Yemenat — Restaurant in New York

A Feast for the Senses at Yemenat — Bay Ridge’s Yemeni Treasure

From the moment you walk into Yemenat, you're enveloped in a warm, inviting aura—one that feels like walking into a beloved family home. Nestled in the heart of Bay Ridge, this cozy—yet vibrant—restaurant celebrates authentic Yemeni flavors with both passion and elegance .

Ambiance & Hospitality The atmosphere strikes the perfect balance between relaxed and refined. After a recent renovation, the interior now has a fresh charm—modern touches weave seamlessly with traditional Yemeni design elements, creating a space that’s both comfortable and visually appealing . The service is attentive and genuine, always making guests feel welcome and looked after—like visiting with old friends rather than dining out .

Menu Highlights & Flavor Yemenat's menu is thoughtfully curated, showcasing standout dishes that honor Yemen’s culinary traditions:

Lamb Haneeth: Tender, braised lamb shoulder atop aromatic Hadrami rice—big on both flavor and portion size—perfect for sharing .

Muva Fish: A local favorite. Delicately seasoned and expertly cooked, this seafood dish bursts with authentic Yemeni spices and gets raves for its outstanding flavor .

Beef Fahsa: Rich braised short ribs in a spiced broth served bubbling hot—comfort food delivered with finesse .

Shakshoka Adeni & Maraq: Heartwarming classics—whether it’s the tangy shakshoka or the soothing broth of maraq, both serve as lovely preludes to your main meal .

Sides & Dips: Essential Yemenat accoutrements like sahaweq (a spicy tomato drizzle) and freshly baked rashooš bread are ideal for layering onto plates or scooping every last bit from your bowl .

Community Praise & Personal Touch The local food community is buzzing with admiration:

“At the risk of sounding dramatic, late lunch at Yemenat is the best meal I’ve had in New York in a long time … a soul‑warming experience.” “Yemenat is incredible! The lamb haneeth was to die for and their whole roasted fish is excellent as well. You really can’t go wrong.”

Michelin even notes that the generous portions—especially of dishes like lamb haneeth and hearty sides—are a defining feature, reinforcing that dining here is about sharing and savoring soulful flavors .

Final Thoughts Yemenat offers more than just a meal—it delivers a genuine, soulful experience rooted in tradition and generosity. Whether you’re new to Yemeni cuisine or a seasoned fan, the thoughtful menu, welcoming service, and communal ambiance make every visit memorable.

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pro Tips:

Come hungry—portions are large and intended for sharing.

Go with friends or family to fully embrace the communal spirit.

Pair your meal with rashooš bread and a side of sahaweq for maximum...

December 22, 2024. After seeing Christmas decorations in Dyker Heights on a freezing night, we went to this place as a group of 3. Without a reservation, we waited inside for 15 minutes for a table.

Limited but clearly marked vegetarian options. The food is very tasty! Shafooq - This Yemeni dish can be described in an Indian way very easily. It was like a thick dosai/oothappam (South Indian dish) drenched in buttermilk that is flavoured like a `mint chutney' (the one given along with North Indian tandoori starters), garnished with pomegranates. There were a lot of holes in the dosai as if to absorb more of the buttermilk. This was marked as an appetizer and was cold. It was delicious, but, I would've liked it better in room temperature. Mushakal furn mix veggies - The waiter recommended this item when I asked for vegetarian options. In the picture displayed in the restaurant, it looked like a vegetable salad. But, it turned out to be a mélange of well-fried finely cut vegetables---lots of potato, small quantity of carrot, brinjal, capsicum etc.---which was so soft to chew and yummy. The downside was that it was extremely oily and visibly unhealthy. I ate this with a sesame-garnished naan which was also oily. Areeka - This is a very filling dessert with a lot of carbs and mild sweetness. It is closer to an Indian dessert which is usually wholesome (sakkarai pongal for example) with traditional sweeteners (honey in this dish, jaggery in sakkarai pongal), than an European/American dessert that typically tends to be some variation of a cake with refined sugar as the sweetener.

There was complementary tea in a vessel in the corner that everyone can just go and get some. I drank two cups of it. It was dark, watery (no milk), doubtfully sweet, immensely flavourful in terms of spices used, reminiscent of a similar tea served in a South Indian wedding a few years ago.

Overall, the tastes were very familiar and close to several Indian dishes and weren't very new to me, this was a a big plus point.

Beyond these, my friends had a chicken with rice and a fish dish, and they liked both of them very much. There's not much vegetarian options/dishes left for visiting this place again, it's a good one-time visit to try out a different cuisine. The prices were also slightly on the...

As a regular customer of Yemen Cafe, unfortunately, Yemenat didn't live up to all the social media hype.

While Yemen Cafe gives you free soup, bread, etc.. Yemenat thought it was a good business decision to charge $5 for soup, which they get for free as a by product of cooking one of their dishes.

Yemen Cafe is literally down the block. There is literally no reason to go to Yemanat when Yemen Cafe is just down the block.

While the presentation is better at Yemanat, taste is either the same or less than of Yemen Cafe. My favorite dish, Fahsah, is made with beef short ribs instead of the lamb, and trust me, you want the LAMB fahsah from Yemen Cafe, not the version with Beef at Yemenat. The difference is night and day, lamb is simply better. I was disappointed to see that they didn't have lamb fahsah on their menu.

Only thing that they have an upper hand on, would be their bread. It is better than YC, however, I rather have a free bowl of soup, a much more homey vibe, and the bread soaked in the soup as a no cost starter.

Hummus is also cheaper at Yemen Cafe. Hummus with lamb or chicken at Yemen Cafe is to die for, here, it'll run you about $23ish to do that. AND to make matters worse, they give you a thin layer of hummus around meat in the middle. Not worth the money.

Like I said, Yemen Cafe is a much better option at this point. Yemenat seems to be charging you for every single thing on the menu, while Yemen Cafe gives it out for free. It just provides a much better experience when you go somewhere and they take care of you the way Yemen Cafe does. Yemenat, wants to make money - but again, Yemen Cafe is literally down the block. Either do better than them or provide better tasting dishes, otherwise, there is no point for anyone to visit Yemenat if the place down the block has better food, better experience, and hospitality.

Sorry for being harsh, I love Yemeni cuisine, but Yemenat is doing it wrong. They are using their social media hype to get business that they truly don't deserve at the moment. I consider that as misleading people to come visit them and then disappoint them. I drove 2 hours to go here, in traffic, only to be disappointed and wish I had gone to the other one...