ilili
“We had hummus, falafel, kibbeh, lamb sausage, tabbouleh salad and so much more as the food just kept coming.”
“Husband had the Chicken Shish Taouk with marinated chicken breast, crispy chicken skin garlic whip and sumac onions.”
“I highly recommend the tabouli with the sour cherries, the lamb, and the brussels sprouts.”
ilili
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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This is a review purely for restaurant week. I had been here before for a private work dinner which had a different menu. 2 colleagues and I came here to enjoy dinner b/c their Summer restaurant week menu looked appealing. With each person being able to order 2 appetizers, we were able to sample almost all of the ones listed. Fried cauliflower, steak tartare and the falafel were all delicious. The eggplant and salad were decent.
I had the short rib as my entree which wasn't the best choice. Although it was full of flavor, it was very dry and tough to eat. The arctic char proved to be a better choice. My dining mates devoured it. The desserts were very small but a good size for such a heavy meal. It was a good meal all and all but I don't think I would come back on a normal day.
Had a great time here. I was a little irritated at first because I slipped on the floor (because of a water puddle) making my way to our table. ALSO when we were seated at first, we were placed at a table in the dimly light back room. There was barely anyone in the back room and it felt like a punishment to be placed there. I had made reservations through Open Table so maybe that is the table the restaurant has designated for those reservations. But it was terrible and I was very relieved that they accommodated our request to be seated at a circle table in the main room. Especially since this was a celebration dinner and I had written that in the special requests section of my reservation!
Anyway, besides that incident, the food was incredible! Literally everything we ordered was delicious. The dishes were mostly small plates. My favorites were the duck shawarma (bigger portioned), octopus dish (bigger portioned), falafel, and the fries. The drinks were made strong as well which was deeply appreciated. We were brought fresh "bread" constantly which was also appreciated. The waiters were extremely attentive and complied with all of our requests. The main room ambiance was beautiful.
I would definitely come back here-especially for drinks and apps.
We had a very nice dining experience at the restaurant with friends and I really wanted to like this restaurant and had a good recommendation for it but I cant really say that the food was anything more than just good. The restaurant is very pretty and definitely on the trendy side. It has a nice lounge area at the entrance as well. I was a little disappointed in going to a Lebanese restaurant to see items on the menu that didnt really seem to fit very well such a gnocci and burrata… While I love both those items that is not what I was looking for at this restaurant!
We had the fish special which was a whole 2 pound fish and it was big but for $75 it was just good, not spectacular.
All in all, it is a good restaurant and a nice place to bring someone from out of town that wants just a mild taste of a Lebanese restaurant but maybe is more into flash over authenticity.
Good Lebanese cooking at Ilili. Wholesome crowd pleasing share items abound the menu. Everything is meant to be shared — so you will need to compete with your tablemates if you order a particular dish. I have eaten here about 15 times and never had a bad meal.
O.M.F.G. I don't know how else to describe this place aside from the best, most unique Mediterranean meal you'll ever eat.
My boyfriend and I came here for our one year anniversary (I chose the restaurant because A. I LOVE Mediterranean food and B. I'm on a strict diet that doesn't let me eat added sugar, grains, alcohol, dairy, or legumes, and Mediterranean food is the easiest cuisine for me to eat). I made the reservation for 6 P.M. on OpenTable; when we got there a bit early (about 5:40), the restaurant was able to seat us immediately in their upstairs lounge.
The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated and can cater to any occasion you see fit. If you're looking for a date night or even an anniversary dinner — like myself — this restaurant is upscale and classy, but it is also a great place to dine out with a group of friends or colleagues. There was even a private party upstairs who rented out part of the restaurant, so this place is good for any occasion.
In lieu of bread, the waitress brought out these cinnamon-coated thin crackers with a cream cheese dip that my boyfriend really enjoyed. For appetizers, we ordered the octopus and the baba ghanoush, two of my favorite Mediterranean dishes. Though we didn't get the hummus this time, there was an option to order a lobster hummus that I definitely want to try the next go-around. Both appetizers were incredible — the octopus wasn't over-grilled like many places do it and the baba ghanoush was perfectly smokey. The accompanying pita was freshly made and had a hint of cinnamon on it, too.
For our main courses, my boyfriend and I ordered the swordfish with a tzatziki sauce, the scallops in a brown butter sauce and the brussels sprouts in a fig jam with grapes and walnuts. Unfortunately I didn't realize that the tzatziki sauce had dairy in it, but regardless, the sauce was INCREDIBLE and complimented the fish so well, so I guess I can let that one slide. My boyfriend enjoyed his buttery scallops just as much — there wasn't a bite left by the time we were done.
The highlight of the meal, surprisingly enough, was the brussels sprouts. The jam made the sprouts so sweet and flavorful that even my boyfriend was devouring them. They were sweet and savory at the same time, unlike anything I've ever tried. If you come here, GET THE BRUSSELS SPROUTS.
Overall, I enjoyed this meal beyond anything I could have hoped for and I will absolutely be back. Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Hell yeah.
Love!!!(but not at first sight!) I like certain restaurants in Alabama for their southern charm, and I love the mom and pop ambience and that certain familiarity of many Tucson restaurants. Then I came to Ilili's in the Big Apple. Ilili's ? Call it loud, call it the city energy, whatever it is, it is quintessential NY, loud abashedly unapologetic, yet uniquely classy.
We ordered Bordeaux and Malbec to start off and three light fairs: roasted Brussels sprouts, moussaka, and beef fried kibbeh. Many restaurants do roasted Brussels Sprouts well these days, but none better than Ilili's. The mixture of grapes, walnuts and brussels sprouts was better than one could fathom. The moussaka was flavorful and pleasing in texture. The Fried Kibbeh was crispy outside and soft and tasty inside. After seeing the branzino at the next table, we decided to give it a try. Oh my. The flavor of fresh fish was retained while the added spices and oil enhanced the goodness of the fish. We ended up eating every bit of the flesh and the skin of the fish. I don't give 5 stars to a restaurant after one visit. Ilili almost made me break my practice. It is a wonderful culinary experience here!! Despite my initial impression and loud city energy, I love this place!!!
This is my absolute favorite happy hour spot. Quiet, classy, a lot of seating and a great happy hour menu for food & drinks. I really cannot fault this place. I'll keep on coming back.
This is a Lebanese restaurant in Flatiron and quite good. Best thing we had was plain whole chicken that we split, using pita to eat it. For appetizer, we had a chicken liver pate, broccoli. I had this thing called a "chocolate bar" for dessert — ice cream and an awesome brownie, essentially.
Definitely recommend this place, especially if you have to "deal" with a vegetarian or someone with a ton of food allergies that may or may not be real. ("I can't have gluten!!" — check your science bruh.) Many conventionally "cool" people here, but as captain of Dork Central, I didn't feel out of place at all. Solid, and I'll be back again.