ilili Restaurant

Experience Lebanese & Mediterranean cuisine in NYC’s Flatiron District. Savor authentic mezze, main courses, & desserts at ilili.

9 / 10
1923
ratings
Address

236 5th Ave (btwn E 27th & E 28th St) New York , NY 10001 United States

Credit Cards Yes (incl. Discover & Visa)
Wi-Fi Yes
Outdoor Seating Yes
Menus Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert, Happy Hour
Drinks Beer, Wine, Full Bar, Cocktails

Comments / 452


Keywords:

good for dates good for groups trendy healthy food desserts happy hour middle eastern food prix fixe menu mezzes candy bone marrow meats brussel sprouts bar Lebanese eggs benedict brunch food spacious yogurt eggplant
honeywhatscooking.com

The phonecian fries and Brussel sprouts are to die for. Cocktail - From Beirut w Passion and Poison Margarita w/pomegranate are both delicious. Branzino w/mint was a huge letdown. Lamb chops good.

Mila Mila

The scallops were amazing. The hummus with pita , so simple but extremely tasty. The service was friendly and very attentive. The ambience sets a great date spot and even after work drinks.

Morgan McKee

A tad pricey but SO good if you're into this food scene. Great Lebanese share plates, so bring a crew. Or if you're like me, bring your dad so he won't judge you for eating like a man and he'll pay ????

Mayank Mahajan

All of the cold mezze are delicious. You don't even need to get a main dish. I recommend 3-4 for 2 people since the portions are quite large. Fantastic service too!

André Feith

Great atmosphere! Nice staff and delicious food. We try the Falafel , Babba Ganouj and Kafta , that was amazing. The pita is just in time made for you. Awesome place in Midtown Manhattan !

Carol

Went for a company dinner and they had amazing dishes! Don’t know where to even begin! The ancient Lebanese wines were delicious & sommelier (with bowl haircut ) was so knowledgeable ! Get duck shawarma

Luke

An epic menu that hits all the Lebanese classics, but adds its own twists. The grilled meat platter is a good bet for first timers. Maybe the best tabouleh in NYC

ℳ????????♍

Elegant warmly lit Lebanese spot with major upscale vibes and great selection of Levantine cuisine food, the taste will seriously take you there. Servers are exteremely attendant, kind and quick. 5/5

Ben Mackey

Our group of three had the meat platter, falafel , eggplant and brussel sprouts to share. It was the perfect amount of food and all extremely delicious.

Uber NYC

Ditch the old eggs benedict and have brunch here instead! For the true Lebanese experience, the labneh and kibbeh are a must. But if you're feeling experimental, the lobster hommus won't let you down.

T S

Super amazing Lebanese food , out of the box ideas, great services & great value .

Michelle R

Must haves: octopus , Brussels sprouts , fries (the garlic sauce !!))Good: such shawarma , hummus (jalapenos are perfectly picked/spicy)! Dark, intimate , yummy!

Giovanni D'Palma

The hummus is amazing and comes with warm pita bread but my favorite dish was duck shwarma . The riz and kafta were also really delicious. The staff was super friendly .

Joan Park

ordering various mezzas are the way to go: the crispiest & most perfectly seasoned fries and creamiest hummus ever. not a huge fan of the brussel sprouts and brunch mains.

Lee Hoffman

Fantastic Mediterranean tapas . The Brussels sprouts and French fries are truly the best I've ever had. Pita bread and chicken kabob are also great.

Hessa Al Zamel

It's always a full house, so it's kinda of loud , but it's a must try Lebanese restaurant in NYC. Don't miss their kabob karez and their chicken tawok????Lastly, don't forget to make a prior reservation

Chad Horner

the mixed grill is a great way to try the variety of meats offered in the menu. the Ilili candy bar (not your typical candy bar ) is the way to go for dessert

Kath

Friendly waitstaff , beautiful restaurant . Great place for a date or go up to second floor back area for group celebration. Solid food and desert with wine pairing .

Johnny Bravo

Amazing!! Food and staff service is fantastic. Warm welcome as we entered. Our server Heather was friendly and very hospitable . Best Lebanese food in the city

Frank Rimalovski

Amazing Lebanese food in a super cool space (ask to sit in the main room when you make a reservation ). Great place for groups so you can share and try everything on the menu!

Catherine

Food was amazing, exceeding far beyond expectations. I've tried the brussels sprouts and those were okay, but I liked the lobster hummus and the falafels much more. Highly recommendable.

Maya Jimenez ????

Best Lebanese / Mediterranean food in the city . Hummus and Brussels sprouts are delicious. Order about 1 1/2 mezzes per person to start and go from there. It's all delish, you can't go wrong!

Yaroslav Bakhmetjev

Perfect assorty grill: there are all kinds of meat - beef , lamb , chicken and kebabs . Impressed by 2 points: Hazelnut Chocolate Soufflé , and attentive headwaiter (deal in wine almost like a sommelier ).

Appetite for Good

Best lebanese restaurant ever! One of the most giving and generous. They support many nonprofit and charitable causes around the city . YOU HAVE to try the Duck Shwarma !!! It's the best!!!

Marco Sousa

Absolutely delicious! It's nice to get a bunch of different plates to share with a bottle of wine . Recommended: shrimps , falafel , moussaka , baba ghanoush , salads , shawarma , the list goes on...

Paula Buzzo

To try a little bit of everything we order cold and hot appetizers , the portions are enough for two people and everything delicious. Excellent attendance.

Waleed ????????

Tried variety of cold mezza hummus , baba ghannouj, labne, and fattoush . All of these appetizers were great and authentic . Served with fresh pita bread . Must try Kebab Kerez (Kebab with cherry ).

Paige C

The service was phenomenal! Food was even better than expected. We shared a bunch of mezze plates and loved them all. Definitely recommend the hummus , tuna , scallops and meatballs !

Kathryn

I love this restaurant . Go here hungry! The mouhanara is a must as an appetizer and do yourself a favor and order the Brussels sprouts and Phoenician fries . Not a huge fan of the gnocchi , however.

Kimmie Ohh

Try the Lebanese Caesar salad (romaine salad , lemon , garlic , pistachio , toasted pita ) or the Silk Road salad (romaine salad , lemon vinaigrette , dates, avocado , citrus , dried cherries ).

Danielle Whited

The kafta was delicious! A great combination of flavors! And you can't go wrong with any of the hummus ! I really appreciate that the staff also know how the food in a dish should be paired.

Hien Ly

Tasting menu is reasonably priced ($72pp$) and is a ridiculous amount of food. Six shared mezzes , entree selection per person and dessert . All delectable from pickles to seared lamb !

amNewYork

Ingredients: Lamb patty, kashkaval cheese , arugula , bastermaTo know: The lamb burger , served only at lunch and brunch , features basterma, which is like prosciutto , but is beef not pork Read more

Deborah Rose

Ear the Brussels Sprouts . They are unlike anything I've every tasted, pure magic! Also had the lamb dumplings and duck shawarma . So good!!!

Waleed ????????

Mixed Grill has variety of proteins in which they were delicious and cooked perfectly. The atmosphere of the restaurant is friendly . The service was nice. The place is good for groups .

Emily Giglierano

The prix-fixe is great for a nice business lunch ; they'll let you chat for a good long time. (Sometimes borderline too long.) Try the fancy lemonades and the burrata !

Shirin H

One of my favorite restaurants in the city . The Brussel sprouts are definitely not to be missed. Warm eggplant , and all the cold lentil appetizers are also amazing. Get the candy bar for dessert !

Hany Youssef

Amazing food, great atmosphere, the staff r super friendly , presentation is outstanding, everything just tickle ur taste buds def highly recommended

Rita L

summer restaurant week 2013 isn't that good here, I didn't like their lamb shank or cod as the main dish. fries and strawberry cheesecake were yummy, they do have a pretty cool restroom !

Amy Thai

if you come here get the calamari a la plancha for app, lamb chops for entree, and ilili candy bar as dessert . if you're able to make it in time for happy hour order the from beirut with passion

Sinem Saniye

DELICIOUS FOOD. Absolutely amazing, every dish. Sauces were excellent too!

Kimmie Ohh

They serve Lebanese cuisine . Get their Phoenician fries & shrimp hummus as appetizers . Get their shawarma or chicken taouk.

Ashley Byrd

Brussel sprouts are next-level. Hommus , OBV. Phoenician Fries also awesomeeeee. Duck Shawarma was good. Local wines available, which I LOVE. Overall would recommend and go again.

Sofia Papastamelos

Small plates had pretty generous portions . Loved the lamb/beef dumplings , Brussel sprouts , and duck shawarma . Custard/clotted cream with mastixa liquor was delish!

Rami Haykal-Manning

The kibbeh with karaz (kibbeh with cherries ) is a sleeper. The kibbeh nayeh is one of the best I’ve had outside of Lebanon. The grill platter is good for groups of 8+

Bethany Martone

The Brussels sprouts are so phenomenal..it's definitely a must have! The lamb chops were perfectly cooked and delicious. The not so bloody martini was also great! Absolutely love this place

Natalie K

Fantastic Lebanese . Standout dishes were the duck shawarma , tabbouleh , and mixed grill, but honestly everything was good.

Dr Foodie

Mezes were great: Hummus , Muhammara, Tabouleh . Mussaka was phenomenal ???? Grills were delicious and the Knafe below is a MUST ????

Adnan Manjal

Great middle eastern food . The chicken liver with pomegranate molasses is fantastic, so is their French fries and duck Shawerma . Try their cheese kinafeh for desert .

Sarah Stilwell

If you are a group, try the Mezza Royale together with the mixed grill - you won't be dissapointed! A tasty mix of lebanese meze ; I especially enjoyed the mekanek (lamb sausages)- never tasted better

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