ilili Restaurant

Ilili gives New York something it never had before, and possibly never longed for: A very large (290 seats), elegant and authentic Lebanese restaurant. For those whose experience with Lebanese food doesn't go beyond shawarma, it's eye-opening to sit in the gorgeously wooded, hangar-sized main dining room, eating lamb that’s been lovingly cooked with exotic spices like zatar and sumac, hot and puffy pitas and a bewildering but exciting number of vegetable mezes (appetizers). It's almost enough to make you wish there were more than one such restaurant in the city. The bar is a great place to…

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Editor's Tips

What to Drink:: Arak--a licorice-flavored Lebanese liquor--is incredibly refreshing, like a Middle Eastern mojito.
Where to Sit:: The sizable lounge draws a large scene, but it's nicely separated from the main dining room, so that all tables are well-insulated from noise and crowds.
Know Before You Go:: The small plates range in size--don't be bashful about asking your server how many people each will accommodate.
Save Money:: There's a great $34 special that includes four dishes. Or just order a bunch of mezes to share.

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User Reviews (34)

ambiance	83.33000183105469% positive	“The flavors could be a little more authentic as it focuses too much on food presentation and the beautiful decor.” “Everything is handmade and nicely arranged: from the tiny, transparent manti to the fun duck shawarma, nothing disappointed me.” “Great food, drink & atmosphere” “True, the atmosphere is very inviting with the high ceilings and candle-light.” “Cocktails were interesting, service was impeccable(our waitress was super helpful and very nice) and the decor is great.” “The ambiance is hip, fresh, and it's well-decorated - it's a great spot for any type of group.”
dessert	96.00000381469727% positive	“almost forgot to mention dessert, their homemade ice-cream is great, and their chocolate candy bar is so decadent.” “The desserts are heavenly and the original ice cream here is unique - reminiscent of Istanbul dondurma.” “If you're in the mood for some turbo-supercharged Mediterranean cuisine in a classy setting, this is the place for you (and don't forget to try the distinctive "chewy" ice cream).” “We shared the chocolate cake for dessert which was very good and the coffee and espresso were both excellent.” “Raw kibbeh, mixed grills, baba ghanouj, grape leaves were excellent, the Achta dessert gets 10/10, while the mujaddarah was a travesty, the tabbouleh mediocre, and the Turkish coffee was served unacceptably lukewarm and not freshly prepared.”
drinks	98.00000190734863% positive	“In addition their drinks are excellent, my favorite since I am pregnant is some kind of cucumber, mint infused drink (non-alcoholic), my husband loves the passion infused vodka.” “Raw kibbeh, mixed grills, baba ghanouj, grape leaves were excellent, the Achta dessert gets 10/10, while the mujaddarah was a travesty, the tabbouleh mediocre, and the Turkish coffee was served unacceptably lukewarm and not freshly prepared.” “the cocktails are delightful and large, i had the sangria and it was a perfect balance of tanin filled red-wine and sweet citrus” “The drinks are delicious (and much less expensive during happy hour) and the wait staff is extremely friendly and helpful; providing suggestions and explaining the dishes.” “Great food, drink & atmosphere” “The specialty drinks are not be missed either - the Beruit Lemonade is my favorite.” “We walked in on a Saturday evening with no reservation; the hostess was very pleasant (even though it was pretty crowded around her) and seated us withing 15-20 minutes (we enjoyed our pricy martinis at the bar-bartenders were very nice).” “almost forgot to mention dessert, their homemade ice-cream is great, and their chocolate candy bar is so decadent.” “We shared the chocolate cake for dessert which was very good and the coffee and espresso were both excellent.” “The cocktails were also amazing.”
food quality	96.87999725341797% positive	“bit pricy for tapas, but nevertheless, we enjoyed our meal.” “The lamb is delicious (try the burger) as were the sausages, the fries, fish and other dishes.” “The flavors could be a little more authentic as it focuses too much on food presentation and the beautiful decor.” “Good food but where's the rest of it?” “Great place for sharing, delicious food, friendly wait staff, great restaurant week options” “Great food, drink & atmosphere” “Fantastic middle eastern food” “The downstrairs was a bit of a yuppie "scene" not usually my style but would go back again simply for the delicious food.” “Forget the price, most importantly the food was great.” “The Kibbeh Naya is outstanding ( steak tartar), lamb sausages as good as in Damascus or Allepo.” “Middle-Eastern food with a twist, it offers an exciting and yummy variety of dishes from heavenly jumbo prawns in olive oil to beef kefta mixed with foie gras and everything in between.” “We ordered the Beef Shawerma(perfectly spiced with sumac), cheese rolls(delicious), grape leaves(I'm very particular about grapeleaves-these leaves were fresh and the lemon/salt balance was wonderful), hommus and fattoush (needed more lemon zest and salt ” “If you're in the mood for some turbo-supercharged Mediterranean cuisine in a classy setting, this is the place for you (and don't forget to try the distinctive "chewy" ice cream).” “The food was full of a wide variety of rich flavors: the brussels sprouts were grilled to perfection, complemented by jammy apricots; the duck shwarma wraps were juicy, topped with sweet pomegranate seeds; even the baba ganouj seemed to be in another leag” “They have some amazing dishes such as the brussel sprouts (yes, brussel sprouts) which are unlike any other brussel sprouts I have ever tried anywhere (I mean this in a good way).” “The food is delicious here!” “Not your usual Mediterranean cuisine, the food here is as good if not better than the best neighborhood Lebanese restaurants, but far more adventurous.” “ordered the lamb chops and while the flavor was delicious, there were only about 4 bites of meat and nothing was served along with them.” “My recommendation is to try food that are unique, and different to this establishment.” “Best Mediterranean food in NYC” “She made fantastic suggestions and the food was just amazing.” “The service was slow, not too organized, and not at all knowledgeable about Lebanese food!” “The food here is delicious and unique, and there is SO much to choose from!” “. .seriously good Lebanese food.” “In addition the steak tartar is amazing, the duck shawarma is a must try, and also the cheese with the egg is pretty good.” “The service was extremely knowledgeable - my wife asked which of two dishes the waitress would recommend, and got a remarkably thorough description right down to the subtle flavors each had.” “One of my favorite dishes was the eggplant and the blackened shrimp.” “The drinks are delicious (and much less expensive during happy hour) and the wait staff is extremely friendly and helpful; providing suggestions and explaining the dishes.” “suggest the Kibbeh (tastes just like my mom's home cooking) - the chicken shish taouk was fantastic.” “In fact, I felt like I should be carted out of there after the abundance of good food.” “The ambiance is hip, fresh, and it's well-decorated - it's a great spot for any type of group.” “amazing food and good vibe - go with a date or with a group of friends.”
menu variety	87.5% positive	“Middle-Eastern food with a twist, it offers an exciting and yummy variety of dishes from heavenly jumbo prawns in olive oil to beef kefta mixed with foie gras and everything in between.” “The food was full of a wide variety of rich flavors: the brussels sprouts were grilled to perfection, complemented by jammy apricots; the duck shwarma wraps were juicy, topped with sweet pomegranate seeds; even the baba ganouj seemed to be in another leag” “Great place for sharing, delicious food, friendly wait staff, great restaurant week options” “The Price Fixe menu was a very reasonable $45 per person, but the menu was by no means skimpy.”
overall	100.0% positive	“Great place for sharing, delicious food, friendly wait staff, great restaurant week options” “Our favorite new restaurant in Flatiron.”
return potential	100.0% positive	“The downstrairs was a bit of a yuppie "scene" not usually my style but would go back again simply for the delicious food.”
service	83.33000183105469% positive	“The service, while new and perhaps still gaining experience, is attentive and diligent.” “The next day I received a phone call from the GM apologizing for the poor service that I received.” “We walked in on a Saturday evening with no reservation; the hostess was very pleasant (even though it was pretty crowded around her) and seated us withing 15-20 minutes (we enjoyed our pricy martinis at the bar-bartenders were very nice).” “The dining room was visually stunning; the service was quick, knowledgeable, and attentive.” “The restaurant was busy but held true to the reservation and the service was still attentive although the 3 hosts (females) didn't seem to know what they were doing, egh.” “Walked into this place with two friends last week out of the blue, we were seated right away and proceeded to have a wonderful experience with a fantastic waitress who knew her stuff!” “The service was slow, not too organized, and not at all knowledgeable about Lebanese food!” “Great customer service.” “The drinks are delicious (and much less expensive during happy hour) and the wait staff is extremely friendly and helpful; providing suggestions and explaining the dishes.” “The staff is extremely nice, very pleasant and attentive --almost unusually so.” “Great place for sharing, delicious food, friendly wait staff, great restaurant week options” “The service was extremely knowledgeable - my wife asked which of two dishes the waitress would recommend, and got a remarkably thorough description right down to the subtle flavors each had.” “Keep in mind my only complaint was about poor service, and this was the first time it had happened after going to the restaurant 2 previous times.” “Our waiter, Tony, was one of the best servers we've ever had in NYC; knowledgeable and attentive to our every need - he was awesome.” “Cocktails were interesting, service was impeccable(our waitress was super helpful and very nice) and the decor is great.”
value	100.0% positive	“The drinks are delicious (and much less expensive during happy hour) and the wait staff is extremely friendly and helpful; providing suggestions and explaining the dishes.” “Forget the price, most importantly the food was great.” “The prices have a great range, you can spend spend just a little or go all out.”
wait time	83.33000183105469% positive	“We walked in on a Saturday evening with no reservation; the hostess was very pleasant (even though it was pretty crowded around her) and seated us withing 15-20 minutes (we enjoyed our pricy martinis at the bar-bartenders were very nice).” “The service was slow, not too organized, and not at all knowledgeable about Lebanese food!” “The dining room was visually stunning; the service was quick, knowledgeable, and attentive.”

06/12/11

Ciao Bella Now Uses Fillers in their Ice Cream!

by wallystump

Diasppointed to see that many (all? - we had their chocolate and triple espresso) of their ice creams now use

- Guar Gum

- Locust Bean Gum

- Carrageenan

all at the same time. Yikes! We loved the ice cram they make, but now won't touch it. Had some lately and wondered why it tasted funny. Then we read the list of ingredients. Looks like the expansion of their business drove a once great brand to focus more on profits than on the quality that got them to the top.

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02/27/11

good place

by ersinacar

I love mediterranean food and this place is very good at this. thanks...

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12/28/10

Totally Biased but...

by LoRita

I love this restaurant! The food is contemporary Lebanese/Mediterranean and outstanding in every respect.

The Brussels Sprouts are highly recommended (Zagat) as well as the Duck Shawarma, Chewy Lebanese Ice Cream, and all the traditional mezza including falafel, hommus, tabbouleh and all the rest!

Check out the bar scene too - great cocktails (try the From Beirut with Passion) and eye candy ;)

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10/21/09

Best Mediterranean food in NYC

by Huss

This is a refreshingly original take on Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine that doesn't compromise the authenticity of flavors and dishes. While all the mainstays and mezze like tabbouleh, falafel, shawarma etc. are available - they are at times deconstructed and at times transformed into supercharged little packets of amazing tastes.

The duck shawarma, Sidon black cod and black iron shrimp are all to die for. The desserts are heavenly and the original ice cream here is unique - reminiscent of Istanbul dondurma...

A must try!

Pros: Great starters, mains and desserts plus rockin' cocktails
Cons: Eat like this every day and chubbiness is assured

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08/05/09

BEST Lebanese/Middle Eastern food EVER! A must try!

by Jeniflower

The food here is delicious and unique, and there is SO much to choose from! The prices have a great range, you can spend spend just a little or go all out. I am still dreaming of the food. The ambiance is hip, fresh, and it's well-decorated - it's a great spot for any type of group. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! Also, thank the chef, Eric, very cool guy.

ilili Restaurant

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What People Are Saying About ilili Restaurant

Featured Review

Josh Ozersky

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Editor's Tips

User Reviews (34)

06/12/11

Ciao Bella Now Uses Fillers in their Ice Cream!

by wallystump

02/27/11

good place

by ersinacar

12/28/10

Totally Biased but...

by LoRita

10/21/09

Best Mediterranean food in NYC

by Huss

08/05/09

BEST Lebanese/Middle Eastern food EVER! A must try!

by Jeniflower

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