Bustan NYC

We walked in on a Saturday evening, and they were able to accommodate our party of two, but I would strongly recommend making reservations. The food was so delicious and authentic it brought me back to time I’ve spent on the Mediterranean. We had the hummus (strong tahini flavor, very smooth) and spicy feta (literally shocked my brain into recalling memories in Greece) along with super fresh, hot, and oily pita. For the main, we shared cauliflower over lebneh, tomatoes, and garlic, along with chicken schnitzel. Ended with baklava, vanilla ice cream with crushed pistachios and espresso. I would go here a thousand more times. Nice wine and beer selection with Israeli options.

Bustan is a lively Mediterranean restaurant in the UWS. The food is hands-down some of the best food in the area! It’s absolutely astounding. I find the staff lovely. I enjoyed the food so much I asked to be a part of the team!

Very nice place for some authentic Israeli cuisine.

We had a group of 16 and they were able to accommodate us.

Small plates:
Tahini, very dense and nice.
Labneh, how bad can it be?
Hummus, great as usual, but not wow.
Tzatzik, fresh and dilly and cucumbery.

Pita is thin and stretchy and puffy and soft.
Taboos is crispy and savory with more oil content.

Medium plates:
Cauliflower, not so crunchy but does have a charr. Quiet bland in seasoning.

Artichoke, one of today’s specialty, better seasoning than the cauliflower in my tastes. Only hearts were presented and very soft and nice.

Crudo, cannot remember a thing so I guess so so.

Burrata, the beet salad underneath is AMAZING. It is so contrary to my intuition as it is not sweet but aromatic. The seasonings is mastery.

Hummus bowl, just larger version of hummus.

Israeli salad, very very nice mix and refreshing. Should supplement with any bread, meaty dish ordered.

Larger plate:
Moroccan fish, lovely domed top with crispy flaky texture and with a bit of scallion flavor. The fish fillets are tender but not mushy. Lovely and warm and comforting during winter with tomato, tahini, and chickpeas.

Lamb kebab, very very lamby, if you know what I mean. If you are not eating lamb, then you shouldn’t order it. Otherwise, nice seasoning and great aromatic flavor profile.

Chicken musakhan, very very nice and crispy chicken. Imagine chicken from crispy chicken sandwich but without the buns. A bit on the drier side, with salad and a pita underneath topped with hummus.

Dessert:

Malabi, chewy coconut flake with crushed pistachios on top of rose water coconut pudding that tastes creamy but the rose water can be a bit overpowering and makes the dish taste fake.

In general, would come again for their fish and chicken.

First time at this Israeli / mediterranean restaurant and had a great time. It's a family style sharing restaurant with small, medium and large plates. All the food is great. The hummus was really good and so was the Israeli salad. Very recommended!

Went here based on reviews and am a fan of Mediterranean food. The neighborhood was beautiful. We sat at a cozy table for 3. It's a family style menu and we ordered 2 items from each the; small, medium and Large menu. The Tabooh Bread was fresh, hot and toasted perfectly. Add the spicy feta dip, isreali salad with the bread and just heaven on my taste buds. Loved the octopus and eggplant carpaccio. We got the special for dessert and wow just wow. A real symphony on my taste buds. Well done Bustan . As close to the land of milk and honey, I've gotten. Thank you!

I’ve been to Bustan twice and I had a great experience each time. I really like Mediterranean food and Bustan is a great place to taste them, especially Israel food. My favorites are roasted cabbage, roasted cauliflower, falafel and meatballs. You should also try labneh and Israel salad for starter.

Great Mediterranean food. We came here many times and the quality is always there. The falafel is amazing! Hummus with taboon bread is great too. Love their Israeli salad, too. Schnitzel is delicious but only good for dine in. Take out will be a bit dry. Service is never disappointing!

This is my favorite restaurant on the upper west side. Full bar and incredible menu. You must get the bread for your meal and to-go.

Indoor dining is well lit and not too loud, and there is an outdoor lovely garden for dining. Just do it and go here!

One of the best Israeli places in NYC. Cabbage was so good. Everything was great.

The food is absolutely delicious, super fresh & authentic. I had great, friendly service seated at the bar. Tastefully decorated but the atmosphere is super loud when full.

Bustan is a must if you are looking for delicious middle eastern cuisine. It’s authentic and sophisticated with rich flavors. Our favorites were the kebabs, Moroccan fish, gem salad, cauliflower, hummus, labneh, and the pitas were perfect. The malabi and chocolate cake are also excellent. Definitely come here or even order from here!!

We were in the area and stopped in for early dinner. What a great find! Everything was absolutely fresh and delicious. Staff was friendly. Atmosphere was nice. We will definitely return for more.

Bustan knows how to serve some great Mediterranean dishes. So many great flavors and so many choices. We stopped in here last week and the food and the service was so good we can’t wait to go back. Mediterranean did with an exotic flair. Perfect UWS local restaurant. I can’t wait to go back!!!

The Moroccan fish is incredible! Absolutely love Bustan, the food is delicious and it’s great pick for a weeknight dinner out.

Food is the best Mediterranean I have had in the city, which is saying a lot. This place is consistently good. The servers are attentive and friendly. The place is a bit crowded and narrow. We sat out in the heated porch area. A little more quiet there, But my legs were freezing by the end of the meal. Make sure to sit under a heat lamp. In warm weather they have tables in front, too.

We came here for date night and I don't think my husband could've found a more perfect spot.

Ambiance: Gorgeous and elegant. The bar area is also very nice and appealing to sit at.

Service: The manager, the waitress, and all staff were so nice and thoughtful. Fairly quick to get to you even though it was busy.

Food: EXCELLENT. As a vegetarian, I really enjoyed the number of options on the menu and they all sounded delicious. The Indian Tahini ended up being one of our favorite dips and the falafel was well seasoned and crispy. Must try the Taboon bread, it's fresh and hot and perfectly seasoned. We also got the Israeli salad which definitely did not disappoint. The Malabi dessert was fresh, sweet, and a perfect ending to the entire meal.

Overall I'd say this was a great experience and I would definitely come back and bring friends.

Instagram Handle: @TheShahLALand

Delicious! Chicken Musakhan and Taboon Bread are a must. Love the Persian Lemonade. Nikolai was an amazing server.

I love everything about this restaurant. The setting, staff, good, drink! Every single dish we had was delicious and the drink wasn't too sweet. The staff were super friendly too and didn't rush you to leave when you are finished. I can't wait to go back.

Great food, great service, great space. Doesn't get better than this.

I’m still thinking about the taboon bread. It was pure magic - it’s like a pillowy soft sourdough that’s hollow in the center and super thin and crispy on the outside. And the falafel was even more crispy I heard it from across the table. We ordered nothing but mezze, and still left happy and full.