Hyder Ahmed

Welcoming atmosphere walking in was greeted by a traditionally dressed gentleman that game me some tea to start! I ordered the falafel and baklava.... Finally a falafel sandwich that didn't leak all over me and was well balanced with he pickle/veggie/falafel/bread ratio. Amazing flavors the baklava was really sweet side of things but nonetheless very well made and tasted good!

Victor K

The atmosphere is cozy, the seats are comfortable, and the chicken shawarma is amazing. I’ve tried many different shawarmas from various cuisines, and this one is really good. I also recommend their Arabic tea, and the Tres Leches was fabulous.

Rahmet Beshir

Super welcoming and sweet! We had arrived just when they closed and the guy was so nice. He sent us on our way with cups of complementary teas and it was amazing!!! Can’t wait to give this please a proper try!

Sama

This restaurant is fantastic, organized and clean. The food is amazing, I had traditional Jordanian food called Maqluba which was very delicious, it has rice cauliflower potatoes and chicken served with two sides of yogurt and Jerusalem salad.

Michael Cohen

I was hungry and in the area, this gem was a pleasant surprise! Schwarma is always delicious but this place goes an extra mile with sides and presentation. The fries were crispy and the sandwich was cut and garnished just like on the menu. The staff is friendly (and bring you water). Highly recommend this place

corenzo wilkerson

This is nice hidden gem. We wanted some middle eastern food. This was perfect spot. Not pricy and very tasty 😋 a d you get a large quantity of food. We got the 6person platter. It can feed way more than 6 more like 8 or possibly 10 if you are not super hungry.it come with lamb beef and chicken with variety of veggies. Also comes with rice and babagaloush and hummus. You get some free tea. The staff is warm and attentive. The food came out piping hot. You also get pita 🫓🫓 bread too

+6

Shahreen Sultana

Absolutely incredible experience! The service, food, and atmosphere were all top notch. Prices were surprisingly reasonable for Manhattan, and the quality of the food was impressively fresh. The lamb and beef shawarma were standout favorites, but the mezzas, especially the babaganoush and hummus, deserve a special shoutout. Dining here feels like a delicious escape from the hustle of NYC. Highly recommend stopping by to enjoy the amazing flavors this place has to offer!

Xi Zhu

We always enjoy coming to Lava for a relaxing meal. The owner is super kind and always pour tea for each customer. The place is very kid friendly. The Chicken Maqluba is a must to order in this restaurant and you will be amazed at how the dish is served (video added). The owner even served us a dessert to complete the meal! This is our go-to place for family quality time and we highly recommend if you like or would like to try Middle Eastern food.

Dhini Purnamasari

An authentic Middle Eastern restaurant with cozy atmosphere. We ordered maqluba, lamb shank, mixed pickle and kunafah. Everything was delicious! It was an exciting experience for the whole family. My daughter said the tea was Fabulous! 😄

Sixi Ma

Taste is inherently subjective. From an objective standpoint, it is clear that care and effort went into the food, but personally, the flavors did not quite suit my preferences. The gentleman at the entrance was very welcoming and would offer a small cup of hot drink even if you only paused briefly at the door. I appreciated the gesture, though the spice-forward flavor of the drink was too strong for me to finish. The restaurant itself is quite spacious, with an atmosphere that feels quietly desolate, almost like a vast desert. The rice was a bit dry, though that seems common with long grain rice. The meat was decent and my boyfriend enjoyed it, but I did not find anything particularly memorable, especially given the price point. Overall, it was neither bad nor especially impressive.

+1

Maymunah Issabre

The service was very nice, the server was patient and friendly in explaining the menu items. There’s a lot of variety to choose from, and I especially loved their dessert options. The Espresso Crème Brûlée was amazing and definitely a highlight for me. The only downside was that the food took quite a long time to come out, which could have been better.

The food was great! The ingredients were fresh, the flavors were authentic, and overall I had a wonderful experience. The service, however, was not great. It took 10+ minutes for the waiter to take my order, and I had to make eye contact just to get his attention. He forgot to bring out drinks that I had already ordered and still tried to charge me for them at the end. He also didn’t bring over napkins or utensils, and I had to go up to the front to pay. He wasn’t rude by any means, just seemed indifferent. For the price point, this isn’t a hole in the wall, so I expected the service to match the level of care the kitchen puts into the food. Will definitely be coming back regardless. :)

Arnab Bhowal

We visited this restaurant because it had great reviews, but the food was disappointing. The chicken maqluba was very bland and lacked the flavor we expected based on the hype. If you are used to the bold spices of Indian cuisine, you might find the dishes here quite subpar. Overall, it was a letdown despite the high ratings.

+4

A place I used to love, but today was a huge disappointment. My friend and I only found out it was an iftar buffet-only after we were seated. I originally wanted to order a regular sandwich like I used to, but the waiter told us it was not available. However, I was surprised to see other customers receiving regular sandwiches instead of the buffet food. There was nothing showing what was included in the buffet. When the Athan started, everyone had to stand in a long line between the tables to get food, which was very uncomfortable and disorganized. The staff watched us closely while we served ourselves, and the plates were very small. We barely ate anything and were still charged $80. We even had to get the water carafes ourselves. Also, the booths were not clean and looked quite dirty, especially the pillows, which was very unappealing. We ended up leaving to eat somewhere else because we were still starving and did not feel comfortable serving ourselves. For that price, we could have had a much better experience. I would not recommend this place.

All Season

What a big difference between Greenwich village location and this one (night and day) we received both plates cold and lamb was burned (black) and so dry . Rice was big chunk in it . I never been so disappointed. I don't even know why Other location gave us fresh shawarma and hot rice . & Soo juicy I loved that location and staff more than usual. Never will be back to this location 👎