Balzem Reviews

A dining room has a rustic appeal,classic bistro chairs and an exposed brick wall.All this contributes to a nice restaurant environment.The menu is contemporary Mediterranean featuring an eclectic selection of classic dishes.Had the Tavern Chicken flat thigh marinated in red pepper paste and herbs, served on cracked wheat veggie rice and side of tomato and greens. A little too much grilling pattern to be in my taste.Nice staff in a rather empty restaurant this chilly New York day.

Went looking for a place that was open to late to have drinks and food and randomly found Balzem. What a great place. Really fantastic atmosphere, the food delicious and the service was stellar. It was late so we didn't want to eat anything too heavy so me and my friend shared a few delicious dishes.

I ordered the Tavern Chicken, which was delicious. We ate at a fine location: a high table alongside the bar.

I accidentally found this place in the Fall of 2015 and fell in love with the place. Returned this summer and made my way back to this jewel. Sitting outside on a summer evening drinking wine and enjoying the tapas selections...perfection. If your in Little Italy, check it out!

This was just a walk in as we liked look of a place. It was during happy hour and the waitress actually advised the happy hour drinks and nibbles which were great. My wife had the burger and I had moules frites. Both we’re excellent. Service was friendly and relaxed and was also reasonable value. Food style is french bistro/Italian mix. Would definitely recommend.

Imaginative menu with a Mediterranean fusion and couldn’t get enough of the prosciutto wrapped burata cheese(like butter!). Nice selection of wines.

We stopped here for a well earned glass of bubbles, sitting at table located on the main street, the sun was shining and it was just perfect. Watching the world walk by as we sipped our bubbles - bliss. We enjoyed the moment so much that we booked a table for dinner the next night. We were not disappointed, the food was delicious. Even better the weather was slightly windy and the rain started, Balzem had the restaurant front open the elements ... this made for just the best atmosphere and we all had a great night. The decor is slightly boho chic and the staff carry on that vibe. Truly a great little place to pass sometime and get some really really good food.

We got here by chance just while walking through this beautiful part of the city. The lunch menu was great, a very nice soup with tasty sandwiches. My burger was outstanding. People served us very kindly and the final check was reasonable as we did not pick by "la carte". Not sure if we'd go at dinner but for our lunch break it was super!!!!

I have come to Balzem a couple times this year, twice for dinner and once for brunch. Brunch was decent, but the dinner options were excellent. I enjoyed all of the wine, the service was wonderful (very friendly, and kind when we had a one-year-old with us as well), and the food very very good. I keep going back!

What a hidden gem amongst so many places you can go in the area...close to little Italy. So happy to say there was not a lot of italian'ish items on the menu. Nice mix of healthy clean and unique tapas type offerings. There are mains too. I stopped by to wind down after a training course. Torontonian in for a few days :-) Very cozy atmosphere. Nice menu and wine list :-) and happy hour is 5-7. I had seared tuna and also ordered Quinoa salad. Very nice and tasty and cooked to perfection. Large wood family style tables...cute 2 and 4 seaters and high tables in the seating for hi lo seating. It's a great date night place, stop for couples or gf night :-) worth a stop in to see.

Balzem is a small, quaint restaurant on Mott St. in Soho with wonderful service and a very good menu. We stopped for lunch and were impressed with the quality and quality of food as well as the superb service. We were eating lightly so ordered the seared tuna and a bowl of the chicken orzo soup. Both were absolutely delicious. When I tasted the soup, my response was "someone knows how to cook!". This small restaurant is truly a gem and, while casual in ambiance, makes up for its size limitations with its excellent food and service.

If we had one more night in NYC, we were coming back definitely to Balzem. The ambiance in addition to the food and wine makes this place an excellent place to dine. If you have the waiter called Baris, you are in luck! Very contemporary Mediterranean dishes, some we liked best were the mezzes such as spicy feta dip, octopus, babaganush, zucchini pancakes with temparanillo ribero del duero wine. I wish they had some jamon iberico too!

Excessively expensive for the service they provide. They took a long time to serve, although the food was good. I would not recommend it, there are many like this, and they cost half as much.

Really nice and cosy restaurant. I've been there a couple of times. Food is great (hummus and cheese macaroni) and staff is welcoming

Perfect place to meet with friends and enjoy a happy hour drink. And delicious pizzas for dinner. It’s very cozy and the staff is super friendly.

Poor food good ambience. Non meat eaters pecked at food saying it wasn’t fresh which is consistent with other reviews. What compelled me to review after eating hamburger was food poisoning. Go there yes friendly nice good ambience and great location but drink don’t eat

Great little restaurant on the other side of Kenmare. Very local. Good atmosphere, great decor. Good service.

We visited for brunch one Saturday. We had a very tasty and healthy meal of cucumber and tomatoes salad, avocado toasts, and a Mediterranean special that included cheeses and homemade beef sausage. Service was charming. Atmosphere was relaxing. Perfect for nice early fall weekends in NYC.

First time at Balzem. The restaurant was empty. I was 1 of 2 customers in a place that seated about 40. The ambiance and decor were cool, modern, which is why I stopped by. When I entered, the waitress didn't smile, didn't really greet me, just watched me as I asked if I could sit at the bar, and said ok. She then asked what I wanted and didn't give me a menu. After I got drink (wine), service switched to the bartender who was pretty much the same. It was the classic "I must serve you, so what do you want?" sentiment. You almost have to go out of your way to show zero facial expression when talking to someone, providing service. But they managed to do it. That being said, my Mediterranean Breakfast Platter with Turkish sausage, cucumber, cheese, olives, tomatoes, and jams, was very good. In fact, I would give it a 5 as a starter. Infortunately, the service dampened the experience. On leaving 3 servers watched me go, and at the last second one felt embarassed and said thank-you, I think. Give it a miss.

A totally unexpected find. Had an amazing brunch of steak and eggs and blueberry pancakes. Both were perfect, and the pancakes were by far the best I’ve ever had. Staff are friendly, service is good. We’ll be returning.

Excellent Food and Atmosphere. We took our kids who are a little adventurous. The food and tapas were great. We loved the place and the sound. It felt in motion.

Such a nice waiter (looked like a young Rafa Nadal!), great sharing plates and good bar menu meant we gave up on shopping and opted to spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing here

After stalking menus in advance of our trip to NYC this place looked like a winner and so we went with it. What a find!! The food was amazing. We had multiple small plates as well as some entrees. Every single thing was magnificent. We had both wine and mixed drinks. The waiters, in addition to being incredibly friendly, were really knowledgeable about the food and drinks and were able to help guide us. They made some great suggestions. We were well attended to all night. They didn't rush us. We were visiting with local friends that we hadn't seen since pre-pandemic. We ended up being there for over 4 hours and loved every second of it. I hope to be able to go back there the next time we visit NY.

While Balzem is a cute, rustic, charming place on the inside, I was not impressed by their food. I came here for brunch over the weekend with some friends. I ordered the egg skillet (which was supposed to be delicious and was recommended by my waiter). She said it would be savory and creamy, and that the potato gratin would blow me away. When I tasted it, the whole dish fell flat. Absolutely bland - no flavor. Others at my table remarked that they were not impressed with their avocado toast entree. A girlfriend ordered the hummus tapas as a side for the table, which was actually really good. So maybe they know how to do tapas, but not my top pick for brunch.

I set off to go to Epistrophe (which is fab) but got self-waylaid and went to Balzem for breakfast. It was just about adequate. I doubt I'd go back. It has a nice European-style cafe feel about it complete with French servers (one attitudey, the other not) but the food and coffee were nothing to write home about.

Unexpected brunch. Very good. Nice atmosphere ....and the servers are very nice looking! I would highly recommend when in the Soho area.

We had planned on visiting another restaurant in Nolita but after they gave us the run around we lucked onto nearby Balzem. The restaurant was busy but we were warmly welcomed and promptly seated, the menu was interesting. The Mushroom & Truffle Oil pizza bread was delicious. My wife had the Soft Shell Crab which she said was OK (lacked 'crunch') and I had the Pesto Fettucine which was excellent. The wine list is extensive and we very much enjoyed the Chardonnay we chose. Service was excellent, definitely visit again next time in New York City.

I found this place on my last New York visit at new years and it has since become one of my favorite restaurants in the city. No NY visit is complete without having eaten there at least once. I love the ambiance, the mediterranean food, the fabulous wine list and the waitstaff. Just a great place to be. Really already feels like home away from home. It's located in Soho an the rather quiet Mott Street so it's perfect to unwind there after a day shopping.

Really enjoy our two visits to Balzem - perfect mix between Paris and New York. Great tasty food and nice wines.

Great spot, full of young people, great food Extensive wine list Some sitting is shared so if you dont like that make sure to mention it

Very good food. We had some mezze which were all very nice. I would especially recommend the octopus which was absolutely amazing. Service is ok. Quite expensive for what you get and especially drinks are overpriced!

This is a small restaurant. Food was good, not amazing. But service is lackluster. Staff mostly stood around even when it was clear we wanted to order or pay. Four of us (out of a party of 6) arrived a few minutes early and the hostess kept on asking if we really wanted to sit down already, because that would start the 90 minute they allow you at a table. This makes no sense since the table was empty, so whether we wold sit down or not makes not difference. They also added a fixed 22% tip to the bill, which is too much given the lackluster service. The restaurant is also incredibly loud. Not really a place to go back to.

As Our News Pieces Team visit to Balzem it is Great Place for Dining very pleasant and nice the service is good and so is the food

We got there by walking arround looking for a restaurant with relaxed and friendly atmosphere and found it there! We had diner there and it was greate!

Rather average experience. We arrived and it took a while for any orders to be taken. They were out of a lot of their beers, so went for gin and tonic and the tonic tasted flat. Not a bubble to be seen in the glass either. We ordered food which came in good time. I ordered mussels and my wife had the grilled Brochette. The mussels were really salty but the fries were good. The brochette is three skewers of meat and it was cooked well. It’s served with lavash bread and two dips. We didn’t order any sides, but would recommend you do. I’d heard too things but came away feeling kinda disappointed. Nice vibe inside but didn’t blow me away.

Chanced on Balzem and glad we did. Early dinner so the restaurant wasn't busy. Attentive service and great wine choice. The ribeye sandwich went down really well and the flatbread pizza was delicious. They forgot the asparagus order, but apart from that, I'd recommend this place.

This is a very cute place with a lovely interior and a pleasant outdoor seating area. I arrived at happy hour and asked to sit at the bar for a glass of wine. The place was almost empty, but the hostess sat me at the least desirable bar stool, away from the door, maybe because I'm old and they did not want to spoil the cool vibe. It was noisy and unpleasant. And while I worked on my crossword puzzle, the bartender continually turned down the lighting and it felt as though they wanted uncool me (in their empty place) to leave. Well I finished my wine, which was tasty, and left.

We came here for the 1st time last night. Service was friendly, helpful and well paced. Very good wine selection. We had the proscuto with burrata & peppers, phyllo wraps (delicious), octopus (large portion) and something else (sorry!). We ended with the chocolate raspberry cake. We'd be regulars, if we lived in NYC.

lunch with friends in rainy NYC , food and menu good but most of all very professional and friendly staff

Deciding to explore and try something new, we came across Balzem on my daughters recommendation. We started with the humus, which was outstanding, but needed more pita bread. We also had the artichoke dip that was full of artichokes. The watermelon prosciutto salad, quinoa arugula salad, 2 orders of Branzini fillets and potato gratin with truffle and cream sauce. Everything was excellent, but service was a little weak. We had to remind them of beer ordered.

Great little find. The food was nice and the decor tasteful and cozy. If you want a tipple whilst wandering the streets of soho I would recommend this place. Perfect for a wine and nibble, chill out stop.

Went looking for a place that was open late to have drinks and food and randomly found Balzem. What a great place. Really fantastic atmosphere, the food delicious and the service was stellar. It was late so we didn't want to eat anything too heavy so me and my friend shared a few dishes with wine.

Found this place by accident and absolutely loved it. Amazing quinoa salad with shrimps and pepper marinated chicken sandwich for my sister. We started with orzo chicken soup with tomato base. All of the ingredients were fresh and mixture of flavours was amazing! Would definitely recommend this place if you find yourself in the neighbourhood!

I took my girlfriend out for post birthday dinner dessert. The wait, with reservations was longer than expected, however the size and intimacy of the establishment provided a great couples experience over wine and dessert.

My husband and I ate here before a Strumbellas concert at the Bowery Ballroom. We both enjoyed it very much. We started with Hummus and Manthi (Beef dumplings). Then we shared the Melon Salad (with prosciutto wrapped melon YUM!) and the Brochette for two. The Brochette for Two was awesome! Perfectly cooked skewers of meat and a few dipping sauces. The service was very attentive with servers refilling our water often, but not enough to become overbearing. The atmosphere is delightful. Warm lighting and cozy corner booth tables make it very romantic. They had a good wine selection..an OK beer selection (we're true craft beer people, so always looking for off the wall beers...). We had 6:30 Saturday night reservations and the place had only a few tables filled when we got there, but by the time we left it was crowded. We felt like the value was good too. Two glasses of wine, one beer, two appetizers, one salad and the entrée for two (which was a lot of food) came to about $120...Would certainly recommend!

Very good dinner in this little SoHo place. Food is great and service is efficient and fast. No surprises on the bill

We came here for my sister’s birthday and wow… The Lamb Chops with potato gratin were just perfect, tender and full of flavor. Staff was warm and smiling all the time, made her feel really special. Cozy lights, soft music – Nolita charm at its best. Can’t wait to be back for another celebration!

All right guys it’s French place in big Apple 😏buts it’s really nice place ❤️ Food is amazing.. wine 🍷 expensive but good so anyway you must take time to discover it

I loved their eggplant salad and humis which came with a delicious pita. They have a large selection of wines. The prices for the food is very reasonable but the wine is too expensive.

We only selected this restaurant from the TA review and it is a smash!!! We had the happy hour wines which was astounding. From there, we opted to share tapa's among the six of us and tried almost everything on the menu. If special note were the octopus, dumplings and Manta. The service was exceptional: the waitress was attentive, suggestive, and friendly. For the quality, the price was very reasonable.

Nice bar restaurant. A bit pricy but nice and warm welcome from waitress. Food portion is a bit small but overall very tasty. Tapas menu is nice, not so long but wide enough to cover main dishes from seafood to meat going through vegetables. Best is probably wine list, which is very exhaustive and excellent choices. Thumbs up and a must stop in little italy area!

We had a great meal on a Saturday night. Lucked out. Online reservations yielded no availability but after looking at the menu we were hell bent on going. Amazing tapas. NO bad thing. The fried zucchini was a bit mushy but it stood our as the loser only because everything else was SO GOOD. The artichoke spinach dip sticks out as a favorite, my friend and husband loved the meatballs and we all went crazy over the mac and cheese. And the tuna! YUM! Need to go back there. Soon.

Went to Balzem just for a quick bite and ended up ordering the Grilled Portobello. Honestly didn’t expect a vegetarian plate to be this satisfying. The melted cheese over the mushroom, the touch of tomato and fresh arugula just perfect. Also, the place has this warm rustic vibe that makes you wanna linger a bit longer.

We stopped in for a late lunch/happy hour. Every small tasting dish we had was well prepared and tasty. The wine and beer selection was good and they also had happy hour selection. Nice friendly staff and relaxing vibe!

Awesome brunch place with great steak and eggs, Mediterranean breakfast platter and omelettes. Their mimosa is refreshing and the wine selection is quite varied. Friendly servers and nice cosy interior.

Happened upon this charming spot in Nolita. European feel, friendly staff and great food! Splurge and have the hollandaise -- delightfully spicy, not the usual glumpy mess.

Walking around the area and my friend came across this restaurant whilst we were glancing at the one across the road which was packed. I'm so glad as if it wasn't we wouldn't of eaten here. It's a well presented restaurant with nice decor all the waiting on staff were really nice and friendly and helpful. We just had I had the chicken orzo soup and the hummus and pitta bread it was lovely and nicely presented. My friends had the avocado on toast and really enjoyed it stating that there was plenty of avocado. If we had longer in New York we would of come back for another meal but if we come back this will be on our list of places to revisit.

I LOVE this spot. The manager is super nice, the food is great and it is super cozy. It is truly one of my favorite spots in NYC. Besides, it is quiet calm. Perfect for some privacy.

Balzem exceeded my expectations in every way. The location is perfect, easy to find and situated in a lively part of the city, yet it still feels intimate. The atmosphere is warm, inviting and beautifully designed, making it a great spot for dinner with friends or a relaxed date night. The food was outstanding; every dish was fresh, flavorful and thoughtfully prepared. Service was excellent as well, friendly, attentive and genuinely welcoming from the moment we arrived. In terms of value, Balzem truly delivers. The quality of the food and the overall experience make it well worth the price. Our wait time was minimal even during a busy evening, which was a pleasant surprise. Overall, a fantastic experience. I will definitely be returning.

Great service, young man from Algeria as waiter, who recommended the ceviche special appetizer - and he was right! We also ordered the melon salad and lamb chops, everything was absolutely wonderful. Cozy restaurant, very personalized service - will go back next time I'm in NYC. One of the nice things about this place is that you can have a conversation w/your table mates. So often the acoustics are such that you struggle (or the music is too loud) - none of that was the case here, Absolutely perfect.

Great place for dinner. Beautiful middle eastern style, moderately priced with economically priced wines Service very attentive. Comfrey environment