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ilili Restaurant Review

236 Fifth Ave. (W. 27th St.) Send to Phone
New YorkNY 10001
212-683-2929 | Make Restaurant Reservations | Menu
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Swanky Flatiron eatery serves up savory Lebanese and modern Mediterranean fare. ilili Restaurant is one of our 2012 | Top 10 NY Romantic Restaurants |

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Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner nightly

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Dining room at ilili, New York, NYSet in the Flatiron District in a chic high-ceilinged room bedecked with wood, ilili is a near anomaly. Until it swung open its doors in late 2007, Lebanese food was mostly available via take-out counters and vending carts sprinkled throughout the city. But chef-owner Philippe Massoud, who previously manned the stoves at Georgetown’s Neyla, is taking the cuisine to new heights, synthesizing traditional Lebanese cuisine with modern flair. The meze, or appetizers, consist of creamy hummus, chunky baba ghanouj, and savory Brussels sprouts with fried grapes, fig purée, walnuts and mint. The black cod sautéed with dried zaatar, pomegranate molasses and fennel is worth the visit alone. Other dishes such as Lebanese pasta stuffed with beef, lamb and minted yogurt or the Wagyu kebab skewered with shishito peppers and tomatoes will tantalize your taste buds enough to ensure a return to this Mediterranean oasis.

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