Ilili Restaurant Nyc

I thought ilili was a pleasant change of pace from the usual type of cuisine I go for when visiting New York. Their menu is fairly extensive and it’s best to order a few dishes from each category to split so you can try everything. Walking up as a party of 1, I got a seat at the bar which does full service dining. The ambiance of the restaurant is lovely. It feels very upscale and clean with a warm vibe (plus it was festive for December). The cocktail was ok, not my favorite. I ordered the Beirut to Manhattan and thought it would taste more unique given the ingredients but it just tasted like a regular Old Fashioned. Food wise I was impressed. The best dish of the night was the duck shawarma, which everyone should try. The bread was stuffed with a generous amount of freshly pulled duck meat and it came with this delicious dipping sauce. I also ordered the warm eggplant which has a nice sweet taste to it and the labne dip which I prefer to hummus. Overall, I left very full and satisfied with my meal. Great spot if you’re in the mood for Lebanese food.

came here for brunch which probably was not the best time to come here. didn’t realize they had a lunch and brunch menu and the lunch menu isn’t available weekends. it was fine and some items were def better than others. eggs benedict looked like a salad ilili country style breakfast looked pretty worth it shakshuka was fine

Cool place to try Lebanese cuisine. For starters, would recommend the mouhamara. For mains, the duck shawarma is good. The lamb shawarma is also tasty. I did find both of them a bit dry. They come in portions of four pieces each so they are good to share. The tuna tartare is also good. For dessert, would highly recommend trying the mouhalabiyyeh (Lebanese panna cotta). It's a great alternative if you find baklava (also another menu item) too sweet. The ambience here is quite nice. The service is great, and we didn't wait too long for the food. The dishes are on the pricier side, but if you want to try something new on a special occasion this place could be a good option.

Such a great spot, the ambiance and the food was great and the service is really good. We ordered the Hummus (the standard of any Lebanese restaurant) and the fried kubbah (highly recommended). The main was the chicken shish tawook, the chicken was so tender and the taste was on point. Recommend to book in advance as it is always busy, although they have two floors.

TLDR: Ilili is a great choice for Lebanese cuisine, if you're into Middle Eastern or mediterranean cuisine - you'll love this. The mouhamara is great and definitely give that burger a try. Ilili was one of those places I wanted to try for a long time. The menu is quite extensive but our server helped us make some excellent choices. The mouhamara was something different from the usual hummus. A mixture of red pepper, nuts, a bit sweet - very tasty. The waffle and fried chicken was brunchy but slightly different. My favorite though was the burger. Juicy, fatty but a nice blend of Lebanese flavors. Food can get pricy here but if you're looking for a fine dining establishment beyond steak/sushi - this is a great choice.

By far one of the best restaurant experiences that I’ve had in NYC this year! Came here with about 6 people and ordered a wide array of dishes. Everything was delicious but what really stood out were the eggplant dishes plus the dips - I’d definitely get these if you’re looking for some options. The drinks were also great but not the star. Service was perfect though the food took a while to come out. Looking forward to coming back soon sometime in the near future!