Ayat Staten Island

Simply amazing! Salads are spectacular, dishes made with attention to every detail. Just found it and already been back 2 more times. Excited to try the next dish. Chicken dishes done to perfection. No one serves a more tender chicken. Decor is original and very beautiful. Service was excellent. Hope they stay and linger in Staten Islands culinary future.

Staff was amazing and attentive. Food was flavorful and beautifully presented. Great portions. The hummus was truly the best i’ve had anywhere. Also I could drink that olive oil, so good

The atmosphere is lovely, loved the decoration! It was our first time here and the our sever Paulina walked us through the popular dishes and gave us some great recommendations! We got falafel and cigar sticks with cheese as an appetizer and the lamb dish as the main. I’m sad I didn’t take pictures of the food but it was just too good to stop and take the picture😂 Will definitely be back ! Then the food started coming out and

I recently dined at Ayat for the 3rd time, and had a very good experience . The atmosphere was cozy, welcoming, and beautiful. The food was very good and very fresh & clean. The staff were friendly and attentive, making sure we had everything we needed. Especially Saadet, the manager. She is very sweet, and has a comfortable and good vibe, she is always smiling and makes sure you are enjoying your meal. I highly recommend Ayat if you love a relaxing place with a kind and welcoming staff!

The staff were so patient with us having never tried Palestinian food before. They answered all of our questions and the food was absolutely delicious! Will come back for sure!

100% recommend trying the cold appetizer (Mezze Filistini) with pita bread. It’s so flavorful and worth your money. The Araby Beef Shawarma was good but they cook with Lamb Fat so it really tastes like lamb. The employee was nice enough to switch it to chicken instead. Great service! Will be returning.

Had a wonderful experience, and now my go-to restaurant! It was pretty empty when we arrived at 12 pm but nonetheless, the staff were super friendly and kind. The menu includes a wide selection of Middle Eastern dishes, and by far our favorite dishes were the Roasted Pepper Hummus and the Pistachio Pizza. The food didn't take too long to come out, and it all tasted super fresh and delicious. They also had a good variety of vegetarian and vegan options. The atmosphere of the restaurant is great and love the decor.

Good very overly dry and greasy. It was a bit salty, had to drink a lot of water afterward. Service was great and friendly. The seating was comfortable and spacious.

Ayat is conveniently situated off of Hylan Blvd with parking in the back. It's beautifully decorated with wrap around windows in the entrance. We had been wanting to try Ayat for a while and went with my mother in law to celebrate her birthday. We ordered the Mezze Filistini, salmon kabob with rice, chicken kabob with rice, lamb kabob with rice, Mansaf A stew of bone-in lamb chunks and jameed yogurt sauce served over a bed of fresh bread and rice, topped with almonds, and a lamb shank with delicious rice. All of our dishes were perfectly seasoned and the meats so rich and tender. Our waiter was patient and gave us suggestions on what to order (I think his name was Raymon). The ambience and surroundings of this restaurant are simply an incredible experience. In addition to the traditional dishes we also had their tea and a mint tea mocktail. I wish we had taken more pictures, but we were too busy enjoying every single bite! Simply Amazing and we really can't wait to go back!

We decided to check out this restaurant after hearing glowing reviews from friends and seeing it featured in newspapers and online. As we approached, the decor immediately caught our eye--a well-lit space adorned with thoughtful details from top to bottom. However, as enticing as the decor was, we were here for the food.Upon arrival, we noticed that the restaurant seemed a bit understaffed, with only two waiters and two busboys handling the crowd. Despite this, once our orders were placed, the food arrived within a reasonable time frame. As we broke our fast during Iftar, each dish was generously portioned and bursting with traditional Arabic flavors.We particularly enjoyed the chicken and lamb shawarma, which were cooked to perfection, as well as the impeccably prepared Bronzino. The appetizers, including the falafel and babaganush, were also delightful additions to our meal.Overall, we left impressed by the quality of the food and the inviting ambiance of the restaurant. Despite the minor staffing issues, we're already considering a return visit.

It took me a while to come to this place . I have been through the Brooklyn one & it was a nice experience! But here The food & the service wasn't good at all! it's little expensive too! But I don't mind paying extra if the food is good & service is great tho ..! But here it was a total disappointment..! So I went there on a weekday evening, when I reach there it was almost empty! I waited 10 min before a server came to me. 2/3 servers walk by me , doing other stuff . They did see me & didn't even smile or say hi or welcome! I was very surprised! So I sat down by the door because it's less hot on that side ! I sat there 5 more minutes then a lady came by , asked for my order. She was nice, not that knowledgeable about their food . So I had to take a chance what to order. I also told her I am waiting for a friend, in the meantime I wanna order a drink! She recommended one & I ordered what she recommended. The drink came, looked good & taste good too. Only thing I liked was that drink ! Then my friend came & we ordered food . It took them half an hour just for one order. We didn't ordered much because we had other plans , so we just ordered the chicken kabab. Also they didn't give us any water, we had to keep asking & reminding them! By the time our food came the restaurant started to get little busy ! If you are not a huge eater then The amount of food we got was good for 2 people. Tasted good. Then we ordered Arabian coffee, our first time . And we didn't like it lol! I guess we are not used to Arabian coffee & the taste of it. The entire time we were there from start to finish the server only came to us 3 time . Getting the order, bringing back the food , then giving us the bill. Never came to check up how is everything! I have seen them going around other tables multiple times & asked them ! Don't know if it's because we ordered less food & we were only 2 people! But I was started to get annoyed about it. I was gonna try some other food & dessert but after that service I just left ! Will I come back again traveling from my side of the island , Spending money on Uber just to get here again , don't think so. Such a disappointment! I was really excited to learn that Ayat has opened here also !

This is not an exaggeration by any means, they have the best Hummus that I have ever tasted... and I'm middle eastern, I've had a lot of hummus!! I would absolutely recommend the mezze filastine, it has all the cold dips in one platter which gives you the chance to taste multiple things. First time I came here I had the maklooba, which admittedly wasn't by favorite. Second time was just a simple chicken kabob platter which was absolutely perfect. Order the Kunefa for dessert in advance so you don't have to wait long for it after dinner. Although i prefer cream in my kunefa instead if cheese, this dessert is still top tier. Both times we went mid-day weekday so idk how crazy it gets on the weekends, but ambiance, decor, and music made for the perfect location for a nice lunch date.

Delicious food and shawarma Excellent customer service The ambience is very cultural and very unique. Loved how new it looks and clean. I would definitely come visit again.

I decided to check out this restaurant because of a NYT recommendation, and I'm glad I did! The food is delicious and the decor is beyond gorgeous. The main dishes are good, but I think the appetizers are where they really shine. I would definitely recommend the fried cauliflower, cheese manaqish, and baba ghanoush. Also, the portions are pretty generous. The first time I went, everyone ordered their own main, and we ended up with too many leftovers. It's better to split dishes, try a bit of everything, and eat family style.

Ayat is located on the ever-so-busy Hylan Blvd in Staten Island, which makes it highly convenient to get to. For those who don't particularly enjoy looking for parking spots, Ayat's valet parking service got you. It's right on the corner and nearly impossible to miss. The establishment is more spacious that I imagined, you know, with the fake towering tree inside and all. Try to go early at 6 pm if you're getting dinner to avoid the rush of hungry crowds around 7 to 8 pm. I let my friend do the ordering, which was a first for me, but I'm thinking I should do that more often because the food was so delicious. We got the cheese manaquish for the appetizer. It came out looking like a freaking pizza! It would've been more than enough if I ordered that as my entree. We shared the large chicken kebab mashawy. It came with rice, hummus, baba ghanoush, etc. I was genuinely surprised that the chicken was juicy and soft on the inside but nice and crispy on the outside. I especially liked the garlic dip that it came with. We regretted getting the large because there was a lot leftover. If the cheese manaquish wasn't like a whole meal in itself, then maybe large would've been ok. The perfect way to wrap up the meal is with a baklava sundae. The presentation was so freaking cute but I wished the scoops of ice cream were bigger. It was definitely a struggle for me to break apart the baklava with the spoon. Weirdly enough, the ice cream made the baklava less sweet, which is why I usually stay away from baklava. I also got a limonana drink, which was refreshing but nothing to write home about. All their drinks are non-alcoholic iirc and sound like they're worth trying though! Halfway through my dinner, two guys up front performed some musical instruments. It was nice but it got way too loud for me and my friend to talk over the noise.

My first time here and it will definitely not be my last! Food was fresh and authentic. The service was absolutely amazing. Will definitely be back!

My friend and I grabbed lunch at Ayat and had one of the tastiest meals of our lives. The waiter was incredibly attentive and kind. It was a hot day and he brought us lemon water and ice to help us cool off. When we asked about what dishes he could recommend, he instantly suggested the cold mezze platter and the slow cooked lamb. Both were absolute perfection. The mezzo platter had hummus, what looked like baba and taboulleh but there were distinctive flavors and textures that made every one feel fresh and distinctive. We thought we wouldn't have room for the lamb but when we tried it, we couldn't help but devour it. My friend reorder just so she could bring it home for her husband's dinner. The ambience is lovely and the floral decor makes you feel like you are in a shady garden oasis. The noise and bustle of Hyland Blvd completely disappears. I will definitely be back soon!

Ayat is a great family-style restaurant. Portions are huge, which justify the price. The meat is always spiced and seasoned to perfection. Anything on the menu here is great, and it never disappoints! The interior is also gorgeously decorated with flowers and murals. Sometimes, they have a band outside playing, which is so nice in the summer. Service is wonderful.

Great and huge Palestinian restaurant. Food quality was on par with Ayat's other location. I think this location is much nicer. Not sure why the reviews are less positive here. My hunch is that the folks are grumpier because they're on Staten Island However, once you eat here, your spirits should be lifted. Our friends eat vegan, so we tried to order as many items that were within their diet. We ordered the mezze platter, the vegan platter, the falafel pizza, and the fried halloumi cheese. (Skip this paragraph if you're disinterested in my side rant not related to this restaurant). I had a knucklehead moment thinking cheese was vegan friendly. My wife later reminded me that cheese is not vegan which was why our friends didn't eat it. I thought they just saw me oozing over it and let me have their pieces. This reminds me of the time I went to a kosher bagel shop and ordered a BEC. The server told me the shop was kosher, so I tried to a Turkey, egg, and cheese. Didn't quite click that Turkey was meat too. Anyways, everything was great. My favorite item was the fried cheese. So savory Crispy exterior too and served with a pickled vegetable which provided a perfect contrast. Loved that we were able to try over a dozen different items since we ordered two mixed plates. I also really like that they have family style options as well making ordering for medium sized groups of around six super easy. Laffa was phenomenal. They have a huge open storefront. High ceilings making for a very airy atmosphere. Two gender neutral restrooms which were spacious. One had a changing table. Service was attentive. Note that gratuity is included.

Always passed by here but never went in. I decided to try and the place was big. The staff and service was pretty good They helped on what kind of foods. We chose different kinds of foods and it was good. It came pretty fast. I wouldn't definitely come back here again

This Palestinian restaurant really caught my eye from the outside and the inside is spacious with paintings on the wall. The fake plants were a nice touch. There were lots of tables. On a hot day, I wouldn't recommend coming here. I don't know if the AC was down, but it was hot. They had fans but it was blowing so loud and hard. The servers were attentive in the beginning then I think they got busy. They gave you bread and olive oil. They were good starters. I ordered a mixed shawarma platter. My friend got the stew. We shared a cardamom coffee which was pretty good. Never had it. Our dishes were huge! We took home leftovers for sure. I wasn't too impressed with the meats. It was dry. The sides and rice got me through the dish. My friend seemed to enjoy his stew and it came with a big side of rice.

I've eaten at the Bay Ridge location prior to this visit. This restaurant is beautiful. There's plenty of seating inside and out, plus an indoor/outdoor feel with accordion windows and lots of green inside. The food is generous and delicious. It's almost too much food. Limonona was great, raspberry mojito was delicious. Fluffy, warm pitas were delivered to the table from the start. Hummus and falafel were good. Our entrees were enormous and very flavorful. The detractors here are the mandatory gratuity added to the bill and the indifferent service. Our food was delivered quickly but our server to offer to refill water, serve our dish meant for two with a serving utensil, or bring us our check. After twenty minutes of waiting for our check I had to ask for it. Service could be better given the mandated tip.

We had a wonderful lunch at Ayat. I will begin with the 1 star deduction. The restaurant only has 3 high chairs. So even though we had a reservation with high chairs, they had been given away. Second, 18% gratuity was automatically added for 4. That just isn't good etiquette! Finally, when we finished our meal our table wasn't cleared even though dessert was served. On to the good stuff-the food! The whole reason one dines out. Excellent! We began with mezze filistini. My goodness! It was dipping bliss. The baba ghanoush is out of this world! The tabbouleh-excellent. The muhammarah-sweet and delicious! It's almost $30 but well worth it. Pita is delicious to dip with. We also had falafel app. It came with pickled something? Lol I asked what it was and the waitress said pickles. The flavors were so good all blended together. We also had kabsa. It was delicious chicken over sweet rice. I do wish they had an alcohol license. The raspberry mojito was too sweet. The limonana was just about right. Still a little too sweet but refreshing. Desserts are expensive. Baklava sundae is $14 and SMALL. It wasn't my cup of tea. The brownie sundae was good but still a whopping $13. Our waitress was excellent. She knew the menu well and was very pleasant. A few glitches that they definitely can easily fix. Ambiance is beautiful. We will be back!

Good food, a bit overpriced, some of the rice dishes are too rice heavy, great service and setting, great politics. Overall, they don't deserve the hype of the NYTimes article and other attention to their restaurant group, but they also don't deserve the hate they get for being Palestinian and having reasonable politics rooted in human rights and justice. They deserve better than their current overall rating, which apparently includes anti-Palestinian bigots rating without trying.

I've eaten here a number of times, the people are wonderful. I haven't had a bad meal yet. The portions are fantastic. I've even ordered out from them, and the food comes hot and plentiful.

Wow! What an amazing meal! This place deserves 5 stars, when considering the ambience, the food, the service, & really good music which is not overly too loud. As a side note - no need for personal feelings to affect the food rating of a food establishment on Yelp. Don't like their politics? Move on. And this is coming from a Jewish girl.

Awful service! I received rotten malfouf. No number to call so I emailed right away. They led me on for days telling me I'll receive a refun and then some for the "trouble" that was the 18th and it's now the 27th and I get an email saying that they want me to contact Uber eats to dea with it. Thankfully they refunded me my money. So unprofessional and dishonest. I'm Palestinian and I would NEVER again give them my service specifically because of their dishonesty with this whole thing.

Awful food and atmosphere. I would never eat here again. Please be careful, you can get stomach poisoning

My husband and I ordered Kabsa and a couple of meat pies. What a big disappointment that we couldn't eat it. The rice was way too oily and the meat pie was also greasy and overly spiced with too much cardamom this being said that my husband is Palestinian.

My friends and I had an absolutely delicious meal here and look forward to coming back! Every single thing we ordered was excellent.

The place is pretty, the desserts are amazing and the appetizers, maybe drinks, the entrees are disappointing, there was a pile of rice underneath it all, cheap yellow rice like the kind u buy at the supermarket, the halvah ice cream is frigan amazing. I don't like the political messages in the walls they are offensive to sone people, it's a restaurant not supposed to be political or offensive to any people but it is.

Really didn't enjoy my experience. They seem very unorganized and ignore you. Food is drenched in oil and lacks in flavor. Won't be back.

I returned to Ayat, for my 3rd visit and I am still in love with this place. The bread is soo fresh and warm, and I love dipping it in the olive oil and zatar mix. This time I had the Mansef. Its a lamb dish over rice. The lamb was succulent, tender, and flavorful. I also had a good American-style coffee that was so good I did not need any cream. I don't understand the people who said the food was overpriced and not good. The portions are huge, and the prices are regular restaurant prices. I have had different dishes each time I came, and the meat was always tender, and the food was never oversalted. The service was great as well.

The worst food & service No test at all and they charge you gratuities 18% for 3 people and 20% for 4 people plus 4% for credit card plus tax of course! So you end up paying about 35% extra and they give you the bill and they mark the tips open so you can add extra tip if you didn't read the bill and nothing it's automatic by their policy! All that for no test food & slow service!!!

Im so glad I decided to try something new and ate here. The place itself is gorgeous. Decorated very well. Theres a large patio to sit outside if you like. The wait staff was very nice and helpful explaining the menu. The freshly made pita bread was so yummy! As a main dish I had the chicken kebab. Portion was large and very flavorful.

Ayat has a great atmosphere and delicious food! Flavorful and plentiful! I'm already thinking about who I can bring to eat there again soon. Our waitress was very friendly and they give you space to enjoy your food and talk with your party. No one coming up to your table every two minutes while you're eating asking how everything tastes. She asked once and it was great! We didn't get to try any desserts but next time! Side note: gratuity included for parties 3+ and 4% for credit cards (this IS written on the menu. Don't say "no one told you.")

This restaurant was absolutely amazing. From the decor and service to our dishes! Me and my family will most certainly be back!

Food is consistently excellent and prices are reasonable as servings are generous. Staff are really nice. Authentic dishes. It is always a nice break from cooking.

The food is disgusting all around. The service is...not great. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. And the interior is not great either. Not sure how long it has been there or how long it will last tbh

Food is inedible. Ordered pickup and got a wrap with chicken and lamb. This was a sad excuse for a wrap. The meat was dry and did not taste good. Wrap was very sloppy and looked like it was very carelessly put together. I would not return to this establishment. The Brooklyn location has much better tasting food but you'll wait 3 hours there for your food. For now will stick to Sahara.

We really did not like the food at all I definitely would not recommend this place to eat. It was just not palatable.The lamb was bone in and terrible. The Philosophers were burned and over spiced. Went with. Few people and all-did not like the food

Have passed by Ayat in Bay Ridge plenty of times but never stopped in. Happened to be in SI and decided to grab brunch here. The servers were so kind and the food was excellent. First time trying Palestinian food and this was a great introduction. Hope to come back or visit the other Ayat locations!

OMG love this spot. The food 10, the service 10, the ambience 10, and another 10 for the hot bread lol. Do yourself a favor and check it out. No alcohol but it's cool with me. The lemonade is like a mojito.

Absolutely delicious vegan food options. The fried eggplant , roasted cauliflower and stuffed squash were stand outs. We brought a nice bottle of wine, shared two appetizers and a mixed clean intestines of food to the homepage. Priceless.. Courteous staff, and a lovely indoor/outdoor atmosphere

Food was really good and big portions considering the price. The fluffy and warm pitas to start were really fresh. It was a hot and humid day so they only had a fan on our table instead of turning on the AC and keeping the whole place cool. The servers were quick and attentive and the food came out fast. Just wished they turned on more fans or the AC!

Worst meal ever. This place doesn't even know how to make hummus. Mine was runny. Shredded chicken was dry and over seasoned. Service was uneven and forgot our drink order at start of meal. Didn't even want to leave a star.

Have only ordered pick up so far, so commenting on that. The food is absolutely delicious and fresh. We enjoyed it so much that we ordered from there 3x in the past week. It's impossible to reach them by phone in evening hours, so opt for placing pick up order through GrubHub. So far we have tried the following: lentil soup, margherita pizza (so far better than at some Italian spots), felafel wrap, vegan platter, beef shawarma platter, fatoush salad, filistine salad, lamb kebab, beef patties. The platters are nice because they come with a sampler of babaghanoush, hummus, filistine salad, and rice. Everything is tasty, including the rice. The beef shawarma tastes fresh. My personal favorites are the vegan dishes. Love the felafel, it's not too dry. Love the veggie and rice stuffed grape leaves. Love the pizza and beef patties, and my kids enjoy it as well. Yesterday we also tried the baklava and it was delicious. The portions are decent. You get what you pay for. The food is so delicious, you can't stop eating. We would love to come in and sit down soon to try the food in the setting. There are a few competing middle eastern restaurants in the area, such as Grand Sahara and Zara. Personally, I think Ayat wins and if they maintain their quality, they will take out all competition.

With successful restaurants introducing authentic Palestine cuisine in Brooklyn, the owners are crossing the river and bringing their cultural concept to another a less ventured borough. However, all the greatest hits and flavors are brought along. Lamb chop over rice and bread is one of their popular dishes, but don't sleep on the laffa and fun to share appetizers. Their whimsical take on pasta marries Palestine ingredients with pasta as canvas. A fusion approach, much similar to their Halal Italian Fatta Mono in Brooklyn. Perhaps that's a precursor to another Fatta Mono offspring in Staten Island?

Nasty place with terrible food. Who in their mind likes this place. You must be drunk to think this is good food.

So glad I stumbled upon this hidden gem! The food was fresh and so good; competes with any Manhattan restaurant The zatar was the best I have ever tasted will definitely be back especially for the Sunday brunch!

Awful food, awful atmosphere, there are many other better options, corner hot dog stand is better than this place.

Falafel was the best I've ever had, better than Mamoun's Falafel. I loved the Kibbeh. I thought the vegetable soup was very flavorful. The Makloubah was a mixed bag, because I loved the rice. It was rich with turmeric notes and very aromatic. I just thought the potatoes in it was starch overkill and the chicken was dry. The Shrimp Kebob was very good though, just make sure you ask for the salt. Everything could use a bit of salt. I will definitely come back here to try the other menu items!

Ambiance was great! I really enjoyed the Limonana drink and Kefta Bi Tahina. Service can use an improvement. Everyone was extra polite but unfortunately the service was slow. I found myself in many occasions looking for a server.

Very bad service Xxx. The food is ok. The ambiance: the ceiling is leaking and the place is dirty

Food is amazing great atmosphere very welcomwe will definitely be back!! Service good too

I had some time between appointments and stopped in for lunch with my wife . Food was amazing and I eat middle eastern all the time besides home made and their food was as close to home cooked as I had . Service was good never they checked on us consistently and made great recommendations. As far as cost it was reasonable . The ambiance was open air market type was comfortable for a hour to 11/2 hour meal. You can also sit outside under umbrellas if you wish . I would have given it 5 stars but it was our first time and we only tasted 2 appetizers and 1 meal for two .

Very tasty. We will definitely be back! The ambiance is nice and the service is good. Everything that was served to the table was fresh and flavorful.

Wow! So authentic. Place is so pretty artsy and friendly. Everything taste good. Enjoy if you go