ililiBest Lebanese/mediterranean in NYCThe food was excellent, better than in Lebanon. I love it and would come back anytime!6/13/2013 12:00:00 AMfantastic food in a beautiful spacereally perfectly executed and presented food. chef philippe is a master. even the most refined Lebanese diner would not find a flaw!6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMHigh quality food & serviceWe shared about 7-8 small plates. Almost all were extremely good. The octopus dish skimped on the actual octopus --- we were expecting whole grilled legs, like most places serve. The only overall issue was that half of the dining room is very dark --- so dark that you can hardly see the food.6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMA fun night out in nyc - greatA fun night out in nyc - great food and atmosphere
Friendly and attentive staff6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMTaste Buds AttackerEach bite comes with delightful surprises to the senses.6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGuest recoveryI came here for a birthday celebration. Unfortunately my server was being a but less than helpful. Thankfully the beverag manager noticed and assisted in ensuring the rest of our experience was as enjoyable as a birthday celebration should be. The food was delicious and I think my favorite surprise was the mahoumara. The Brussels sprouts were also great. Will definitely try to go again for cocktails and mezze.6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMDeliciuous!A few friends had recommended this place to me. It did not disappoint. Everything was very fresh and spiced perfectly.
The waitress was very sweet and knowledgeable and explained the preparation of every dish. My husband and I shared a few small dishes, hummus, babagonoush, salad and they were all excellent. For my main course, I had the Branzino. It was pouched in a olive oil broth with vine tomatoes and could not have been tastier. So light and so flavorful! The atmosphere was fun and definitely great for a group. I will definitely be back!6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMHighly recommend6 people, we were pleasantly surprised at how nice the place was. The food was excellent, the staff very friendly and the atmosphere was conducive to conversation and being informal. We ordered various appetizers and a few main meat dishes, all very good. I'd highly recommend it.6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious Food but LoudThe food here was absolutely delicious. We stuck to the small plates, getting about 8 or 9 for our table of 4, and left plenty full. (The waitress recommended 2-3 small plates per person PLUS an entree, which was completely ridiculous.) The atmosphere was very modern and trendy, though not a good spot for quiet conversation. We still had a great time!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMSuperbDined with two others at brunch, but this was my first time at ilili. Sampled probably twelve plates between the three of us. Fresh, lots of flavor, unique ingredients all made for a very satisfying brunch. Backed up by a very knowledgeable waiter who gave great recommendations and handled the gluten-free diners in our party promptly. Also, the Not-so-very-Bloody-Mary was an amazing brunch cocktail!!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellentThis is my 2nd time at this restaurant - the 1st time, we did the traditional appetizer and entree -- this time we ordered a bunch of tastings (appetizers) -- highly recommend doing this to sample the flavors of this restaurant. The service was excellent, our waiter knew as much about the food as the chefs who prepare it.
For the dessert - highly recommend "Ilili Candy Bar"
For cocktails - try "From Lebanon with love"
Enjoy!6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMReally great dining experienceReally great dining experience on Saturday night - came with a group of 9 - both food and service were great, Will definitely return!!6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways on pointThe food is consistently fantastic. If you can't find something you like here, you don't like eating. Recommend to all. Enuf said :-)5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMBest Lebanese in NYI love Ilili, ingredients, sophistication, taste. Perfect.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat dining for a crowdWas able to get a reservation for 10 a month ahead. It was a great experience.
Even able increase the count less than 24 hours ahead.5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMFusionVery interesting and tasty fusion cuisine. Excellent service.5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMInteresting Food!This place does it right -- true it can be noisy due to the acoustics. The food is excellent. Great for a group. Service is good but they probably can use a bit more help to deal with the crowd. Overall, a nice time. Definitely rely on the waiter for suggestions -- he did a great job in suggesting plates to share amongst the 5 of us...5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMdelicious small plates to shareWe love Ilili. I have been there on a romantic date, a celebration with friends and a luncheon for a class of 14. Each time the service was impecable and the food delicious. Our last visit, my husband misread the bill and filled it out for too much,(we were splitting the bill). We called as soon as we noticed the discrepency. The manager found our check and told us that the mistake had been noted and corrected and that we would be charged for the correct amount. This happened before we called. I call that impecable service5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent in every way!!!Excellent in every way!!! The cuisine is extraordinary. A memorable evening every time we dine.5/28/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food is outstanding. TheThe food is outstanding. The wait staff is very knowledgeable. My only complaint is that they make the Turkish Coffee without sugar and when you add sugar it stirs up the grinds. In addition, their mint tea is hot water and mint leaves, but no tea. In both cases, they insist that their way is correct. In more than 50 years of dining, I have never been served mint tea without tea, or the coffee unsweetened.5/27/2013 12:00:00 AMNicole was our waiter and charmingWe had a great time dinning with Nicole. She had grea insight on the food and gave good recommendations. Her personality was cheerful and warm just like the resturant.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Place,not for Intimate DiningI love this restaurant, just don't love how close you sit to the table next to you, you have to pull out your table to get out of your spot if you're in the booth seat so you won't hit the diners next to you.
Great service, they're very knowledgeable and good with recommendations!5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways delicious!As always very delicious food, good service, one of our favorite places to eat!5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMIlli--Great Food, But NoisyIlli was a surprise. Several friends had recommended it. But it wasn't until I went there and had dinner with a friend that I realized how good the food was. The negatives are the following: the wine list is way overpriced; the noise level is horrific; despite a seeming overabundance of wait staff, the service seemed irregular .Would I go back? Yes, Yes, Yes.5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGive me More!A most unusual menu, featuring a lot of hummus based foods, artichokes, and outrageous brussels sprouts (even if you hate them, the figs and goat cheese make them sweet as sugar). Lamb kebobs were basic but tasty, the fish du jour was excelellent, and many items on the menu cater to well developed palates. If you are looking for chicken nuggets and a beer, don't go here! This place is creative and a definite keeper for foodies.5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGood for a big celebrationi went to ilili with a group of about 10 to celebrate my graduation from college, and the experience was absolutely fantastic. Service was great. The food was amazing. The Price wasn't too bad either. I would highly recommend ilili to anyone.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat LebaneseWonderful food, excellent wine and extremely helpful staff made for an excellent evening out. Highly recommended.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMVery good updated Middle EasternVery good updated Middle Eastern food. While you could see that it could get very loud at night, brunch was pretty calm. Service was terrific, very happy to explain the menu, help us order the right amount of food and very, very helpful in accommodating two gluten-free diners. And a great twist on a Bloody Mary!5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMSplendid BrunchBeing an Arab food expert albeit self-proclaimed, I found the brunch menu to be simply delightful. A smart take on Lebanese classics translated into splendid brunch!! Definitely would go back again.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious foodEverything we ate was interesting, creative, delicious with use of new flavors. The Dandelion dish was spectacular. Loved the duck shwarma.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMExotic yet familiarWhat a treat this place was! My friends and I loved the appetizer menu so well we created a meal of several items that were brought to us progressively and it was delightful! The very best items we tried were the Brussels sprouts and the bone marrow, which came with a tabbouleh salad... ours was modified because one of our party required gluten-free food, and the alternate was FANTASTIC! They even had a gluten free version of the duck shawarma for my friend, and what a treat that was! Excellent! We had a great time, the staff was wonderful and we wanted to hug the chef!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is a wonderful restaurantThis is a wonderful restaurant with large open space so you feel comfortable sitting there. The food is delicious, some of it very different so it is fun to experiment with new dishes like the Brussels sprouts. The staff was warm and welcoming and helpful. My guests enjoyed it and said they would return with friends.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Lebanese food!Thus was the best restaurant in our weeks stay in Manhattan. The service and food were exemplary. Highly recommended!5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent food!This is the third time I have dined here and the food is consistently outstanding!!5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMGreatI went here for my birthday with some girl friends. We were originally seated at one table but our hostess Corinne was fantastic and got us a roundtable instead after I asked to switch. So nice! The food was as delicious as usual (i have been here before) and for dessert they were kind enough to bring baklava for me and 8 pieces for my 8 friends. Fantastic service! My only complaint is their policy to wait until the entire party arrives before you can be seated. I had a few very late friends so it was a little bit of a pain to wait by the bar when we were all starving just so we could be seated. Aside from that, I had a wonderful experience here!5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMAmbrosiaThe food, service and attention to detail at Ilili was exquisite. I had an amazing experience and the food was supremely delicious.5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMMom was very happyTook my Mom and we had a lovely meal and the restaurant and service was very friendly and knowledgable about the menu and drinks. We end up ordering mire then we could eat! But everything was great!
Looking forward to eat there again5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMA Vibrant Ambiance....We were there for Mother's Day and ilili Restaurant met our expectations with its delightful staff, the exquisite food, and wonderful table service. As large as this beautiful restaurant is with its lighting and high ceilings, we still felt that we were having our own party. We were served with complementary champagne to celebrate the day and the brunch was delicious. Our complements to the chef! We will revisit again and again....Thank you for making this special day memorable for my mom, our friends and I!
Hind5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, relaxing environmentMust try the bone marrow!
The only problem I found is they don't have big enough tables to fit the food and drinks for 6 people.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat dining experience allGreat dining experience all around, from friendly knowledgeable service, to absolutely delicious Middle eastern food. Falafel is superb. Try the garlic whip, add to various items. You won't be disappointed.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMThe waiter was terrific inThe waiter was terrific in guiding us on our food selections. The food was creative and delicious !5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMRecommend!I enjoyed everything about this place. Food: Every mezza was ordered was delicious! Some of the memorable dishes were the labne which was creamy and delicious, the chankleesh which was tasty and refreshing as well as the kibbeh bi laban (beef dumplings) which were submerged in this amazing yogurt sauce but were not as heavy as they sound. Has other mezzes as well which were tasty but those were the best, in my taste.
The service was impeccable. Our waitress often had recommendations to cater to our requests and they often brought fresh bread to eat with our dinner. Never had to ask for anything more than once and all went smoothly with the reservations.
Overall, very pleasant experience.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMIncredible find . . .Ilili has everything going for it. The food was superb (as good Middle Eastern food as we have had anywhere in the world, including the Middle East); unusually beautiful presentation for Middle Eastern food; a large modern, lovely space and charming service. We literally have no quibbles.
We went for lunch (four people). Standouts: the muhamarra, the shrimp and the brussels sprouts. (Who knew that there was a Lebanese way to serve brussels sprouts.) Also the banana bread pudding for dessert. The portions are right-sized for sharing--we had a lot of fun exploring the menu.
David and I just spent the last week in NYC eating in excellent restaurants. Ilini was the standout.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food!My second visit and it didn't disappoint. The food is terrific and the potions are perfect for sharing!5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent food and attentiveExcellent food and attentive service. A type of restaurant to go back to, so you can try everything off their menu.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMIlili restaurant has thisIlili restaurant has this modern look to it with all bamboo walls. Service very good, quick and polite waiters. The food nicely prepared. Brussels sprouts and tartar were delicious.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect birthday dinnerWe dined with a group of 8 for a birthday dinner on a Saturday night. It was a great combo of easiness and delicious food. Honestly we couldn't have been more happier with the experience. Our main courses were served at the same time than the last set of our starters, so we asked them to wait for a second that we finish. The waitress was happy to oblige, but then two minutes later she got screamed at by the restaurant manager in the middle of the dining hall, which showed poor taste from him. We made a point to tell him that we were really happy with the service and had requested the delay. Hopefully she didn't get into too much trouble, as they ended up bringing us a new set of mains. Anyway, amazing place!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMIF you have a large party,IF you have a large party, the mezze grande, or whatever, is a good deal. 6 of us couldn't finish it and ended up skipping entrees. Food is very good.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat appetizers, and vegetarianGreat appetizers, and vegetarian dishes were outstanding!4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMThe varied mezze choices areThe varied mezze choices are some of the best I have ever had in NY. The server also was excellent about explaining the differences between the dishes.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AM