Balade

One of the best Mediterranean restaurants I've come to in NYC. My sister and I shared the pre fix menu and upgraded the entree to the supreme mixed grill. For the appetizers, we ordered hummus and tabouleh. The hummus + olive oil was amazing and the pita bread was fluffy and warm. I would honestly order the spreads just for the bread. I've heard the muhummara is really good but didn't get the chance to try it. The tabouleh was chopped really finely and was authentic. Lastly, our entree was huge and was good to split between 2-3 people. We replaced our fries with rice for our entree. The atmosphere is really cute and warm and our waitress was really helpful and had amazing service!

Wow!! I really appreciate a pleasant restaurant experience and that's exactly what I had when I went this past weekend. The customer service was great! We got there early for our reservation and we were seated immediately. The waitress didn't hesitate to give us menus, offer us drinks, and help us decide what to eat. Considering it was a Saturday night, I was surprised it wasn't busier than it was. We went after 9pm so we were able to take advantage of their happy hour. For their advertisement it seemed they only had 4 drink options for happy hour but it also includes some standard cocktails, such as their espresso martini: which was tastier than I expected because they're so hard to do. The waitress also communicated with us about which items were/were not edible because we mentioned we had a nut allergy at the table. As silly as that sounds to rave about, it's definitely important to be mindful of people's allergies and dietary restrictions. The mezze options are the biggest highlight!! We ordered the hummus beirtué, which is super simple, but fresh and delicious. Additionally we tried the rkakat and I couldn't recommend this enough. If you're someone who likes a crunchy but cheesy mozzarella stick, this would be a PERFECT choice for you. As far as the supreme mixed grill, I would recommend for 2+ people. Depending on how hungry your group is, this could definitely work for more especially with the mezze eaten prior. I will say that for the supreme mixed grill, I wish it came with some more veggies as I expected there to be some more in the pita as it can become pricy for a smaller group. It came with fries and while it was a lot of fries they weren't anything to rave about so we barely touched them. The meat was well seasoned and paired perfectly with their house pita (which we loved).For just the two of us, we didn't bother to get the prix fixe as it would've been a lot of food because we really wanted to try the Supreme Mixed Grill, but if there's something else you may want to try it could be a good deal. For this reason we didn't even try dessert, but I would've loved to as it looked amazing in the pictures. I'm excited to have a new Eastern Mediterranean/Middle Eastern spot to rave about.

"Mediterranean with a Turkish lean"I've been here a few times since this is in my neighborhood. It's a good choice and can't go wrong here, but I think there are some better options. I think the sandwiches are standout and some of the best thing on this menu.What's to cheer- Pitzas -- snacks flat bread pitas with toppings which are super authentic - Dark, upscale decor- Friendly staff - Good food with all of the classic Mediterranean dishes What's to jeer- Overpriced- A little small and it feels cramped with crowds - many dishes with typical preparation

Went here on a busy Saturday during the dinner rush and the owner was kind enough to squeeze us in without a reservation. We ordered the hummus beirute and the fattoush salad to start and the supreme mixed grill to share.The hummus beriute was super creamy and came with the most fresh and pillow-like pita I've ever had. The fresh hints of cucumber and tomato made it a refreshing yet warm dish and the perfect starter to our meal (8/10)The fattoush salad was also delicious, fresh, and well dressed. I really liked the crunchy and edible bowl in came in as it paired really well with the mixed grill. (6.5/10)The mixed grill was everything we wanted and more. I often like to try a bunch of different meats so this was perfect for that. It came with beef kafta, lamb kafta, chicken tawook, 2 lamb chops, and 2 pieces of ribeye steak with chargrilled vegetables. On the side they also included a cone of fries, a spicy sauce, and a garlic sauce. All the meats were juicy, tender, and very well-seasoned. My personal favorites were the beef kafta and the lamb chop, but you can't go wrong no matter what you try. The garlic sauce was the cherry on top with a very strong garlic flavor, and overall the meal was super filling meal. (9.5/10)The ambiance is upscale with dim lighting and the place is nicely decorated. I would definitely recommend to anyone in the east village looking for authentic Mediterranean flavors.

Very good place! We made reservations for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. When we got there it was pretty quiet with only one other table busy. The place is pretty small with a few tables inside and outside. The place is decorated very nicely with cute traditional art. For food we ordered the hummus to share and then we got the platter and chicken wrap which was super delicious. All the protein were cooked well and not over done. I would definitely come back!

If you are in the mood for Middle Eastern cuisine, Balade is the place to go. It's an intimate dining experience. The lights were dimmed, the servers wore crisp white shirts and black pants, and they were attentive to the customers. Eftalia E. was our server. She was AWESOME. She was nice, friendly, accommodating, and also made great drink suggestions like "The Old Fashioned"I started the order with falafel. It was very good. The tahini sauce was really special- Flavorful with spice. A definite MUST try. Next, I ordered the Balade Mixed Grill which consisted of Beef Kafta, lamb kabob, chicken tawook, and grilled vegetables. Fries were also included with this meal. The lamb was a bit chewy. I wish it were more tender, but it was good and nicely seasoned nonetheless. It was a sizable portion and could definitely be shared between two people. I also ordered the Greek Pitza. This was very delicious. I loved the feta cheese, olives, tomato, and saatar atop light, crispy, and flaky pita bread. The final item on the table was the Shish Tawook. This is marinated chicken breast cubes with toum-served with rice and grilled vegetables. Another very good choice. The chicken paired with the grilled vegetables was the ultimate flavor combination. For dessert, the chef treated us to some Baklava. It was the perfect way to end the dinner. It was not super sweet. It was just the right amount of everything. I strongly recommend you try this New York hidden gem. Make a reservation, and sit and enjoy some delicious, traditional meals. Til we eat again...

Came here for a friends birthday. The place is super tiny so you have to wait outside until they get you (It was freezing cold). The restaurant was completely packed and the music was pretty loud. I usually don't like loud music but the music selection was GREAT! The staff was so accommodating and friendly. The men didn't like their margaritas and the waitress/bartender said she knew she messed up and made them a fresh batch. My espresso martini was perfect!Started off with the falafel which was a little dry but tasty. I ordered the salmon and that was great but the potatoes were too salty. My husband wanted the sea bass but it was sold out so we opted for the branzino in tahini sauce. Delicious! For desert I ordered the baklava which was probably my favorite dish :) the staff sang happy birthday to our friend with lights and music. It was perfect.

I love Lebanese food and couldn't wait to try this restaurant. When I arrived I parked on the street nearby. We walking into a dimly lit restaurant. We were sat by one of the owners and he also served us which was great. I started with an espresso martini and my friend had a mocktail. We then got served a variety of food:salad falafellamb and beef sausageSupreme mixed grillasheaAll the food was really good but my favorites was the hummus and the falafel and pita bread. We definitely had a really good experience!

This is such a cute and intimate place. I had a great date night for Christmas Eve and the service was spectacular. The food was very tasty and hands down one of my favorite Mediterranean places. I would come here again to have friends try something new.

This is hands down my favorite spot in the city, and I highly recommend it! Love to get together with my friends and family. The team here is both friendly and professional. As for the food, every dish I tried was absolutely delicious! There wasn't a single item that was just "okay." Everything was exceptional!