Au Za'atar, Lebanese restaurant in East Village, New York.
Au Za'atar is a Lebanese takeaway restaurant in the East Village neighborhood of New York, offering traditional dishes made with seasonal ingredients, from mezze platters to grilled meats and fresh salads. The space has bar seating inside and a small sidewalk section that opens when the weather allows.
The restaurant was opened by chef Tarik Fallous, who brought family recipes from Lebanon to New York. He wanted to cook the way he had grown up eating, using techniques passed down through his family rather than adapting them to local expectations.
The name za'atar refers to a herb blend central to Lebanese cooking, and it sets the tone for what the menu is about. Tableside shawarma carving is a practice more common in Lebanese homes than in restaurants, and seeing it here gives the meal a personal feel.
The restaurant welcomes both sit-down and takeaway customers, so it works well whether you want a full meal or something to go. If you prefer the sidewalk seats, visiting during warmer months gives you the best chance of finding them open.
Au Za'atar is one of the very few Lebanese restaurants in New York that pours Lebanese wines, which are rarely found on menus in the city. This makes it a point of discovery for anyone curious about wine traditions from outside the usual European regions.
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