Yara Reviews

I had the lamb chops and they were incredible, I was sure they must be sourced from Australia or New Zealand but no Patterson NJ! Service was very good and they have an excellent red from the Lebanon. Well worth a visit.

I eat a lot of Mediterranean food, including in the Med region. Even top restaurants in the Middle East or Southern Europe would be envious of this quality and range of dishes. Every one as good or better than the next. Truly top notch. Great service as well. Congratulations, Yara.

Superb authentic Lebanese cuisine fare with a sophisticated, modern ambience. The only downside is that the service (while personable and gracious) is a bit on the slow side...perhaps they need to expand their waitstaff? But otherwise, excellent all around.

Excellent & well served lebanese food. $19 lunch menu which offers you the possibility to try various recipes. We've particularly appreciated the beet falafels! We recommand for sure.

On Saturday, January 11th, I took 5 friends & family members to Yara after going to David Byrne’s American Utopia show. This place was a gem - great food, great service, and great vibe. A big thank you to Norman at Yara for making this happen. I made my reservation 6 weeks ahead of time on Open Table but 2 weeks prior to going I received a call from the owner (Norman) apologizing that the restaurant was actually going to be closed that night for a private function (an error on Open Table’s site for allowing the reservation to go thru). After telling Norman my disappointment and that the 6 of us were coming in from Spain, San Antonio, Boston, and Hershey (PA), he quickly offered us a private table in the lower lounge which I graciously accepted. In addition, Norman provided me with his personal cell phone number just in case there were any changes in our plans – who does that?! One of my guests last weekend was my 24 year old great nephew who flew down from Boston - knowing he was a vegan, I wanted him to experience one memorable vegan meal while we were in NYC. Between him being a vegan and my love for Lebanese food, Yara seemed like a perfect place to dine. Without question, Yara nailed it! Rather than choosing individual appetizers and entrees, we all opted to do a family-style dinner and just share everything – between the six of us we ordered a dozen appetizers and a couple of entrees. Every single dish was excellent but the 3 dishes that reigned supreme were the Vegan Kibbe (w/ pumpkin, walnuts, and spinach), the Mixed Grill (w/ kefta, filet mignon, and chicken), and the Grape Leaves. The Vegan Kibbe blew me away (and that’s coming from a 60 year Johnson & Wales culinary grad who’s a carnivore)! Whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian or carnivore, this place is worth a visit. Any if you’ve never tried Lebanese food before then Yara is the place to start enjoying this truly unique cuisine. Kudos to the entire staff at Yara for a great night!

The food was good, however it was tainted by the waitress who upsold my son, and then brought a plate of food that specifically said he didn't want. We thought the extra dish was "on the house", however it wasn't - we paid for it. It was delicious, however I doubt that we will ever go back.

We found this restaurant by chance looking for dinner and were blown away by the modern and cozy ambiance and the great food. Their dishes are an excursion across the region, extremely well balanced with spices and with super fresh ingredients. Huge selection of vegetarian and regular dishes, and a well sorted list of wines and beer. The desert and Lebanese coffee was delicious. Great service and well managed front of house. Make the little detour to this restaurant, you won't regret it.

An absolutely wonderful dining experience in every aspect! Authentic, delicious Lebanese cuisine. It is the only restaurant where we will ever order Kibbe Nayeh...it is FANTASTIC! And the bartender makes one of the best dirty martini's in NYC! In addition, we are always greeted so warmly by Linda and her staff. They are delightful and sincere. Sahtein!

Happenstance. Walked by and looked inviting. The ambiance was perfect and clean. Had never eaten lebanese prior but was pleasantly surprised at how delicious everything was. Due to things opening up service was a bit slow. To make up the hospitality was amazing. We were treated like guests in their kitchen. Recommendations and instructions were amazing. Hope they get some wait staff soon. They are working really hard. Hope they make it through these hard times. Thank you for a wonderful experience 😍. A dining experience.

This twist on Middle Eastern food has recently opened. It is a reinvention of another Middle Eastern restaurant by the same owners. While I had never eaten at their last establishment, this new one is very nice. The decor is sophisticated and serene. The main dining room is on street level with a bar one flight down. We ate at the bar and were attended by a very personable and efficient bar tender. There is a decent wine selection and a full bar. My cocktail, called a Pears & Agave consisted of fresh lemon, agave nectar, Arette Silver tequila and pear liqueur. It was very good. We ordered a series of small plates much like tapas but all mostly on Middle Eastern dishes. The Beet Salad was fresh and crisp, the babaganoush was smokey and delicious, the beet falafel and Moussaka were both wonderful and the Moussaka was a vegan version, and we topped that off with Zataar flavored fries. They were a bit tart but crisp and flavorful. This is a very nice room with really good food. A short walk from the business section of midtown so worth an after work visit.

Fantastic Mediterranean food in a tranquil space. A definite change from the usual cramped NY City space. We were able to talk and enjoy the delightful presentation. Mixed grill was especially good. But be sure to save room for the baklava!

Great food, great service. We had a big table with a big group and ordered a lot of different foods. This is great for sharing and having a good time.

Great food, poor service. If it hadn't been for the lamb fassoulia and mamooul, we would not have had a good time. There were customer service issues and a weird restroom setup that resulted in male and female customers using the wrong bathrooms. On top of that, we felt our water ignored us for long periods of our meal and was only prompt when we decided to leave and pay the check. All in all a mixed experience, with good food but poor service.

The décor, the food and the service were for the most part all excellent. Our appetizer was excellent, my dinner was excellent, my sister's dinner was unfortunately overcooked. All in all it's a very good restaurant. If you truly want lamb then this is the place to go.

Finally had a chance to try Yara on a triple date with friends. As Lebanese we have high standards for the style of cuisine and we really enjoyed it. The mezze were great, especially the dips and the kibbeh naye, which had a great toum (toum). The grilled meats were perfectly cooked. Staff was friendly. Only thing I didn’t care for was the DJ. A bit loud for my taste.

BRAVO. We don't get to new restaurants often enough and as our granddaughter and fiance recently moved to 52nd Street and First Avenue and found Yara we went last night. There were five of us and we each ordered a couple of small plates which we shared as appetizers and entrees. Everything was terrific. Our plan is to return and eat through the menu then pick the 5 or 6 things we like best and focus on them going forward. I particularly liked the fallafel and the bread pudding squares that came with the ice cream. As the restaurant is popular, our granddaughter reserved a table for 6:30pm so we beat the crowd. We normally eat later than that but it turns out that this was a good strategy. The design of Yara is upscale and staff quite pleasant. Obviously, we'll be back.

The food; Lots of delicious vegan options. The cauliflower is great. The ambiance: The lights are too bright, especially above the bar in the Lounge. Startlingly bright heat-generating spotlights...

All around - a wonderful experience. Ordered tons of meze and entrees too. Everything was authentic tasting and delicious. We asked to introduce the Chef to our visitors from Lebanon, and he graciously came to our table. Sincere, passionate- and explained how all ingredients are purchased fresh and everything on menu made from scratch.

VERY NICE LEBANESE RESTAURANT. THE SPACE IS PLEASANT VERY NICELY DECORATED. THE FOOD VERY GOOD, THE STAFF VERY KIND AND THE SERVICE VERY GOOD. PRICES REASONABLE FOR NEW YORK.

Excellent service. Great food. Everything tasted fresh and light. We got the fattoush, soujouk. And mixed grill. Highly recommend it.

Cheap interiour, badly maintained, smelly, credit card system not working, and unfortunately really bad quality food. When four well traveled Europeans independently have identical view...

A wonderful restaurant. The food we outstanding--the lamb chops and mixed grill were both first rate--and our server was attentive and thoughtful. A beautiful but low-key setting, highly recommended!!

Yara is truly a gem in Midtown Manhattan! The location is fantastic, the ambiance is elegant yet welcoming, and the food is simply out of this world—every dish we tried was delicious and perfectly prepared. The staff is knowledgeable and attentive, and Edder made our evening extra special. Thank you to Mr. Norman and the Yara team for your warm hospitality. If you’re visiting NYC, Yara is a MUST on your dining list—we will definitely return on our next trip!

YARA Yara is such a find! The lovely, sleek and upscale dining room is warm, beautiful and inviting. From the host to the waitstaff, Yara is staffed by kind, attentive and accommodating professionals. (Ali F. was utterly delightful!) The Lebanese food is very good with many tasty vegetarian and gluten free options. The moussakaa was a delicious, well seasoned eggplant, tomato and onion mezze. The Yara salad was fresh and flavorful. The falafel was also very well executed. The kefta was well spiced and cooked to order. Even the desserts at Yara need special recognition. The coffee and baklava were rich, flavorful and delicious. The namoura was incredible…a moist, baked and buttery semolina cake infused with orange and pistachio. Yara makes us ask the age old question, “why did we pass your wonderful restaurant hundreds of times without venturing inside?” Thankfully, we FINALLY did venture inside Yara, and we simply cannot wait to return!

Under new ownership and completely renovated, the bar and restaurant are spectacular. Be sure to allow time for a signature cocktail in the intimate downstairs- comfortable seating and great service. We had dinner upstairs. The decor- beautiful - Great service and the food- fresh and flavorful- not a morsel left on anyone’s plate! This place is one not to miss

Friends and I have eaten there three times and each was a disappointment but we thought we would give this neighbourhood restaurant a chance. The place itself is really attractive and social distancing can be kept. The food,however , is not very good nor ever at the right temperature. The service is inattentive - the last time I came , it took the waiter a very long time to serve the wine we had ordered ( by that time the hot food was cold) and we even had problems getting a refill of water even though there was only one other diner. I regret to say but such a pretty and comfortable setting deserves better food and better service.

Very good lebanese food in a nice atmosphere. We had the fabulous Hummus, crispy Fatoush, fresh Taboulee and vegetarian Kibbe and loved it. Definitely a recommendation.

An amazing restaurant with great authentic food. We were welcomed and advised with the small plates and their selection is fantastic, particularly for vegetarians and vegans. Their red wine selection is also wonderful. A must try if you're close by.

The evening started with very slow delivery of drinks despite the manager apparently trying to expedite. Of the mezze plates the kibbe vegan was delicious. The moussakka was good. I normally think of moussakka as a hot entre. As a mezze it was cold. The grilled haloumi was boring but what to expect from haloumi. The only entre ordered was MULUKHIA. I didn’t know what to expect. It was okay but some other entre would be more interesting. Dessert menus were delivered after indicating that we were not having dessert. We sat and waited and finally flagged down the manager to get our bill. Lastly the wine list had few bottles under $50. Granted it is NYC but it still seemed high for the restaurant. We wish we had chosen another restaurant for one of our two nights out in the Big Apple.

Found this great restaurant through TA: 3 great staters and the beef hummus was different and quite delightful. Kebabs very tasty and perfectly cooked with a Lebanese beer and some Shiraz. All in all great and very busy as well so be sure to book

Our sandwiches were delicious. Staff very nice and attentive . Service was quick. Highly recommend this restaurant, and definitely plan to go back.

What a beautiful, fun, delicious restaurant in Midtown. We started downstairs and had a drink at the nicely decorated bar. Then we made our way up to share an assortment of appetizers. Each appetizer was nicely presented and they were all fabulous! I especially liked the beet falafel, the homemade hummus and the cauliflower. The pita came out warm and tasted so good with the hummus. Yum! Then we ordered lamb chops and amazing french fries which were out of this world. The service was outstanding. We had Mo and Jonathan looking after us. I highly recommend this traditional yet creative restaurant in Midtown!

A bit pricey for simple grilled meat and hummus and service felt rushed 1 bottle of wine and 2 cocktails almost $500

Had a fine dinner at Yara! Our reservation was honored promptly, with a warm welcome by friendly staff. Decor was lovely, seating comfortable. Service was prompt and pleasant. The hummus and cheese sambusa were well-prepared, and accompanied by homemade pita. Our chicken shawarma was excellent—nicely spiced, served with all the proper accompaniments and hot, crisp fries. Portions were ample and prices very reasonable. Hope to return soon!

We found this wonderful Lebanese restaurant by accident and it was fabulous! The servers were friendly and helpful and the food was amazing. I would highly recommend this restaurant.

YARA Yara is such a find! It’s lovely, sleek and upscale dining room is warm, beautiful and inviting. From the host to the waitstaff, Yara is staffed by such kind, attentive, warm and accommodating professionals. (Ali F. and the host/ owner are always utterly delightful!) The Lebanese food is so very good with many tasty vegetarian and gluten free options. Yara is the PERFECT restaurant if you’re dining with vegans, vegetarians, gluten free diners or carnivores. Yara’s menu deliciously accommodates all dietary preferences and restrictions. The moussakaa is a delicious, well seasoned eggplant, tomato and onion mezze. The Yara salad is fresh and flavorful. The falafel ( both beet and original) and Haloumi are also very well executed. The kefta is well spiced and cooked to order. The grilled chicken and filet mignon are also quite good. The lamb chops are outstanding, well seasoned and grilled to perfection. Even the desserts at Yara need special recognition. The coffee and baklava are rich, flavorful and delicious. The namoura is incredible…a moist, baked and buttery semolina cake infused with orange and pistachio. Yara makes us ask the age old question, “why did we pass your wonderful restaurant hundreds of times without venturing inside?” Thankfully, we FINALLY did venture inside Yara, and we have returned again and again and again.

What a find and a true gem. Gorgeous interior and fabulous food to match. Wait staff if attentive and fun. Tried many of the starters and shared mixed grills for entrées, which were all superb. Finally a sleek, fun and sleek place to dine a short stop from GCT.

I was visiting NYC from Toronto, Canada and it was recommended by a friend to try Yara for dinner. We were very pleased when we entered the restaurant at the warm and welcoming reception. Our night started downstairs where we sat at the bar and enjoyed a cocktail. (honeysuckle and tequila - a house specialty) Upstairs we started with a wonderful assortment of vegetarian appetizer options - go easy on these as your main course will be even better. The bread arrived warm and was delicious and it is made fresh daily in house our waiter told us. The hummus is excellent as is the Yara and Fattoush salad. We had chicken as our entree and it was delicious. At the end of the meal, we had fresh mint tea and Lebanese ice cream. We had a great time and would highly recommend this restaurant. The food was excellent and the price was right. Next time we visit NYC we will definitely visit again. Thank you!

There is better when it comes to Lebanese cuisine around NYC. Clean restaurant, attentive staff, average food. The lamb stands out.

We really appreciated our Lebanese meal - falafels, baba ganouche, lamb sojouk, dolmatas, everything was beyond reproach but maybe not mind-blowing. It would also be nice if a place like that had some craft beers.