Salam Restaurant Reviews

We were walking past and decided to give Salam a try. We were craving some real food ! The outside looks a little tired but don't be put off. Inside is a quirky space, a bit faded but that just adds to the charm of the place. As you walk in you can smell the spices and you know you are in for a treat. The nice lady, who was running front of house on her own, has been with the restaurant for all of its 23 years, a real family business. Although on her own, she is super efficient and we didn't wait for a thing. My wife had the chicken kebab which she said was great, the chicken was soft and succulent. I had the Beef Coriander which was a bit like a tagine. The meat was very tender and the sauce had wonderful aromatic spicing. It was delicious. We also had their homemade hummus and flat breads. The hummus was the best I have had for a long time, it had a subtle citrus tang to it which was lovely. We washed it all down with a bottle of Rosé from Provence which went well with the flavours. If you want glitzy its not for you. If you want real flavours and homely charm, book now !

Salam is my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant in New York and it's conveniently located near several different subway stations in Greenwich Village. The lamb maccloubee is good but the lamb ouzi is superb. While the main hall is nice, there is a smaller room that is wonderfully atmospheric; if you get there early (before 6 p.m.), you may be able to get it, esp. if you have a party of 4-10 people; you could also try to book that room in advance if you have a group that size; it's worth it.

The food was stupendous and very reasonably priced. Our party of three was there for dinner, and we each loved what we had: lamb in yogurt sauce, Moroccan beef tagine, and chicken ouzi (phyllo dough stuffed with curried chicken, rice, and raisins, baked a golden brown.) The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was the strangely affectless waitress. Though given she was the only one working that night, her lack of any emotion at all could have been due to exhaustion. But that's a quibble. I will definitely be back!

This is like sitting in someone’s home. Cozy, warm, and welcoming. It is great for takeout or eating in. The hummus is outstanding as are the kabobs. The lamb is very heavily seasoned so if that isn’t your thing, avoid it. Wine from Lebanon is inexpensive and delicious. Prices are reasonable. Service is Verrrrrrryyyyyyy slow so be prepared to sit back and relax (actually not a bad thing right now). Not a destination restaurant but if you live in the area? Definitely worth the visit

Fabulous middle eastern curries and stews. Wonderful wait staff and and great place to share meals. Four of us went and we ordered 3 main dishes and one appetizer: Chicken Coriander, Tagine Morroccan Beef, Lamb Stew with Okra and a Falafil side. All the dishes were GREAT! My personal favorite was the Tagine Morroccan Beef. We will be eating here again!

This conveniently located intimate restaurant has wonderful food and a warm-hearted staff. We had a group dinner there, and everyone loved the food. Lots of pita, olives, salad, ample main courses, and delicious Greek-style pastries for dessert. The menu includes shrimp, chicken, etc., as well as vegetarian fare. The staff was friendly and attentive. The location is down a few stairs just off 6th Ave. Just a block away from several subway lines. The aromas are lovely, the atmosphere is warm, and the prices are reasonable.

I'm always amazed how underappreciated this place is. As a true & hard to please foodie, their food is the best middle eastern in the city. I've been coming here regularly since 2005 and never get tired. Their ouzi dishes are my most favourites. Chicken curry is also delicious and not very spicy for those who like the curry taste but have low tolerance for spicyness. Add I'm very happy that the quality of their food didn't deteriorate over at least 16 years! Doesn't happen often.

I love Salam! I feel so lucky to have it right down the street from my home. Its a little gem in the village that you thought might not exist anymore. The interior is eclectic and charming - the food is wonderful - the best chicken curry in New York! Ask to sit in the little "Kasbah" room in the center of the restaurant.

After spending a month for work I in the Middle East for work, I did not expect to find such an authentic Arabic restaurant in New York. But a friend who lives nearby knew of Salam. All the dishes were great. The décor of the restaurant takes you right to another part of the world. Salads fresh, humus was recently made, good lamb and eggplant. Knafeh for desert was enough for 2 or 3 people and very tasty. Bathrooms could use an upgrade.

We've been to Salam several times. The food has been consistently very good. Tagine (here, a beef stew built around tomato & vegetables cooked in a clay pot) was excellent. Curried chicken was mildly spicy. Middle eastern appetizers were wonderful. The best part? It's quiet and relaxed. When do you find that in a very good NYC restaurant? We spent about $35 per person with wine.

I love this restaurant. You hear middle Eastern and you think, falafel, curry. But these are tastes you have never tasted. It is different from anything else in this category and among the best food in New York. Service can be casual, but you're not in a rush, anyway. Appetizers are good (fatoosh salad and baba the best), but make sure to save room for the coriander dishes and, my favorite, anything ouzi, fresh veggies and either chicken, beef or fish (or none) in a light filo dough. Also, they have a really cozy room to the side of the main room that's really fun for a group.

We stumbled upon this and will return! Food is AMAZING and very reasonable. Almost hidden on a side street, but the mediterranean food was fresh, fabulous amidst a simple backdrop. On top of that, I inquired about the private room on the side, as I needed a place to celebrate and accommodate my son's opera school performance, and they immediately allowed me to reserve it for the night. The room was fitting of an opera set, with it's backdrop and pillows around, making for the perfect place. Try the pomegranate Sangria! OH boy! We ate there twice in the weekend. I will be back!

Salam is one of my neighborhood favorites; low key, comfortable, reliably good cuisine, relaxing decor. It's great in the summer when you can sit outside in the tiny Moroccan-style garden, as people stroll by along 13th Street. The zellij tile tables and fountains, the gorgeous green, turquoise and deep maroon of the North African decor is immediately relaxing -- it's like finding a little oasis in the midst of the city bustle. Salam has been in the neighborhood for a long time, 20 or 30 years, and for a long time in this location. The cuisine is Middle Eastern; beginning like they do the the Magrib with black olives, olive oil and pita, order appetizers -- the hummus, baba ganoush, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), the falafel, the spanikopita (spinach pie. The lamb and chicken are excellent, good curries, nice kebabs. The baklava is excellent for dessert. The ambiance is relaxing; the staff are friendly, efficient without being intrusive. I've always had an excellent time here, and I find it a good place to meet people, guests from out of town, or long-time friends. It's in an easy location for people to find; easy to grab a taxi on Sixth Ave late at night, near all the subways, or -- for me, a nice walk home.

Several good lamb dishes. Grape leaves were OK. Overall good food. Mango yogurt smoothie was good. Bread (pita) was warm. Hostess was friendly.

The food was great and the service was excellent and the atmosphere was lovely. I tried the appetizer a meat pie which was filled with lamb. I had not had that before and it was great! i will be back.

Cozy, beautiful, intimate, unrushed. Authentic atmosphere, authentic food. Very relaxed and soulful, a touch of the old, vanished village.

Four of us dined here at the end of last month: we enjoyed an excellent meal. This is very much a family business, which is reflected in the quality of the menu which has a very good choice of authentic dishes. Our meal was of a high standard. In particular, one of our party spoke highly of the Macloubee, whilst my coriander chicken had the benefit of a very nicely balanced sauce. Helpings are generous and there is an interesting wine list including a quite distinctive Pinot Grigio from the Lebanon. The service was friendly and prompt, (and patient with questions!). In short this is no ordinary Middle Eastern restaurant and you should try it to get a feel for just how interesting cuisine from this part of the world can be. Booking recommended.

Great food that's made to order so be prepared to wait a little longer than usual.

Not like a NY restaurant, more like a family restaurant that you would find in Turkey. Excellent food, very simple, high quality and good portions. Service is variable and interesting!

This Syrian restaurant features excellent food and reasonable prices. The staff is pleasant and the decor of the main dining room is charming in its Middle Eastern way. There's also a lovely little private dining room

I went here with a few friends to try something different, the décor of the restaurant was alluring but don’t let that fool you. It took our waiter deno 20 minutes to serve or even acknowledge our presence and even then he wasn’t of much help. He couldn’t tell me anything about the food or how its prepared and so I couldn’t order a lot of the items out of fear over my allergies. And when we did get our order the portioning was so small it was barely enough to satisfy us. Overall I am not too fond of this location, like previously said there are way too many great alternatives in this great city to dine here. v

i had the most delicious meal here! loved the atmosphere, too.

Food is so fresh, atmosphere easy--all the time, where you can linger with friends and relax. Staff is friendly, competent and long-time employees--so it is always like coming home. A treat whenever I visit--which is often. And easily becomes s fav of those I introduce to it! Full bar makes for fun too!

Some dear friends arranged a large table in the dining room for about 12 of us. They ordered the food in advance--we didn't see a menu. A lovely woman quietly set plate after plate of well prepared delicacies around the table. For dessert we had a little piece of baklava. The place is very cozy and relaxing. I will go back.

This is my go to restaurant whenever I want to introduce someone to delicious, plentiful and reasonably priced Middle Eastern food. My favorite is to share the Vegetarian Masa Plate which includes: Hummus, Pita, Fatoush Salad, Falalfel, Spanakopita and so much more...I also enjoy their Sangria, which comes in a number of different flavors (pomegranate, peach, etc.). Service is excellent and the ambiance lends itself to intimate conversation while enjoying a delicious, unrushed meal.

The food is wonderful! No TV. No loud music. Quiet ambiance. That is what I like about this place! The bread was delicious and the Mango Yogurt smoothie was delicious.

In April 2015, we hosted our daughter's and fiance's rehearsal dinner at Salam. I had been there before with a friend on a visit from Minnesota and loved everything about it; especially the prices, so I was happy when the wedding couple chose it. We had sixty people attend. The price we paid for sangria, wine,beer, and the most wonderful food was so reasonable we could have been in a small town! There was so much food at the social hour that people thought it was dinner. The main course buffet an desserts continued to "wow" everyone. The staff was just wonderful. I would recommend Salam to anyone planning an event in NYC!

Good Lebanese restaurant in a wonderful area of NYC. Food is good but nothing special, waiters are extremely kind and the venue is rather pleasant.

At the end of a long day it was a pleasure to sit and slowly partake of the myriad dishes that comprise the Salam meza plate - a delicious assortment of vegetarian (baba ghanoush, hummus, yogurt/cucumber salad, cous cous, dolmades) and meat (lamb, chicken, merguez) dishes. We enjoyed all this with mint tea in a casual Sunday evening. This is not a place to grab a quick bite; the atmosphere is relaxed and unhurried, the service casual but steady.

Me and some friends stopped by last week for dinner. It's my third time visiting this restaurant. We ordered Ouzi (one Shrimp and the other one vegetables), chicken with yogurt and Lemon Verbena ( highly recommended for this hot summer). The food is delicious, the decor inside looks a little tired and smells like old. The AC was not on and we asked to the waiter if she can turn it on, but she said that the owner didn't like it. We were sweating our a....s. The time delivering the food was a little bit long, the old waitress ( I assume she's the owner) doesn't look friendly at all, the young lady is more helpful and friendly. The prices are very affordable. Wish they/she can do something with that AC and with the decor and making the restaurant more enjoyable.

A small place with quiet seating in the back and direct-to-the-point service. We had hummus and the green salad with cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and yellow peppers to start. Salad came in a largish bowl and I thought for sure we wouldn't eat it all, but we did. My spouse loved the merguez sausages and potatoes (so much so that he took a few home for the next day's lunch) and I thought their yellow curry with potatoes and basmati rice on the side was delicious--appropriately spicy, but not overpowering. Another place to put on our regular list.

Salam had wonderful middle eastern food, Be sure to get some appetizers like the garlicy hommos or spicy merguez sausage. If you are with a group, get maza [small sishes of hot and cold appetizers and salads] so that you can try all the appetizers and still have room for the delicious main courses, like chicken and curried rice baked in fillo and the best lamb chops in nyc. I love the not too sweet pistachio baklava for dessert. Salam has some nice drink specials, so you can have a party and not leave broke

Trusty, affordable, generally uncrowded almost-secret spot. Surprisingly excellent mezes and a fantastic, 'who-knew' vegetable ouzi. (Order straightaway, as it takes a while to bake). Superb baba, hummus, grape leaves...beyond the ordinary. Falafel disappointed, however. Ignore the inane and fully unnecessary television upon entry, and the efficient but perfunctory service and enjoy delightful pan-Middle Eastern nourishment.

Used to enjoy coming here a few times a year for the falafel, the phylo pastry dishes, the curry dishes. Ate there on June 26 and was truly disappointed. Not well prepared. The only tasty item -- and it was great -- was the baklava. Service was alright but what is the point when the care that the kitchen used to have is gone. Too many other mid-eastern options in this town to go here.

Lovely meal and great drinks. We had wine Sangrias, they are superb. The service was great, all round a great find.

This is a nice little restaurant near Greenwich Avenue. Nice ambience, good prices and quiet. Service was good and food tasty

We had dinner on friday night. I had the Shrimp Ouzi and my partner had salmon with coriander sauce. We cook and eat a lot of really good food, and are quite familiar with a range of cuisines. Our food was absolutely delicious. Subtle yet full flavoring - we were surprised and delighted. The atmosphere is pleasant and calm. I had a pomegranate martini, which was not anything like a martini and not particularly special, but for $7 was a ridiculously good value. My partner's wine was ok, not great. All told, I highly recommend it as a good value for healthy and very tasty middle eastern dishes.

We marveled at the affordable price for our delicious meal. We tried a sampler plate with hummus (very garlicky), Spinach Pie and Stuffed Grape Leaves. We also tried Beef Sfeeeha for the first time (see picture ... like little spicy beef pizzas), which we loved. The mint iced tea is very refreshing on a warm day. We would definitely dine here again. Total meal was $22.

Salam was an old haunt when we lived in New York so it was nice to go back on a visit 15 years after leaving and to find it is still there, still under the same management and ownership and still offering good value.

We nearly passed by Salam without noticing it. I'm glad we didn't. It's a cozy, uncrowded restaurant just off 6th on West 13th. The menu posted outside was tempting, so we stopped for dinner. Now, to be frank, I am no specialist in Syrian cuisine. I just know good food when I eat it, and the food here - hummus, salad, merguez sausages done perfectly, and chicken curry - was excellent. So good that I had a hard time holding back from eating all of the generous portions. This is an informal place - not a destination for the glittering crowd or the trendy bar set. It's just good. We will go back.

One of my favorite Village restaurants, mainly for the ambience. You enter and then you don't want to leave. The unobtrusive wait staff don't rush you through your meal and you could easily spend three hours over dinner if you're not watching the clock. This makes Salam a poor choice when you have to be somewhere later, but an excellent place to catch up with friends. Unless you have the one table in the front window or are dining in the tiny garden area during warmer months, the rest of the seating is within cozy, dimly (but not too dimly) lit interior dining spaces. It's not quite cave-like, more tent-like. Portions are just right, not too much, so you may wish to sample appetizers. You may even have room left for dessert, but don't fail to end your meal with a pot of mint tea. I've ordered the combination plate, mixed kebab, and beef tagine for lunch and various lamb dishes for dinner. There are plenty of options for vegetarians. Prices -- especially for lunch -- are more than reasonable.

Very peaceful, beautiful and friendly, Salam is a welcome retreat from rat-race NYC. It has outstanding food, not overly priced for the portions. Enjoyed immensely the excellent curried chicken in pastry and the Lebanese wine and the hot mint tea. The servers are attentive but not intrusive. As an out-of-towner, I felt immersed in another world. I will welcome any chance to go back there on my next trip!

The food we ate here was marvelous! I ate something called macloobee (I think that is how it's spelled), which was wonderful! The people we were with said their food was marvelous as well. Worth a visit