Au Za'atar - Midtown East Reviews

We had been to the other location a couple of years ago so when we were back in the city wanted to revisit the restaurant but in this location. This location is definitely bigger and more spacious so the atmosphere was more enjoyable. We started off with the muhammara and we also got complimentary oils and pickes. The muhammara was really good with a good portion and good flavor. We also got the kabob with rice, a salad, as well as 4 small pies. The pies were really good aa they were freshly made and you could taste the fresh bread out of the oven. The salad was decent and the kabobs were good and were a good size portion. Good food in terms of quantity and flavor, a bit pricy but that is expected for New York City.

Sadly i like the food BUT the service is terrible! Ordered $600 worth of catering and it was painful to order. Clueless people on the phone....cant get anyone on the phone. We needed to make slight changes took 2 hours of calling and people. Even the next day to reconfirm, no help. Never order there again, Not a way to run a business.

This a review of our visit for a special occasion brunch, having been here for a delicious dinner. We selected egg and cheese Brunch items which included delicious egg entres with Lebanese spices, several side dishes and sauces. The setting is a romantic quiet room, and the service (by Amalie), was efficient and friendly. 5 Stars.

Excellent food, wonderful service provided by Zeynep, and the remodel of the restaurant's interior is beautiful. This is the fourth time we've eaten at Au Zaatar. It's become a favorite of ours in all of NYC. We look forward to our next visit.

the worst experience ever, there is a lack f hospitality owner seems to be micro maningin the palce at all costs, sad but true, also seems people work there are scared

Incredible food and presentation. Top shelf service. Thank you Davinson and other servers. We had a fabulous experience.

do not listen to the neanderthal like taste buds of some people in the comments, the food is majestic, is strong seasoned food after all, service was extremely warm and they give you infinite bread refills ! this will be a common spot for my wife and me, absolutely recommend it

This is a huge place with indoor / outdoor seating that is usually packed each time I have passed by it. However, on this Monday evening it was barely half occupied. Yet, from the time we were seated, it was atrocious service all the way to the end. The waiter who served us was clearly a trainee since he was being shadowed by another server. However, the hostess denied this when I pointed it out. There is nothing wrong with trainees so long as they perform and are supervised properly, especially in an upscale restaurant like this. However, he was stumbling over taking the order, explaining the dishes, understanding what vegetarian is etc. In spite of clearly emphasizing that we were all vegetarians, we were served a dish with egg on the top. 20 minutes into our meal, we were informed that one of the dishes was no longer available. Yet another dish we ordered was totally missed out. When I called the manager (there was none) and the hostess showed up, she became argumentative and very aggressive with no apologies of any kind. The food was actually good spoilt by this atrocious service experience. Never again will I come to this place.

Fantastic Lebanese food in a nice environment. We shared 4 small dishes and it is enough for two people. The hummus was very good and smooth and the fried halloumi was also very nice. Cauliflower with a yogurt sauce went well with it. The staff was nice and attentive and the service is fast. Very nice place a bit away from the worst tourist routes.

Great food, great service, very kind and pleasant waiter (Davinson). I must say that overall we ate very well. Fresh dishes, very quick service, nothing to complain about.

I love this place. This is my go-to restaurant when in Midtown. The food is amazing. The service is great, too. Food and drink recommendations include: Frozen Mint Lemonada, Spicey Falafel, and Chicken Kafta Kebabs.

Excellent, excellent food. Their shish tawouk and hummus and sauces are out of the world. Chicken is so tender it melts. If you like middle eastern food.. and I have tried many in NYC… this is the place to go. I have eaten at Amal, a high end and excellent ME restaurant in Toronto, but this is even better. Decor of the midtown location is very modern as it is newly opened. The east village location decor is not as new but the food is the same.

Food was good, but service was terrible. They are completely understaffed and it shows. Gave up on trying to order wine , coffee, or desert as waiter never returned.

This was my first time here and while I've had quite a bit of Middle Eastern food, this was my first time having Lebanese food. I really enjoyed it. We started with stuffed grape leaves, haloum mekli, and grilled cauliflower. They were all great. I especially enjoyed the grilled cheese with the sauces. The pita bread was fresh and tasty. For mains, we shared fatter djaj and lamb kabobs. I only had the chicken which was tender with a great tangy yogurt sauce and the crispy pita chips. My daughter and her boyfriend said the lamb was good too. We shared the pyramid for dessert. It was chocolate deliciousness.

The best Lebanese food in New York! The wara’a enab is spectacular. Sambousik and Kibbeh are really good too. For dessert we tried the Knafeh.

Sam our waitress was amazing. She was above and beyond she accommodated everything we needed. She answered all our questions and recommended things that we truly enjoyed.

The patron bathrooms are so filthy with feces and other matter we left did not bother to order food . The place is packed with guests of all ages and the two stalls are shared and long lines and just GROSS

Food is good. Service is not great. Waiter hands you the plate rather that puts it on the table. Service is slow and waiter was very difficult. Will not go back. Prices were very expensive for what you get.

THE ABSOLUTE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE AND DINING EXPERIENCE IN MY LIFE. On June 4, My friend and I went to dine at Au Zaatar. We arrived at 6:30 and ordered a bottle of wine and two small appetizers. Clare was our server. We then ordered the Mixed Grill Platter at around 6:45/7 pm. We received our wine and appetizers and then an hour passed and we received nothing. Our waitress never came to check on us besides to take one of our appetizer plates away that still had food on it. Two other people came by to ask if we needed a new light at the table because it was turned off. Our waitress finally came back at about 8 pm (one hour after we ordered our food) and asked if we needed anything. We looked at her a little confused and said, umm we haven't received our food. Clare then goes to the kitchen to check on the food and comes back and says "It got lost but they are working on it right now and it will be out shortly". I figured she forgot to put in the order and was trying to cover up her lie but there were no apologies or any offer of a free drink on the house or free appetizer. We then asked to speak to a manager because it was now 8:15 and we had no food. A manager comes over and acts like she has no idea what's going on and then says the waitress forgot to put our order in and she will make sure our order is being plated now and it should be out in two minutes. Offers no apology or anything comped to make up for the mistake. I ask her if there is anything she can do for us and she is unresponsive. Literally unresponsive. Stares at us not saying anything and then walks away. 5 minutes later a meal gets put on our table that is not the entree that we ordered. It is a beef lamb skewer and my friend is allergic to lamb. The original waitress still does not come over to check on us but can be seen at every other table around us laughing and cutting their meat for them. Purposefully ignoring us. We then request to speak to the head manager. She did not introduce herself or tell us her name but comes over with a security guard next to her. We tell her that we have now been waiting for over an hour and twenty minutes for our food and the dish that was just brought out was not even close to what we ordered. She then proceeds to tell us that we can wait and she can have the original dish made and we will have to wait for that or we should just eat what they gave us. My friend then proceeds to tell the manager that she is allergic to lamb and can not eat it. The manager then tells her that she should eat it anyway because it's "mostly beef". At this point I am absolutely fuming and just want to leave. We have not been offered an apology, have not been offered a drink on the house or an appetizer on the house, to make up for the wait. This manager then offered "free dessert" and refused to comp our wine and appetizers or offer a free drink. I said, with all due respect, we have been here for over two hours with no dinner and barely any food and you want to offer me dessert. She said "Thats all I am willing to do".At this point there was still no apology whatsoever. She literally was staring at us like we were criminals to ask for some sort of small comp because of their mistake. She then walks away and makes the security guard stand at our table to make sure we pay the bill. I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE BEEN TREATED WITH SUCH DISRESPECT. Not only was the mistake 100% theirs, a simple apology and some sort of small comp (besides dessert) would have made us a happy customer. Instead we were treated like criminals, told to eat food we did not order which my friend was allergic to and sat there for 2.5 hours with no food, ALL WITH NO APOLOGY whatsoever. DO NOT EVER EVER GO TO THIS RESTAURANT ! THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE YOU WILL EVER EXPERIENCE. I plan on escalating this to the owner because it was so egregious and absolutely disgusting.

Au Za’atar is a great place to have Lebanese and Middle Eastern food in the city. It is located in Midtown East and has indoor and outdoor seating. The vibe is great and the food is amazing. The pita and chicken was amazing! I recommend coming her

If you are looking for a traditional Lebanese food around the city then you have found the right spot! Au zaatar makes you feel like you went to Lebanon and came back within two hours of dining in! Thanks to the chefs for putting so much work into all the dishes we were served. The service is very good also. They kept checking on us every moment and I appreciate it. Let sjot forget about the ambience that is a great combination of traditional and a modern touch to it. I loved the manauche and bread oven bar! Omg it really did give it a nice touch to our dinner time. Also the full bar makes it easy for people who wanted to drink some cocktails. The owner Tarik stopped by to dab hi and check on us. Very nice guy!!! Thank you everyone for making our evening unforgettable!

The food at this restaurant was mediocre at best. The service was unpleasant, and most of the staff seemed uninterested in making the experience enjoyable. The only person who treated us kindly was the water server, which says a lot. Considering the high prices, the food definitely isn’t worth the cost. Overall, a disappointing experience

Went to have a leisure lunch. The music was extremely loud. Like disco music that bounced off of you! “They”refused to lower the music!!!!!!! So we walked out. ????????????????????????????????????

We were visiting NYC from Alaska and had dinner at the Midtown East location. It was a Wednesday night and there was a small line waiting to be seated. We showed up early and the weather was nasty, the people running the front got us in and out of the weather quickly. Our waiter Alex was simply wonderful! All of our meal questions were answered kindly and with curteous patience. He also spent time chatting with us and mentioned some of his favorite hang out spots to go for a drink. The food was fabulous, each dish had so much flavor. We had the tableside Chicken Shwarma and it was such a fun experience. The hummus was the best I had ever eaten and the Labneh was so yummy. I hope to return to the city sometime so I can try more of their food.

Excellent Lebanese food, nice and warm seating area outside, we tried different small dishes in a tapas style, very recommended.

Excellent food and service Great recommendations by waiter His name was Kyle Food was fresh and very flavorful Highly recommended Atmosphere was very nice and comfortable A little on expensive side but worth the money.