Shalel — Restaurant in New York

I'll start out with the good part: the food was good! But the dining experience was not.

My husband and I were looking for a place for an early dinner after a matinee. We noticed this place, walked down the stairs to the entry and asked for a table for two. The hostess asked if we had reservations. We said no. She said the only table she could give us in that case was a tiny table in the entryway outside of the dining room, everything else was reserved. My husband looked inside the dining room and saw that it was empty of patrons. He said, "Really? There's nobody here!"

The hostess confirmed that all tables were reserved and all she could offer was the table right outside the door. It was cold but she showed us the space heater and mentioned it would be covid-safer out there anyway.

We accepted and settled in at the very small and cramped table. There was one other table out there, which remained empty the entire time we were there.

People started arriving and we overheard several parties saying no they did not have reservations. And none of them were sent away or told they had to take the other table in the hallway.

We heard the hostess offer one couple seats at the bar, something she did not offer us. Sure, they said, and went inside.

So okay, no big deal. But then our food didn't arrive and didn't arrive. Then our appetizer came, We ate it and it was taken away. And we waited and waited and waited and waited for our entrees. After quite some time during which nobody checked on us, the hostess came by and asked if we were waiting for more food. Yes, we said. And curiously, she asked if we were splitting an entree. We were not. We thought gee, why did she ask that? Because we have gray hair? And is that why we were seated in the hallway and then ignored? I joked to my husband that maybe he should have worn a nicer-looking jacket. Did they think we'd order one appetizer and count out pennies to pay? And even after we said yes, we are waiting for more food, we waited and waited and waited.

Finally, I went inside the now busy dining room and asked why our food was taking so long. The waitress indicated the full room and said, "The kitchen is busy!" To which I heatedly replied: "The place was empty when we got here and ordered!" And I asked why other parties without reservations had nonetheless been seated inside. The hostess said, "Someone did not show up for their reservation so we gave another party the table--we don't like to have empty tables!" Then I asked why we were not offered seats at the bar, as I overheard her offering later arrivals. "You wanted to sit at the bar?" she asked. Maybe we would have--she did not offer, and since we were never inside the dining room, we didn't even know there was a bar.

After my complaint, they bustled around and brought our entrees but forgot to bring the side dish we had ordered. We had to ask for that again.

They did remove the charge for the side dish from the bill, and they provided a free dessert.

We tipped the waitress 25%--I did not think it was her fault. I've been a waitress. I get it. And I do give them points for reducing the bill and for the dessert. But I hope the management sees this review and understands that there really was a problem with what...

We just had the most awful experience at Shalel, that made us to write this review to warn people from not supporting this place.

It was empty Saturday night, next to us was a couple and they quietly spoke about something and ate their food. My daughter and I had our food ( branzino, which was very oily, and tasteless fatoush), then the waiter was giving checks and asking how the food was. We did not say much, just decided that for that price and poor quality of food, we will not be back. The couple next table said that whatever they had was good, but tagine had practically no meat but all bones. We paid our check practically at the same time, and then some short young hispanic looking guy with mustache comes and starts screaming at that couple as they are leaving - I am general manager, you don't like the food, get out of my restaurant. They paid, we paid, although the food was bad. Why suddenly create such a humiliating scene for everyone and kick people out cause they said that the food was not to their expectations - they were not rude, nor did they raised the voice. Manager screamed and the lady could not even understand right away if it was a joke. The manager got nastier by the second. It was soooo awful, for everyone there.

Screaming at patrons who paid for bad food, and just politely said that tagine had too many bones, is inexplicable. I would hope the owner fire this manger immediately. Everyone who was in the restaurant tried to leave as it was extremely unpleasant and aggressive. We felt scared, that the manager will start throwing knives at people. I called the police.

Now the owner replied and I am even more confused - I don't know who Lena is. All the staff were young men, may be they identify as a women, I would not know. I was the one called the police form outside (it was too dangerous and unpleasant to be inside), just to make sure it is safe since we live in the neighborhood. I have the video of the incident which I showed to police. My Daughter and I left the soon as the incident began. Who would ever expose their kids to such nonsense?

I guess they have more than one incident per day, and consistently as in all responses to negative reviews are dishonest.

Shortly - Avoid!!!! Bad food, even worse management. When were you scared for your life going to a restaurant. Shalel will make you...

The food was excellent and the atmosphere was so cozy, but since dining here this experience hasn't sat right with me and I feel the need to bring it up to the restaurant and other people dining here. I told our survey that I had a gluten allergy and he was nice and accommodating, let us know what on the menu could be made gluten free and what couldn't. We ordered two appetizers and the mixed grill entree and the server let us know one piece of meat in the entree wasn't gluten free and he offered to bring it on a separate plate for my boyfriend. He then turned to me and said "what would you like instead, we could do chicken, filet mignon, fish, etc." implying he would sub that for the lamb that had gluten in it. I told him that whatever he recommends would be fine. Come to find out he added a $43 filet mignon entree to our ticket. Luckily my boyfriend realized what was going on and told me "he just upsold you a filet mignon" and we were able to remove it from the ticket, but the whole thing felt really scummy. The waiter's entire demeanor changed after I said "excuse me- when you said to add filet mignon was that an entirely separate entree?". He seemed sheepish and the rest of our dinner was just kind of awkward. For such a nice restaurant that isn't cheap, to feel like the staff is being dishonest and upselling two young customers like that was upsetting. We watched him talk rudely to an elderly couple sat next to us as well when their entree came at the same time as their appetizers. He rudely told them they should specify next time if they don't want the entree to come at the same time as the appetizer (I feel like that is something that wouldn't need to be specified??). The food was fabulous and the rest of the staff was genuinely lovely (there was a hostess who was so kind and made our night really special) so I think it is a problem with this specific server rather than the restaurant as a whole, but the whole thing was very shady...