Lamalo Cafe

Lamalo Brings Israeli Style Laffa, Arak Cocktails to NoMad

"On the ground floor of the Arlo Nomad Hotel, this 70-seat, modern Middle Eastern restaurant revolves around freshly baked laffa—oven-fired over lava stones and topped with za’atar—the sole starter, meant for ripping and dipping into The Daily Spread of mezze like spicy schug, creamy labneh, crunchy muhammara, and Bulgarian feta. Entrées include a braised cabbage shank in date glaze, slow roasted short rib on the bone, grilled octopus with preserved lemon butter, and Shabtai-style fried fish coated in chickpea flour, with sides such as freekeh and Israeli couscous. The experience leans into generous, communal dining, right down to shared “bakbook” bottled cocktails (the bottles hold five drinks); arak is prominent in the Good Vibration, while the Ring of Fire (tequila, lime, aleppo chipotle cordial) and Twist and Shout (Aperol, rose, orange blossom) round out the list, alongside beer and red and white wines from Lebanon and Israel. Lunch centers on skewers—lamb kofta, mushroom, and octopus—served with laffa and spreads, and breakfast is a market table of fresh pastries, vegetables, and Israeli-style staples. Led by culinary director Ofir Horesh and owned by Gadi Peleg, whose bread-centric sensibility is front and center, the restaurant—its name translating to “why not”—opened June 8." - Billy Lyons