Balaboosta Reviews

Intimate warm place to take friends or out of town guests. Interesting Israeli inspired starts and mains. Often we get several apps and no main so we can save room for dessert. Like most NY restaurants, seating is tight & you will hear your neighbors dinner conversations.

The cauliflower appetizer is a favorite and I've honestly never had a bad meal here. Never tried brunch so I can't comment on that.

Note not a place for long conversation after dessert though...they get very busy and will tell you they have people waiting for the table. That's typical of many popular places, so we weren't offended. However I think it is worth mentioning if you are entertaining business clients who may want to linger. I am guessing if you kept the alcohol and dessert flowing, they would be less inclined to nudge you out:)

So good. Killer brunch with Middle Eastern inflections. Neighborhood fave.

Only had to he falafel crusted bass but it was as amazing. Sat at bar and bartender was very friendly

The food is yummy here. Hey have a great cocktail list, an extensive wine selection and a great menu. It is a busy place but the service is still great. Glad i discovered it. Love the chicken and could make a meal out of three apps! They are that good.

One of the best meals I ve recently eaten in Manhattan! Everything is delicious and bursting with flavor.

Went with coworkers for dinner. We had prefix menu and veggie appetizers especially great. We had a coworker who has allergies and they were very accommodating to her needs.

Great vibexperience, music and food.
Jerusalem bagel a must.

Very good food!! Had the octopus, hummus, whipped feta (to die for), eggplant (delish), and some other dishes I don t remember, but absolutely loved everything! The service was very friendly too. Absolutely recommend this place.

Everything is made well to share with a small group. Excellent flavorings with a nice variety of delicious fresh veggies. Highlights include the Jerusalem bagel, the fried olives, and the shrimp with curry. The portions are not that large, so make sure to order several dishes. The space is cozy but elevated.

Let's just say I was curious and was glad I went. The menu which tends to change frequently Makes me want to come more often. The the chef / owner Einstein has two other places a vegetarian spot called Taim which I've been too and Kish-Kash which I'm gonna try soon. I also own the Balaboosta cookbook which I use so much that is almost falling apart love it!

The food and ambience were nice. The service seemed very good until the waitress-probably in conjunction with management- added 16% tip on the bill without telling us.(Table of four) When we asked her about it, she replied, "It is a new NY law!" (Did she added the tip because we were speaking Spanish???? did she think we were tourists and she could get away with it??? Isn't the owner an immigrant herself? Racial profiling or what?)
What a shame. Never again.

the octopus was amazing never ate something like this worth 5 times the price wish I could give 6 stars cuz the octopus was so good

LOVE LOVE LOVE!! The falafal wrapped meatballs are incredible, the chocolate pot dessert is fantastic, the ambiance is warm and cozy - esp great in the winter.

Delicious inventive Mediterranean food with great cocktails - a perfect date spot - does get noisy during dinner busy hours though - go early!

Enjoy my meal it was very good staff is very friendly will recommend to friends and family. I'm the mother of one the Chef.

Good and classic Israeli food. There are only two 4 seat tables during the quarantine so better as a two person meal than family. The two restrooms inside remain open. The menu is limited and is only online but ordering and paying are more traditional. Service was prompt and overall this is one of the better quarantine dining experiences for those that need a break from eating at home. Recommend the humus and bread, and the beat salad. Would avoid the arepas as they were heavy. The chicken was generous in portion for those that are big eaters.

The appetizers were delicious. We ordered the Israeli salad and fried olives. Both were very tasty. So was the entree- tender house chicken cooked under the brick, in the Mediterranean style, served with couscous, apricots and fresh made gremolata. The restaurant is cosy, and its walls are lined with family photos and cookbooks which makes a customer feel home. The service was pleasant. We would return to Balaboosta and recommend this restaurant to others

This is a cool place to get inventive middle eastern food, I esp like their desserts, everything is tasty.

Great takes on middle eastern tastes
Our group of three loved their meal. The hummus was incredibly creamy, and the fried olives (pictured) were unexpected and tasty. My lamb shank was delicious with a date demiglaze. The halva creme brulee (pictured) was such a great mashup of two classics--so good!

Food was soooo good. Great service and charming outdoor dining set up. Personnel were super prepared with masks and gloves

Interesting Israeli fare. Dishes are varied and tasty. Drinks are top notch. Service is friendly and accommodating. Space is attractive.

Great Mediterranean food with a twist. Great and friendly service as well.

Nikolai was knowledgeable, charismatic, and attentive. Will be returning.

Best Arais dish! Better than in Israel. Just amazing

I literally saw a roach crawl out from under the bathroom door. Yuck! The worst thing about it is I ate first and had to stumble upon this discovery. Omg.

I adore Middle Eastern food. Lebanese, Syrian... This place had some authentic, delicious dishes like many I've had in Beirut!!! I loved the place.

Food came in tiny portions, so was quite overpriced. Also, do not get the cauliflower shawarma; it came out cold, soggy, and bland, comparable to something I could have made at home. Overall appalled I shelled out $140 for mediocre food.

This is where my husband and I spend just about every special occasion. We love everything Chef Einat does. While we miss the old cauliflower and a few old standbys, we haven't been disappointed by the new iteration of Balaboosta. We can still make a meal of small plates, adore the lamb, pasta and brick chicken and devour those desserts!

I loved that Bar Bolonat allowed me to make a reservation, and we were seated right on time on a recent Monday night.The restaurant has awesome ambience, and it was packed with small parties at the tiny tables - get ready to get close to your neighbors. I love Taim, and was really excited to try out another restaurant from Einat Admony. Bar Balonat definitely fits in with the surrounding tony West Village - portions are teeny and prices are not. However, if you can get past this, the food was tasty and surprisingly filling, I actually took part of my Green Fatoush salad (served with avocado, mint and feta - amazing) to go since we filled up on the roasted cauliflower served with peanut tahini. Service was also great and though there wasn't many options for wine by the glass, the Sangiovese I enjoyed ($13) was a nice complement to the flavors of the food.

The service was nice and friendly.
The food was average at best and WAY too expensive for what it was.
The Japanese Eggplant and the Duck main dish were not bad.
Limited and average wine selection.

Service was slow and spotty and the food was ok

CHICPEA GNOCCHI was amazing. So tasty

FRIED CAULIFLOWER was meh, consistent fried, but it didn t taste good and had very mild flavour

JAPANESE EGGPLANT- was really tasty. More of the dressing would have been jice but it was a good tasting meal.

BRISKET was just fine, a bit dry but the chickpeas were a nice side

A great place for a romantic dinner, or dinner with friends. Sharable plates, lots of great vegetarian options.

I tend to prefer Eastern and South Asian food but as far as Israeli / Mediterranean food goes, this was one of the better places I've eaten at. Not a very extensive menu and there isn't a huge difference between the small dish, medium and entrees.

Really disgusting and unappetizing. Terrible service made it worse.

Fantastic! Absolutely wonderful! We experienced excellent service and flavors we had never before had the opportunity to try. Everything was perfectly cooked and came out at a good pace. The portions were just right to keep the five of us satisfied but not overwhelmed. The wine list was good, and we were able to try an Israeli selection suggested by the staff none of us had ever had but that we enjoyed very much. This is a place where the chefs obviously put a lot of energy into their craft. We hope to be back, and we can be a picky bunch!

I have had a great experience with her hiring for me and she has done a fantastic job and got me what I was looking for.With many blessing for her and will be working with her always.

Decent Mediterranean brunch, very accommodating for a large party. Can get a bit loud in the restaurant. Portions can be a little small, but for brunch it isn't too bad.

Good service. Food is o-kay. I actually find Taim (sister restaurant) is better and much cheaper

Food was good but pricey for what you get. Need some vegetarian entree options

The food was very good and cocktails were excellent.

Delicious Israeli food, great service and a lovely atmosphere.

The unique ambiance leaves you spellbound and you love to visit the place again and again.

One of my favorite places to go for brunch - their menu offers some of the most interesting and diverse selections in town including the merguez sandwich with grilled onions which is a must-order, along with a side of patatas bravas. The bread is freshly baked and dusted with za'tar much like its more casual counterpart, Taim, and served alongside a trio of hummus, baba ghanoush and red pepper dips. This is some of the most fresh and authentic Mediterranean-inspired fare in the city. Also try the Shakshouka for brunch and the Lamburger.

The service was great, the starters was good, the main dishes was normal I ordered mushroom pasta I really don t like it.. u can t find many choices with menu ..the price for dishes was so high because the dishes was small
And the last thing don t trust the photo because I come to try chicken burger but unfortunately the chicken burger just served in lunch and some dishes no served anymore :-(

One of my favorite lunch spots. For the neighborhood, it's reasonably priced, high quality food with a warm ambiance and attentive service. As a bonus, it's usually less crowded than other restaurants in the area. It's one of my go to places when having lunch with visitors to the area.

yet another success from the same owner of Taim. Not as much Israeli as the falafel joint {another one opened up almost next door} but kind echoes of a Jewish grandmother's kitchen married to fresh middle eastern flavors. Love the brunch.

The menu is quite limited, but everything I tried was delicious.

Lovely branch , Tasty like home food
Will recommend the Hummus Basar and the Shakahuka

Average cocktails , though it was branch ;)

Bloody mary is the best on the city. Made from scratch.

Fresh, delicious food in a lovely setting. The hummus comes in a fun mortar and pestle and the wine cocktails pair perfectly with the Mediterranean food. Vegan and vegetarian friendly, while not being boring.

Balaboosta means housewife or mother in yiddish. They provide here what you wish the perfect meal would taste like- not frou frou or fancy but down home good food you d get in an Israeli home. These are small plates with flavors of the Mediterranean made for sharing. If you like Ilili you will love Balaboosta just as much.

Balaboosta is related to Taim next door so if you want plain falafel, go next door for half the price. Balaboosta also serves falafel but with a spin. It s made out of shrimp and orange aioli. To balance out a well roundered meal, I recommend the fried cauliflower, hummus, Israeli Street Fair, and Yemenite Pizza. For entrees we go fresh with the whole branzino and grilled lamb chops. You will have to debone the fish but it is well worth it. The grilled taste is amazing. Prices are steep but well worth it. Not many Israeli restaurants in the area. This is a real treat. Great date place. Come with your appetite.

Shrimp Kataif was good. The meat in the Israeli Street Fair was very tasty. The Fried Olives were good. The Yemenite Empanada and the Grilled Whole Branzino were unremarkable. The Short Rib was dry.

Be advised you are not allowed to order starters and mains separately, you most order all items at once.

Beautiful place, excellent food, good people surrounding

Flavorful and simple delicate food highly recommend this romantic cozy spot

My visit to Balaboosty was my dream come true. Beautiful environment, professional service and excellent cuisine! Everything was perfect! I thank the staff and health from the Czech Republic! Michael

Please also have this restaurant in Miami Florida soon thanks so much

Good flat white. Friendly staff. Good Internet speed.

The pasta was amazing. Fresh pita bread makes the whole meal

It's really expensive to come for dinner here. It wasn't that great.

Innovative dishes served overlooking a picturesque west village block

Food that have much flavor and it was way way overpriced for what you got. The drinks were decent though. I would not return.

The food here is good but the server we had was a pretentious jerk who ruined our entire meal by making us feel uncomfortable through his confrontational attitude.

Stating the plates are "family style" is a blatant lie when you get no more than a mere spoonful to share. We had the fried olives, Japanese eggplant, fattoush salad, kibbeh, ceviche, ribs, and sea bass.

The ribs were juicy but if you're sharing, you get a sniff, a taste and the plate is empty. The salad, kibbeh and sea bass were average and nothing to write home about. Tiny portions, not suitable for sharing unless you're a petite bulimic.

The server insisted that we place the entire order at once and stubbornly did not allow us to consider ordering more food later in the meal.

The horrid attitude, the tiny plates and elevated price tag mean that you are left feeling hungry and resentful which is a pity because you really want to enjoy the place. We ended up getting a slice of pizza around the corner afterwards.

We love Balaboosta. We are severely underwhelmed by Bolonat.

What a fantastic restaurant with lovely staff, great drinks and superb food.

A tasty fulfilling healthy-is food in downtown. Ordered the plate as well as the wrap. What a huge difference. If you're hungry get the place. Their special drink was also delicious!

Great food, service. Hummus, octopus appetizers were outstanding. Short Rib was amazing. Loved the creme brulee dessert!

VERY over priced!
Food was only ok, service was slow but kind.
Menu is very limited.
Wouldn't go again.

Crazy fresh, great spices,the food is delicious.
Very different,loved it.

The restaurant itself has a nice location and greaet service! But to be honest i didn't think the food is actually that good as everybody says! The portions were really small for the hefty price! I did enjoy the food, but it was nothing special and especially with this price tag i don't think i will probably be returning there!

Israeli food manhattan style: small portions fancy and expensive.

Good service and good vibe. The food that we ate was on point!!! We were ecstatic

Really like this place. Great food and comfortable but refined ambience. Sitting at the bar is great.

Food is decent, but portions are tiny and it is overpriced relative to the experience. Underwhelming.