Ayat East Village — Restaurant in New York

I don’t make a habit of leaving reviews but want Ayat to have this feedback and other diners to have this information in case it is a pattern. I have been to Ayat multiple times at several locations, and our meal last night at the East Village location was the worst restaurant experience I have had in years. We had a reservation for 4 at 7:45 and arrived at 7:50. I stood in the entrance for several minutes before a server asked if I had been helped. It seemed that there was no host working. I told him we had a reservation and he looked confused and walked all around the restaurant before he came back to tell me that they had been behind all day and to give him 15 minutes and dessert was on them. It was clearly busy so this would all have been fine, but it was only the start of the problems. Once we were seated, the table was unstable and quite small for four people (every time I have been to Ayat I have felt the tables were too small especially for dining family style). We were continuously rearranging things to fit the dishes we were sharing because bussing was extremely slow and incomplete. Service throughout the meal was slow and inconsistent. There seemed to be only one server working and some bussers. One of our party asked which style of bread something was served with to which the server replied “it’s made with flour.” The server’s overall demeanor throughout the night was rushed and unfriendly - we can understand being busy or understaffed but it is still possible to be personable and attentive while you’re at a table. We ordered the mezze platter which took time to arrive but still came before our drinks and then we still had to wait for plates and bread. The tabbouleh was literally completely dry, like the dry ingredients were mixed but the wet ingredients never added. We tried to add some olive oil ourselves but ended up just not eating it because we didn’t want to have to wait more for a replacement. The wait between courses was even longer and we were missing several things that we had to ask for twice. The mansaf was served without the sauce which we had to ask for twice. Our fattoush came very late and was more bread than vegetables and so overdressed that the crispy bread was in fact soggy. No one ever came to check on us after the food was dropped off so we had to flag staff down for drink refills, missing items, takeout boxes, and then a takeout bag, and finally the check. We were never brought the comped dessert the server had promised (fine, but a bad look to make a promise and not deliver), and not even offered a dessert menu to order from, which we would have but by that time we wanted to leave. We noticed at least three other parties waiting for food or waiting to discuss issues with their order or bill. Having previously worked in the service industry, our party is patient and aware that things happen. But the issues with service last night were so overwhelming, from reservations to seating to ordering to the food itself, that it overshadowed the food completely and was a very disappointing experience and embarrassing to have invited guests out for this meal. We want to support Ayat’s cuisine and values in the NYC food scene but after last night’s experience we can’t see ourselves...

I really wanted to love this place because the food was absolutely delicious, and we should be supporting our fellow Palestinian establishments. However, our experience with the service was disappointing, especially considering we were coming in to break our fast after a long day.

We accidentally made a reservation at the bar, which we didn’t mind at first—until we saw several open tables and realized how uncomfortable the bar seating was. The chairs were stiff, and we were placed directly in front of an open-flame oven, making the experience unbearably hot. Despite this, the hostess, Carmina (tall with short black hair), told us there was nothing she could do. We sat uncomfortably for 20 minutes, only to notice that one of the open tables we had asked for was still unoccupied—except for a customer waiting on a takeout order. There was also customers without reservations being seated at tables which frustrated us even more.

We politely questioned why we couldn’t move, but instead of making an effort to accommodate us, the hostess gave vague and dismissive explanations. She didn’t care at all we fasted the entire day and overheating in front of the open flame. It was frustrating, especially given that we were fasting and already uncomfortable. Finally, after we had finished our appetizers, she allowed us to move, but there was no acknowledgment of the poor service, no apology—just indifference.

It’s disheartening to see a lack of basic hospitality, especially during Ramadan when many Muslim customers are coming in for iftar. (FYI there is no prayer space)A little awareness and consideration would go a long way. If you’re fasting and looking for a place to break your fast comfortably, I’d recommend choosing somewhere more accommodating. The food is great, but unfortunately, the service overshadowed our experience. Avoid Carmina or whatever her name is...

Sahlab My friends didn’t like it as much, but I did. It was a bit nostalgic for me too since my mom used to make something similar for my siblings and me when we were kids. Felt like a warm hug in the form of a drink.

Mezze Filistini Classic Middle Eastern dip plate. I love this format where we get to try a bunch of things all at once. The hummus and muhammara were my favorites.

Hot Appetizer Mix It honestly pains me to write this part of the review and is the only reason I delayed writing this for a week. This was the one dish I didn’t care for. Like I REALLY didn’t like some of the things on the plate, especially the Dawali, Malfouf, and Kousa Mahshi. Not to mention, all three were basically just different things stuffed with rice. So not only did they not taste good to me, but they were super filling too. This dish was $40 and I felt kinda bad ordering it for the table.

Pizzawarma Hands down the best thing we had. It sounded amazing on paper and completely delivered. Beef shawarma with halloumi cheese, pickles, olives, pomegranate molasses, sumac onions, and tahini sauce all stuffed in dough and baked in a wood fired oven. Honestly, I would’ve been totally fine just ordering a couple of these for the whole table and calling it a day.

Fattat Jaj Another slapper. I’m a sucker for chicken, rice, chickpeas, mint yogurt, slivered almonds, and garlic sauce all together. We were so full at this point that I don’t think I appreciated it enough.

Mansaf Some friends thought the lamb was a bit gamy, but in my opinion this was the least gamy lamb I’ve ever had in my life. Again, I think I was just too full by this point to really give it the attention it deserved.

Overall The service was amazing. Super attentive, kept checking in on us, and constantly refilled our bread basket with warm, freshly baked bread 😭. I absolutely need to come back here for the...