Balaboosta

My friend and I were walking around the west village and we came across this bustling restaurant. We liked the menu, the staff were friendly, and we decided to sit at an outdoor table to people watch while we dined. The cauliflower and eggplant dishes were both great, as were the cocktails. I will definitely return!

Was able to grab reservations for a Saturday evening the day before, which was nuts to me. We got a table in the wine cellar, which was a regular room with a wall of wines haha, nothing cellar like. I perhaps will take a star away for their hostess, who just was spaced out and wasn't the nicest. The food and the wait staff were amazing - between the two of us we shared a bottle of wine, hummus, whipped feta, fried olives and cauliflower. We didn't intend for it to be a vegetarian meal, but that's what it ended being. The bread that came along with the dips was amazing! Can't wait to come back!

Brunch at Balaboosta, NYCCute spot but very oily-heavy dish left me feeling bad. Ordered: - Hummus Pitriyot: Mushrooms, caramelized onion, baharat, pita- Eggplant Shakshuka: eggs, peppers, tomatoes, feta, sour dough pan deietoast- Pastrami on a Puff Pastry with honey mustard and pickled fennel: While the concept and presentation were on point, the dish was very oily. The dough was greasy and the pastrami was thin and mostly fat. With thicker cut of meat and a less oily puff pastry, this could've been a standout.

Food 3/10Overpriced Mediterranean in the West Village. A very limited brunch menu, and I felt uncomfortable and sick afterwards because of how greasy and oily the dish I got was. A very disappointing meal, as it went downhill after the pita and hummus. The duck pastrami was literally oozing oil.Atmosphere 8/10Cute interior decor, quirky in a sense. Style over substance unfortunately. Service 7/10Nothing wrong with the service, but nothing memorable either.

If you look the perfect brunch spot up in the dictionary Balaboosta should come up! Everything is immaculate from the service to the food. I made a reservation for brunch at Balaboosta (highly recommended) and when my group arrived at the restaurant we were sat immediately.Once sat, the server came over quickly to greet us and took our drink order, all the cocktails/champagne were perfection! From there we placed our food order and here is what we had:To Share:- Hummus (must try! The warm chickpeas make this dish)- Whipped Feta (I have no words! But the date molasses was so good)- Pappas Bravas (if you like a good aioli this is your dish)Main Course:- Eggplant Shashuka (I love traditional Shashuka, but with eggplant this was truly elite; so much flavor)- Pastrami (never seen a dish like this, but the puff pastry and vegetables all go together in harmony!)The server continually checked in on our table and was warm and friendly; whenever she saw that our champagne glasses were running low she would ensure a new one was on the way.The vibes are super laidback with a touch of elegance. I love the fact that they use Aesop's soap in the bathroom. I cannot stop talking about how wonderful Balaboosta is and cannot wait to come back for dinner!

Great first impression when we were greeted by Meredith and later when she came by to speak with us again the deal was sealed. A very lively vibe, great playlist, delicious food and cocktails, excellent service by Michael. We are coming back and bringing more friends.

Amazing Israeli food experience! My friend and I came here for a casual lunch. We couldn't choose what we wanted so had to get a few plates to share and try all the goodness! Let's start with the whipped feta with honey - an absolute must!! I've tried many whipped fetas before but this was has been a favorite! The hummus with meat was delicious and I would definitely recommend getting that as well! We split the chicken shawarma for our main - I loved the presentation and that it was already served in a pita. I'm not big on sweets, but I did find the challah French toast to be yummy service was great!!

There are mostly tables of 2 or 4 here which makes this place a great spot for groups of 2 or 4. The ambiance here is great for dates or a nice dinner out with friends. The food here is full of herbs given that it is an Israeli restaurant. The service here is attentive and friendly. We came at 6:30 without a reservation and was given a table (we just had to leave by 8pm).

Went here for brunch and it was good! We ordered the hummus pitriyot to share, eggplant shakshuka, pastrami, and quinoa latkes. For cocktails, we got the matos, yalla, and shamir. The server was attentive and friendly. It was also easy to get a reservation. The restaurant was also cute and cozy.

The Balaboosta experience starts with friendly staff at the door and behind the bar. Then comes the flavorful and fresh food, focusing on spices and herbs. Excellent wine list, cocktails, and mocktails. Lively atmosphere and modern ambiance.