Maloya

We had such a fun time at Maloya: delicious runs to sample, tasty food, cool room. Sam, the owner/bartender, took us on a rumJourney that took us across the French diaspora and beyond. Lively playlist of African pop played as we sipped and dined. Customers streamed in and congratulated Sam on his being in business for a year. Here's to that and to many years to come for this delightful eatery in Bushwick. If you live in the neighborhood, I strongly suggest you pop in to Maloya.

French restaurant with roots from the island of Reunion which is located off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. They have a huge rum selection. The menu is mostly French influenced along with some African and South Asian nods. I'd say the most similar cuisine would be Haitian.They have an appealing list of cocktails with lots of rum based ones. I had two. The first was the Pompistes which was a very fruity and tropical drink. The second was their Ti'Punch which used a distinctive rum that tasted more herby and botanical than sweet. The bartender was informative and helped me decide which drinks to go with. Food wise, we started with a fried sampler which included little samosas filled with tuna, cheese, and potatoes along with cod and potato fritters. The samosas used a filo like dough which made the exterior very thin and crispy. It ate more like a borek than a samosa. I liked all the fillings while my wife preferred the potato one. Fritters were crispy and filled with a whitefish salad like filling. Salty and crispy. The exterior had a falafel ball texture to it. A very nice 'snap'. A dish you'd expected for Southern (Louisiana, Mississippi) restaurants. We had a few drinks, so we decided to have a hearty plate to balance things out. We opted for the beef bourguignon. Tender and soft beef along with equally soft and tender carrots. Rich savory gravy that was more aggressively seasoned than French good typically is. It was served with a heaping of rice to absorb every bit of gravy. Service was friendly and informative. The pacing of the food was reasonable and the bartender prepared the drinks quickly. We were able to walk in on a Tuesday evening and grab seats right away.

Maloya has the potential be a cute neighborhood gem as the food and ambiance are wonderful.While the food is delicious, I will say the portions felt a bit small and not the best presentation. The service was quite slow but the server who was also the bartender was friendly and attentive. I hope the food can be served in a more timely manner.I live really close to Maloya so I'll give it another try in a few months.

Finally got around to this spot in the neighborhood!We really enjoyed the decor, music, and overall ambiance. The employees were all friendly and attentive. We had a nice chat with the owner about what Réunion island is like, sounds like a dream.To start the meal, we ordered the appetizer sampler platter and got two different samosas (ham and potato + cheese and scallion), the salted cod, and the Lima bean fritters. For the mains we got the swordfish massalé and the coconut shrimp. Then finally for dessert we got the corn cake with passion fruit. The standouts were the samosas, especially the cheese and scallion. They were super light and crispy, and the filling was so good. Personally, I think that the salted cod fritter was a bit too salty, but I mean... it's salted cod so if that's your thing, go for it! The Lima bean fritter felt a little dense, kind of like a falafel. Maybe some sort of pickle situation could elevate the cod fritter and Lima bean fritters? They just felt a bit heavier compared to the samosas.For the mains, both the shrimp and the fish were cooked perfectly. Personally think they both needed a bit more salt, but the sauces were really great with the rice, especially the massalé. The mains do come with Lima beans or lentils. We think that these need more seasoning as well. They felt like a bit of an afterthought and ultimately we left them alone. The dessert had great flavor, but just wish the corn cake was more moist!Overall, we had a great experience and would come back. We think that a few small tweaks could really make a big difference. Looking forward to it!

My two girl friends and I were eager to try this place and its Reunion Island inspired menu. We got there right when they opened at 5, and sat at the bar. By the time we left - around 7pm-ish - almost all the tables were full.We couldn't decide on an appetizer, so we got the sampler (which had a much more sophisticated name, but I'll butcher it). It was delicious!!! The cheese samosas were so good that at the end of the night, I ordered another order of them to go. For the main course, 2 of us had the beef stew and the third entree was the house made sausage. Everything was spot on! Meat was tender, well flavored, and we all liked how the sides came out family style to share. It's easy to tell that the food is made from the heart and with quality ingredients. For desert, I just had to try their seasonal Ginger ice cream (also made in house), and the yucca cake. It was the perfect amount of spice and creaminess, and the two surprisingly paired really well together. They are expecting their liquor license any day now, so in the meantime we tried the mocktails... oh my gosh! I hope they keep them on the menu! Our waiter was the owner himself, and he was very attentive and informative - explaining the history of Reunion Island (which, admittedly, I knew nothing about) and its culinary influences. A pet peeve of mine is waiting for my water to be refilled, but the owner never let my glass get even close to half way. While that is something small, it is appreciated and to me it shows their attention to detail and service. We are already planning to come back to Maloya for our next girl's night.

Super fun bar and restaurant! Very cool vibes and love the decor. I highly recommend getting the coconut vanilla shrimp, it might sound weird but it's really good and it was featured on the new york times!! love it and will come back!

It's all very good, the food, the drinks, the service, everything! The thing where you get to try 4 different appetizers it's definitely the way to go. Lots of delicious rum cocktails. The main with the shrimps. All the deserte. It's a beautiful space

The food is goood, y'all! My party of 2 went for Sunday dinner. Heads up for patrons: service is more French style, and/or "island time" i.e. not the usual American pace. This was part of the overall intimate charm. Sam the owner was tending bar and was the sole service staff that evening. He spoke with us at length about rum styles and sourcing - and he was equally attentive and conversational with other parties. Overall, a beautiful setting to enjoy fantastic food.

Stepping into Maloya is like finding a London telephone box in Brooklyn--unexpected yet instantly comforting. With grandparents in Mauritius, the Réunion cuisine served here transported me straight back to Indian Ocean flavors with remarkable authenticity.The rougail saucisse arrived with a harmony of spices as precise as Big Ben's timekeeping, while the rum selection flows as richly as the Thames after rainfall. Each samoussa crackles with flavor memories, the bonbon piment as lively as a Notting Hill Carnival dancer.Owners Lebreton and Gruszkiewicz have created a slice of island magic that makes this British expat's heart swell like a well-risen Yorkshire pudding. For anyone missing Indian Ocean cuisine, Maloya is nothing short of culinary homecoming.

Really fun and unique spot with incredible service! We had the assiette creole (assorted platter of small bites) and the camarons coco vanille (shrimp with coconut milk). Would love to come back to try the drinks and more of the menu! It was awesome to try food from the island of Reunion.