Almayass

This is not an ethnic dive but a surprisingly elegant restaurant. One piece of advice: get the mezze. There's nothing wrong with the main course kebabs, but they're a bit same-old same-old while the appetizers are fantastic. We had yogurt, dumplings, lentils, kibbeh and warm feta and there wasn't a dud among them. I think they have a lunch special of appetizers only, which would be a great introduction to this place.

Reading the menu was exciting & mouthwatering but eating the food fell short. The Samkah Harra (spicy Red Snapper) was beautifully served but utterly bland. The Subereg (pastry filled w/cheese) was undercooked & tasteless. In general the food was insipid & characterless. We did enjoy the lemony Tabouli in spite of the raw(!), teeth-cracking bulgar-wheat in it. Restaurant noise is a non-issue for us but at Almayass we were continuously aware of the loud & outdated European music. I feel that some exotic Middle-Eastern music would have been much more appropriate and helped create an atmosphere. Another unfortunate ambient issue was the bright lights throughout. It cheapened the experience and missed an opportunity for sensuous ambient, as you would hope from an upscale Middle-Eastern venue. The service was friendly.

This is your home made with love restaurant with a New York standard of service, quality, attentiveness. Excellent