Dr. Yama Bareksei

From the warm welcome to the delicious and fast service, it feels like coming home—or visiting friends—after a long, exhausting day. Thank you for everything. We would love to come back and highly recommend it to anyone traveling in New York to stop by Ariana Afghan Kebab and try the many delicious dishes.

Anna K

Wonderful experience here. The Afghan food and hospitality we experienced was not like other places in Manhattan. The gentleman who served was patient and polite and answered all our questions regarding the menu options. The beef kabob was marinated to perfection. We even got the mantu beef dumplings that was 10/10 but forgot to take a picture. Everything was hot fresh and delicious!!!! This place has beautiful Afghan artifacts too, tells history and very cozy eatery. We will be coming back :)

Gary de Waal

Excellent food, service and environment. I came here last night with 10 friends and they did a great job accommodating my large group. The staff was friendly and helpful with food suggestions and very accommodating of food restrictions of one guest. We had a very diverse meal and every dish was very tasty!

Nina Farahanchi

This is an absolute hidden gem - the Tika kabob with Kabuli polo is amazing! The food is homemade, authentic, and it is truly a family kitchen dining experience. The hospitality is phenomenal. This place feels like a warm hug - I travel to come here every few months because I can’t stop thinking about it! The white sauce is DRINKABLE!!

Georgie A

Absolutely phenomenal! I traveled all the way from DC just to try Ariana Afghan Kebob, and it was so worth the trip. The food was incredibly delicious — bursting with authentic flavor, perfectly seasoned, and cooked to perfection. You can taste the care and tradition in every bite. The restaurant at 787 Ninth Ave, New York, NY 10019 is warm, welcoming, and full of amazing aromas the moment you walk in. The staff were friendly, attentive, and made the experience even better. If you’re anywhere near NYC — or even if you’re not — Ariana Afghan Kebob is 100% worth the journey. I can’t wait to come back!

Louis W

OMG! A friend familiar with the area took us to dinner. Atmosphere was amazing, food was even better. Wife had the lamb, I had the tandoori chicken.

Samir Nawaz

Love this place. Authentic Afghani food in a cute cozy atmosphere. Great service, decent prices. Tried the combination platter with Kabuli Pilau. Also got the homemade iced tea. Everything was great. Service was top notch from the moment I walked in.

+10

Lisa Williams

Let me start with the fact that I love Afghani food and it was a staple during my study abroad time. It has been years since I have had it, and this cozy restaurant in Hell's Kitchen did NOT disappoint. First, the host/owner is a delight. Second, the food was VERY VERY VERY GOOD. We started with the pumpkin turnovers (scrumptious) and the manto (these dumplings may have been my favorite dish of the evening). We moved onto the Kabuli Palow with beef (excellent), chicken shish kebab (nice and flavorful) and the noodle with beef sauce (a surprising and delicious hit with the group). I needed to edit this review to say that the hot sauces on the table were the stars!! I needed a bit on every bite. We ended the meal sharing one of the puddings - milky and not too sweet. Went with a group of four and this amount of food worked for us. It was a wonderful meal and reminded me of how much I love this food!!

+2

Iridessence X

The food in this place was WILD. First of all they were very accommodating to my gluten-free needs and there is a wealth of choices. Incredible flavor, everything I ate made me want to lick the plate in a way you should not do so in public, but I went for it. I normally find chicken kebab to be good at best and typically middling so i usually get lamb and beef— but the combo I ordered had all three and the chicken was OUTstanding— the best chicken I’ve had at a restaurant with this kind of cuisine. Such good flavor. There was also something with eggplant that was beautiful, and the pudding like dessert was a fine touch at the end. Our “server” seemed like he might be in charge of the whole place, he was so knowledgeable on everything and so kind, and really imparted upon our party the ethos of good food leading to a good and long life. It’s very clear that these are not just words at Ariana Afghan, but a way of life. I was happy to taste a little bit of it!

Anamaria Parv

I had a truly wonderful experience at Ariana Afghan Restaurant! The host was incredibly warm and welcoming, making me feel right at home—almost like a kind, caring grandpa who just wants to feed you and ensure you’re comfortable. I ordered the aushak and bolani, and both were absolutely delicious! The flavors were rich, authentic, and left me excited to try more from the menu on my next visit. Overall, the combination of delicious food and the heartwarming atmosphere made for an unforgettable dining experience 💙

Mark

Awesome awesome awesome! We first started eating here 31 years ago when we were living around the corner and every trip to back to NY we return for the amazing food. Sometimes it's a couple years before we are back, there was a 10 year stretch in there, but we've brought our kids and friends back over the years and it's always the best Afghan food we've had anywhere in the world. The basmati rice is fluffy, the raisins plump, the meats succulent, the salads fresh and the tastes perfect! And we love the starters and breads, and don't forget the amazing pudding dessert. Wali is such a great host! Try it for the scrumptious food and return for the great hospitality.

+1

I ordered the sambusa and kabuli pulao with chicken breast skewer and they were delicious. The pulao was served with chickpea curry and it tasted good. The in-house white sauce was something new for me and tasted good. The only improvement area which I felt was the stuffing in sambusa felt like they were filling it 0.5 tea spoon, a little more stuffing could be more better.

Ali Bakhsh

Fantastic service of authentic flavors in a rustic setting. I enjoyed my lunch here but the price for one dish was way higher than I would’ve expected given the smaller portion size. I ordered a kabuli rice with a single, small, beef skewer and ended up paying $36 (with tip). I definitely think more people would’ve filled the seats during lunch if they had some sort of lunch special.