Visited this place with my friends for a late dinner. We previously had made a reservation, so we didn't wait at all to be seated. We opted to sit outside with the great evening weather! As soon as we sat down, they promptly brought out pita and olive oil, olives, and za'atar to dip. The pita was also continually served throughout the night! As a group of 4, we ordered 3 dishes family style. The servings were very generous, and even though we were very hungry, we were still able to take a decent amount home with us. * Mezze Filistini: a sharable platter with baba ghanoush, muhammarah, tabbouleh, labneh, hummus, and salata tahina. Very much recommend! Everything was so delicious and was a great starter with variety. * Za'atar Margarita: Simple margarita pizza with za'atar topping! A cool fusion that we enjoyed. * Mansaf: SO delicious! The meat practically fell off the bone, and I loved the variation in texture between the nuts/rice/lamb. The flavors were all so vibrant yet not overwhelming. Still dreaming about this dish to be honest... Next time I come back, I would definitely try the M'sakhan!

Look at the vibrance of these photos... the food is photogenic AND delicious Everything tasted great - but I did come for the knafeh and they'd run out at this point (8pm?) :(

10/10 fantastic meal! Definitely recommend getting the mezze platter with all the dips! They were all so good!! And they keep the warm fresh pita bread coming :) I also got the falafel plate which was so good and also lasted me two meals! We also got the eggplant to share and it wasn't my favorite because I'm not a huge eggplant person but the flavors were impeccable! Would definitely get the cauliflower version of this dish next time. Overall, amazing food and I will definitely be back!

I've had Ayat in my bookmarks for so long and I'm so glad I finally got to try it recently! While they have both covered outdoor seating and indoor seating, I was very grateful that they had indoor seating available as it was a nice relief from the hot day. The menu at Ayat is quite extensive, and our server was very patient in explaining their most popular dishes. After pondering for a while, we went with the Mezze Filistini, which was a mixed platter of different dips (hummus, baba ganoush, labneh, and a few others. It came with some warm pitta and the portions were huge! Definitely a dish that is meant to be shared. The mezzes were fresh and flavorful. Perfect for a hot summer evening. We also ordered their mansaf, which was a lamb stew over rice. Again, portions were HUGE! Certainly enough for at least two people. The lamb was so tender and tasted so homey. For dessert, we had tahini ice cream, which was just vanilla ice cream with tahini drizzled on top. Had I known earlier, I probably would've picked another dessert but it was still a pleasant sweet treat nonetheless. Can't wait to go back and try out more dishes at Ayat!

First time trying Palestinian food and was so surprised how much I liked it! Also the first/second time trying hummus so my expectations were exceeded. I really liked how the pita bread just kept coming once I was done and it is wood fire oven baked almost right in front of you (depending where you sit). The fattat jaj was delicious it had rice, yogurt, chicken, pita chips, chickpeas, and almonds which is everything I enjoy eating so this was the perfect dish. The service was great, I came during lunch time and I was the only one dining for majority of my meal so the food came out super quick. The inside it so nice and clean too.

New to area and lucked up on this place for a late lunch. I had the lemon and roasted garlic chicken, and an order of falafel. The bread was also *chefs kiss*... I could've also made a meal of that with olive oil and zatar, and been in heaven! Everything was good and far more food than I could finish in one sitting. I ended up with two more days of leftovers. The staff was welcoming and attentive. The restaurant was beautiful, there's indoor and outdoor space. It was hot so I opted for the AC inside. One thing I would say to consider when visiting is the current state of the world, in particular for Palestinians (while eating at a Palestinian restaurant). Understandably, you may get a more somber presentation from some (or maybe all) of the staff. A few of the staff (none serving me) were kinda glued to their phones, and I can only imagine what they might be seeing or the loss they've experienced thus far. Just as in visiting any ethnic spot that's serving food and culture different from your own, try to hold reverence for their difference rather expecting assimilation-no-matter-what. All in all, I'm really happy I found this place and look forward to going back.

My friend and I went to Ayat in Alphabet City on Friday night. We didn't have any reservations, however the kind staff was able to seat us within ten minutes of waiting. We were lucky to have gotten seating without waiting too long. The owners place good effort at making the decor beautiful through the various tile patterns and painted brick walls inside. The faux tree inside adds a feel of being inside an olive grove garden. I regularly eat middle eastern cuisine, and Ayat's does not disappoint in its freshness, flavors, and authenticity. The portions were plenty for two people. Upon getting seated, we were served fresh pita along with green olives, olive oil, and zaatar. My friend and I ordered the Mezze Filistini ($28) and the Mixed Grill ($36). Ordering both dishes allowed us to get a sampling of numerous dishes. First, the Mezze Filistini - it comes with hummus, baba ghanoush, muhammarah, tabbouleh, salata tahina, and labneh. All tasted fresh and flavorful! My favorite out of all this is the muhammarah, as the pomegranate molasses and walnut pairing add a depth of warm sweetness and subtle nuttiness. The Mixed Grill includes chicken kebab, beef kebab, kefta, and lamb chop. It also came with a side of salad and a little bit of rice and tahini sauce on the side. All were decadent - just the right amount of char on the outside while still juicy inside. Upon the first bite, it is an explosion of flavors - the charred meat with the blend of spices and herbs. Dipping any of the meats in the tahini is optional but does add a deeper flavor profile. All were delectable and flavorful, and reminiscent of what my in-laws make at home. The excellent customer service along was excellent. Though the place was full and crowded, my friend and I were able to have a hear each other comfortably and have a good conversation. I highly recommend this place, and I am eager to return and try the other dishes!

Amazing food!! Everything in the dips platter was so so delicious.lived the hummus and babagonash the most. And their sifted freshly baked pita. Limonona was so refreshing. Baklava was a little disappointing.Definitely going back for more food!!

Written 11/16/23: I came to Ayat for dinner on a Tuesday at 6:30pm in a group of 4 people. We had a reservation which I would recommend since, even though the restaurant was relatively quiet when we arrived, at 7pm it became packed and there was a long line to dine without a reservation. This restaurant is very cute and cozy, it has brick walls, colorful mural paintings, and warm toned decor which makes the place feel very inviting and casual. There are big windows which makes it feel very open as well. We were seated promptly in a table in the corner. Our waiters were very friendly and helpful in answering our questions about what dishes to order. Food was all delicious! We tried: - Mezze Filistini: delicious spread of several dips. This is the perfect thing to order if you have a big group. Came with basically a lot of the apps you'd want to try on the menu and is very well balanced. My favorites were the creamy labne, the muhammarah which was a little spicy and tasted like roasted red pepper with nutty hints from the walnuts, and the Salata tahina since it was refreshing but also had hints of nuttiness from the tahini. Great with their freshly made pita! - M'sakhan: half chicken over a pita with grilled onions and suma. This was a very good concept, it reminded me of a pizza in a strange way since the edge of the pita was thicker than the center, like a crust. The chicken was a little overdone but the flavor was great. The pita, soaked in the chicken juices as well as flavor of the sweet flavor of grilled onions, was divine. Very filling and tasted really homemade (not oily, not super salty). - Fattat Jaj: this is delectable. I've had it before and it's probably one of my favorite dishes of all time. We ordered the small size since we were sharing other plates too. The layers of rice, chicken, chickpeas, mint yogurt, crispy pita, creamy garlic sauce, and slivered toasted almonds is just so rich and perfect. Very comforting on a cold day. A little bit on the heavier side but delicious when shared. - Mansaf: another hit! My first time having this and I was very very impressed. We were told it was the most popular dish here and I can see why. The lamb was so tender and just fell off the bone with the fork. It was so juicy and these juices complimented the bed of rice and Laffa the lamb came over so well! The fermented yogurt sauce was very mild and added a nice creaminess to the dish which made everything even more delicious and comforting. Would order this again in a heartbeat. - Tahini Brownie: I was so full at this point hit a friend highly recommended this dessert so we had to get it. This was a delicious brownie that was fudgey without being too sweet topped with a delicious tahini ice cream that was chewy and had a very nice flavor. The presentation was very aesthetic. Would highly recommend this one too! The food was truly incredible! My only complaint is that the service itself was pretty slow -- Our pita for the dips appetizer took 10-15 min to come out after we had the dips in front of us so we sat there salivating staring at the plate for the longest time. The bill also took another 30-35 min to get to us at which point one person in our party had to leave in a rush. While I appreciate not being kicked out of a place, the waits were longer than I was hoping for. This place is definitely one you want to allocate enough time to eat at so you can fully enjoy the ambiance and food without any rush or stress :) . The experience was excellent and I would definitely come back for the delicious food! Truly one of the highlight meals I've had in the city. Would highly highly recommend!!

While eating dal pakwan at a small stall in Chembur's Sindhi Colony, I started thinking about how after partition much of the vegetarian cuisine of that region must have disappeared. It now lives in absentia in Bombay. Will the same be said of the cuisine of Gaza one day? And similarly the proprietors of Ayat are doing their best to protect that legacy across the world. With airy, spacious environs, I find their new East village location to be the most successful. The muhammara and roasted cauliflower with tahini are must order items that almost convinced a friend to join me in vegetarianism - the hummus is good too, but if you have space for only one mezze, absolutely do not miss the muhammara. If you come with a large appetite, go for the vegetarian mezze platter, so that you can also sample the excellent roasted eggplant and mujaddara as well.