Shuka — Restaurant in New York

TLDR: Food was pretty decent, drinks too sweet. Service and situation made it one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in a decade of living in Manhattan.

Started w hostess, we got there 20 min early and our table wasn’t ready which is 100% understandable. She then suggests we wait outside or at the bar (no, i’m not going to wait outside in sub-freeze weather, but thanks). She then asks US if WE want to just sit at the bar for dinner and we’re like “sure that’s not a prob — but it doesn’t look like there is space at the bar?” (there wasn’t) — and she says okay well it’s first come first serve and continues sitting, looking at us with this blank look. And so we are like okay?? You just asked US? We don’t mind sitting there but it’s for a reservation so it doesn’t really make sense for us to wait and hope for seats to open up there if that’s where you want to offer us a seat?

THEN it gets better. Someone brought their “service dog” that was this little yippy pommy — barked INCESSANTLY for an hour. To be clear, I’m not a dog hater, I have a dog that accompanies me to eateries outside during the summer. She doesn’t bark and I don’t lie about her being a service dog. Everyone in that back room was PISSED including us. Couldnt converse or think straight and the rude diners were calm and stone faced like it was the most normal thing in the world. The clueless hostess walked by and i flagged her and she just said “sorry, its a service dog” and kept walking. I told our server. I know other ppl did too, there was a guy at the table behind me who stood up behind me as though he was going to confront them, but was hovering over me which was uncomfortable but whatever — I get it — everyone was super annoyed.

FINALLY mgmt got involved twice with that table, to no avail, they just continued on with their meal. The entitlement was absolutely insane. We eventually got an apology from the manager — which included an offer to move to a different table — which is a joke. Yes, Let’s move everyone being disturbed, not the actual problematic people.

Lastly, we got a plate of warm dates after the disruptive party left, told “a celebration for the removal of the disruption”. Nice gesture, but wayyyyy too weak of an apology for a miserable dining experience. No offer to comp even a portion, drinks whatever. Even a tiny 10% or something would have been well received but no. My friend and I were planning to order additional drinks and food (we had ordered a just a few share apps) to continue our conversation but it was too unacceptable of a situation that was handled extremely poorly, we were so turned off we left immediately.

Food was pretty decent, drinks too sweet, overall one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had in a decade of living in Manhattan. Will strongly dissuade anyone I know from going. One star because it’s not possible to give less and the lady who took our drink order was friendly and knowledgeable and had a clue. She was the only bright spot of...

Grab your friend(s) and head downtown to try out this place, one of the best spots in NYC. Where do I even begin?

My friend and I were planning a birthday brunch, and were looking for a great brunch spot in Manhattan. When you run a search of “Best Brunch Spots in NYC” or “Best Brunch Spots During Covid” or “Best Insta-Worthy Brunch Spots”, alter the search how you may... Guess what place appeared each time? Shuka.

During this time, it is appreciated when places are still taking reservations. Online it only said they had a reservation for 4pm and after, I decided to test my luck, and called to check if we could make a reservation. The host quickly answered my question, and offered me a reservation slot for the time and day I was requesting. Their confirmation process is also appreciated (and understandable as to why they double confirmed, they’re a very busy spot.)

Upon arrival, they seated my friend who arrived before me (I was running late, I called to notify them and they were very accommodating.) PLEASE NOTE: They do move fast because there are many people waiting to be seated. If you’re looking to sit down, and take your time, avoid going during rush hour because they do have a limit to try to get in as many people as possible (only downside, BUT they tell you before sitting.) Our waitress took our order quickly, she was very attentive. Our food came out fairly quick as well.

FOOD TIME: The Chocolate Babka is the best thing in the world! It was absolutely amazing and I would totally return just for that alone! Lying, because I would return for the Yemenite Flatbread as well... SOOOOOOO GOOD!! The Lamb Merguez was so tasty as well, and the Spicy Tahini complimented each dish so well!

Also, it’s the little things that matter that made this place and it’s service beyond special for me... When they seat you they give you a baggie to put your face mask in, which is smart, so many people who put their masks in with their bag or place it on the table. It’s something so simple yet thoughtful. I appreciate how when they place your plate and cup, they put it facing down... Again thoughtfulness! And finally the water is closed and utensils are provided sealed. Every place should follow this, and this place has set that bar for me. Really appreciated it!

Overall, delicious food, superb...

I came specifically for The Shuka Feast and I’m happy to report that I wasn’t disappointed. I will always appreciate restaurants with streamlined and focused menus that execute a few things really well – as opposed to those with multi-page offerings and customizations that can sometimes dilute the experience.

Your choices here are very straight forward – and all dishes are meant to be shared. You can select from a variety of different “Dips” ranging from standard Labne (yogurt dip) to sweet potato mash or their signature beetroot hummus. The dips are all distinctly different in texture and flavor, but I can attest to how delicious they were and each one bursting with flavor. These are served with fresh baked pita bread

The rest of the menu is dedicated to their “Mezze” or “Tastes” which include things like Fried Halloumi, Falafel and various vegetable preparations. I will say that this menu is more vegetable-focused than other places I have been to, so this restaurant definitely caters to the non-meat eaters if that’s your thing.

The kebabs are the final section and you can choose from as many as 6 different proteins. The chicken was extremely tender, but the grilled lamb was also fantastic.

If you are looking for a little bit of everything then The Shuka Feast is definitely the way to go. You get to share 3 of the dips, plus 3 or 4 Mezze (which they choose) and 1 kebab for each person. This comes with 2 sauces, lots of bread and unique sides, like Dates and pickled turnips. For $65/head this was extremely filling. The food is served in two rounds (Dips/Mezze and then kebabs) and I got full from the first round just trying different combinations of the dips and toppings. Some people may feel like the Feast doesn’t provide enough meat (which is true), but I think it’s great value and let’s you try so many different flavors. It’s also cool to see everything laid out in front of you like a true feast and being able to mix the different dishes is so interactive and fun.

Pro Tip: If you want a protein/meat-heavy meal, you are better off going for multiple skewers and maybe a dip or two. If you just want to be fed well and get the biggest bang for your buck, then absolutely go for...