Came here for my birthday dinner yesterday evening and left quite satisfied. The venue was cozy with unique interiors & modern design. The food was delicious and quite distinctive from traditional ethnic cuisines - I loved the fried olives, the whipped feta with complimentary pita, which was really fresh / chewy and not stale like some more casual joints. The *complimentary* cauliflower had a great flavor and texture. The star of the night was the brick chicken (flavorful / tender) although I wish I tried the branzino with the veggies on top. Next time, I will get the branzino and the tahini creme brulee! I would be so excited to come back.
Shout out to the Yalla cocktail and the Yarok mocktail which were both really refreshing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Olives, Japanese Eggplant
Ezra
Home cooked food from a small, dedicated staff. Very queer friendly, good portions. Relaxed atmosphere, good people.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tal Gerber
The best food in NYC! If you love Israeli cuisine this is the place for you. Can’t wait to go again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yoav Davis
obsessed with this place. So Insanely delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brian Robinson
Had an amazing, memorable dinner at Balaboosta for my son's 24th birthday last night. Fluke Ceviche, Yeminite Soup Dumplings, Artichoke, Cauliflower and Chicken were all excellent but the best was the Calamari with a few strips of Lamb Belly! Cocktails were also great and Creme Brulee did not disappoint!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shannon McElyea
Leah the bartender is pure joy and brilliant. I love how she carriesbon a complicated conversation while shaking a sink in one hand and stirring a pitcher with the other. She’s very funny and works non stop with rapid precision. I love the food. The chopped salad and cinches were amazing. I used a spoon to drank the sauce of the ceviche - something I’ve never done in my long life. Highly recommend. Everyone is friendly and it was a festive atmosphere. (December!)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
scatpack
The fried cauliflower was tasty and well-seasoned, and the pita bread came out warm. That said, it fell short in a few key areas. The portions felt small for the price—everything adds up quickly in NYC, but here it seemed particularly steep for what you get. Service was friendly but inattentive; we waited a long time between courses and had to flag someone down for refills. The restaurant is also quite noisy, making conversation difficult even on a weeknight. A couple of dishes, like the shakshuka, were underwhelming and lacked the punch I'd expected from Chef Admony's cooking.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Thiago Prado
All the food had tons of flavor. There were no dull bites.
Our server mark was , patient , enthusiastic and all around phenomenal. He suggested some items to which we bought all of them and were extremely satisfied. Thanks Mark
The calamari was probably my favorite with its unique touch of bacon Bacon.
Fried olives 10/10, mind blown. Must get
Oh the pita comes out very fresh and is a must get with the hummus. Usually hummus is ok for me but this time I was addicted with its touch of spice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hummus and Pita
Masha S
Soooooo... Goooooood.... we stopped for brunch and it was absolutely perfect, cant wait to go back.. humus w/mushrooms + latkes + stakes. Super yummm
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Samantha Taskale
If I could leave 6 stars I would. The food was so amazing. Fried olives and labneh, hummus, and chicken shawarma. They also gave us extra baharat seasoning which was amazing!! Vibes were great, service was fast and we will definitely be returning for dinner!
Exceptional dining experience here. My friends and I shared the whipped feta, fried olives, eggplant, dumplings, pappardelle pasta and wagyu kebabs. You can tell the food is made with love and some serious flavor. I hope to dine again and try more. Thank you for the incredible service Tommy and Meredith.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amy Jaffe
We had the pleasure of dining at Balaboosta in Manhattan in September 2025 on a Saturday night, and it was truly unforgettable. Even without a reservation, the staff, servers, chefs, and bartender went out of their way to welcome us and make space for our family. The hospitality was warm, genuine, and set the tone for the night.
We ordered several dishes and drinks, and every single one was incredible. The hummus and whipped feta, paired with the best pita bread I’ve ever had, were absolute standouts. Our server, Mark, was the highlight of the evening — attentive, gracious, and full of personality. After we mentioned we had just seen Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theater, he joined in our excitement, and the conversation made us feel like we were among friends. Mark also introduced us to a specialty liqueur, pistachio Arak, which was unique and delicious — definitely worth asking about if you enjoy liqueurs!
The ambiance at Balaboosta was beautiful, cozy, and welcoming, making us feel right at home. Between the phenomenal food, the exceptional service, and the atmosphere, this restaurant won our hearts. We will absolutely return to Balaboosta on every visit to Manhattan.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
etgar Kadosh
One of my favorite spots in the manhattan for over 10 years, food is just splendid, best cocktails, staff is just amazing, brunch / dinner what ever you pick, you will not be disappointed 🖤
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mark Pirogovsky
Intersting food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Scott Indrisek
Food was tasty but got horrifying case of food poisoning so, yeah.
Came here for my birthday dinner yesterday evening and left quite satisfied. The venue was cozy with unique interiors & modern design. The food was delicious and quite distinctive from traditional ethnic cuisines - I loved the fried olives, the whipped feta with complimentary pita, which was really fresh / chewy and not stale like some more casual joints. The *complimentary* cauliflower had a great flavor and texture. The star of the night was the brick chicken (flavorful / tender) although I wish I tried the branzino with the veggies on top. Next time, I will get the branzino and the tahini creme brulee! I would be so excited to come back.
Shout out to the Yalla cocktail and the Yarok mocktail which were both really refreshing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Olives, Japanese Eggplant
Home cooked food from a small, dedicated staff. Very queer friendly, good portions. Relaxed atmosphere, good people.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The best food in NYC! If you love Israeli cuisine this is the place for you. Can’t wait to go again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
obsessed with this place. So Insanely delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had an amazing, memorable dinner at Balaboosta for my son's 24th birthday last night. Fluke Ceviche, Yeminite Soup Dumplings, Artichoke, Cauliflower and Chicken were all excellent but the best was the Calamari with a few strips of Lamb Belly! Cocktails were also great and Creme Brulee did not disappoint!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Leah the bartender is pure joy and brilliant. I love how she carriesbon a complicated conversation while shaking a sink in one hand and stirring a pitcher with the other. She’s very funny and works non stop with rapid precision.
I love the food. The chopped salad and cinches were amazing. I used a spoon to drank the sauce of the ceviche - something I’ve never done in my long life. Highly recommend. Everyone is friendly and it was a festive atmosphere. (December!)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The fried cauliflower was tasty and well-seasoned, and the pita bread came out warm.
That said, it fell short in a few key areas. The portions felt small for the price—everything adds up quickly in NYC, but here it seemed particularly steep for what you get. Service was friendly but inattentive; we waited a long time between courses and had to flag someone down for refills. The restaurant is also quite noisy, making conversation difficult even on a weeknight. A couple of dishes, like the shakshuka, were underwhelming and lacked the punch I'd expected from Chef Admony's cooking.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
All the food had tons of flavor. There were no dull bites.
Our server mark was , patient , enthusiastic and all around phenomenal. He suggested some items to which we bought all of them and were extremely satisfied. Thanks Mark
The calamari was probably my favorite with its unique touch of bacon
Bacon.
Fried olives 10/10, mind blown. Must get
Oh the pita comes out very fresh and is a must get with the hummus. Usually hummus is ok for me but this time I was addicted with its touch of spice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hummus and Pita
Soooooo... Goooooood.... we stopped for brunch and it was absolutely perfect, cant wait to go back.. humus w/mushrooms + latkes + stakes. Super yummm
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
If I could leave 6 stars I would. The food was so amazing. Fried olives and labneh, hummus, and chicken shawarma. They also gave us extra baharat seasoning which was amazing!! Vibes were great, service was fast and we will definitely be returning for dinner!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Exceptional dining experience here. My friends and I shared the whipped feta, fried olives, eggplant, dumplings, pappardelle pasta and wagyu kebabs. You can tell the food is made with love and some serious flavor. I hope to dine again and try more. Thank you for the incredible service Tommy and Meredith.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had the pleasure of dining at Balaboosta in Manhattan in September 2025 on a Saturday night, and it was truly unforgettable. Even without a reservation, the staff, servers, chefs, and bartender went out of their way to welcome us and make space for our family. The hospitality was warm, genuine, and set the tone for the night.
We ordered several dishes and drinks, and every single one was incredible. The hummus and whipped feta, paired with the best pita bread I’ve ever had, were absolute standouts. Our server, Mark, was the highlight of the evening — attentive, gracious, and full of personality. After we mentioned we had just seen Hadestown at the Walter Kerr Theater, he joined in our excitement, and the conversation made us feel like we were among friends. Mark also introduced us to a specialty liqueur, pistachio Arak, which was unique and delicious — definitely worth asking about if you enjoy liqueurs!
The ambiance at Balaboosta was beautiful, cozy, and welcoming, making us feel right at home. Between the phenomenal food, the exceptional service, and the atmosphere, this restaurant won our hearts. We will absolutely return to Balaboosta on every visit to Manhattan.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of my favorite spots in the manhattan for over 10 years, food is just splendid, best cocktails, staff is just amazing, brunch / dinner what ever you pick, you will not be disappointed 🖤
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Intersting food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was tasty but got horrifying case of food poisoning so, yeah.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
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