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We loved the midtown location of Gazala's, so we were thrilled to see it open near our house. The food is delicious, and the portions are huge: my husband and I usually split a few appetizers and a boreka (yum!) and we always end up with leftovers to take home. The babaganoush is terrific, as are the meat cigars and the lamb hummus. And the borekas are out of this world.

My wife and I took our daughter out for dinner Sunday 12/11/11. She has been there a few times and we were looking for something different. What a surprise. The ambiance was really nice and the service was excellent. The food was out of this world. We had the sampler appetizer and the best Tilapia we have ever had. So good we asked the Chef (owner of the restaurant) for the recipe and she came to our table and explained how she prepared the fish. Cant wait to return for another great dinner.

Went to Gazala for the first time over this past weekend. The restaurant is in a lovely space with high ceilings and comfortably spaced seating. The food was solid -- good hummus, fantastic lavash-style pita which my son wanted to purchase by the pound, and nice salad choices. Also, the best, freshest falafel i have ever tasted. Reasonably priced, dinner (mostly a dinner-sized assortment of appetizers) for 3, with one drink, was about $60 before tax and tip. We will definitely go back.

Finally a good Middle Eastern restaurant on the upper west side. While the 9th ave location is more quaint and quieter, the food in both places is wonderful. Great value and portions, tasty middle eastern dishes, especially the appetizers. I prefer sitting outside in the uptown location, as the indoor space is a bit noisy, but no great obstacle. The service and food excellent in both.

Like paying close to $200 for a handful of appetizers and a "special" dessert plate that includes 3 chips ahoy cookies straight out of the bag? Then you'll love this place. The 3 of us shared 4 skimpy appetizers and a bottle of our BYOB wine. The apps were ok but nothing spectacular and the portions were mingy at best. I'll admit the apps looked nice in a spare, diet-plate sort of way--the portions of hummus and baba were mere dollops the size of a half dollar. But the "special" dessert platter was the kicker--$25 for a plate with a selection of their desserts. The portions of these "selections" would have been tiny by doll house standards but the worst is that because they were out of one of them they substituted 3 stale chips ahoy cookies instead! (And, no, these cookies are not listed on the menu as part of their regular offerings!) We couldn't believe they served us those cookies with a straight face and asked if it was a joke. But the waitresses are cute and very flirty and just laughed it off. The guys lapped up the attention and flattery that was delivered with each course, but even they thought that $200 was too high a price to pay for mere flattery. The bottom line is that if you're looking for good food instead of a date, do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. There are plenty of real restaurants on the UWS.

On a recent trip to NYC, my husband and I discovered a new restaurant on the Upper West Side called Gazala's. It is on Columbus Avenue (across from the Museum of Natural History) and you have to walk up a few stairs to reach the front door. What a culinary delight it was! If you like cegars, homemade pita, hummus, kafta kababs, lamb, and salads, you will love this place. We look forward to eating here again on our next NYC getaway.

Gazala's Place is hands down the best Middle Eastern food I've had in NYC in six years. I'm really shocked at the negative reviews as the food is amazing, the space is very cool, and the service is always great. I've been there twice in 2 weeks and just ordered take out tonight. The portions are great and the flavor of the chicken kebab will make you a believer. Gazala's is only for those that appreciate real Middle Eastern.