ilili Restaurant Review

Had my birthday lunch there. Other than it being in a very accessible spot in the city the place is very well taken care off. Its very high ceilings give it an openness and the food was really good. We had the spreads and a meat assortment platter plus a salad. Most importantly our waiter was the most helpful and kind individual in the city.

This restaurant is first quite beautiful, it really comes into its own at night...forming the perfect backdrop to either a romantic tedeta or a relaxing backdrop to wind down after a day at the office.
The food is wonderful, authentically flavored with very subtle undertones that linger in your pallet. The service is 5 stars from the refilling of your water glass to the waiters knowledge of the menu items. It's also reasonable.
I have fussy Arab friends and they dine here every time they're in town, so I came with a friend to check it out for myself, I'm glad I did. I'll definitely be back.

Awesome interior and such great attention to detail with every dish. Would definitely return!

Wow! As someone who has lived in the Middle East, enjoys cooking Middle Eastern food, and his head Middle Eastern food many many times, this is certainly one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants in the United States right now. I can wholeheartedly recommend the duck shawarma, the dandelion greens, and the brussel sprouts. The deconstructed Lebanese cheesecake is a must.

Unfriendly waitress, continously ignoring us so that we left.

Good food and great service. Make sure to try their brussel sprouts.

I went to ilili with a friend for Easter, we were so impressed with the restaurant, the ambiance the music the service and especially the FOOD OMG so good like homemade, from start to finish the dessert was special the unique easter egg was yummy. But what made the whole evening complete & special was the hospitality of the manager Jason Oh he is so professional & quite the gentleman knows how to treat his customers and make them feel at home content & satisfied we left there feeling very happy, I returned with another friend the following week and was happy to refer all my friends to ilii. Thank you, Hana

I ate here last month for restaurant week and the service was really great-- we loved our waiter. As for the food, the appetizers were very heavy which made it hard to continue onto our main course. Everything tasted good though! It was just a little too filling to be comfortable. My dessert was served with a dirty spoon for which the waiter apologized profusely, but he took a really long time to bring out a new spoon and new sorbet.

Very good food. Service left a little to be desired especially if you are a tourist. I found the attendants a bit impatient, but the food is really delicious. Worth the visit. It is even worth returning. Dishes between 26 and 48 dollars.

Undeniably one of the best fusion-Lebanese restaurants in NYC. Coming from a true Lebanese foodie with lots of Hummus experience, iLili fulfills that need of good taste from the Cedar country in every way.
Food Taste: 8/10
Quality of Service: 7/10
Restaurant Ambiance: 7/10
Value for Money: 8/10
Quick Tip: Dip your fried Cheese Rolls in some Hummus and enjoy the perfect explosion of taste and savors with a nice fresh mint Lemonade.

When I want to take my senses back home, I come here for Kenefe! Though it is for 20$ but does satisfy the craving! The duck Shawarma is a great twist to the original shawarma in which the have absolutely mastered! The staff has always been really nice! The kebe and the kebe neye are great too! If you ve been to lebanon or you are from there it will make super nostalgic! I feel home!

2 stars for food
1 Star for decor
Minus -1 Star for level of service not met for this type restaurant

Eating at this restaurant is is akin to a *knockoff YSL. bag. It doesn't pass further inspection. *

I really wanted to like this place, but couldn't. Decor aside, this was a VERY overpriced restaurant for food that I could get anywhere else at a fraction of the cost. But this review is just for service. I would eat Naya casual fast food over this any day of the week.

The hostess was unfriendly and acted as if she was the head of some chi chi nightclub instead of a restaurant.

The waiter kept trying to tell the group of 10 of us to get wayyyy more food than necessary. Stating 6-8 appetizers for 2 people is recommended. For those of you doing math at home, that would be 30-40 appetizers for 10 people. That's just inane. Don't listen to the waiter. At all. He's just looking to collect his tip while NEVER coming around to refill water.

Cost: I've been to my fair share of nice restaurants. Given the lowly level of service, this was EXTREMELY overpriced.

Cocktails start at $17 and were average.
Main courses Start at $27 (for grilled chicken breast) - $48 for lamb chops.

If you're in flatiron craving Mediterranean food then this restaurant is a must.

The food we tried:
-Fries were delicious and comes with a great dipping sauce. The dipping sauce taste like butter but is made out of pure garlic and spices.
-Brussels Sprouts were fantastic with the sauce.
-Duck Shwarma is pricey but you get four to try for the table. the blend of spices are definitely worth trying.
-The meatball dish is good but i'd try the others listed above first.

We didn't get any entrees but four tapas (mezza) were enough for the three of us.

We each got a drink.
The Taste of Beirut was the best drink. I tried the Arak which tasted like black licorice. It's worth try but I wasn't too impressed.

The service was good and overall it was a great experience. The restaurant is huge and can accommodate a big party.

Food was good but nothing crazy. Staff isn't rude but doesn't seem to care much.

Waiter was friendly and entertaining in a quiet sort of way. Helped us make selections not knowing what we wanted and explained the Lebanese dining culture

Vibe was really cool, casual and the food was unbelievable. Really tasty and easy to share

Definitely will be going back!

I LOVE IT each and every plate is DELICIOUS that I just cant stop eating !!! Thank you so much for this pleasing experience

I grew up eating Lebanese food and I can honestly say this is as good as home cooking. The fresh pita is warm and inviting, the lamb is cooked to perfection, the mezze is sublime in its authenticity, and the flavours are enticing beyond words.

Great atmosphere, lovely large room. The Beef and Lamb meatballs were superb.

Top best 3 restaurants in NYC . Best brussel sprouts of my life. Expensive but worth it

Food is decent but way over priced. However main disappointment was when the server brought the check right after we were served our desert and new round of drinks we were told that we have to give up the table because they have a 90 minute max policy. We were also not allowed to take with us the newly served drinks. No one had informed us about their policy even when he was up selling deserts and drinks, he could have mentioned about their policy and that we are nearing the max time. Instead he pushed for selling and once we got the drinks and deserts then we were told we had to pay and leave. We had already spent close $200 for two people so it not like we re not spending. Anyway we had a very poor experience.

It s best restaurant in US not just NY, WooW it s so delicious I love beef shawarma & hummus, the place so nice and staff so friendly

My husband and I LOVE this place a lot!! Excellent Lebanese food, cool ambience and super considerate waitress! We had Babaganoush, Brussels sprouts, Moujadara croquette... Amazing!! I ve never had such a delicate and fluffy pita bread. Definitely we will be back! :)

Love the food, beverage, and ambience. It just gets really too loud given the poor acoustics and hard surfaces.

This is a really fine restaurant. You'll have excellent Mediterranean food here.

Delicious Lebanese cuisine. The lamb shank is divine.

We ve been coming here for dinner for over 5 years. Always a great time, great vibe and great service. We dropped in recently for dinner with good friends. The food was good, maybe I didn t order the right dish, but I thought food could be a little better. Prices are sky high, but so is every restaurant in this area. I will keep coming back, I do enjoy it here.

Of the best Manhattan restaurants, serves foods and dishes delicious Lebanese

Ali said people find Mahbab Shane
But Maestahl journey

The food was great....we got the Mezza Royal and it was expensive but a great way for our party to try everything. The babaganoush (sp) was AMAZING.

The food was average at best, compared to real middle eastern dishes I have had many time before. Over priced for the quality of food and I wouldn't recommend going, unless you want to pay for the atmosphere. The waitress was very nice though.

Starr was our server. She was so nice that I wanted to begin with that... as far as the food... The Barrata with Apple's and walnuts is burned into my soul. So good. The Shrimp was our favorite. Go. Nice place.

Excellent lamb chops and scallops. Portions could be slightly larger for the price, but are on par for similar class restaurants.

Lebanese food at this location - great. good place to hang and eat some good food. looking forward to going back again. food is like a restaurant in jacksonville i liked.

Food was pretty good but the service was awful. we were told they were out of several dishes after we had placed our orders. Oh and we were seated at 9: 45 for a 8: 45 reservation.

We went for brunch after church when I was visiting NYC. Delicious! This place helped to make the whole day a very special occasion, so much so that I would go out of my way to return - even when New York City has so many other restaurants to try! Now you now this Midwest grandma likes to squeeze her pennies, but this splurge was so worth it! I highly recommend it!

Good food with family after church a must stop off I'd toubarw in the area.

First time I have a Knafe away from Beirut that is that good ! Well done to the chef Philippe Massoud !!

My hubby booked the place for my bday.. and it was totally amazing. The food was beyond delicious. Everything was so flavourful we totally enjoyed the dinner. Make a reservation before you go,also parking across the street is avilable aftr 7.
We took our 7yr old with us..and he found the food delcious too. We ordered from hummus,to salald,to shrimp which was really worth ordering...the salmon was so far the best and the chicken was moist amd flavourfull too.

Worthy of the hype. Lebanese mod, very well done. I personally favor tabouleh and falafel, at any establishment and judge accordingly. Both were unique, and very tasty. The lamb sausages moved me to 5 stars. Unexpected and amazing flavor with pine nut additions. Great ambiance, solid dining.