Silvana is a really cute and funky spot right outside the 116th St. C train station. The decor is cool. The vibe is chill. Service is always pleasant and polite. Seating is communal for the most part, but everyone has his or her own space. The tables are long and wooden. There's live music on some nights downstairs, but I've never had the pleasure of being able to stay for it. The drinks are good and the food is great. My favorite is the eggplant. I'm dreaming of it right now and wish I could have some. It comes with a nutty tasting tahini sauce. Ask for some chile sauce if you like a little fire. The potato chips are really great. The zataar pita is awesome. I can't wait to go back to Silvana! read more

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Food was great! We ordered the Chicken Schnitzel and Beef kebab dish.... Soooo good. Enjoyed the live music as well.

Perfect from beginning to end.Amazing vibe,great Mediterranean food and wonderful boutique upstairs.Then we discovered the live music downstairs.An absolutely perfect night. read more

I've been here twice now, and what has struck me both times is the perfect vibe of this place. Very 'cool, chill and warm/inviting. Tonight we got their cauliflower dish, an Israeli salad and their baba ganoush. Everything was SUBLIME. We then went downstairs to hear some live music. Both performers were excellent. This place is a real GEM. Not sure what some of the other reviews/comments are, re: service. All of our service was great, throughout our entire meal, and downstairs as well... read more

I get take out from here all the time and their schnitzel dish and sandwich never miss

I am so very glad to have found Silvana. I am still dreaming about the crispy cauliflower. That Salmon Salad is next level. Among the best hummus masabacha I've had stateside, since it is on par with what I've enjoyed while traveling internationally. I will be making my way through the various topping options order after order. Merguez is packed full of flavor, though was a little overcooked. I'm thinking the fluffy potato chips are best ordered in-house since they didn't travel well. Turmeric Dark Hot Chocolate is probably outstanding...though it didn't make it off my order and into the bag. But hey. Next time, right? I'll definitely continue to order from them for delivery. And I have them solidly on my list to try when I'm in - or meeting someone in - the area. Let's help keep this gem in business, folks! read more

Good coffee, free WiFi and just all around a cute place to work or connect with with a friend over breakfast. I haven't been here in the evening so I can't speak to the evening experience. For breakfast, though, I'm hooked on the healthy bowl with oatmeal, hemp seeds and a beautiful array of fruit. The banana they gave me today was a little bruised, but you could say it added more sweetness? Sorry, Double Dutch, but I've found a chiller, roomier, wifi-er place to call home! read more

I haven't tried the food here as yet. I usually go to their downstairs bar/lounge area. It is a very cool atmosphere you can go enjoy music and drinks early or After midnight where it's gets fun. A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE STILL DANCE! I love going here. read more

Really excellent food. You basically can't go wrong. I have come more often for the restaurant than for the music, but I've heard some interesting live shows downstairs as well. read more

Silvana is the B E S T !! Great study spot, great first date spot, great happy hour, great dinner, and even a fun club at night!! How that does one spot do it all?? I live just around the corner and this place is one of my regulars for everything! Getting some readings done and emails sent, grabbing a quick drink, or even the occasional night out! An AMAZING staff- all so kind and overall just such a friendly, diverse space. Highly recommend their happy hour- 4-8pm every day, with $4 margs and piña coladas! Has a community grounded feel with lots of friends of the shop coming by, bringing their kids, etc. 11/10 place -- come by and check out their beautiful decor- lots of handmade jewelry and art pieces for sale that decorate the space. Also- Celiac friendly!! They are very knowledgeable about gluten contamination and do a great job accommodating. read more

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Tiny place, easy to miss, home cooked meal tastes as if your mom cooked it. Soft meat, fast delivery, insane couscous! Super fresh! Definitely! read more

Food here is excellent, fresh, and the service was fast. Chicken literally melts in your mouth. Will be back!

Ok, I think it's time to review. I have been coming to Silvana nearly every day for the past two weeks to grab a laid back lunch. I have had the Turkish coffee, burekas, cold brew, ginger-turmeric hot and cold, hummus, grape leaves, and malawah. The hummus was too big for a light lunch and I had leftover for breakfast. Everything else was perfect. At lunch time it's pretty quiet inside. Not too many people. If you are in a rush, let them know and they pick up the pace of service. One night I had out of town guests and I took them here for the happy hour and jazz downstairs. Same laid back vibe as lunchtime but dimly lit for that evening vibes. read more

Silvana - Turkish coffee, djezwa is for sale in store. - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

We have frequented this place and I just cannot stop ordering the sabich! You cannot go wrong with ordering a side of the fluffy fries and -- they are really fluffy! The breakfast special was amazing, but my fiancé stressed that the sabich is the way to go! It is a stuffed pita with EVERYTHING you can imagine! I ordered a tumeric latte and it was divine! It wasn't on the menu, but feel free to order it! I'm not sure why people have complained about the service, but our servers have always been quite helpful! read more

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Best restaurant with amazing service, delicious pastas (loved the pasta bolognese) and salads. Looking forward to trying more of their mouth watering salads. Welcoming and exclusively inclusive, they treat you wonderfully. Inviting environment. read more

Ended up here randomly and am SO glad we did. The food is amazing. The crispy eggplant is beyond delicious. The service was warm and welcoming. Highly recommend. read more

Went to a music venue at night! The downstairs bar is a totally different vibe, but equally enjoyable to the daytime scene. Fun venue with varied styles of music and what looked to be Columbia students and musicians. Definitely recommend checking out their basement music venues if you live in the area. I went on a Wednesday and the music was chill, I can only imagine that it gets better towards the weekend. read more

We waited 1 hour for our food while watching others get theirs. Finally the waiter asked us and we said we still haven't gotten it. He said the kitchen was backed up. Not true, many who arrived after us were already eating. We got up and started walking out and he had the nerve to ask us to pay for our 1 beer. I like the food at this place but the management has always been sketchy. Now we're looking for another place and will not come back here for dinner at least. read more

The service was terrible. When I asked what part of the Middle East the food is supposed to be themed from, they wouldn't answer and act as if the question was ridiculous. Ended up leaving because of the rude attitude and the lack of transparency of it being Israeli owned. read more

I was here this past weekend for my friend's show. Upon entering, I was thoroughly confused as to where the stage was (come in and there's stairs going down to the right of the restaurant). The upstairs/main floor had more of a chill coffeehouse vibe. They also offered a wide range of small gifts and handmade items (post card/greeting cards, jewelry, bags, etc.). Once we went to the basement, we saw that there's a decent amount of seating and tables. During our show we ordered a lamb platter, blackberry-lemon cocktail, and a chicken pita sandwich. All the food was pretty good- though, the chicken pitawas difficult to eat and one half fell apart. Overall I had a great time here. I just wish they promoted their downstairs space more. Upon entering I would never of thought there's another floor with live entertainment. I'll probably be back if I'm in the area. read more

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I found myself in Upper Manhattan with a couple of hours to spare before a meeting and am very happy I stumbled upon Silvana. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in the area. Pros: -The cafe vibe is cozy, relaxing and welcoming. I love the decor. -I walked in and started telling my friend a story before I even sat down, and the server already had a glass of water in front of me by the time I had my coat off. -The Sabich Sandwich was dope. It had a great balance of textures and tastes, and I was full (but not stuffed) all day afterward. -A friend called it expensive, but I thought it was very reasonably priced for the city. My total before tip for the large cappuccino and sandwich came to $14. You're going to be hard-pressed to beat that for lunch and a coffee unless we're counting bodega sandwiches or dollar slices. Cons: -The server who replaced the woman who initially greeted us was kind of rude, and we weren't high-demand customers. We didn't even ask for water refills or anything extra to be brought to the table. Like, look, I'm all about efficiency and it really doesn't bother me at all when servers get right to the point (in fact, I prefer it), but this dude ignored my very obviously setting the menu down in front of me and looking for him, then when he finally came over he copped an attitude like I was the one who had taken forever. He had attitude every time he interacted with us, but I'm hoping he was just having a bad day or something. It still didn't turn me off from returning, though. read more

Silvana - Sabich Sandwich - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Would like to give 2.5 stars to average out the upstairs & downstairs experience. UPSTAIRS: Good food, good music, nice ambiance. Service, as others have noted, is slow. **** DOWNSTAIRS: A joke. Terrible drinks and service at the bar. The draft lines have been down every time I've been there. Music programming is run in a completely unprofessional manner. Patrons get drunk and rowdy late night and the establishment does nothing. * Come have some food, but do not walk down those stairs. read more

Oh my goodness, this place was so absolutely delicious. The lamb pita stopped me dead in my tracks and just had to savor every bite.

The falafel wasn't green. But I didn't ask this time. I've eaten here before and I knew it was good. The food was good but it could have had more flavor to take it to the next level. I don't like when restaurants settle. Let's talk about that tahini sauce shall we? A good tahini sauce is made even better by just adding three ingredients: fresh lemon juice, finely chopped garlic and sea salt. That's it people I'm from Brooklyn and I'm the child of two southerners. Why is my tahini sauce better than some of these middle eastern spots? I was ok but I wanted to be overwhelmed! read more

Came here after a long day of work. This is definitely a place to let your hair down so to speak. Dancing is encouraged and the atmosphere is laid back. Had some frozen margaritas which were definitely on point. My company stuck to Guiness and they were cold and kept on coming. Not sure on the prices and I didnt get to taste any food since the kitchen had long closed. Bathrooms were pretty clean. There was no band playing when we were there But I would return to catch up on all that I missed. read more

Silvana - Love the mirrors - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

The food is so flavorful and delicious, also not too costly. Enjoy the live band in the basement or a cafe like setting on the top. The staff is all pleasant and Management is outstanding, knowledgeable and helpful. The hummus is one of the best that I have had at a middle eastern themed restaurant, you'll want this to go. This food is being prepared right! And Tasty, with Variety read more

Silvana - Pot Lamb Shawarma Plate, Chicken Laffa, Hummus Side Fluffy Potato Chips - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

We ate in the basement while listening to jazz. Very good Mediterranean food at reasonable prices

Went to hear a specific band perform. Getting there early didn't help as the previous band went over their time & people were still eating. Was quite disappointed about the lack of seating in front of the stage. We didn't order food. Not enough waitstaff for such a large crowd especially if you're sitting in the back area where we were resigned to. Had to find a spot to stand in the front area & try not to block the seated patrons in order to actually see the performance. Got drinks from the bar. Can't really mess up flavored Ciroc on ice so no problems there. Reasonably priced & good sized drinks. I'd say more tables downstairs & a 30 minute cushion between bands for setting up & 'clearing out' for the next band & their followers. read more

I enjoy this spot. It is conveniently located off the 116th BC stop. I have had the Israeli breakfast ($14) and the Shakshuka ($11) as well. The Israeli breakfast is a nice, light option that is balanced since it is eggs and the good roughage. The Shakshuka is so flavorful. And is seved hot with pitas bread. I really enjoyed it. I would probably bump it up to 5 if the seating was a little more comfortable. Though most coffee shops have cushion less seating probably so people like me don't spend too many hours there lol. The bathroom is a single stall and is roomy and clean. Good coffee drink options, tea, alcoholic and non-alcoholic options as well. Prices are pretty nice! Happy Hour 4p - 8p daily. read more

Legendary energy in this place. Kind people, live music; a place where everyone is welcome. So thankful for how this business affects our community in so many positive ways. Please come support this amazing space. read more

I'm glad I gave this place another chance after some time because I really enjoyed my experience here tonight. The atmosphere both upstairs and downstairs is really lovely and the food and tea was pretty decent. Wish my phone hadn't died so I could have snapped a few photos. Started upstairs in the cafe area with a falafel platter, pita "chips", and a glass of green jasmine tea, all of which I shared with my SO. The $12 falafel platter was kind of a small-ish portion but the perfect amount of food for one person if you're not ravenously hungry. I really enjoyed the little side salads it came with and the fact that the falafel seemed baked rather than fried. My boyfriend had the pita chips but was more like puffy, herb-crusted breadsticks with a lot of oregano. These were pretty tasty to dip in the tahini and hummus. Jasmine tea came in a single-serving french press and smelled and tasted heavenly. Total came to $21 for all of the above -- not too bad. After that, we decided to venture downstairs to check out the music lounge/bar and ended up staying for a round of wine and beer. It's pretty great that they have a happy hour every day from 4-8, even on weekends, with $4.00 wine and $5 well drinks. There was a live band playing with no cover charge and the space was really chill. This is definitely a Columbia crowd hangout and you can tell there were a lot of dates meeting here. It definitely works for a casual date night spot and I'd love to come back sometime for more music and drinks and maybe hookah if they still have it. read more

Story: Came across this as I took the blue subway line and got lost. Awesome mistake ever as I came across this placed. Walked inside and checked out what it had to offer, best lost adventure every because I found a pretty cool hidden gem. Unfortunately I had to meet up with a friend for dinner so I couldn't stay long but the short experience was pretty enjoyable. Ambiance: Upstairs can seat about twenty people but there's only two tables so it's community seating. Downstairs is the lounge where the magic is all at. From the unique art on some of the tables, comfortable lounge, to the live music makes it calm and enjoyable. There's more community seating tables and pair seatings as well so pick your seat, order your food, and enjoy the show! Food: I ordered an orange/apple juice and the mix was quite refreshing. Unfortunately it wasn't one of their signature made brands but still good. Customer Service: They baristas and bouncer (downstairs) were friendly. It seemed like they knew their stuff and my order came pretty quick. Overall: I give this place 4 stars. I enjoyed a lot of things about it. I can't give it the appropriate 5 stars because I didn't try their food but from the ambiance to the service, it was memorable. If I'm ever back in New York, I look forward in seeing this place. Advice: -In need of a low key late night music fix? This is the place! read more

Silvana - Yum! - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

I came here with a group of friends. It's a cafe, gift shop and has an eating area with live music downstairs, which is where we hung out. We were seated immediately and had a great view of the jazz band. The music permeated the entire place and was quite good, complete with trumpets, keyboard, drums and more. The band played a mixture of popular oldie but goodie songs, as well as some more traditional jazz tunes. The menu had a good mix of Mediterranean food and I ended up ordering Chicken Shwarma on white pita bread. It was very tasty and there was a ton of yummy grilled, full of flavor juicy chicken, as well as plenty of crisp cucumber, other fresh vegetables and tasty tahini sauce covering everything. The pita bread was soft and fluffy and all the ingredients came together deliciously. My friends ordered the Sabich Sandwich, which was pita bread stuffed with fried eggplant, hard-boiled egg, hummus, Isreali salad, tahini, pickles and fluffy potato chips. They seemed to enjoy it. I was most curious about the fluffy potato chips so tried one and they were absolutely wonderful! Fluffy potato chips are thin slices of potatoes fried in a batter... Sort of like tempura but more pure potato taste and much crispier. I liked it so much that I ended up getting it as a side. The only thing was they were very oily, but can't really complain about that because that's to be expected... They are deep-fried, after all! There seemed to be only 1 waitress for the whole downstairs area, which definitely was not enough. It was hard to get her attention and then took awhile to get our checks. At least they were able to give each of us separate checks, but the waitress only gave the checks out after we asked her individually, which was a bit annoying. I thought it was customary to bring all the checks at the same time. However, I could tell the waitress was doing the best she could and did pretty well for being the only server. I definitely think it would be good to have another waitress working, as the room was quite large. I wouldn't go out of my way to go back, but if I am in the area I would stop by and try the lamb shwarma, which is only a couple dollars more than the chicken one. read more

I mostly go to Silvana when my musician friends are playing there but I always have a great time. Drinks are good and the food is okay (vegan options are always a plus!). Good service..... I will always go back! read more

I love this place. The vibe, the food, the aesthetic. The veggie cigar to doe for! Poached eggs over the most incredible hummus with carmelized onions.... Some cauliflower thing... the baklava... the only problem is the service- it does depend on when you go. I had a great server one time but last weekend brunch was pretty lacking. Very sweet girl that was just clueless. Sweet but - waitress gene - not her thing. However I'm giving 5 stars because what this place has going for it is the aesthetic, the vibe and mostly it's delicious! It's important to support places like this in Harlem like you would a flower bed in a garden. This place adds to the community. Yum. read more

This is my go to anytime i want some delicious comfort food. I also like the environment. You cant go wrong with the lentil rice my absolute fav. Also the Israeli salad, falafel, hummus, deep fried potatoes slices, side of ezme. Love the elderflower and rhubarb soda's too. read more

This place is everything!! Delicious Mediterranean food, cool gift shop/study area upstairs, live music downstairs, quality teas/coffee, fruit infused water, tobacco-less hookah, and what won my heart over - their amazing happy hour. There's the usual wine/beer options, but for $4 you can also get a frozen margarita and piña colada. And what a piña colada. It's the consistency of a mango lassi with the sugary goodness of pineapple and a kick of rum at the very end. The food is fresh and tasty. The falafel and hummus are well made. And the vibe is just too cool. The upstairs (free wifi) is such a great spot to chat or get work done. The downstairs has rockin bands playing every night. I've seen acoustic guitar duos, jazz soloists, and even a 12-piece brass band! It's loud, so downstairs isn't as great for talking but perfect for jamming out to some live music. read more

Silvana - Piña colada - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

The cutest Mediterranean spot! The food and ambiance was the absolute best! A friend reserved the bottom floor for her birthday where we had various food platters, live music, and a bar to order drinks from. Tried a taste of almost all the small plates and everything was beyond incredible. An amazing time and would love to go back! read more

Silvana - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York

Came for the live music, the food and cocktails were just a bonus. Great cocktails and even better dips. Service was a little long but it was a busy night and seemingly only 1 server/bartender. I didn't mind the wait, server was very courteous and sincere. read more

I absolutely adored the vibe of this place. The ambiance was my things. There was jewelry and clothes for sale, cool long tables to share, art and things to look at on the walls. The waitress sat down with me to take my order. When I told her I planned to listen to the music afterward she encouraged me to go down and eat down there. I am grateful because I was able to watch some great performers! There were four performers who took stage and sang three songs each. It was just what I needed. My cocktail was great. I ordered the falafel app and was satisfied but not impressed. But just the vibe is worth going for. I wish I lived around here. I would be here every night! read more

Silvana - Middle Eastern Near Me - New York, New York