Bustan NYC

"Made reservation well ahead for an anniversary meal. They did a great job correcting the situation when initially we were not given a good table—cramped, near a busy staff door, very uncomfortable high-back chairs. But we asked for a better table and were accommodated quickly with an excellent table in a quieter spot, one of the best tables, very near the front door. Very good service throughout the evening. Server was helpful with our questions about some of the dishes. We had a mix of specials and regular menu items. Can recommend Chicken Musakhan (Taboon Bread, Tahini, Amba, etc) & Baked chocolate mousse w/ ice cream w/ crushed almonds in it. (The textured of both were wonderful. I’d go back just for that dessert!) The popular Kebab Halabi (comes in a baked bread dome...lamb onion, tomato, tahini, pistachios etc) was a just OK. The bread dome was definitely rather watery. Their tahini was lovely. All in all, definitely a recommended restaurant!"

"Very nice place for some authentic Israeli cuisine. We had a group of 16 and they were able to accommodate us. Small plates: Tahini, very dense and nice. Labneh, how bad can it be? Hummus, great as usual, but not wow. Tzatzik, fresh and dilly and cucumbery. Pita is thin and stretchy and puffy and soft. Taboos is crispy and savory with more oil content. Medium plates: Cauliflower, not so crunchy but does have a charr. Quiet bland in seasoning. Artichoke, one of today’s specialty, better seasoning than the cauliflower in my tastes. Only hearts were presented and very soft and nice. Crudo, cannot remember a thing so I guess so so. Burrata, the beet salad underneath is AMAZING. It is so contrary to my intuition as it is not sweet but aromatic. The seasonings is mastery. Hummus bowl, just larger version of hummus. Israeli salad, very very nice mix and refreshing. Should supplement with any bread, meaty dish ordered. Larger plate: Moroccan fish, lovely domed top with crispy flaky texture and with a bit of scallion flavor. The fish fillets are tender but not mushy. Lovely and warm and comforting during winter with tomato, tahini, and chickpeas. Lamb kebab, very very lamby, if you know what I mean. If you are not eating lamb, then you shouldn’t order it. Otherwise, nice seasoning and great aromatic flavor profile. Chicken musakhan, very very nice and crispy chicken. Imagine chicken from crispy chicken sandwich but without the buns. A bit on the drier side, with salad and a pita underneath topped with hummus. Dessert: Malabi, chewy coconut flake with crushed pistachios on top of rose water coconut pudding that tastes creamy but the rose water can be a bit overpowering and makes the dish taste fake. In general, would come again for their fish and chicken."

"I’ve been to Bustan twice and I had a great experience each time. I really like Mediterranean food and Bustan is a great place to taste them, especially Israel food. My favorites are roasted cabbage, roasted cauliflower, falafel and meatballs. You should also try labneh and Israel salad for starter."

"The food is absolutely delicious, super fresh & authentic. I had great, friendly service seated at the bar. Tastefully decorated but the atmosphere is super loud when full."

"First time at this Israeli / mediterranean restaurant and had a great time. It's a family style sharing restaurant with small, medium and large plates. All the food is great. The hummus was really good and so was the Israeli salad. Very recommended!"