The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (2024)

Along the last stops of the R train line in Brooklyn, just before the Verrazano Bridge, you’ll find some of the city’s best restaurants for Lebanese, Yemeni, Syrian, Palestinian, and Turkish food in Bay Ridge. You'll also encounter Georgian cheese boats, Italian red sauce, and lobster newburg—plus more specialties from around the Middle East and beyond—as you wander between 65th and 86th Streets, and down further to Fort Hamilton. It's hard not to keep stopping every few minutes to take a whiff of some juicy roasting shawarma, dip into a market for some fresh Lebanese cheese, or pick up just one more piece of syrupy baklava. Here are all the spots you should prioritize.

What our ratings mean
Learn more

NONE

1-5

6s

7s

8s

9s

No rating: This is a restaurant we want to re-visit before rating, or it’s a coffee shop, bar, or dessert shop. We only rate spots where you can eat a full meal.

THE SPOTS

photo credit: Noah Devereaux

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (1)

8.7

Tanoreen

Palestinian

Bay Ridge

$$$$

Perfect For:

Big GroupsCasual DinnersDinner with the ParentsVegetariansBirthdays

Open since 1998, Tanoreen is a New York City staple and an anchor of the neighborhood. Bring the whole family to this Bay Ridge spot to enjoy a meal of shareable Palestinian, Syrian and other Levantine food at a big round table under a glowing chandelier. The baba ganoush is lemony, the fetti with sumac-spiced lamb is crunchy with almonds and fried pita, and the gooey knafeh is worth every bit of its 20-minute wait.

photo credit: Britt Lam

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (2)

8.0

Palestinian

Bay Ridge

$$$$Perfect For:Cheap Eats

This counter-service spot has everything from foul mudammas and kebab platters, to manakish covered in za’atar, and our go-to: Palestinian-style shawarma. You can get the shawarma inside a fluffy pita, but we prefer the laffa wrap, with juicy, tender meat and crunchy pickles neatly packed inside. There are only a couple of cramped tables, which are usually occupied, but the wrap is easy to eat on the go if you feel like window shopping for gold jewelry and Islamic fashion along 5th Ave.

photo credit: Kate Previte

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (3)

8.5

Ruzana

WebsiteDirectionsPhone

Palestinian

Bay Ridge

$$$$Perfect For:Casual Dinners

If you’d rather sit down somewhere with your shawarma, head to Ruzana. You’ll also order at a counter here, but they have cushioned seating inside, and a covered outdoor dining structure. Behind the counter, you can see a chef in the corner kneading dough, stuffing grape leaves, and making fresh batches of hummus, whipped to airy perfection. Take a friend so you can also order a mansaf platter with fluffy rice and tangy yogurt-covered lamb, or some freshly fried falafels with still-crispy crusts.

The cheese and bread in question at this Georgian cafe is khachapuri, which they have in at least five different varieties, baked fresh each morning. Pick up a flaky piece of khachapuri penovani and a coffee to-go, or stay for a full meal at one of the cafe tables. There isn’t much ambience, but they serve a full menu of solid Georgian food until 11pm. Stop by for a late dinner of khinkali and lula kebabs, or take home some pre-made soups, salads, and cheeses from the refrigerators on the side.

photo credit: Emily Schindler

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (5)

8.4

Elegante Pizzeria

Pizza

Bay Ridge

$$$$Perfect For:LunchCasual DinnersCheap Eats

This slice shop feels like it’s stuck in the 1980s, and we love that. We also love Elegante’s square slice, which feels a little like an , but with the sauce and cheese order reversed. The cheese (on top) is satisfyingly stretchy, and the crust is thick and chewy, but still light enough that you could easily eat more than one slice.

photo credit: David A. Lee

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (6)

8.3

Yemen Café

Yemeni

Bay Ridge

$$$$Perfect For:Casual DinnersBig Groups

Known for its lamb haneeth that’s slow-cooked for hours, Yemen Cafe is a New York City institution. The setup is as casual as a cafeteria, with families hanging out with platters of kebabs, and servers passing around hubcap-sized Yemeni flatbreads and cups of marag that tastes like the pure liquid essence of lamb. Start with some spice-dusted hummus and baba ghanoush, then move on to a bowl of foul with mashed fava beans and the signature fall-off-the-bone lamb shank.

photo credit: Kate Previte

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (7)

8.0

Istanbul Bay

Turkish

Bay Ridge

$$$$Perfect For:Big Groups

This large, tile-floored restaurant gets some sparkle from chandeliers and gold appliques, but it’s the food that makes a group dinner here feel lavish. Rally a few friends and order the mixed grill. It comes with a piping hot bread cover that the server cuts open to reveal the kebabs. Round out the meal with a cold appetizer platter and slowly-deflating balloon bread, cheesy spinach pide, and gooey slices of kunefe. They also have two locations in Bensonhurst—one sit-down, and one express.

photo credit: Kate Previte

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (8)

8.1

Pegasus Brooklyn

Brunch

Bay Ridge

$$$$Perfect For:BreakfastBrunch

Open since 1993, this scrappy-but-spirited, diner-like restaurant serves breakfast and lunch that’s much better than your average diner food. We love it for weekend brunch. They pull out all the stops, with special menu items like peaches and cream french toast and avocado pesto smash. Or, get their corn beef hash and eggs with super creamy potatoes. You might have to put your name down and take a 30-minute stroll, but it’s worth it.

photo credit: Kate Previte

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (9)

8.0

Beets and Carrots

American

Bay Ridge

$$$$Perfect For:VegansVegetarians

The veggie-forward food at this super casual cafe feels more exciting than dishes we’ve had at big-name farm-to-table restaurants in Manhattan. Yes, Beets and Carrots has beet and carrot hummus, but they also have beet bucatini with an unexpected chili-almond crunch, and a springtime gnocchi with artichoke barigoule. Bring your meat-eating friends too—they have an ultra luxurious lobster newburg, and sometimes do elk and boar burgers.

photo credit: Kate Previte

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (10)

8.0

Ubani

Georgian

Bay Ridge

$$$$Perfect For:Date Nights

Every Georgian restaurant in New York has its two show pieces: the famous cheese boat, and their big, brothy khinkali. Ubani has great versions of both, but don’t sleep on the rest of the menu. They've got good cocktail game too, and an enclosed backyard, with picnic tables and blue couches.The Georgian salad and its creamy walnut dressing is our favorite dish here, and the cauliflower in walnut sauce and veal stew are tied for second. Choose Ubani over Cheese & Bread when you need some ambience for date night.

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (11)

7.9

Karam

Lebanese

Bay Ridge

$$$$Perfect For:Lunch

Karam has a rotisserie oven spinning whole chickens and shawarma on the spit right by the door. But it's not just a show, that chicken is extremely juicy, with skin that’s absorbed all of its seasoning like a ShamWow. If you want something fast, go for the Lebanese-style sandwich with beef and lamb shawarma wrapped in a flatbread that's also stuffed with pickles and drizzled with a pungent garlic sauce. Alternatively, there's a separate dining room across from the counter area of the restaurant where you can sit and eat your falafel right when it's at its crispiest.

photo credit: Alex Staniloff

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (12)

7.9

Gino’s of Bay Ridge

Italian

Bay Ridge

$$$$Perfect For:Classic EstablishmentBig Groups

The old-school Italian restaurant has been hosting big parties for life milestones since 1964, and it’s where you should come for a big, red wine-soaked evening. They have a take-out pizza counter up front, so start with a slice—which they’ll bring to your table, cut into the correct number of slivers for your party size. Then move on to the hot antipasto platter, chicken parm, and orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe. If your table gets overloaded, they'll just bring over another one.

photo credit: Halal NYC

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (13)

Ayat

Middle Eastern

Bay Ridge

$$$$Perfect For:HalalLunchSerious Takeout Operation

Walk into Ayat and you’ll immediately be tempted by the spits of shawarma and deli case full of hummus and tabbouleh. All of these things are worth your time, but this Palestinian restaurant’s signature platters are the main event. The portions are huge, so you’ll need a group to help get through the six layers of meat, rice, chickpeas, tahini, almonds, and mint in the platter of fattat lahma. Decked out in faux flowers, Ayat's breezy dining room is perfect for a group dinner or casual summer celebration. They now have multiple locations all over the city, but this is the original.

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (14)

7.5

Le Sajj

Lebanese

Bay Ridge

$$$$Perfect For:Casual DinnersClassic EstablishmentSpecial Occasions

If you want to eat fantastic kibbeh, go to this Lebanese restaurant on 5th. They have three types of raw kibbeh as well as a few baked and fried options. The pumpkin version is delightfully crisp and packed with herbs and spices, but you should also take the opportunity to try the kibbeh nayeh, a pile of raw minced beef mixed with bulgar and herbs that’s traditionally eaten in a bit of flatbread wrap and garnished with raw onion, mint, and olive oil. Enjoy your spread in the dining room decked out with antique wood carvings and paintings of Lebanon.

photo credit: Kimchi Kooks

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (15)

Kimchi Kooks Kate's Kitchen

Korean

Bay Ridge

$$$$Perfect For:Lunch

Kimchi Kooks is an adorable place where you can pick up some freshly made banchan. The family-run operation looks like a studio apartment that was converted into a boutique, with some potted plants, a few shelves of pantry items, and a couple of fridges stuffed with small containers of fish cakes, burdock root jorim, and various other Korean sides. Grab a few (we’re partial to the spinach namul), and don’t leave without at least one jar of kimchi. They also make some takeout dishes in the little DIY-looking kitchen right behind the counter, with weekend specials like bibimbap and doenjang jjigae.

photo credit: Britt Lam

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (16)

Nablus Sweets

Palestinian

Bay Ridge

$$$$Perfect For:Cheap Eats

Nablus Sweets is named after the West Bank city that’s known as the Palestinian capital of sweets—specifically, knafeh. Nablus has two types, and you need to try both. There’s the coarser khishne—warm, gooey cheese topped with thin, crispy kataifi noodles—but we’re partial to the meltier na’ame, layered with a softer dough, soaked in syrup, and served hot. The barebones counter-service shop serves a number of other sweets, which they’re happy to heat up for you and dress with honey. Enjoy your cheesy dessert and some tea in their outdoor structure.

The Best Restaurants In Bay Ridge - New York - The Infatuation (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Reed Wilderman

Last Updated:

Views: 5889

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (52 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Reed Wilderman

Birthday: 1992-06-14

Address: 998 Estell Village, Lake Oscarberg, SD 48713-6877

Phone: +21813267449721

Job: Technology Engineer

Hobby: Swimming, Do it yourself, Beekeeping, Lapidary, Cosplaying, Hiking, Graffiti

Introduction: My name is Reed Wilderman, I am a faithful, bright, lucky, adventurous, lively, rich, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.