Ordered: Mint Lemonade (~$9)…read moreHummus (~$12) Baba Ganouj (~$12) Grilled Eggplant (~$12) 5pc Falafel (~$12) Tabouleh (~$12) Fatoush (~$12) Grape Leaves (~$12) Zikrayat Mix Grill (~$35): with chicken kebab, beef kebab, lamb kofta and lamb chops with rice, grilled tomato & pepper, spiced bread, and yogurt sauce Aya's take: Zikrayat recently rebranded and changed managers, so I found myself back here for a family dinner. We ordered a bunch of appetizers to share and Mix Grill entrees for our party of 7. I would say it's a pretty simple and standard order. No deviations, substitutions, or anything out of the ordinary. Despite that, our drinks took ~20 minutes, the appetizers took 30+ minutes, and our entrees 30+ minutes after that. The Mint Lemonade was so small and tasted artificial. For ~$9, I expect more. The only appetizers worth trying are the Hummus Baba Ganouj, and Falafel. Everything else sadly missed the mark. The Fatoush & Tabouleh were promising but pretty sad. It lacked dressing (lemon and olive oil), flavor, and there were way too many unnecessary lettuce leaves on or around the bowl. I did enjoy the Zikrayat Mix Grill. The meats were tender, well-seasoned, and juicy, the rice was light and fragrant, and it was filling. I found the appetizers to be overpriced and along with the extremely slow service, I didn't leave feeling like it was worth it. I don't think I'll be back.

Went for Ramadan buffet, nice people, great display; so many different choices of food. They know…read morehow to cook meat tenderly! Seems like a great place to smoke hookah and chill later on in the night. Glad we spend Iftar there 2 different times. We will return again next year.

Most welcoming neighborhood spot serving consistently delicious food is also a worthwhile…read moredestination. Just go.

I came to dinner with my aunt and uncle and we ate falafel and I ate the shrimp with veggies. He…read morealso made us a specialty dessert which reminds me of home. Sami is the best cook in the world.

4.5 Stars...Rounding up to Five Stars!…read more 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!!

Decided to go here for a special occasion lunch and boy were we disappointed!…read moreI could go to Shahs Halal or my local Greek restaurant for better quality and tasting food for 1/2 the price. For apps we got the dip spread and cigar rolls with beef. Tasty enough but nothing special. Took 15 minutes before we got some more pita to share between the four of us. For entree we got the mixed shawarma with fries. Big portion, fries were ok, meet slightly dry and the white sauce the gave us tasted like yogurt sauce that was watered down and had oil added to it, no good ! The biggest disappointment was the mixed grill. 1 tiny piece of lamb and 2 pieces each of chick, beef and kofta. Flavorless meat , flavorless rice and the meat was sooooooo dry. Kept chewing and chewing because scared to swallow and choke. I want to cry just thinking about how much better food we can get from a local place and we drove all the way from long island to try this place. I'm not even joking, I gave the meat to my dog for breakfast as to not waste food and even he didn't want it. That is the attached picture . Sooooo disappointed. Bathroom is dirty and not let clean. Not enough staff to ask for help or utensils or even the check. Lacking customer service skills.

Superb Georgian food that appeals to every palate. This kosher restaurant has a slightly upscale…read morefeeling with service that makes you feel as if you were invited into their home. The restaurant was spacious enough to accommodate our party of 13 people, with room left for couples, families and another group of diners.

Happy to have tried something new but wasn't my thing. Expensive and I thought the food was…read moreunderwhelming. Marani sampler - 2/5 - 3 different phkali spreads (spinach, eggplant, and green bean). Bland. I like the spinach one the best. It would be nice if it came with bread or chips, but we got bread on the side and that was $5 extra. Lamb kebab - 2/5 - Tough texture. Expected it to be juicier? Khinkali - 3/5 - Thick shell. I always take note of broth inside of a soup dumpling. Wasn't super flavorful but decent.

So yummy! Definitely underrated. The chicken kebab is so good, the chicken is flavorful and brown…read morerice was perfectly seasoned. They gave a fair amount of sauce and veggies. I ordered through the phone for pick up and the hostess was so friendly, I got my food within 20 minutes. The food was so good I ordered the next day and got a combo for 2, the chicken and kofta kebab. So delicious and I will 100% be returning!!!

I'll start by saying that I love everything about this restaurant. From the food, the general…read moreatmosphere, and the impeccable service. The owner and staff couldn't be nicer people. They care about their patrons and do everything in their power to make you feel welcome. The decor is simple and uncluttered. Just the right amount of art and adornments, without feeling suffocated. My waiter, Khalil, is a fine gentleman and very personable. He would be welcome at my table anytime. Now for the food: We had the appetizer combo, which consisted of a spinach dish, hummus and pitas, and samosas. Best hummus I've ever had. Spinach was spicy and delicious. Samosa was excellent. For the main course we ordered a kebab platter for 4 people. Three kabobs of your choice, served with white or green (dill) rice. The kabobs here are the best I've ever had (I've been here many times, but this is my first review). This is one of my favorite restaurants in the five boroughs. Check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Lamb completely melts in your mouth. I highly recommend, kahlid was super kind and helpful. Super…read moretender, each dish is worth it and big portions.

I feel like I've been living in a bubble. How did i not realize that there's a vibrant Arab…read morecommunity in this neighborhood? Which also means there's lots of competition and the food is good! It's a smallish space, with about 8 tables. They have a cooler by the door for soft drinks, and by the cash register they have the traditional spiced sweet hot tea.. that's complimentary as well. They had one attentive and busy server, who took the time to speak to the patrons and make everyone feel welcome. They cover the tables with b plastic, and switch it after every seating. The salad is basic with some cumin and saffron. The lamb bone broth is very flavorful. It's rich, very cummin-y. Absolutely delicious. The bread is fresh and home made. The saltah is a thick veggie stew that comes bubbling in a crock. So flavorful. Get the fennel slurry on top! The lamb dish was crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. It was not gamey and was nicely spiced. Their homemade hot sauce was not spicy, but was flavorful. We also got this date and clotted cream. It was very dense, and not terribly sweet. It felt like something I'd want with an afternoon tea, as a pick me up, more than a dessert. I will be back.

Levant is one of my favorite new spots, and a great addition to the neighborhood. The feteer game…read moreis stronger than ever. First off the place is so cute, it's a long narrow restaurant with a good amount of seating, and you can watch them make and bake the feteer fresh to order. The people are so nice there and the food was DELICIOUS I do recommend setting aside some time or calling ahead if you can since it can take around 20 minutes to assemble this delicious creation. Get the mixed meat one and you will not be disappointed. The melty, gooey cheese runs throughout the large hefty chunks of meat sandwiched within this rich, delicious bread that keeps it all together. I ate the whole thing myself in a day. Don't forget to throw on the hot and white sauce on it too!

Came here for my birthday dinner celebration with friends. We ordered a few platters with rice &…read moremeats with hummus, eggplant,fries & a shawarma feteer. The platters were all delicious and the servings are big. It was my first time trying fetter and I heard that this place has the best and it did not disappoint! Excellent hospitality and ambient, you feel right at home here and are treated as so. Once the weather gets warmer we will definitely return to sit in the back courtyard that I didn't even know they had. Another gem in this area, so much rich culture.

Duzan is a certified spot in Astoria. It is one of those places you can rely on for consistently…read moregood food without overthinking it. The portions are huge, everything is packed with flavor, and the quality stands out compared to your typical food truck. It is very no-frills, but that is part of the appeal. You are leaving full and satisfied every time. If you are torn on where to go and want something casual, this is an easy choice.

Just give me and my wife a reason and the answer is always yes, want to go to Duzan?…read more Whether your a meat lover or vegetarian the food will not disappoint. My wife loves their chicken schnitzel. The chicken is fried to perfect with its crispy interior and soft interior. I went for the falafel, eggplant, on a heaping serving of couscous couscous. There is a great balance of salad and homemade pickles. Can't mention the dipping and the garlic pita thay comes with the order. Dont forget their splendid pink sauce (duzan sauce) its goes with everything!

My Turkish husband and I were meeting friends for drinks in LIC but we were super early so I…read moresuggested getting a quick bite at Safir, because we always like to try Turkish places and we hadn't been here yet. After our visit, I was left lamenting "why did we wait so long to come here?". We came in early on a Monday, before 6:00 and the place already had several tables full. We received a warm Turkish welcome and quickly settled in with menus. Our quick bit turned into mixed appetizer (hummus, babaghanoush, muhmmara, haydari and pink sultan), followed by sigara borek and lamacun. Everything was so good that we overate! I was full after the mezzes but the lamacun was so good...among the best we've had in the NYC area. Service was great too. Just a nice vibe with the friendly owners stopping by each table and saying hello. It was clear there were many regulars eating here and we anticipate more visits ourselves. They have some nice images of Istanbul on the wall and we were just in Turkey a few weeks ago so it felt like we were back there! This place is really a gem and I highly recommend it. Just make sure you bring your appetite because you will fill up when you eat here!

Octopus is great Branzino is great…read more Spinach was great Everything I've tried so far was delish

Great customer service!!! Food delicious and seasoned perfectly !!! Very cozy area and they treat u…read morelike royalty

Went for a dinner with my brothers on a Monday evening and had an amazing time here. Kind of small…read moreso i could imagine it gets packed quickly on busy days, but we had no issues this time. Greeted by the server, then we walked over to the fish selection area and scouted what we wanted. Our server directed us to which item we will enjoy so we let him bless us with the best fish he had in mind. Started with their seafood soup, absolutely appetizing and excites the stomach before the main dishes. This one is a must have every time I visit. Comes with shrimps, squid, mussels or clams, onions, in a savory tomato broth. One order can be shared with the table, for 4 of us we ordered 2 because the boys were hungry, but I imagine 3-4 can share one order of soup. Additional appetizers were baba ghanoush, hummus and their crisp house salad with fresh pita. Mains were the sardines, lightly fried. Branizino butterflied with the garlic lemon sauce. Order of tajine with squids and shrimps. Everything was out of this world delicious. Highly recommend this place and I will be back again!