Ayah Restaurant — Restaurant in New York

Beautiful Atmosphere, Disappointing Dining Experience

I recently visited Ayah Moroccan Restaurant in SoHo and left with very mixed feelings.

Let’s start with the positives: the atmosphere is absolutely stunning. The moment you walk in, the smell of incense immediately transports you — it reminded me of my travels to Granada and Morocco. The décor is beautiful, moody, and rich in color; there’s so much to take in, and it truly feels like a visual experience. The staff was kind and attentive, which made us feel welcome right away.

Now, for the areas that need improvement: My sister and I started with cocktails. I ordered a martini, which was good and met expectations. My sister, however, was intrigued by a drink served in a “genie lamp” that came with a whole smoke-show presentation — for $65. We decided to splurge, thinking it would be a fun experience, but it turned out to be underwhelming. It was basically a cocktail poured from a tea kettle, with the faintest puff of “smoke.” The drink itself wasn’t great either — it tasted a bit like cough medicine. Overall, we felt a bit bamboozled by the price and presentation.

We shared the Garden Salad, which was fine but nothing special. Then came the Chicken Tagine (we requested no olives, but they came anyway) and a side of couscous. While the dish was presented in a tagine, it didn’t seem like it had been cooked in one — no steam, no broth, and the chicken looked rather dry. Traditionally, tagine is brothy, allowing you to pour those flavorful juices over the couscous. Without that, the couscous was dry and hard to eat.

We skipped dessert but ended with Moroccan mint tea — $10 for a tiny cup. The traditional pouring style was a nice touch, but the server poured so close to me that I got splashed!

Overall, this place is still very new (only five weeks in), and I think there’s a lot of potential if they focus on refining the food and making the “special experiences” feel more authentic and worth the price. I truly hope they take this as constructive feedback, because I’d love to come back and see improvements.

For now, though, it felt like we paid $270 for an experience that was more about looks...

Food was delicious and worth every penny. Decor from tables to ceiling is impressive and majestic. However, the service was terrible. We had a reservation for 5:30, 2 people. The restaurant opens at 5:30; there was a line at the door and we were not seated before 6. We were greeted at the door and sent upstairs where there were waiters and bartenders smiling and running up and down. No one came to take us to our table and I had to stop and ask for help to 2 different people. When we were finally seated, one person came to hands us the menus, a second one (who I believe was our waiter) came to talk to us about the menus and give us recommendations and later brought us water. And a third person showed up asking if we wanted water (we had already received water which was on the table). After we ordered, the food came quickly (kudos to the kitchen staff!) and it was beyond expectations! We loved the Chhiwat tower and the chicken briouats were a delightful surprise! The music was unpleasantly loud. The 2-seating tables were quite small and very close to each other making it difficult to get up and walk in or out - especially with coats and bags. After seeing that the table next to ours received a dish with pastries, we asked the waiter what kind of pastries they were and if we could order some (they were not on the menu). He said he could bring a couple of pastries but they were given as a courtesy for some patrons and they were not on the menu. I believe he was somehow bothered with our request because he said that the restaurant had dessert options available on the menu and we were supposed to order from there. Later he brought us the wrong check, then the right check, and after paying he said we had to leave because that table had to be prepped for the next person. I thought that was a bit rude and unnecessary, especially because we were not seated at...

I recently had the pleasure of visiting this new restaurant tucked away behind a bus stop with my 10-year-old daughter and her friend to celebrate life. From the moment we arrived, the experience was delightful. The hostess greeted us warmly and handled our reservation change from four to three with professionalism, guiding us to a lovely corner table that offered a spectacular view.

The service was impressively swift; we were served water almost immediately, setting a positive tone for the evening. My daughters were on their best behavior, which made the night even more enjoyable. We started with the oasis’s mocktails, and let me tell you, they were made to perfection—refreshing and delicious!

For appetizers, we couldn’t get enough of the hot cheese dish(briouat);it was so good that we ended up ordering two! The main courses were beautifully executed, with perfect portion sizes for our trio. The staff even offered us a bigger table, which added to our comfort and enjoyment as we admired the restaurant’s stunning decor.

As if the meal wasn’t already a highlight, we couldn’t resist indulging in dessert. Each option was outstanding, but the real showstopper was the tea service, which transported us straight to Morocco. It was a wonderful touch that made the experience feel special.

Throughout our visit, everyone who attended to our table was fantastic. I initially worried about dining with two kids in a new place, but the staff made us feel incredibly welcome and accommodated. They truly deserve every star in this review.

I left with a full heart (and belly) and am already planning to return—this time, I’ll be bringing all my friends! If you’re looking for a restaurant that combines excellent service, delicious food, and a warm atmosphere, look no further. This hidden gem is not...