Black Iris — Restaurant in New York

Black Iris, holding down, elite as always. So glad this spot is still going super strong.

I guess some folx go to their old location (now Sailor, also great) but the "new" Black Iris is on the corner of Lafayette & Cumberland. Lovely outdoor picnic table seating on Lafayette with giant umbrellas; some intimate tables for two around the corner; an elegant little bar inside where there are several quieter tables, too. Choice friends.

The food is gorgeous. And the menu caters to a wide variety of eating preferences--vegan, veg, paleo, keto, and my diet: everything plus the kitchen sink. Don't worry: the staff will work with you to make sure you are meeting your macros or whatever your goals are.

If you're in the mood, start with a cocktail. Highly recommend the "Smoky Negroni" idk what it's actually called but ask for it and you will be pleased. The Aperol Spritz is lovely too.

Went last night as a group of five and we ordered a lot: to start, the cold mezze platter and lambajin pitzaa plus a bowl of lentil soup (because it's Brooklyn's Gold Standard Lentil Soup). Then a several platters: falafel, merguez (fragrant-spiced homemade minced halal lamb sausage), shrimp kebab, and lamb kebab. Please know that each of the platters comes piled with the delicious, buttery Black Iris pilaf and an abundant mixed green, tomato, olives, and red onion salad. Handmade pita the size of dinner plates, too. We're not big dessert people but there's a cute little soft serve ice cream stand tucked into the patio so of course we got one chocolate vanilla swirl in a cup to share because: summer.

I've been going to Black Iris since 1997--back when it was on Dekalb--and the food have been consistently delicious each and every time.

ps: don't sleep on the lunch specials--some of the best-priced options in Fort...

We’ve been enjoying Black Iris for many years. This new location has amazing ambiance.

The food is great, service is great, and drinks are on point.

We want to shout out Adam, the owner, who helped make our sons Christening party better than we could’ve imagined. So easy to work with and eager to make our vision a reality. Our 25 guests were impressed with everything and are still talking about how good the food was. He and his staff know how to manage an event for a large party and we were so grateful.

Special shout to Ahmed who always makes an excellent cocktail and is so personable. And Qeto for her hospitality whenever she is our waitress.

Edit Babyshower 2024 Photos by 1028 Photography

My wife and I were expecting and we could not think of a better place to host our baby shower. I contacted Adam(the owner) asking if Black Iris could host our 60 person baby shower. Adam at this point is family to us. He expressed that he was honored to host such a special event for us and quickly went into planning it with us.

Adam was super attentive, hands on, easy to reach and very organized. He worked with us to ensure that everything would flow exactly how we wanted, that our favorite dishes would be there, and that the staff would make sure that all of our guests would be happy. I don't recall him ever saying no about anything, if there was an issue he provided a solution. He met with us, helped us choose our menu and cocktails for our event. Our families are still talking about how amazing the baby shower was. My wife and I want to sincerely thank Adam and his staff for always going above and beyond! If you're considering hosting a celebration at a restaurant...

Black Iris is two kinds of restaurants in one location. The first kind is a typical sit down dinner. You get your menu, you order some food, the server brings it out to you, and you leave. Pretty typical. And if you go for that experience, this is a three star establishment.

However, I highly recommend going with a group of people, and eating tapas style. The service improves, the food improves, and the experience is much less clinical.

I went for a friend's birthday. We ordered lots of food and ate little bits. There were also many bottles of wine brought, which is awesome, considering it's BYOB.

Cold Stuff: Labana - Mix it with hot sauce for an extra kick. Hummus - Creamy and underrated. Babaghanouj - I like my eggplant tasting smokey like they do, which is rad. Grape Leaves - You only get two, when ordered in an appetizer sampler. Spinach and Chick Peas - It is what it says it is. Nothing more, nothing less. Four Lentil & Bulgur - Same, but stickier, and thus easier to get on a pita.

Hot Stuff: Spinach & Cheese Pie - Kind of a Mediterranean quesadilla that you had to cut yourself. Luckily, I have knife skillz. Green Pitza - This might have been the best smelling pizza or pitza that I've ever smelled in my life. It tasted fine, but the smell is intoxicating. Lambajin Pitza - Basically a bunch of ground meat on a platter. Still tasty. Merques - A bit too greasy for my tastes. Chicken Gyro - Seemed like it was made from scratch, which was pretty awesome. Shish Kebab - A bit dry.

Yes, I ate all of those things. Yes, I would do it again (save the Shish Kebab). Yes, you should...