ilili Restaurant

"When you look around at this huge Lebanese restaurant in Flatiron, the walls and ceiling will bring to mind a Mondrian painting, and you'll notice that an entire bowling lane (or two) could probably fit into the dining room. There's also a very long bar where you can enjoy some arak along with fattoush, duck shawarma, and labneh with salmon roe. Come here when the headcount for an upscale outing unexpectedly triples." - kenny yang

"Ilili is an upscale Lebanese restaurant in Flatiron, and the main dining area is just one long room filled with a bunch of round tables. With its high ceilings and fancy wood-paneled walls, it looks sort of like a place where Bruce Wayne would eat while trying to keep his cover, and it’s a great spot for a business meeting or a meal with some people who generally only eat in Midtown." - bryan kim, matt tervooren

"When you look around at this huge upscale Lebanese restaurant, the walls and ceiling will bring to mind a Mondrian painting, and you'll notice that an entire bowling lane (or two) could probably fit into the dining room. There's also a very long bar, and it's a great place to enjoy some arak alongside fattoush and duck shawarma. Come here when you know you'll have a large party, or when the headcount for an outing unexpectedly triples." - bryan kim, willa moore, carina finn koeppicus

"Fattoush salad with toasted pita, sumac lemon vinaigrette, and falafel with a side of hummus and fresh vegetables from Union Square Greenmarket" - Edward Barsamian

"The kind of high-ceilinged, big tables, plush chairs kind of place you don’t really find outside of Midtown. When you need that, head here. The Lebanese food is excellent." - hillary reinsberg