was crispy and tasty. The service was good our waiter convinced my companion to sample an olive for the first time in her life, by convincing her that it would grant her a longer and more prosperous life. She didnt like the olive but liked his enthusiasm. read more

Thrilled to report a great experience with Bustan. My GF and I walked into a bustling Bustan in June for dinner and were just lucky enough to get seats at the bar. The knowledgeable, animated bartender helped us put together a terrific meal from the extremely tempting menu and, to keep this part of the report short, had an astonishingly great dinner that included a couple of their delicious signature cocktails. Everything we ate was original, exotic and very, very tasty. About a month later I'm wracking my brain for an idea for GF's (umm, "milestone") birthday party on Aug 15th. I wanted to something more than glorified bar food, but not sit-down for close to 40 friends. I of course wanted the food to be special, but not too formal. It finally hit me - I wondered if Bustan would cater the soiree? I called on a weekday afternoon and got manager Guy Goldstein on the phone. Although it was questionable if the relatively new restaurant had done much, or any, catering to that point, I knew I was in good hands with Guy right away. These are passionate food people, and Guy helped me put together a smashing spread of food for our guests that had everyone raving. As one friend put it "its like a festival of flavors!" Indeed. From the best ever hummus to the (almost too) irresistible bread from the taboon oven, to the unforgettable Moroccan Cigars, heirloom cauliflower, roasted beet salad, lamb kebab, etc, etc, bottom line - Guy and his staff personally delivered and set us up with what I can only describe as the ultimate party food whether you're entertaining at home or enjoying it at the restaurant. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one item that we had at the restaurant that didn't seem practical to serve at the party: the Moroccan red lentil soup, just about the best soup we've ever tasted! Oh, and if you have room for dessert, the Moroccan doughnuts with trio of incredible sauces (superb chocolate; deep, rich caramel and the bracing raspberry with a hint of rosemary I think) will just blow you away. Thanks to Guy Goldstein and Bustan for their stellar contribution in an unforgettable evening for friends and family. read more

Went to Bustan for brunch. Was thrilled that they had fresh leaves for the mint tea that I ordered so my expectations increased from there...unfortunately, the majority of our brunch, and the service was not very good. Food... The lamb schwarma was tender and fun to eat, but did not have much flavor - a pinch of salt would have definitely been helpful. One of the eggs in my Bustan Benedict was overcooked and the other had a slightly runny yoke. My husband ordered the baked eggs which came with a spoon. The spoon was not needed because there was no sauce to be found in the pan. This dish was also overcooked and the egg yokes in particular were hard. If we had not been waiting so long for our food, famished at this point, then we would have sent it all back. Service... When we told our waiter that the baked eggs in particular were overcooked he replied that that is how they prepare the dish and that the eggs are cooked through at Bustan. Well, we have had baked eggs before in other Med. establishment and that was never the case. Throughout our entire meal our water glasses were not refilled and the waiter never checked to see how our meal was, before or after we brought his attention to the eggs. Perhaps this was an off-day for the kitchen and staff, but definitely not impressed and are in no rush to return. read more

Great neighborhood Mediterranean, actually I'd say worth a trip from elsewhere in the city except I don't want to overcrowd one of my local favorites! Best grilled Octopus I've ever had, and I am a lover of the dish done well, so that's high praise. Fresh hummus served with homemade bread which should not be missed. Delicious and creative lamb dish served inside a flaky pastry. This is not a small dish place, but the starters are so wonderful and varied that you can enjoy a nice meal sharing smaller dishes if you choose, though the main courses are excellent. Those who appreciate fresh, clean, quality ingredients will like this place. Anyone with a bit of a west coast palette will especially love it and appreciate the focus on fresh ingredients that can sometimes be difficult to find in NYC. Servers are generally nice and attentive, and the warm charming atmosphere which is more chic than most Mediterranean places is perfect for a romantic date night out. Prices are reasonable for the high quality of food and atmosphere. read more

The best Mediterranean in UWS. Starting from the bread. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! Must try: hummus, feta spice dips and the lamb kebab.

don't try making a reservation by leaving a message on the restaurant's voice mail...which is mostly what you get when you call. You'll show up and they'll be clueless. read more

3.5. Food was mostly very good - a 4+, but the service was...weird. I've eaten at a lot of restaurants in my life, and this was probably the most and only truly negative experience I've had service-wise, but the food carries it. Came by on a weekend evening for a friend's birthday dinner. Our server was a very friendly, smiley woman who seemed a bit lacking for words. But that's OK, I'm generally pretty adaptable to all kinds of service situations. I've been in the service industry, and I can tell you, it's freaking hard. So I figured she could be new and shy. But she was just...not really around very much. I generally don't blame the server in these kinds of situations, because I figure it's also possible management didn't plan for enough servers given how many patrons there are - and the house was pretty full. Who knows, managing a busy restaurant is probably really challenging. After ordering our cocktails, I happened to be poking around my drink with the included cinnamon stick when this strange, white clumpy mass jumbled its way above the ice. I wasn't really sure what it was - it looked like a cross between feta and a rolled up wad of densely soaked tissue paper. I gotta admit, against my better judgment, I tasted it, but it had no taste. After a bit of waiting, our server came by. She didn't recognize the object either, and went to ask the bartender. In the end, nobody knew, so she resolved the situation and gave me a new drink. Great. So far, service is slow, but good, and I quickly tried to take my mind off the tasting of the paper cheese thing. Then our server disappeared again, for a long time. We almost finished our drinks by the time we were able to order our small plates. Anyway, this isn't really about the delays - one can fill it with nice conversation. Fast forward to our four small plates, one for the each of us. One in particular was the octopus dish, and, being a small plate, that gave everyone about two bites. But it tasted off. We've had seafood of all kinds, including octopus, but our dish tasted a lot like white fish. Actually, kinda like mackerel to be precise, but who knows, I could be wrong and maybe this was a rendition of octopus I've never had before - very possible. But given that 3 of our 4 thought it didn't taste like octopus (the 4th was not sure), the error with the cocktail, and the possible inexperienced server, I was also entertaining the possibility that we got the wrong dish. So why not ask? And thus began bizarro world. Our server was gone for awhile again, and when she finally came, I guess she was overwhelmed with other patrons, so before we could ask our question, she quickly passed another server onto us. He was not so friendly. Kind of pitbull-ish. We explained our questions about the dish. We were purely looking for confirmation that yes, indeed, that was the right dish, or no, that was the wrong dish. I assume one can do that by recognizing the sauce and plating. His immediate reply was a blunt, "It's all gone. You guys ate it all." Mostly, true, yes. An astute observation. There wasn't much to begin with, but one of us still had a bite of it left. Regardless, not really an answer to our question, though. From there, I received more hostility and defensiveness from him. It began to dawn on me that, in his mind, we were trying to get a free comp on the dish. Which was actually pretty insulting. But I keep all these thoughts to myself. Then he started off on a mini-lecture about how we may not be too familiar with octopus and how it's supposed to taste. Wow, thanks. That's not condescending. Then another jab about how it's all gone. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if he flipped us the bird, and now I'm getting kinda agitated, and I try to explain that yes, we've had octopus before. He still hasn't answered if that's the right dish or not, then kind of shrugs and says he'll get our original server for confirmation. She comes by, glances at the dish, and just immediately says, "I'll get the manager." Before I can protest that, no, that's not necessary, she jets off again. Now it's turning into a face-palming situation. The manager shows up, ask what's going on, I tell him we didn't think it was octopus, but that that's okay, we don't really care at this point. It's all gone. I had hoped that would end things and we could resume our nice birthday dinner, but instead he starts his own mini-lecture about how fresh octopus should taste and that they have a special oven (taboon) which brings all the patrons to the yard coming back for more. My brain thinks, "Okay, well I probably wouldn't order it again if that's what it's supposed to taste like" but of course I don't say that. I'm here for dinner, not for a run at the debate team. Finally, he leaves, and we try to forget the awkwardness. Anyway, on a good note, the hummus and lamb meatballs were pretty amazing. The eggplant small plate has a wonderful smokiness to it. Great food generally. read more

The first time I came here on a Sunday the bartender (male) was wonderful and very attentive. The pitcher we order was an entire bottle of champagne. We stayed longer than we intended because he was so awesome. The second time we came back (1/8/17) the bartender(female) was awful!!! Our pitcher of mimosa was a half bottle...I sat there and watched her pour half bottle pitchers for everyone people in the restaurant. She was completely aloof and didn't know any answers to the questions we asked about the menu. We ended up cashing out after the pitcher because she was so awful. I'd also like to mention it took her 15 mins to cash us at because she clearly lacks the skills to effectively manage a bar. Huge disappoint. I won't be returning. read more

An outstanding Mediterranean food, every dish that came out was delicious and had a unique flavor ( and we tasted almost everything on the menu ). The different kinds of pita/focaccia breads they have there are to die for. Great desserts too. To sum it up creative upscale and delicious Mediterranean and not too expensive. Great atmosphere and service! read more

Great service and the food is very fresh. Would definitely return for the appetizers and homemade bread. The outdoor seating is a very romantic atmosphere. The portions are a little small for the amount they are charging. read more

Dinner at Bustan was excellent although definitely on the more expensive side. Appetizers, entrees, drinks and dessert were all great. Service was okay. The garden area outside is very nice. Unfortunately, the hostess who greeted us was not very pleasant and not all accommodating even though the restaurant was completely empty when we arrived. read more

Great Middle Eastern food. In a dismal wasteland of restaurants on the West Side Bustan was a bright light. PLEASE don't change the delicious menu and please reopen!!!! Your shish kabob was the best and always prepared perfectly. Large portions , hot and quick delivery . Your bread was yummy as well. read more